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In a move believed to be the first by a college campus in the nation, San Jose State University President Don Kassing has suspended all campus blood drives because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration bars any man who has had sex with another man from donating blood. "The FDA's lifetime blood donor deferral affecting gay men violates our non-discrimination policy," said Kassing in an e-mail sent to faculty, staff and students. The suspension, which is effective immediately, applies to blood drives arranged by employees representing the university as well as blood drives organized by student groups. The FDA's ban...

Liberal American bishops threw the Archbishop of Canterbury a lifeline in his efforts to avert Anglican schism by agreeing to halt appointments of gay bishops and same-sex blessings, at least temporarily. The compromise will, however, fail to appease many conservative leaders as it offers no guarantee that the American Church will maintain the moratoriums for more than a couple of years. It also falls far short of agreeing to provide an independent safe haven for American conservatives who have rejected the authority of their own liberal bishops. advertisement One conservative insider said it represented "two fingers to the Communion." Liberals,...

t has always been a burning question for me: does size matter to lesbians. Unfortunately for the lesbian fire chief of San Diego, Tracy Jarman, we know the answer is yes because when she ordered that four straight firefighters to endure hours of sexual harassment for the enjoyment of the gays lining the gay pride parade route all bets were off. After all, she did not want her fire department to be outshined by the gaily marching San Diego police chief. So now we know the answer, but it is going to be an expensive lesson to learn because while...

They say everything is bigger in Texas. But the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas makes one Texas-sized claim that few would expect in the conservative Bible Belt state - it says it is the world's biggest gay church. "I think this shows that God has a tremendously great sense of humour," says senior pastor and rector Jo Hudson. On a more serious note, she says the church, affiliated with the United Church of Christ, is a spiritual refuge for gay people of faith in a region associated with more conservative brands of Christianity. "Because we are in the Bible Belt...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Officials detained an Iraqi man during a security scare at Los Angeles International airport on Tuesday but said a suspicious object found in a body cavity search did not pose a threat. The man, identified by law enforcement officials as Fadhel al-Maliki, 35, was detained at passenger screening at the airport just before 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning. The bomb squad was called as a precaution and authorities said they found wires in his clothing and a magnet inside a lower body cavity. The man was preparing to board a US Airways flight to Philadelphia. The...

My friends, my sister, and I were hanging out at a gay bar in West Hollywood last night (yes, really) because you can buy $1 draft beers during happy hour, and my little sister can flirt with men who won't actually try to take her home. She just moved out to Hollywood to live with me and, being only 29, she still likes to party. I'm the over-protective type, so I go with her and glower at anyone who gets too close.Because it was a gay bar, all the men I met there were... oh, what's the word... gay, yes,...

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) The New Jersey Legislature has passed a bill to allow gay couples to form civil unions.

SAN FRANCISCO – A suburban San Diego teenager who was barred from wearing a T-shirt with anti-gay rhetoric to class lost a bid to have his high school's dress code suspended Thursday after a federal appeals court ruled the school could restrict what students wear to prevent disruptions. The ruling by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals addressed only the narrow issue of whether the dress code should be unenforced pending the outcome of the student's lawsuit. A majority of judges said, however, that Tyler Chase Harper was unlikely to prevail on claims that the Poway Unified...

SAN FRANCISCO -- The state Supreme Court, in a victory for gay-rights advocates, ruled unanimously today that Berkeley could withdraw a rent subsidy to a Boy Scouts affiliate at the city marina because of the scouts' no-gays-allowed policy. Although the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that the Boy Scouts had a constitutional right to exclude gays, Berkeley is not required to provide funding to an organization that violates the city's antidiscrimination policy, the state justices said. Cities can require recipients of public money to "provide written, unambiguous assurances of compliances with a generally applicable nondiscrimination policy,'' Justice Kathryn Mickle...

BOSTON (Reuters) - Gay rights activists and liberal Catholics girded on Wednesday for a long battle over the Vatican's tougher stance on homosexuality, predicting the Church would lose thousands of followers in the United States.

