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2009-10-09T22:58:00.016-04:00

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Watch the CBS Evening News At 10 PM (ET)

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2009-06-10T00:46:00.000-04:00

2009-05-25T15:09:00.006-04:00

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2009-04-23T08:43:00.001-04:00

GayRussia.ru is Missing In Action !!!!!

2009-04-18T09:35:00.004-04:00

Just before 9:00 AM (ET) I was doing my look around for LGBT news and when I tried to go to GayRussia.ru the website would not come up.

I tried several different ways, but nothing. I checked my friend Andy's website UK Gay News to see if he has had anything about it and he doesn't. I have sent him an email to ask if he knows anything.

There is nothing about it on the website Gays Without Borders either.

The last time I believe I checked GayRussia.ru was on Tuesday April 14 and obviously it was there.

I'm hoping this is just a glitch somewhere in cyberspace, but with the given attitude about LGBTs in Russia and Moscow one never knows.

If I find out any information or if the site comes back up I will update this posting.

Let's hope nothing has happened to our Russian comrades.

(UPDATE) - GayRussia.ru is back up to the relief of many around the world

NOM COMES UNIVITED TO MY HOME

2009-04-17T20:26:00.003-04:00

Tuesday evening while watching TV my phone rang.

When I said hello it was a robo-call from NOM.

Needless to say I was less than pleased.

Today in our local paper there is a full page ad from NOM via ActNowCT.

Because I'm not so handy with some computer stuff, if you would be good enough to go to my blogger friend NG, he has a PDF of the full page ad so you can see it.

The reason for all this is a vote due on an upcoming bill here in Connecticut Bill 899.

Even though we have same-sex marriage, Bill 899 puts on some finishing touches.

If you go to NG and look at the ad, you'll see it has all the usual "There Is A Storm Coming" tripe.

If it weren't for the fact our local paper, as with many others, are so desperate to get ad revenue, I wonder if they would have accepted the ad, as The News-Times tends to be on the political left and in support of gay rights.

So I have now experienced laying in the gutter. Time for a shower.

KUDOS TO ANDERSON COOPER AND AC360

2009-04-16T01:12:00.001-04:00

HAPPY EASTER ... THEY STILL DON'T WANT US !!!

2009-04-12T10:40:00.003-04:00

The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, the new Bishop of Westminster, has dismissed Tony Blair's call for the Catholic Church to change its views on homosexuality.

Speaking to Attitude magazine last week, the former prime minister said the Vatican needed to rethink "entrenched" attitudes towards homosexuality which are out of step with the feelings of most Catholics.

He added: "If you went and asked the [ordinary Catholic] congregation, I think you'd find that their faith is not to be found in those types of entrenched attitudes."

Archbishop Nichols told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Mr Blair is a very fine politician and he has got very well-tuned political senses.

"But I am afraid the way the Catholic Church thinks is rather different to that and I think I will take my guide from Pope Benedict actually."

Full article at PinkNews.co.uk

NOM AD VIDEO STRUCK BY A GATHERING STORM

2009-04-11T08:31:00.005-04:00

NOM's FREAKING OUT THERE's A STORM COMING

AND IT'S COMING FROM THE LGBTs AND THE PRESS

SHOWING WHAT THE ADS TRULY ARE

SO THEY ARE INVOKING COPYRIGHT PRIVILEGE

AND YOU TUBE IS PULLING VIDEOS

"I'LL GET YOU MY PRETTY AND YOUR LITTLE FIGGITS TOO"

LARRY KING JUST LOVES THEM FAG HATERS !!!!!

2009-04-09T13:01:00.005-04:00

This must be a record

Larry King interviews four anti-gay folk in one week

Pastor Rick Warren, Dr. Laura Schlessinger

the Osteems, Joel & Victoria

Hey Larry, who I love and adore,

how about some equal time for us queer folk !?!

Rachel Maddow, Ellen DeGeneres and k.d. Lang

Love ya kid !

