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document.write('<li class="rss_item"><a class="rss_item" href="http://www.365gay.com/news/jerusalem-hosts-subdued-gay-pride-march/" title="Jerusalem-- Thousands of Israelis marched calmly Thursday in Jerusalem\'s  longest gay pride parade despite opposition from anti-gay demonstrators.  The subdued Jerusalem march from the center of  town to the parliament building contrasted with flamboyant..." target="_blank">Jerusalem hosts subdued gay pride march</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss_date">posted on July 29, 2010 06:00 pm</span><br />');
document.write('Jerusalem-- Thousands of Israelis marched calmly Thursday in Jerusalem\'s  longest gay pride parade despite opposition from anti-gay demonstrators.  The subdued Jerusalem march from the center of  town to the parliament building contrasted with flamboyant gay pride  parades elsewhere in the world. Organizers said they were adjusting to  the religious character of the city and using their march to promote  their political agenda.   [1]  Carrying rainbow  banners, several thousand demonstrators walked along the 1.5 mile (2.5  kilometer) route. A few dozen black-suited ultra-Orthodox Jewish  protesters at the beginning and end of the route held signs denouncing  homosexuals, with slogans like \"Gay Play in Hell, Not Jerusalem.\" Many  ultra-Orthodox Jews consider homosexuality an abomination.  Marchers said such opposition has forced the gay  community of Jerusalem underground in most parts of the city.  \"In a religious society, a lot of people still don\'t  realize we actually exist,\" said Sarah Weil, 26, who helps run an  organization for lesbians who are also Orthodox Jews.  The march marked the one-year anniversary of a  shooting attack at a Tel Aviv gay youth center that killed two.  \"This is first of all a march of mourning,\" said  organizer Yonatan Gher, \"and at the end we will try to put the mourning  behind us and look forward to the coming year, and declare tonight the  beginning of gay rights year.\"  Thousands of  Israeli police guarded the marchers.  The  Jerusalem parade has been marred by violence in the past. In 2005, an  Orthodox Jewish protester stabbed three marchers. Organizers said the  fear of attack still keeps many people at home.  But parade participants say there are signs the  climate in Jerusalem is changing.  \"I don\'t  think it\'s dangerous anymore,\" said Yair Lieberman, 23. \"But even if  there\'s danger, that shouldn\'t stop us from walking.\"  [1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-israel-rainbow-flag-top.jpg');
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document.write('<li class="rss_item"><a class="rss_item" href="http://www.365gay.com/news/protestors-compare-gays-and-lesbians-to-animals-at-jerusalem-pride/" title="Thousands in Jerusalem celebrated Pride [1] on Thursday with a mile and a half march to Knesset. While there were protests by some members of the ultra-orthodox community, the even was peaceful.  Haaretz [2] reported that rightists from the United Torah J..." target="_blank">Protestors compare gays and lesbians to animals at Jerusalem Pride</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss_date">posted on July 29, 2010 06:00 pm</span><br />');
document.write('Thousands in Jerusalem celebrated Pride [1] on Thursday with a mile and a half march to Knesset. While there were protests by some members of the ultra-orthodox community, the even was peaceful.  Haaretz [2] reported that rightists from the United Torah Judaism party were planning a \"donkeys\' parade\" mocking Pride. Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Yitzhak Pindrus helped organize the counter-parade.  The city distanced itself from Pindrus’ actions.  He originally intended on greeting Pride-goers with real donkeys and a banner saying \"the marchers who do what beasts do,” but police officials shot down his proposal.   [3]  Instead, Pindrus had to compromise with cardboard donkeys [4].  Openly gay Kinesett member Nitan Horowitz condemned Pindrus’ protest: \"The words uttered by Pindrus, who gets his salary from the state budget, calling the marchers names such as beasts and donkeys, are incitement which leads to heavy violence. I demand that these types of people show responsibility and understand why such incidents such as the shooting at the Tel Aviv gay youth center occur,\" he added.  The Pride event marked the one year anniversary of the Tel Aviv gay youth center shooting [5] that resulted in three deaths and many more injuries.  Israel is more progressive than most nations in terms of gay rights. Same-sex marriages performed in other countries are recognized and employee non-discrimination laws protect workers from discrimination based on their sexual orientations.  [1] http://www.365gay.com/news/jerusalem-hosts-subdued-gay-pride-march/ [2] http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/anti-gay-protestors-sick-perverts-get-out-of-jerusalem-1.304824 [3] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-donkey-grazing-animal-top.jpg [4] http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=182932 [5] http://www.365gay.com/blog/two-dead-after-shooting-in-tel-aviv-lgbt-youth-center/');
