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"MARRIAGE" In The News
(June 2008) |
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The news articles and features presented below are simply an indication of how topical, controversial, and all-encompassing the issues surrounding marriage are throughout our society—and the world—today. Some of the views and opinions expressed, and their respective web sites, do NOT reflect the views or opinions of The Real Proposal™ magazine. Many are highlighted largely to reiterate that the alarming statistical trends on the chaotic state of "Marriage" and "Family"—outlined in "A Mere Glimpse"—will continue unabated without a fundamental grasp and purposeful dissemination of TRUTH on the issues.
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- S.F. revels in annual outpouring of gay pride San Francisco Chronicle, By Marisa Lagos,Chris Cadelago, Chronicle Staff Writers, June 30, 2008
-- There's nothing like celebrating marriage with hundreds of thousands of your closest friends. Less than two weeks after same-sex marriage became legal in California, drag queens, kids, politicians, shirtless men, married couples, straight couples and tourists flocked to San Francisco for the city's 38th annual San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration, which culminated Sunday with a huge parade. Marriage was in the air as scores of people lined Market Street for the annual event, where veils and wedding garb were the fashion choice of many parade participants and spectators. Of course, scantily clad boys and girls - and boys dressed as girls - were also on hand during a celebration that seemed to attract more people, and families, than in years past, although official crowd count numbers were not immediately available. Many of the speakers and parade participants took the opportunity to campaign against a measure on the November ballot that would overturn the recent court ruling and ban same-sex marriage in the state. . . . As always, the parade started with the Dykes on Bikes - a contingent of dozens of lesbians on motorcycles who waved, honked and cheered as they roared down Market Street to screams from the crowd. This year, some members of the normally leather-clad group channeled their softer side and rode in wedding dresses and veils, streaming rainbow flags from their bikes. Further down the parade route were many of the local politicians who took the same-sex marriage fight to court, including San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, City Attorney Dennis Herrera and Kate Kendell, director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Behind the legal team was a large group of now-married couples, including many of the plaintiffs from the court case. . . .
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RELATED PHOTOS: S.F. revels in annual outpouring of gay pride San Francisco Chronicle, June 30, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Celebrating Gay Pride and Its Albany Friend New York Times, June 30, 2008
If there was ever any doubt that gay people form one of Gov. David A. Paterson’s most loyal and enthusiastic constituencies, that doubt was erased on Sunday by the howl of a drag queen on Fifth Avenue.
RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Pride Delhi-Style Time magazine, By Madhur Singh/DELHI, June 29, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: INDIA: With saris and rainbow flags, activists march in India's biggest gay pride parade International Herald Tribune, June 29, 2008
Men wore sparkling saris, women wore rainbow boas and hundreds of people chanted for gay rights in three Indian cities Sunday in the largest display of gay pride in the deeply conservative country where homosexual acts are illegal. Gay rights supporters took to the streets of Calcutta, Bangalore and New Delhi to call for an end to discrimination and push for acceptance in a society where intolerance is widespread. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Public Sex in Your Neighborhood? Check what's happening in your backyard Americans For Truth
RELATED ARTICLE: ‘Tolerance Gone Wild’ in San Francisco as Cops Stand By Amidst Folsom Street Fair’s Public Perversions and Widespread Nudity Americans For Truth, October 3, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Sodom & Gomorrah Would Blush: Homosexual Sadists Mock Jesus with Last Supper Take-Off in Poster for ‘Folsom Street Fair’ Americans For Truth, September 27, 2007
RELATED SITE & PHOTOS: Folsom Street Fair
"The grand daddy of all leather events" takes place each summer in SoMa. Includes photos, schedule, and entertainment. In 2008 the world's largest leather event, the Folsom Street Fairtm, will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Sunday, September 28, 2008 from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Don't be manipulated by the master marketers Townhall.com, By Rebecca Hagelin, Oct 4, 2005
. . . Few people realize it, but the same marketing techniques that companies use to induce us to buy a particular product are just as useful when it comes to selling us an idea. . . We’re bamboozled daily on a wide variety of subjects, from abortion on demand for any reason to same-sex “marriage.” As David [Kupelian] notes in his new book, The Marketing of Evil: How Radicals, Elitists and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised as Freedom: “The plain truth is, within the space of our lifetimes, much of what Americans once almost universally abhorred has been packaged, perfumed, gift-wrapped and sold to us as though it had great value. By skillfully playing on our deeply felt national values of fairness, generosity and tolerance, these marketers have persuaded us to embrace as enlightened and noble that which all previous generations since America’s founding regarded as grossly self-destructive -- in a word, evil.” . . .