$1.5 MILLION SPENT ON ANTI-GAY CAMPAIGN

2009-04-08T14:42:00.008-04:00

CBS News Political Hotsheet is reporting the National Organization for Marriage is spending $1.5 million to air a television ad in an effort to turn back the tide of gay marriage, which was yesterday legalized in Vermont. The spots will air in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Iowa according to Ben Smith of Politico.

Brian Monopoli who wrote the Political Hotsheet piece also has reaction from HRC denouncing the ad, "full of outrageous falsehoods" and noting that the claims "don’t even come out of the mouths of real people." In other words, they're actors folks !

HRC BREAKS DOWN THE LIES

VERMONT SAYS YES TO SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

2009-04-07T11:06:00.007-04:00

THE VERMONT HOUSE HAS PASSED S-115

BY A VOTE OF 100 YES ... 49 NO

AND HAS OVERRIDDEN THE VETO

VERMONT BECOMES THE FOURTH STATE

TO HAVE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

Full story at WPTZ-TV

We are trying to construct a more inclusive society.

We are going to make a country in which no one is left out.

- Franklin D. Roosevelt

LARRY KING WOULD GIVE HITLER A PASS TOO !

2009-04-07T08:32:00.004-04:00

Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren says that he is "oblivious" concerning gay marriage and never compared gays to pedophiles.

Warren also said he is not an "anti-gay marriage activist."

Uh-huh !

VT GOVERNOR DOUGLAS VETOES BILL S-115

2009-04-06T20:23:00.005-04:00

As was expected Vermont Governor Jim Douglas has vetoed the same-sex marriage Bill S-115 as WCAX-TV in Vermont reports ....

The governor says marriage should stay between a man and a woman.

The bill was hand delivered by the secretary of the Senate to the governor's office and his staff.

The veto came shortly after the Vermont Senate held an unusual Monday session. Senators agreed with some changes the House made to the gay marriage bill, and then lawmakers sent the bill to Governor Douglas, who quickly vetoed it.

Just before the governor vetoed the bill he said, "I made my decision some time ago and at this point it's a matter of crafting the message and sending it to the Legislature urging them to do what their consciences lead them to do, most importantly to do it quickly and get on with the business of the state."

The rest of WCAX-TV's report can be found here

Tuesday the Vermont Senate and House will attempt an override. You can listen live to the Senate and House coverage starting at 9:00 AM (ET) at Vermont NPR

OUT MAGAZINE'S POWER 50

2009-04-06T17:28:00.003-04:00

I didn't make the list !

I demand a recall !!

frick it .. there's always next year

Bastards !

NEW WEDDING SECTION IN THE NEWSCENTER

2009-04-06T12:52:00.005-04:00

You'll find some links and when available

LGBT Wedding Expo Schedules

GAY MEN IN IRAQ FOUND MURDERED SATURDAY

2009-04-05T00:04:00.005-04:00

According to an article from Reuters, several gay men were found murdered Saturday leaving some to believe the murders could be related to cleric threats against homosexuals.

Two gay men were killed in Baghdad's Sadr City slum, a local official said on Saturday, and police said they had found the bodies of four more after clerics urged a crackdown on a perceived spread of homosexuality.

Homosexuality is prohibited almost everywhere in the Middle East, but conditions have become especially dangerous for gays and lesbians in Iraq since the rise of religious militias after U.S.-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein six years ago.

"Two young men were killed on Thursday. They were sexual deviants. Their tribes killed them to restore their family honor," a Sadr City official who declined to be named said.

The police source who declined to be named said the bodies of four gay men were unearthed in Sadr City on March 25, each bearing a sign reading "pervert" in Arabic on their chests.

More from Reuters

Background videos showing treatment of gay Iraqis

24 HOURS OF LGBT BLOGGING HEAVEN ..... but

2009-04-04T02:09:00.011-04:00

It doesn't happen very often when you can click from one LGBT blog to another and see coverage or commentary about a like-minded subject.