WASHINGTON, November 18, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – While the rates for new cases of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, have been on the decline among heterosexuals and intravenous drug users, US health officials are expressing alarm at an eight percent increase in HIV rates in homosexual and bisexual men in one year.Measuring the increase in prevalence of the virus from 2003 to 2004, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the 8% rise in cases among men who commit sodomy with men, “was statistically significant” for the 33 states that reported on HIV cases, according to the...

WASHINGTON – Was the U.S. Supreme Court fooled by a make-believe sodomy case in Lawrence v. Texas – one manufactured by homosexual activists to entrap police and ensnare the judicial system in a conspiracy to change the law of the land? That is the compelling verdict of a new book, "Sex Appealed: Was the U.S. Supreme Court Fooled?" by Judge Janice Law. It was in the Houston courthouse where Law presided as judge that she first heard rumors that the key figures in what became the landmark Lawrence v. Texas Supreme Court case actually invited arrest in a pre-arranged setup...

July 15, 2005 You will not believe this ad by Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson has placed an ad for its Tylenol PM product in the July 19 issue of The Advocate, the nation's leading homosexual magazine. The ad shows two shirtless men in bed side by side. The text over one reads: "His backache is keeping him up." Over the other: "His boyfriend's backache is keeping him up." Click here to see a copy of the ad. (Be warned, it is offensive) You probably aren't aware that Johnson & Johnson is also a charter advertiser on the homosexual...

The man who's molding Logo, the new network for gays and lesbians, grew up in rural Illinois, attended Oral Roberts University and counted that cheesy keyboard solo on "Freeze Frame" as his big moment during gigs with his college band the Ozones. At first glance, Brian Graden hardly seems too hip for the room. But the 42-year-old Graden is one of television's busiest and most imaginative executives, already responsible for the programming on MTV, VH1 and CMT - and now Logo, which debuts Thursday. Long in the works, Logo will initially be seen in about 10 million homes with digital...

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (AP) -- A Roman Catholic priest denied communion to more than 100 people Sunday, saying they could not receive the sacrament because they wore rainbow-colored sashes to church to show support for gay Catholics. Before offering communion, the Rev. Michael Sklucazek told the congregation at the Cathedral of St. Paul that anyone wearing a sash could come forward for a blessing but would not receive wine and bread. A group called the Rainbow Sash Alliance has encouraged supporters to wear the multicolored fabric bands since 2001 on each Pentecost Sunday, the day Catholics believe the Holy Spirit...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two gay Israeli men have installed a huge double bed in a New York art gallery and are inviting Arab men to become their "lover" as part of an exhibition called "Sleeping with the Enemy." But the artists who like to be known simply as Gil and Moti talk about the project in romantic terms, saying it's about "falling in love" rather than sex. Gil said visitors should not come to the show expecting to see pornography. "The bed is there for us to live in. Artistically there are three pillows to symbolize unity of three...

LOS ANGELES/ ST PAUL- MINNEAPOLIS, May 16, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Feast of Pentecost is the celebration in the Christian calendar of the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the Disciples of Christ after His resurrection and ascension into heaven as recorded in the bible. In recent years, homosexual activists have used the feast as an annual pretext for protests to make demands that the Catholic Church change her teaching on the sinfulness of homosexual acts. Archbishop Flynn of St. Paul-Minneapolis, Cardinal Mahoney of Los Angeles and bishop Matthew Clarke of Rochester New York have been singled out for praise...

Priest Denies Gays' Supporters Communion By JOSHUA FREED, Associated Press Writer Mon May 16, 9:59 AM ET A Roman Catholic priest denied communion to more than 100 people Sunday, saying they could not receive the sacrament because they wore rainbow-colored sashes to church to show support for gay Catholics. Before offering communion, the Rev. Michael Sklucazek told the congregation at the Cathedral of St. Paul that anyone wearing a sash could come forward for a blessing but would not receive wine and bread. A group called the Rainbow Sash Alliance has encouraged supporters to wear the multicolored fabric bands since...