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- Money pours into Calif. gay marriage campaigns
Ballot initiative could see $30m Boston Globe, June 30, 2008
- Backers of Proposition 8, a November ballot initiative that would amend California's constitution to ban same-sex marriage, had, as of last week, raised nearly $2.3 million while foes had raised about $1.3 million. Fund-raising for the campaigns is only now beginning in earnest, and consultants predict that by the time voters go to the polls, each side will have raised as much as $15 million. "In many people's minds, it is the civil rights issue of the day, if not the decade," said Steve Smith, the main consultant seeking to kill the initiative and keep same-sex marriage legal in California. "People are very focused on it across the country.". . . . Both sides intend to use the Internet to raise money, and are already receiving donations from across the country. Opponents have raised 44 percent of their money from groups and individuals with addresses outside California. Backers have raised 34 percent of their funds from outside the state. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Why homosexuals despise marriage World Net Daily, By Kevin McCullough, October 27, 2006
What's the real goal of the activists, the judges and the radicals who seek to subvert a moral worldview? The answer is simple: No longer satisfied with practicing the unspeakable perverse sexual pleasures that their hearts seek in private bedrooms, they wish to be able to do so in public. They are also suffering from such immense guilt over their sexual behaviors, because they know inherently that the actions they perform are in fact unhealthy, that they will go to any means necessary to try and shut down the voices in their heads that tell them it is wrong. . . .
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- Anglican Church offshoot founded by traditionalists in Jerusalem The Telegraph- UK, By Martin Beckford, June 29, 2008
A new church representing almost half of the world's 80 million Anglicans has been officially formed, posing a serious challenge to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The organisation created by traditionalists - called the Gafcon movement after the Global Anglican Future Conference which led to its creation - will retain ties with Dr Rowan Williams and will technically remain within the global Anglican Communion. But it is also likely to lead to orthodox Anglicans severing all links with the main churches in America and Canada, whose liberal leaders are blamed for sparking the current crisis by breaking with the Bible's teaching and by consecrating openly gay clergy and blessing gay "marriages". The movement's leaders will include at least two Church of England bishops as well as the heads of leading African, South American and Australian churches, and it is said to represent 35 million worshippers worldwide and so spell an end to the "colonial" domination of Canterbury. Organisers of the Gafcon summit in Jerusalem who produced a statement declaring the formation of the "church within a church" were keen to state that it does not represent a complete split or schism in Anglicanism, and that they only want to preserve the faith's original intentions. Their final statement stated: "We cherish our Anglican heritage and the Anglican Communion and have no intention of departing from it." But they said that some parts of the Communion were using "false Gospel" to rewrite the Bible along liberal lines, forcing some dioceses to break with their leaders in America and Canada and join churches in Africa and South America. And they claimed that the "colonial structure" of Anglicanism had failed to discipline those churches which had broken the rules by consecrating gay clergy and blessing same-sex unions. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Anglican church in meltdown over gays and women Times Online—UK, By Ruth Gledhill, June 16, 2008
The Church of England has been plunged into fresh turmoil by the “marriage” of two gay clergymen and threats of an exodus of priests opposed to the consecration of women bishops. The Times has learnt that up to 500 Anglo-Catholic piests are ready to resign after failing to secure the concessions that they had sought over women bishops. . . . A further blow will be dealt to the unity of the Anglican Communion this week when 200 traditionalist bishops attend a meeting as an alternative to the ten-yearly Lambeth Conference, which they plan to boycott. They will gather for the Global Anglican Future Conference, in Jordan, organised by evangelicals, in protest at what they see as the liberal direction of the communion. Yesterday the Church of England was investigating the “wedding” of the two gay priests in defiance of church rules on such ceremonies. .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Gay bishop ties the knot in New Hampshire Pink News, By Staff Writer, June 9, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: True colours of modern Christianity Sydney Morning Herald, By Michael Duffy, July 1, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Defender of the Faith: Why all Anglican eyes in London are nervously fixed on a powerful African archbishop Atlantic Online, By Philip Jenkins, November 2003 Issue
RELATED ARTICLE: Judaism's Sexual Revolution: Why Judaism (and then Christianity) Rejected Homosexuality OrthodoxyToday.org, By Dennis Prager
When Judaism demanded that all sexual activity be channeled into marriage, it changed the world. The Torah's prohibition of non-marital sex quite simply made the creation of Western civilization possible. Societies that did not place boundaries around sexuality were stymied in their development. The subsequent dominance of the Western world can largely be attributed to the sexual revolution initiated by Judaism and later carried forward by Christianity. . .