Thursday and Friday was one of those times when it happened like a rare rainbow. Everyone was of course covering same-sex marriage in Vermont and Iowa , pasting, clipping and linking, adding video, writing their own pieces and giving opinion.

What was even more important, some showed the opposing side, no matter how we may feel about them. Whether we call them irrational religious zealots or what most really are, average Americans who for one reason or another have a problem with the idea and use of the word marriage when it comes to gay and lesbian couples.

Change is never easy and down right impossible for some people.

But do we as a community need to constantly bang the drum calling them stupid, ignorant and other adjectives. Doesn't that then bring ourselves down to the level of what we detest, the gay bashers ?

When do we cross the line and become straight bashers ?

Some of the high and mighty bloggers who, like actors and news anchors, let their readership numbers, blog awards and occasional spotlight go to their heads and find it sacrilegious to even think about the opposition as anything less than "anti-us".

But then that shows the difference between a blogger and a journalist.

Journalists don't always get to choose sides and must swallow hard when reporting on subjects which go against what they believe in.

That aside, it was an interesting 24 hours to be an LGBT blogger.

Special thanks to WPTZ-TV, WCCI-TV, Vermont and Iowa NPR for providing Video/Audio/News feeds so we could provide coverage of these two important events regarding same-sex marriage. - the Publisher

VERMONT HOUSE HAS OFFICALLY PASSED S-115

2009-04-03T16:29:00.001-04:00

At just before 4:30 PM (ET) the Vermont House in a largely procedural step, has offically passed Bill S-115 which would allow same-sex marriage in the state of Vermont.

The vote was 94 for, 52 against, not enough to stave off an expected veto by the Governor of Vermont Jim Douglas.

It is expected he will get the bill on Tuesday.

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE VETO OVERRIDE TUESDAY

2009-04-03T13:00:00.000-04:00

Even before the bill has been formally approved, votes have been scheduled on whether to override a veto of the same-sex marriage bill.

Legislative leaders say the vote in the Senate will come Tuesday at 9 a.m. and the House will take up the question an hour later.

The House is scheduled to take a final vote this afternoon on the bill that would permit same-sex couples to marry.

Full story at Vermont NPR

IOWA SUPREME COURT OK's MARRIAGE FOR GAYS

2009-04-03T09:51:00.000-04:00

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Iowa Supreme Court announced its ruling in a landmark same-sex marriage case Friday morning.

The court's written ruling was to be issued on the Iowa Supreme Court's Web site, but traffic to the site crashed the server and took down the Web site.

The court ruled in favor of six same-sex couples who sought to get marriage licenses, but were denied. The ruling means same-sex couples in Iowa can now get married under state law.

The court was reviewing a lower court's ruling that overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriages.

From KCCI-TV DES MOINES

VT HOUSE APPROVES SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BILL

2009-04-02T21:29:00.000-04:00

In what was at times an emotional session of the Vermont House, same-sex marriage bill, S-115, passed by a vote of 95 in favor and 52 opposed.

The vote however is not enough to override an expected veto by Governor Jim Douglas.

Several of the House Reps who are gay and would like the opportunity to marry gave some of the most heart wrenching testimony during the session.

The beginning of the mid-afternoon session involved an amendment to delay the vote for a year and there was even talk of putting same-sex marriage on a ballot as in California.

The amendment was voted down 96 to 52.

Prior to that vote several Reps in favor of the Bill said there had been an excessive amount of opposition from outside the state which was trying to influence some of the State Reps constituents through the use of robo-calling.

One State Rep reported that one of his constituents received a phone call claiming to be from his office when in fact it was not.

After the first vote the House broke for a little over an hour for dinner and resumed at approximately 7:30 PM (ET) when most of the emotional testimony from some Reps was given.

One member who was Jewish described his civil union with his husband in full Jewish tradition, "but a civil union is not the same as marriage" he said.

During his turn to speak he continually had to pause as his own emotions came to the surface in what is for many an emotionally important Right to be equal as other Americans when it comes to legally sharing their life with a loved one.

