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- Will ENDA, trans protections get House OK?
The House on Wednesday is scheduled to vote on a gay-only version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and an amendment that would add protections for workers based on gender identity. It's not known whether President Bush will support or veto ENDA, which already was approved in the Senate as an amendment to a military spending measure. 365Gay.com
(10/22)
       
| Politics and Policy |  |  |
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- Petition urges Singapore to legalize sex between men
Singapore should lift its ban on private, consensual gay sex on constitutional grounds, according to a petition presented to the country's parliament. But a senior minister defended the government's decision to retain the ban when it reviewed the penal code last year, saying "the majority find homosexual behavior offensive and unacceptable." Reuters
(10/22)
       
| Viewpoint |  |  |
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Blogger: Anti-gay gospel singer wrong ally for Obama
Saying it's a "shameless and reprehensible" move to boost his support among evangelical African-Americans, blogger Earl Ofari Hutchinson is calling on Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama to cancel his planned appearances with allegedly anti-gay gospel singer Donnie McClurkin, who backed President Bush for re-election in 2004. "Obama has spent months telling everyone that he's everything that Bush isn't," Hutchinson writes. "He can [prove] it by saying a resounding no to McClurkin and to gay bashing." Read more at The Huffington Post.        
| Issues and Society |  |  |
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- No trickery: Dumbledore of "Harry Potter" fame is gay
The revelation by author J.K. Rowling that the Dumbledore character in her "Harry Potter" books is gay has made headlines on news sites and blogs around the world. Rowling disclosed the sexual orientation of the Hogwarts headmaster during an appearance at New York City's Carnegie Hall, where a surprised audience gave the British author a sustained ovation. The Guardian (London)
(10/21)
       
- Study debunks "Will & Grace" gay stereotypes
Most gays and lesbian live in the suburbs or small towns, two-thirds of gays are out, and African-Americans and Latinos more easily show their gay identities than whites, according to the results of a potentially groundbreaking study from market research firm New American Dimensions of Los Angeles, in conjunction with brand strategists Asterix Group of San Francisco. San Jose Mercury News (Calif.)
(10/21)
       
- Campuses testing ground for gender-neutral restrooms
American University in Washington, D.C., which this fall is converting its single-stall restrooms in existing buildings to unisex restrooms, is among the more than 140 colleges and universities to introduce gender-neutral restroom facilities to their campuses, according to this article. The switch from dedicated men's and women's rooms has angered some conservative groups, but is also viewed by some as a benefit to students with disabilities, families with young children and people whose caregiver is of the opposite sex, as well as trangendered people. Chicago Tribune
(10/21)
       
| Media Mix |  |  |
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- Columnist praises Log Cabin's "daredevil" anti-Romney ads
Calling it the group's "most daring high-wire act," columnist Deb Price applauds Log Cabin Republicans' risky move to pay for TV ads highlighting Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's so-called flip-flop on abortion and other social issues without mentioning gay issues. "The daredevil ad is the latest feat by the gay Republican group that's long tried to steer its party away from divisive social issues and toward a mix of fiscal conservatism and inclusive libertarianism," Price writes. The Detroit News
(10/22)
       
| Campaign Watch |  |  |
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- Out man running for N.C. Senate seat
North Carolina's Jim Neal could become the state's second-ever openly gay major-party nominee for the U.S. Senate, if he wins the primary. The out Chapel Hill investment banker faces an uphill battle to unseat Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole. "I hope this race is not about my sexuality," Neal said. "I'm not running to make a social statement. I'm not running as the gay candidate. I am many things -- an American, a North Carolinian, a parent, a businessman and lots of other things." The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
(10/23)
       
- Giuliani said to support marriage ban
Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani would back a federal marriage amendment, if the current federal law prohibiting marriages of same-sex couples proved insufficient, or if a number of states enact equal marriage laws, according to Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council. However, the former New York mayor made no such pledges during his appearance at last weekend's Values Voters Summit, according to this article. The Hill
(10/20)
       
| SmartQuote |  |  |
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 | This stereotype of gay men being really wealthy -- the whole 'Will and Grace' kind of stereotype -- it's just absolutely not true."
--Gary Gates, a demographer at the Williams Institute at the University of California-Los Angeles law school, as quoted in the San Jose Mercury News
 
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