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- Ruben Studdard Says 'I Do' People magazine, By Jessica Gold Haralson and Ivory Clinton, June 28, 2008
The Velvet Teddy Bear got hitched. American Idol's season 2 winner Ruben Studdard married Surata Zuri McCants at Canterbury United Methodist Church in his hometown of Birmingham, Ala., Saturday with 20 groomsmen at his side. Studdard, 29, and McCants, 30, obtained a marriage license at the County Probate Office in Columbiana, Ala., last Monday. "They looked really happy," an eyewitness said. On Idol, Studdard was dubbed the "Velvet Teddy Bear" and was known for dressing down in jerseys emblazoned with 205, Birmingham's area code. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Ruben Studdard, Former American Idol Winner, Weds: The “Velvet Teddy Bear” jumps the broom in a classic Southern affair Essence.com, By Wendy L. Wilson, June 30, 2008
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- Chris Evert and Greg Norman Wed in Bahamas People magazine, By Ulrica Wihlborg, June 28, 2008
Call it a love match! Chris Evert and Greg Norman were married on Saturday in a sunset ceremony in the Bahamas, the couple confirmed to PEOPLE exclusively. The tennis and golf legends, both 53, exchanged vows in front of 140 family and friends, including Matt Lauer and singer-songwriter Corey Hart. . . . Evert's youngest son Colton, 12, served as ring bearer, and sons Nicky, 14, and Alex, 16, walked her down the aisle. Also present were Norman's daughter Morgan, 23, and son Gregory Jr., 21, who served as best man. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Evert admits she and Norman had an affair NEWS.com.au, By Peta Hellard in LA, July 20, 2008
Chris Evert has admitted her love affair with Greg Norman was behind the demise of their marriages. The tennis legend revealed that she and Norman had tried to fight their desire for each other and had undergone couples-counselling with their longtime spouses, Andy Mill and Laura Andrassy, in an effort to overcome their mutual attraction.
RELATED ARTICLE: Chris and Greg admit they're a team This is London- ShowBiz News, January 1, 2007
Finally, it was easier to let the pictures tell the story. After months of denying that they are an item, Greg Norman and Chris Evert appeared together in public and made no attempt to conceal their affection for each other. . . . "If you want to keep a relationship secret, you don't turn up at Doyles with your lover and sit at a prominent table," said a fellow diner. "There's no doubt that Greg and Chris wanted to make a point.". . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Great wife Shark bites off $100m The Age- Austrailia, By Reid Sexton, June 24, 2007
Greg Norman's wife, Laura, will get an estimated $100 million after the couple's bitter divorce battle was mostly settled. The Australian golfer, who according to BRW magazine is worth about $325 million, was in Australia when the agreement was reached in Florida.