One member of the House who said as much as he respected his colleagues could not vote in favor of the same-sex marriage bill based on his Catholic beliefs and apologized in advance for the opposing vote he would cast.

Another in opposition said the House had no right to pass a Bill in favor of same-sex marriage and finished his speech with what would normally be heard in Church, not in a chamber of government.

One State Rep read a letter from a 17 year old who wrote in part "in three months I can vote, die for my Country but cannot marry someone of my same gender, therefore I am not Equal as all men are supposed to be".

Another in favor was told by a constituent "you swore on the Bible to uphold the Constitution, you didn't swear on the Constitution to uphold the Bible".

In all there was no shouting, no outward bickering, no interrupting others while speaking, all disagreements were handled with respect and as much understanding as could be given.

The House session ended for the night just before 9:30 PM (ET).

In what was a first for the LGBT Rainbow Links Newscenter, it provided a live Twitter feed from beginning to end describing the events in the House and also offering links to live TV and audio coverage via the Internet.

IRAQ TO BEGIN MURDERING IRAQI LGBTs

2009-03-30T12:33:00.000-04:00

According to Ali Hili of IRAQI-LGBT, the Iraqi authorities plan to start executing them in batches of 20 from this week.

IRAQI-LGBT urgently requests that the UK Government, Human Rights Groups and the United Nations Human Rights Commission intervene with due speed to prevent this tragic miscarriage of justice from going ahead.

“We have information and reports on members of our community whom been arrested and waiting for execution for the crimes of homosexuality,’’ said Mr Hili. “Iraqi lgbt has been a banned from running our activities on Iraqi soil.”

“Raids by the Iraqi police and ministry of interior forces cost our group the diapering and killing of 17 members working for Iraqi lgbt since 2005,” added Mr Hili.“Death penalty has been increasing at an alarming rate in Iraq since the new Iraqi regime reintroduced it in August 2004.

In 2008 at least 285 people were sentenced to death, and at least 34 executed.

In 2007 at least 199 people were sentenced to death and 33 were executed, while in 2006 at least 65 people were put to death. The actual figures could be much higher as there are no official statistics for the number of prisoners facing execution,” he said.

IRAQI LGBT is concerned that the Iraqi authorities have not disclosed the identities of those facing imminent execution, stoking fears that many of them may have been sentenced to death after trials that failed to satisfy international standards for fair trial.

Most are likely to have been sentenced to death by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq (CCCI), whose proceedings consistently fall short of international standards for fair trial. Some are likely to have. Allegations of torture are not being investigated adequately or at all by the CCCI. Torture of detainees held by Iraqi security forces remains rife.

Iraq ’s creaking judicial system is simply unable to guarantee fair trials in ordinary criminal cases, and even less so in capital cases, with the result, we fear, that numerous people have gone to their death after unfair trials.

The Iraqi government must order an immediate halt to these executions and establish a moratorium on all further executions in Iraq , particularly since due process cannot be guaranteed. The state executing people for ‘morals’ crimes is also obviously unacceptable and deplorable.

Amnesty International has called on the Iraqi authorities to make public all information pertaining to the 128 people, including their full names, details of the charges against them, the dates of their arrest, trial and appeal and their current places of detention.

Press release received today from the Iraqi Gay Human Rights group Iraqi LGBT

IT's ALL THOSE FIGGITS FAULT ONCE AGAIN !!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-28T19:41:00.001-04:00

"The cost of eroding marriage

will manifest itself in future generations"

Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute,

told The Boston Globe

Dirt erodes you dumb twit !

now a brief word from our sponsor

"BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE ..... IN THE ARMY"

2009-03-25T10:17:00.000-04:00

As long as you DADT

so much for

Truth in Advertising

THE QUEEN MUM WOULD BE PITCHING A FIT !

2009-03-24T10:54:00.000-04:00

The Queen Mum's former home in Scotland, Castle of Mey near John o' Groats, is being used for wedding ceremonies, however (there's always a however isn't there ?), the trustees of the estate will not allow the stately home to be used for gay or lesbian civil ceremonies (nor straight for that matter).