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document.write('<li class="rss_item"><a class="rss_item" href="http://www.365gay.com/news/anne-rice-%e2%80%98quits-christianity%e2%80%99-refuses-to-be-%e2%80%98anti-gay%e2%80%99/" title="Novelist Anne Rice (Interview with a Vampire, The Feast of All Saints) has reportedly “quit Christianity.”  Rice took to her Facebook page [1] Wednesday to denounce her membership in Christianity, rejecting what she believes are “antigay,” “anti..." target="_blank">Anne Rice ‘quits Christianity’; refuses to be ‘anti-gay’</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss_date">posted on July 29, 2010 05:00 pm</span><br />');
document.write('Novelist Anne Rice (Interview with a Vampire, The Feast of All Saints) has reportedly “quit Christianity.”  Rice took to her Facebook page [1] Wednesday to denounce her membership in Christianity, rejecting what she believes are “antigay,” “antifeminist,” and “anti-Democrat” sentiments.  “It’s simply impossible for me to \'belong\' to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group,” she wrote. “For ten years, I’ve tried. I’ve failed. I’m an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being a Christian.”  [2] Rice, whose son Christopher Rice [3] is openly gay, is a vocal supporter of LGBT rights.  [1] http://www.facebook.com/annericefanpage [2] http://www.365gay.com../wp-content/uploads/news-Anne-Rice.jpg [3] http://www.365gay.com/topics/ent_sports/wednesday-watercooler-terrance-mcnally-gets-hitched/');
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document.write('<li class="rss_item"><a class="rss_item" href="http://www.365gay.com/news/thurs-watercooler-new-york-fights-back/" title="Keeping track of gay marriage legislation is a complicated endeavor. While Wikipedia [1] and Freedom to Marry [2] have great maps, a new site just launched that keeps track not only of the current legislation, but also the views of the state\'s lawmakers...." target="_blank">Thurs. Watercooler: New York fights back</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss_date">posted on July 29, 2010 04:00 pm</span><br />');
document.write('Keeping track of gay marriage legislation is a complicated endeavor. While Wikipedia [1] and Freedom to Marry [2] have great maps, a new site just launched that keeps track not only of the current legislation, but also the views of the state\'s lawmakers. Statesthatallowgaymarriage.com [3] launched recently and has information on all 50 governors, 100 United States senators, and 435 United States  representatives and their positions on gay marriage.   [4]  The site\'s founder Michael Zuyus said, “We want to  make it easy for people to get the information they need in order to  support candidates who will vote for marriage rights in their state.”  New York state senator and Pentecostal minister Ruben Díaz [5] is running for reelection, but Fight Back NY [6] is trying its hardest to ensure that Diaz does not succeed. Fight Back called Díaz “New York\'s most notoriously anti-gay state senator.”   [7]  To campaign against Díaz, Fight Back is looking to hire political researchers to search through Ruben’s “murky past,” in an effort discover information about the senator that would discourage voters from selecting his name on the ballot.  Two of Díaz’s brothers are gay, as is his granddaughter. Díaz was one of the 38 senators who voted against same-sex marriage [8] in NY, and is adamantly opposed to homosexuality, but he says he still loves his gay family members.  Díaz was forced to resign from the Civilian Complaint Review Board when he suggested that the Gay Games would spread HIV; in 2003 he tried to shut down Harvey  Milk High   School, a NY public school safe haven for LGBT students.  CBS, embarrassed by its low score on the GLAAD ratings [9], is adding more gay characters to its shows.  “We’re not happy with ourselves,” said CBS president Nina Tassler. “We\'re adding a few characters this season because we\'re very disappointed in our track record so far.”   [10]  GLAAD gave CBS a failing grade [11] for two consequtive, with 7 percent LGBT-inclusive hours of primetime programming.  Tassler announced gay characters will be added to The Good Wife, S*** My Dad Says and Rules of Engagement.  CBS is also starting a new talk show hosted by celebrity moms, including lesbian Sara Gilbert [12].  A thousand people in Enid,  Okla. celebrated Pride earlier this month. Enid Pride [13] started in 2009 with a turnout of 300 people, the largest first-time turnout for a Pride in Oklahoma. Approximately 48,000 people reside in Enid, but the Pride events were targeted to all of northeast Oklahoma.  [caption id=\"attachment_15840\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"325\" caption=\"Photo credit: Michelle Posey\"] [14][/caption]  The second Enid event had over three times the number of festival-goers as it did last year.  The week of celebrating included a vigil, forums and discussions, film screenings, an interfaith service, and of course, the festival. While the gay community in Enid used to rely on small-town gay bars, the community now flocks to its new community center. Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays hosted the event.  