- Uma Thurman, Arpad Busson engaged The New York Daily News, By George Rush, June 27, 2008
Uma Thurman, who played the sword-wielding Bride in "Kill Bill," is taking another stab at marriage, now that financier Arpad (Arki) Busson has proposed, her rep confirmed to the Daily News. Busson, who has two children with supermodel Elle Macpherson, just presented Thurman with a engagement ring so big "she can't fit it through the sleeve of her coat," a friend said. . . . . "It's a done deal. They're already planning the wedding." The couple hit it off last year at a dinner in Milan. She was coming off a three-year relationship with hotelier Andre Balazs. She was also feeling the aftershocks of her divorce from cheating second husband Ethan Hawke. (Her marriage to actor Gary Oldman ended in 1992. "Uma was dealing with visitation issues with her two kids with Ethan," said a friend. "Arky was going through the same thing with Elle. They bonded.". . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Thurman Still Struggling with Hawke Split Contactmusic.com- UK, October 10, 2005
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- Who's to blame for the break-up of Madonna's marriage? The Daily Mail- UK, By J Randy Taraborrelli, June 28, 2008
For weeks, the state of their marriage has been the subject of febrile gossip. But what's the truth? Madonna's biographer gives the inside track on the break-up of one of the most high-profile marriages in show business. . . . Stories about the disintegration of her seven-year marriage to filmmaker Guy Ritchie have been circulating for more than a year. Certainly their recent, very strained, appearance at the Cannes Film Festival did little to convince anyone that they were happy. But the rumour mill went into overdrive this week, when it was reported that Madonna had been consulting Fiona Shackleton, one of Britain's top divorce lawyers, who famously represented Sir Paul McCartney in his prolonged and bitter separation from Heather Mills. Guy, meanwhile, is said to have been in discussion with another prestigious law firm, Forsters. . . . . . Since the day they married in December, 2000, it's been a difficult tightrope walk as this oh-so driven woman has fervently pursued her career while, at the same time, trying to give her all to her husband and children: Lourdes, 11, Rocco, seven, and newly-adopted David, two, from Malawi. 'Every couple of years, it's the same story,' adds the source. 'She makes a record. She tours to promote it. It causes chaos in their lives. He complains. They fight - a lot. The tour ends. She promises "never again". Two years go by, and then she plans another record and another tour.' Certainly Madonna is determined to make this latest tour her greatest yet, but she's also trying to formulate a way to keep the family together, at least until it's over. . . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Madonna's Rep: No Divorce, No Affair People magazine, By K.C. Baker and Eileen Finan, July 01, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Unlucky star: Madonna - A £300m split? The Independent- UK, By Arifa Akbar, June 28, 2008
It always looked like an unlikely pairing: the queen of pop and the laddish British film director. Now, it seems, the marriage of Madonna and Guy Ritchie may be over. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Macca’s divorce lawyer lined up for encore with Madonna Times Online, Frances Gibb, Adam Sherwin, June 26, 2008
She did it for Macca — now she can do it for Madonna. Fiona Shackleton, the divorce lawyer who ensured that Sir Paul McCartney retained all but £24.3 million of his £825 million fortune, has been lined up by the 49-year-old pop star. . . . . It is thought that the couple did not have a pre-nuptial agreement, which means that the starting point for any settlement would be a split of 50-50. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Yes, women had it all - but can they STILL have a career, husband and children? The Daily Mail- UK, By Becky Sheaves, April 4, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Desperate Feminist Wives: Why wanting equality makes women unhappy Slate.com- By Meghan O'Rourke, March 6, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Couples first, lawyers last The Independent-UK, May 28, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Wealthy? Don't get married, lawyers say Times Online- Law, By Alex Spence, May 24, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: The Big Question: Has divorce become too expensive for the rich? The Independent Online- Legal- UK- By Maxine Frith, May 19, 2006
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- Kimora Lee Simmons Gets Sole Custody of Children People magazine, By Michael Y. Park, June 27, 2008
Kimora Lee Simmons has won sole custody of her two daughters with hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, Ming, 8, and Aoki, 5. According to legal papers obtained by The Insider, Russell Simmons gets the girls one week out of every eight, plus extra time for summer vacations and holidays. In addition, he pays $20,000 per child per month in child support. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: The divorce-ometer: What the stars have paid - by the hour - for their broken marriages The Daily Mail- UK By Claudia Connell, March 19, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: For better or worse: The good divorce guide The Independent- UK, By Virginia Ironside, March 18, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Tragically Widening the Grounds of Legitimate Divorce DesiringGod.org, By John Piper, October 17, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: What God Has Joined: What does the Bible really teach about divorce? Christianity Today, By David Instone-Brewer, October 5, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: How to get divorced without losing your shirt The Times Online- UK, By Sue Bland and Anna Wagstaff, July 26, 2007
Marriage on the rocks? Two big money divorce lawyers tell you 20 ways to make the split less painful.