Gays and lesbians are in good company though as the Prince of Wales would not have been allowed to have his civil union with Camilla Parker Bowles when they married back in 2005.

Of course as a way to find excuses, the trustees told The Telegraph ... James Murray, the Trust administrator, said that as the castle did not have a wedding licence, it could hold Christian weddings - because priests and ministers are already licensed themselves. However, in order to hold civil ceremonies it would have to apply for a licence.

An idie bitty licence is all that keeps them from allowing gays and lesbians to wed ?!?

Me thinks me smells a rat in me mutton !

Elsewhere in the article ... The homosexual and lesbian rights group Outrage claimed the Queen Mother would be "spinning in her grave".

David Allison, a spokesman for the group, added: "This seems even more ridiculous given that The Queen Mother surrounded herself with gay people. Doing this at the Queen Mother's old residence is particularly odd. She had no problem with gay people, quite the opposite."

One prominent homosexual member of her staff was her servant the late William Tallon, who was Page of the Backstairs and known as Backstairs Billy. He was regularly seen by her side in the final years of her life.

And so it goes with our cousins across the Great Pond, first the dubious duo who won't allow gays or lesbians to sleep in the same bed and now this.

And I thought the Brits were a civilized people.

This is enough for me to burn my birth certificate !

Article from Telegraph.co.uk

Story on the dubious duo

VERMONT SENATE VOTES YES ON GAY MARRIAGE

2009-03-23T19:11:00.001-04:00

AS REPORTED BY 365 Gay/LOGO

but Governor will Veto it

BASTARD !

MUSLIM HARASSES MAN ON BUS FOR "BEING GAY"

2009-03-23T10:09:00.000-04:00

Prosecutors have filed hate crime charges against an 18-year-old Seattle man accused of accosting another man on a Metro bus while yelling anti-gay slurs.

Abiazzizi I. Idris has been charged with second-degree attempted robbery and malicious harassment, the state's hate crime statute, in the March 10 attack.

In court documents, police claim Idris was riding on a Metro coach near the 9000 block of Rainier Avenue South when he slapped the man in the back of the head. He then allegedly asked, using a slur, if he was homosexual.

The man disembarked the bus moments later, followed by Idris and an associate. Police say Idris again approached him, telling the man that homosexuality violates his religion.

Confronted by Idris, the man again said he was not gay. Idris then, police assert, "grabbed the victim around his neck and said 'Give me $10 and your cell phone and I'll let you go.'"

Full article at SeattlePI.com

And then there's this article from Mail Online

All homosexuals should be stoned to death

All homosexuals should face stoning to death, a Muslim preacher of hate has declared.

Anjem Choudary, the firebrand cleric who wants to see Britain ruled by Sharia law, said such a regime was the only way to fix the country's ills.

Under it, adulterers and homosexuals would be killed by stoning. Asked if that would include anybody - even a Cabinet minister such as Business Secretary Lord Mandelson - Choudary responded with an astonishing diatribe.

"There are some people who are attracted to donkeys but that does not mean it is right", said Choudary.

VIDEO OF GAY MEN THROWN OFF ROOF ???

2009-03-20T16:11:00.000-04:00

On Thursday, March 19, a video was posted at the website Gays Without Borders horrifically showing Iranian men reported to be gay being thrown off a multi-story building. The video showed four different men, two of which with their hands tied behind their back, tossed and/or pushed off the roof like sacks of potatoes.

Mid-afternoon on Friday I clicked on the video and low and behold the "video has been removed by its owner" as has been the original story at Gays Without Borders which had the video.

Fortunately in the posting at LGBT Rainbow Links Focus about the video and article by Peter Tatchell I had linked to Peter's article without the video. Minus the video, Peter's article is still worth a read as is the link to videos about the plight of Iraqi LGBTs at the hands of Muslim extremists.