Kandahar's Lightly Veiled Homosexual Habits Society: Restrictions on relations with women lead to greater prevalence of liaisons between men, a professor says. By MAURA REYNOLDS Times Staff Writer April 3, 2002 KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — In his 29 years, Mohammed Daud has seen the faces of perhaps 200 women. A few dozen were family members. The rest were glimpses stolen when he should not have been looking and the women were caught without their face-shrouding burkas. "How can you fall in love with a girl if you can't see her face?" he asks. Daud is unmarried and has sex only with...

GOVERNOR RENDELL TO UNVEIL MARKER HONORING THOSE WHO COMMIT ACTS OF SODOMY AT NATIONAL CELEBRATION April 28, 2005 Our Nation is in a downward spiral. Good is called evil and evil is called good. My eldest son Caleb and I have traveled to Philadelphia to speak up for righteousness during a celebration of sin hosted by Equality Forum. Please pray for the outreaches that will be taking place during this week and ask that the Father will draw the lost to Himself. Below are several excerpts from a recent press release from Equality Forum. This sinful nation is begging the...

Despite Gripes About Gay Themes, 'No Name-Calling' Initiative Spreads in Middle Schools By David Crary The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) - Using a young readers' novel called "The Misfits" as its centerpiece, middle schools nationwide will participate in a "No Name-Calling Week" initiative starting Monday. The program, now in its second year, has the backing of groups from the Girl Scouts to Amnesty International but has also drawn complaints that it overemphasizes harassment of gay youths. The initiative was developed by the New York-based Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, which seeks to ensure that schools safely accommodate students...

Washington -- Twenty-two gay and lesbian rights groups, smarting in the aftermath of the November election and bracing for President Bush's second inaugural, issued a unity statement Wednesday insisting they are not backing off marriage equality but will simultaneously push for other "common priorities." These include hate crimes legislation, employment protection, immigration rights for gays and lesbian partners, overturning the ban on gays in the military and continuing battle against constitutional bans on same-sex marriage in states and Congress.

Sweat trickles down the face of a man busking in a steamy town square. Buenos Aires is now relatively cheap to visit A young woman paints the final brushstrokes of a summertime cityscape. Gaggles of children giggle by the lakeside in a gloriously green park. This is Buenos Aires: So pretty, so elegant and so European that it has often been described as the "Paris of South America". Before Argentina's economic crisis struck in 2001, Buenos Aires was probably the most expensive city in South America: $1 bought you one peso. Now it gets you three, allowing visitors to experience...

See this earlier post of urgent importance to Maryland Freepers: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1285432/posts A group of Maryland lawmakers yesterday said they will file an appeal to oppose an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit that aims to force Baltimore and four counties to accept same-sex "marriages." "We have asked to be permitted to intervene so that we might be able to put out a serious and truthful defense of Maryland's marriage statute," said Delegate Donald H. Dwyer Jr., Anne Arundel County Republican....

Democratic Underground WHO IS WELCOME ON DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND, AND WHO IS NOT We welcome Democrats of all stripes, along with other progressives who will work with us to achieve our shared goals. This is a "big tent" message board. We welcome a wide range of progressive opinion. You will likely encounter many points of view here that you disagree with. We ban conservative disruptors who are opposed to the broad goals of this website. If you think overall that George W. Bush is doing a swell job, or if you wish to see Republicans win, or if you are generally...

On Wednesday a fledgling group of black, gay Republicans endorsed George W. Bush for a second term as president, countering the stand taken by the nation's largest gay and lesbian GOP organization. The Abe Lincoln Black Republican Caucus (ALBRC), which was founded in 2002 to address the needs of young, black, gay Republicans in Dallas, said the endorsement was fueled by the Log Cabin Republicans' refusal to endorse Bush. "We think that the 'Republican Tent' is inclusive and there is room for differences, but one does not pick up their marbles and go home if there are a few points...

e board of Log Cabin Republicans, the largest group for gay men and lesbians in the party, voted overwhelming last night against endorsing President Bush for re-election because of his support for a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The decision ends six months of soul-searching as the group, which endorsed Mr. Bush in 2000 and Bob Dole in 1996, wrestled with its divided loyalties. Although the group was immediately critical when the president announced his support for the amendment in February, it pointedly refrained from ruling out an endorsement. Its effort to balance loyalty to the party with opposition...