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- Fatal Seduction: How a society millionairess seduced her own son to 'cure' him of being gay... and paid with her life
The Daily Mail- UK, By David Leafe, June 27, 2008
She did not see her assailant until it was too late. Pushing open the front door of the house in Kensington Square, the upmarket London enclave where she was staying with a friend, Barbara Baekeland was about to take off her coat when the maniac jumped out and tried to grab her. Terrified, the 50-year-old society hostess twisted free and ran outside, back down the steps. But she was too slow. . . . . Grabbing a fistful of her hair so that it tore and ripped at her scalp, he began dragging her into the road to throw her under a passing car. She tried to resist by clinging to the gate - so he began slamming it backwards and forwards on her fingers. Harder and harder, he smashed the metal against her hand, breaking her thumb in three places. Then, when she thought she could hold on no more, he suddenly changed his mind about how to finish her off. Letting go of the gate, he ran back into the house and reappeared with a carving knife, shouting that any woman who was near was going to 'get it'. Barbara Baekeland's life might have ended there and then, had her friend Sue Guinness not arrived home that very moment. . . . . . Within a few months, he would strike again - and this time there would be no reprieve. Barbara would die at the hands of her own child in a savage murder at their Chelsea home that sent shockwaves through high society in both Britain and America. The death of Barbara Baekeland left only one question: not who had killed her, but why? That riddle is at the heart of Savage Grace, a Hollywood movie about the murder, starring Julianne Moore, which is released next month and is based on the book of the same name by Natalie Robins and Steven Aronson. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: How a society beauty was finally murdered by the gay son she had seduced The Daily Mail- UK, By David Leafe, June 30, 2008
It's a jaw-dropping tale - the society beauty who seduced her son to 'cure' him of homosexuality and paid with her life. As the story of Barbara Baekeland becomes a Hollywood film - Savage Grace, released next month - a riveting book tells the truth about her 1972 murder. Here, we conclude our exclusive adaptation. . .
RELATED INTERVIEW: Michael Glatze: A former gay activist explains how he left homosexuality (pdf.doc.) NARTH.com, Interviewed by Dr. Joseph Nicolosi
RELATED ARTICLE: Redeemed! 10 Ways to Get Out of the Gay Life, If You Want Out Venus Magazine, By Charlene E. Cothran- Venus Magazine Publisher
RELATED ARTICLE: An Older, Wiser Ex-Gay Movement: The 30-year-old ministry now offers realistic hope for homosexuals. Christianity Today, By Tim Stafford, September 13, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: The Best Research Yet: Two psychologists show that homosexuals should not be discouraged from seeking change Christianity Today, By Tim Stafford, September 13, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: 'Ex-Gays? A Longitudinal Study Of Religiously Mediated Change In Sexual Orientation' NARTH.com, By George A. Rekers, Ph.D.
RELATED ARTICLE: Kinsey's Secret: The Phony Science of the Sexual Revolution Catholic Culture, By Sue Ellin Browder
Alfred C. Kinsey had a secret. The Indiana University zoologist and "father of the sexual revolution" almost single-handedly redefined the sexual mores of everyday Americans. The problem was, he had to lie to do it. The weight of this point must not be underestimated. The science that launched the sexual revolution has been used for the past 50 years to sway court decisions, pass legislation, introduce sex education into our schools, and even push for a redefinition of marriage. Kinseyism was the very foundation of this effort. If his science was flawed — or worse yet, an outright deception — then our culture's attitudes about sex are not just wrong morally but scientifically as well.
RELATED ARTICLE: “This is the Way God Made Me” A Scientific Examination of Homosexuality and the “Gay Gene” TrueOrigin.com— Apologetics Press, Inc., By Brad Harrub, Ph.D. and Bert Thompson, Ph.D. and Dave Miller, Ph.D.
RELATED RESOURCE: National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH)
RELATED RESOURCE: Exodus International—The largest information and referral ministry in the world addressing homosexual issues
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- And God Said, "Just Do It" Time magazine, By David Van Biema, June 26, 2008
Genesis, chapter 2 verse 24, says a man "shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh." But how liberally to define cleave? That was the very special Bible query the Rev. Stacy Spencer and his wife Rhonda took up last month with 252 married people at their New Direction Christian Church in Memphis, Tenn. And the Spencers' answer was ... encouraging. Does frequent sex have a place in marriage? Yep. Oral sex? Read the Song of Solomon 2: 3 for assurance. How about role-playing? One participant expressed a yearning to see her husband dressed as a police officer. The Good Book offers no specifics on that, so Stacy Spencer allowed that it was up to the woman, "as long as you're not lusting after a particular officer. Jesus talked about spiritual adultery, and that could be spiritual adultery. But if it's just a generic cop, go for it." Superior sex can be difficult for some couples to discuss with each other, let alone with their pastor. But having taken on almost every other aspect of their congregants' lives, churches oriented toward young adults and Gen Xers have begun promoting not just better sex, but more of it. Well, not just promoting it but penciling it in. When New Direction launched its "40 Nights of Grrreat Sex" program, the Spencers gave participants daily planners. . . . . New Direction is not the only church promoting a frequent-sex regimen. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: God's word on sex Time magazine, By David Van Biema, June 27, 2008
If you can remember scouring your parents paperbacks in search of their spiciest pages, you can understand the impulse behind the recently-published book The Uncensored Bible: The Bawdy and Naughty Bits of the Good Book. After all, for hundreds of years, the Bible was the only book available in many households. Most of the spicier stuff is located in the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible) which is more straightforward about sex than the New, if only because it is presents more narratives about imperfect (or simply randy) people. Here are some of the hotter (or weirder) chapters and verses:. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Q&A: Help for Sex-Starved Wives Time magazine, By Andrea Sachs, April 8, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Sexual Healing AOL Prevention
It's easy to get swept away by the rapids of your life instead of your passion. But if you care for your relationship -- and for yourself -- you need to put a stop to whatever stopped the fun things you and your partner used to do in bed.