You'll find the posting at LGBT Rainbow Links Focus HERE

I've perused the Gays Without Borders website and can find no explanation of the video's disappearance nor why the posting was pulled. Needless to say there's no explanation at YouTube. It would seem to me it would have been a good idea to leave the posting intact (as I have done) and to give an explanation or question what happened.

As the video is no longer available, I have deleted it from here on the Newscenter.

Tis a puzzlement as Yul Brenner said ! - The Publisher

HIS HOLINESS SAYS NEIN !! TO CONDOMS

2009-03-18T19:36:00.000-04:00

WEST POINT GRADS START SUPPORT GROUP

2009-03-17T05:50:00.000-04:00

Thirty-eight graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., came out of the closet Monday with an offer to help their alma mater educate future Army leaders on the need to accept and honor the sacrifices of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender troops.

“Knights Out” wants to serve as a connection between gay troops and Army administrators, particularly at West Point, to provide an “open forum” for communication between gay West Point graduates and their fellow alumni and to serve in an advisory role for West Point leaders in the eventuality — which the group believes is both “imminent and inevitable” — that the law and policy collectively known as “don’t ask, don’t tell” are repealed by Congress.

In forming Knights Out, its 38 members are following the example of similar support and education groups formed by graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Air Force Academy, known respectively as USNA Out and Blue Alliance. Most if not all of these groups’ members also belong to the Service Academy Gay and Lesbian Alumni social network, a group that Knights Out claims includes some active-duty commanders serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Full Story (HERE)

KnightsOut.org

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE - IS IT REALLY FOR YOU ?

2009-03-15T02:59:00.000-04:00

DON'T YA JUST LOVE FRED PHELPS .. O's & X's

2009-03-14T13:26:00.000-04:00

FIGGITS ARE A BUNCH OF TERRORISTS - HALP ME

2009-03-11T18:20:00.000-04:00

Equality Maryland, the state's largest gay rights group, was among the peaceful protest groups to be classified as terrorists in a Maryland State Police database.

The group was designated a "security threat" by the Homeland Security and Intelligence Division, which also kept dossiers on dozens of activists and at least a dozen groups.

Police kept files on Equality Maryland's plans to hold rallies outside the State House in Annapolis to press for legislation reversing the state's ban on same-sex marriage. They plan to purge the files.

The files were revealed yesterday at a press conference, where a dozen Democratic lawmakers announced plans to introduce legislation to prevent future surveillance of non-violent groups.

Police would need "reasonable articulated suspicion of actual criminal activity," before they can conduct surveillance, said the legislation's sponsors. Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) also plans to call for a similar bill.

The measure also would prevent police from keeping files on citizens, unless the information is part of a legitimate criminal investigation.

I'm sorry, I know I have a sometimes warped sense of humor but I find this so funny I almost wet myself when I read it. - The Publisher .... HERE

TBN .. THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING TO LGBTs

2009-03-11T10:51:00.000-04:00

GAY EMPLOYEE SUES TBN FOR MILLIONS

KNOW YOUR ENEMY ...... POSTING #4

2009-03-08T22:37:00.000-04:00

AMERICANS FOR TRUTH

FAUX NEWS -- GLENN BECK -- PROP 8 -- NUTZ !

2009-03-06T12:39:00.000-05:00

Equality California To Air Anti-Gay Awareness Spot

2009-03-04T09:43:00.000-05:00

Murdered and persecuted by governments. Arrested and beaten for being who we are. Our rights put up for popular vote, time and time again.

Our new ad makes the connection between past persecution and current discrimination, like the passage of Prop 8.

Take action to ensure that everyone learns our history, connects it to our present struggle and joins the fight. - Equality California

Death threats over film about gay Muslims

2009-03-04T06:09:00.000-05:00

A director of a documentary about gay Muslims which will be aired on Channel 4 in the UK has received death threats over the making of the film.

Islamic leaders in the UK have called the documentary offensive, adding it will anger Muslims.

Parvez Sharma , the director of the film, said: "I have had death threats on my blog after making this film. Some countries have even banned it."