Oklahoma has a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, but Tulsa [15] recently adopted an anti-discrimination policy for city employees, and a transgender [16] woman is running for a state senate seat.  Only 10% of the 400,000 surveys [17] distributed by the Defense Department were returned. The surveys ask servicemembers their opinions on permitting gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, in an effort to explore troops\' views on repealing Don\'t Ask, Don\'t Tell. The deadline for the return of the surveys is August 15.  [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Samesex_marriage_in_USA.svg [2] http://www.freedomtomarry.org/states/ [3] http://www.statesthatallowgaymarriage.com/ [4] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-states-that-allow-gay-marriage-site-top.jpg [5] http://www.365gay.com/news/bronx-democrat-sets-sights-on-ruben-diazs-seat/ [6] http://fightbackpac.com/closet/ [7] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-ruben-diaz-headshot-top.jpg [8] http://www.365gay.com/blog/withers-looming-marriage-battle-in-new-york/ [9] http://www.glaad.org/nri2010 [10] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-cbs-logo-3-top.jpg [11] http://www.glaad.org/page.aspx?pid=1563 [12] http://www.365gay.com/news/thurs-watercooler-beck-is-relying-on-miracles/ [13] http://www.enidglbt.org/index.html [14] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-enid-pride-pavillion-oklahoma-top.jpg [15] http://www.365gay.com/news/tulsa-now-protects-gay-employees/ [16] http://www.365gay.com/news/transgender-candidate-in-oklahoma-faces-socially-conservative-opponent/ [17] http://www.365gay.com/blog/072210-blogger-takes-dadt-survey/');
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document.write('<li class="rss_item"><a class="rss_item" href="http://www.365gay.com/news/hawaii-lawsuit-seeks-equal-rights-for-gay-couples/" title="(Honolulu) Six gay couples in Hawaii are filing a lawsuit Thursday asking for the same rights as married couples, three weeks after Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed a same-sex civil unions measure.  The lawsuit doesn\'t seek the titles of \"marriage\" or \"civil ..." target="_blank">Hawaii lawsuit seeks equal rights for gay couples</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss_date">posted on July 29, 2010 03:09 pm</span><br />');
document.write('(Honolulu) Six gay couples in Hawaii are filing a lawsuit Thursday asking for the same rights as married couples, three weeks after Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed a same-sex civil unions measure.  The lawsuit doesn\'t seek the titles of \"marriage\" or \"civil unions\" for gay partners. Instead, it requests that the court system extend them the benefits and responsibilities of marriage based on the Hawaii Constitution\'s prohibition against sex discrimination.  \"We continue to be discriminated against,\" said plaintiff Suzanne King, who has been in a relationship with her partner for 29 years. \"We\'re a family unit, and we live our lives just like everyone else, but we aren\'t treated the same.\"  The legal action in state court comes as a response to the Republican governor\'s veto July 6, when she said voters should decide whether to reserve marriage for couples of a man and a woman.  Five other states and the District of Columbia permit same-sex marriage. Five more states essentially grant the rights of marriage to same-sex couples without authorizing marriage itself.  Hawaii passed the nation\'s first \"defense of marriage\" constitutional amendment in 1998, giving the state\'s legislature the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples. The amendment is silent on civil unions and rights for same-sex couples.  Most Hawaii residents don\'t want the government to endorse equal rights for gay couples, said Garret Hashimoto, chairman for the Hawaii Christian Coalition.  \"I feel insulted. They keep bringing up Martin Luther King, black rights and women\'s sufferage. This is not about that. This is about two males or two females practicing sex,\" he said. \"It\'s behavior. It\'s no different from smokers or drinkers.\"  The office of Hawaii Attorney General Mark Bennett declined comment Wednesday because it hadn\'t yet been served with the lawsuit.  The state grants some rights to gay couples through its reciprocal beneficiaries system.  But they lack the same legal priviledges and obligations of adoption, child support, alimony and access to family court, said Jennifer Pizer, senior counsel for Lambda Legal, which is bringing the case along with the American Civil Liberties Union.  \"This case is not about marriage. It\'s about the right of same-sex couples to at least have a system that is understandable and complete,\" Pizer said. \"The state\'s equality guarantee at least has to mean same-sex couples should have the same rights and responsibilities, even if it\'s segmented off into a system that isn\'t as respected, understood and revered as marriage.\"  The case likely won\'t be settled until it reaches the Hawaii Supreme Court, or if state lawmakers and the next governor approve a new civil unions bill, Pizer said. ');
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