Battle-scarred from skirmishes at the State Fair and the AFL-CIO Labor Day Rally, the "Truth Truck" of a gay-marriage opposition group was resting Tuesday in the St. Paul police impound lot, one place where it might not cause a public commotion. In less than two weeks of operation, the billboard truck -- with its 8-foot tall images of two men kissing and the message "Want Gay Marriage? Vote Democrat this November" -- has been in the middle of two arrests and at least one general fracas. The latest incident occurred Monday at Harriet Island Park in St. Paul, where some...

Get Behind Celebrating Anal Sex Month SAN FRANCISCO (Wireless Flash) -- Here's a holiday we can all get behind: August is "National Anal Sex Month." For the last three years, the Good Vibrations sex toy shop in San Francisco has celebrated August as "Anal Sex month" because, as spokeswoman Niki Khanna says, "the month has a lot of A's." Khanna believes having a whole month dedicated to anal sex means people aren't as touchy about the subject as in years past. However, she says the big challenge is convincing people that the activity doesn't "...have to involve penetration. Some people...

Queer Eye For the Straight Guy Airs: Tuesdays 10:00 PM (Bravo) Air Times Vary 1:00 AM (NBC) Premiere Date: 07/15/2003 Premise: Five fabulous gay men, experts in the fields of fashion, food and wine, interior design, grooming and culture, are unleashed upon a straight guy whose friends or loved ones believe he needs a lifestyle upgrade. The guy is outfitted in new clothes, gets his home renovated and receives tips on other aspects of living well. Show Background: The show debuted July 15 to an audience of 1.6 million viewers, a huge improvement over what Bravo previously drew in its...

December 1, 2003, 7:38 PM EST SALT LAKE CITY -- A lawyer for a Utah man with five wives argued Monday that his polygamy convictions should be thrown out following a Supreme Court decision decriminalizing gay sex. The nation's high court in June struck down a Texas sodomy law, ruling that what gay men and women do in the privacy of their homes is no business of government. It's no different for polygamists, argued Tom Green's attorney, John Bucher, to the Utah Supreme Court.

A lifelong Episcopalian who served 24 years in the clergy is the first in the Diocese of Ohio to quit the priesthood over the election of an openly gay bishop. William Tumbleson, 63, a retired cleric who believes Scripture forbids homosexual activity, renounced his priestly orders after he decided to join St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral in Cleveland. As churches opposed to the ordination of a gay bishop ponder their next steps, Tumbleson said he wanted to show that some people are already taking action. "I don't ever say I've left the Episcopal Church. I just say the Episcopal Church has...

Culver Pictures In an 1862 lithograph, a slave is depicted fleeing toward Canada before the Civil War.VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Heaven was the word for Canada and the Negro sang of the hope that his escape on the Underground Railroad would carry him there," the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once noted in describing the codes American slaves used in their spirituals to fool their masters before taking flight. Canada is heaven again for Lance W. Bateman and William E. Woods, two American men who were married here recently. The wedding on Aug. 31 looked like a typical Hawaiian...

WAL-MART ANNOUNCES PLANS TO PROTECT GAY EMPLOYEES; Has expanded its antidiscrimination policy... DEVELOPING...

<p>In early May, support for legal relations reached a high of 60%-35%.</p> <p>The shift in attitudes occurs as gay issues have been in the news. In recent weeks, the Supreme Court struck down a Texas anti-sodomy law, a Canadian court decision allowed gay couples to marry in Ontario, and Wal-Mart expanded anti-discrimination protection to gay workers.</p>

 I. IntroductionConcurrent with the civil rights movement advocated by the homosexual in Hong Kong, there has been an increased interest by the government to study discrimination based on the ground of sexual orientation. One of the key justifications by the homosexuals in advocating for civil rights protection is the biological basis of such behavior, which is beyond personal choices.The current debate over the origins of homosexuality involves controversial data dealing with genetic research pointing to the question whether sexual orientation derives from nature or nurture. It is, therefore, the purpose of this paper to review the results reported by the...