The article can be found at Pink News

NIXON LIKED ARCHIE BUNKER ... BUT NOT QUEERS

2009-03-02T23:28:00.000-05:00

Nixon's Favorite Episode With The Gay Football Player

KNOW YOUR ENEMY ...... POSTING #3

2009-03-01T11:10:00.000-05:00

ANN COULTER

ROSIE O'DONNELL IN MOVING FILM ON LIFETIME

2009-02-28T02:19:00.001-05:00

In Lifetime Television’s version of “America,” O’Donnell plays a therapist who helps a 17-year-old boy, who grew up in the foster care system and has attempted suicide.

The made for television movie, premiers Saturday, Feb. 28 at 9 p.m. EST on Lifetime. Philip Johnson, who is from Detroit, plays the troubled youth debuts in his first acting roll along with Emmy Award-winning actress Ruby Dee.

BEARDEN GUILTY/GETS LIFE PLUS 110 YEARS

2009-02-27T16:34:00.000-05:00

A Polk County Florida jury has found Joseph Bearden guilty of second-degree murder in the 2007 killing of Ryan Skipper and has been sentenced to life in prison.

The jury came back with the guilty verdict in the murder of Skipper plus other charges after only several hours of deliberation.

Bearden who is 23, was also found guilty on charges of theft of a motor vehicle, serving as an accessory after the fact in robbery with a weapon, tapering with a witness and dealing in stolen property.

Ryan Skipper, 25, was found dead on the side of a road in Wahneta near Winter Haven in March 2007. The Polk's County Sheriff's Department determined the killing to be a hate crime after a witness told police Skipper was killed because he was gay.

In addition to the life sentence, Bearden will get a total of 110 years in prison which will run consecutively with the life in prison sentence for second degree murder.

Prior to sentencing Bearden said " I would like to say I'm sorry to the family. I want them to know that I didn't see or witness the murder, none of that and if I had known that exactly what would of took place I would have tried to stop it Sir (referring to the judge) I just thought it was a simple robbery, I didn't think the dude was going to get hurt, I didn't want no part of that, I said I didn't want no part of it and they still involved me, I didn't do it and the man that did it is walking the street. He testified. That's all I wanna know, they wanted justice, that's the man out on the street. That's all I'd like to say Sir."

This article was compiled from various news sources and rewritten.

Bearden's sentencing remarks are written from courtroom video.

"Speechless: Silencing the Christians"

2009-02-27T07:15:00.000-05:00

Much has been reported about Grand Rapids station WOOD-TV initially scheduling the broadcast of American Family Association's hour long presentation "Speechless: Silencing the Christians" and then canceling what is in effect an anti-gay infomerical under the guise of protecting Christian values and speech.

For those who have only read about the film but have not had the opportunity to see any of it, below is one part of the film which features Ann Coulter.

At YouTube you can find the film broken up into segments, do a search on YouTube for the title of the film or you can watch it uncut in its entirety here in the Newscenter in the video section "Know Your Enemy".

I would recommend the latter as sometimes YouTube video can be edited to serve ulterior motives. The film uncut is about an hour long.

This posting is part of the "Know Your Enemy" anti-gay awareness service of LGBT Rainbow Links. You'll find links to anti-gay groups and anti-gay Watchdog groups at our homepage.

Video presentations of this anti-gay awareness service can be found here in the Newscenter.

IRAQI GAYS LIVE IN FEAR ...... OF DEATH

2009-02-26T13:01:00.001-05:00

IRAQI LGBT

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE DEBATE HEATS UP IN NC

2009-02-25T23:17:00.000-05:00

According to a report by WBTV-TV (video story at website) in Charlotte, NC, a group called NC4 Marriage is behind an effort to amend the North Carolina State Constitution to prohibit gay marriage.

HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE RACHEL MADDOW ?

2009-02-25T10:26:00.000-05:00

Oscars' Irony .... "Milk" and Jerry Lewis

2009-02-25T09:15:00.000-05:00

While doing article searches, I came across a blog called Womanist Musings .

On the blog is a posting from Tuesday February 24, 2009, which deals with the extreme irony of presenting the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Jerry Lewis on the same night the movie "Milk" was up for several awards.

The blog posting Sure Let’s Honour A Homophobe and An Admitted Ablest : Epic Oscars Fail shows there are times when individuals, groups and organizations must have their head up their derriere when they plan things or at the very least as we are talking about the Oscars, to quote Rhett Butler "Frankly my Dear, I don't give a damn !".

As the video shows, the LGBT community isn't the only one that is less than pleased with Mr. Lewis regardless of how much money he has raised for a very worthy cause.

HRC calls for change in donation rules for gay men

2009-02-24T11:35:00.000-05:00

According to an article at the KPHO-TV website the HRC is calling on changes when it comes to gay men being allowed to donate blood.

The FDA put a policy in place in 1983, at the height of the AIDS epidemic, that permanently bans men who’ve had sex with other men, since 1977, from donating blood.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY ...... POSTING #2

2009-02-23T10:28:00.000-05:00

WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH

ANTI-GAY COMMENTARY AT WOAI-TV CONTINUES

2009-02-21T10:34:00.000-05:00

Part 2 of the "blog commentary" on Gays in the Military/DADT has been posted at the WOAI-TV website.

For those who haven't been following the story first broke by LGBT Rainbow Links you can read it HERE.

My thoughts about Part 2 are these.

When I first started to read the piece it seemed to be less of a gay bashing "blog commentary" compared to the first.

That is until the writer started to equate Gays in the Military to incarcerated life in American Prisons:

Other than in active-duty military service, where else in America are large numbers of people told where to eat, sleep, shower, defecate, and urinate; how to dress; where to be and when; and, to get along with their assigned “roommates” - all the while lacking the option to just quit and leave?

The same conditions exist in the penal system; add to that, though, the reality that heterosexual inmates are forced to live in close quarters with openly homosexual inmates.

The writer went on to add:

Homosexuality in American prisons is a subculture all its own, where the lines between heterosexual and homosexual sometimes are unobservable.

So prevalent is gay activity in prisons that U.S. legislators felt obliged to take action by passing the “Prison Rape Elimination Act” in 2003.

That's where I drew the line and said okay here we go again.

I'm not going to do a long piece as I did in my first posting, I'm going to leave it to you the reader to form your opinion after reading Part One and Part Two of the series plus all the comments that are posted. Part 2 you can find at the website.

I've done my part, I have brought to the table awareness of the situation.

Now it's up to you to do something about it.

You can post comments on both pieces in the series and you will also find a comment link at the website for Bob Gambert of WOAI-TV.

And before you say "well what about you" ... today I added a comment on the 2nd installment using my own name (the only one to do so that I can see in all the comments in Parts 1 and 2) and of all the avatars available, again, the only one to use The American Flag.

If I could have used a photo of myself I would have.

As Winston Churchill said ....

A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.

Churchill also said:

A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.

It's good to know I'm only half a fanatic. I can change the subject.

Lyndon Evans
Publisher

WOAI-TV Website

UPDATE: 2/27/09 - Since at least Thursday afternoon Part 2 of this feature has not been listed on the front page of the website, in fact to find it you need to know the website or be curious enough to click "blogs" .... will there be a Part 3 ? .... stay tuned.

UPDATE: 2/28/09 - HERE'S PART 3 THIS THE FINAL POSTING - EUREKA !! - Now on to other things - The Publisher

UPDATE: 3/3/09 - ALL THREE PARTS OF THE SERIES HAVE BEEN REMOVED AT THE WOAI-TV WEBSITE

And in a related story about Don't Ask Don't Tell, as CBS News reports for one Kansas soldier, one off duty kiss ends a military career under DADT.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY ...... POSTING #1

2009-02-19T11:31:00.000-05:00

ENGAGING THE CULTURE/TRUTH TRUCK