RELATED ARTICLE: Pastor Prescribes 30-Day Sex Challenge For Married Couples. Author Hopes To Help Combat Divorce Rates NBC6.net, February 19, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Holy inappropriate! Britain's first Christian sex shop The Daily Mail, By Jenny Johnston, February 2, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: One preacher's message: Have hotter sex MSNBC.com, By Brian Alexander, December 4, 2006
Minister Joe Beam says good Christian marriages walk on the wild side. . . .
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- Sarah Jakes's enchanted Dallas ceremony is fit for a princess Essence.com, By Keyna N. Byrd, June 25, 2008
A spotlight beamed on the rear doors of the church as Bishop T.D. Jakes and youngest daughter Sarah Dionne Jakes emerged. Dressed in a stunning strapless, white gown and escorted by her father, pastor, motivational speaker and author Jakes, Sarah, 19, wed her college sweetheart, Robert Henson, 22, in a ceremony fit for a princess on Saturday, June 21 at The Potter's House in Dallas. "A lot of people have told us that we're too young and asked Robert and me 'Why don’t you wait?'" said Sarah, who accepted Robert's proposal on Mother's Day in 2007. "But when you feel like it’s right, love one another, and you're ready, why wait?" Robert agrees: "Everyone likes to say you have your whole life ahead of you, but tomorrow is not promised. I know I love her and we were ready." Family and friends filled the flower-laden pews of Jakes's megachurch. The seven bridesmaids were radiant in chocolate satin dresses. Sara's maid of honor, big sister Cora, 20, wore a aqua dress, while the groomsmen donned slick tuxedos. Bishop Noel Jones of the City of Refuge Church in Gardena, California, married the lovebirds, who met a year and a half ago through a mutual friend at their alma mater, Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. After walking his baby girl down the aisle, an emotional Jakes prayed over Sarah and Robert. Then, Kelly Price and Micah Stampley sang the inspirational duet "Our Prayer" by Donnie McClurkin and Yolonda Adams. The enchanted ceremony was followed by a fairy-tale reception at her father's palatial 28-acre estate. Guests, including Tyler Perry, Dr. Phil McGraw, Emmitt Smith, Deion Sanders, Tom Joyner and wife Donna Richardson Joyner, Paula White, Michael Irvin and Emmit Smith, were on hand for the celebration. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: God's Design for Marriage: Find the key to making your marriage flourish — just as God designed Family.org, By Carol Heffernan
"We have to stop asking of marriage what God never designed it to give — perfect happiness, conflict-free living, and idolatrous obsession," [author Gary] Thomas explains. Instead, he says, we can appreciate what God designed marriage to provide: partnership, spiritual intimacy and the ability to pursue God — together. So, what does Thomas think is the most common misconception Christians have about marriage? "Finding a 'soul mate' — someone who will complete us," he says. "The problem with looking to another human to complete us is that, spiritually speaking, it's idolatry. We are to find our fulfillment and purpose in God . . . and if we expect our spouse to be 'God' to us, he or she will fail every day. No person can live up to such expectations.". . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: The Covenant Marriage: How serious are marriage vows? If they are anything like an Old Testament covenant, they're very serious Family.org, By Al Janssen
RELATED ARTICLE: The Power of Commitment : Believe me, ours is not a perfect marriage. But I am far richer when I remember the "three Cs" of a great marriage. Family.org, By Phil Callaway
RELATED ARTICLE: Rules of Engagement Washington Post, By Sandra G. Boodman, Feb 28, 2006
When Jeannine Calandra and Zachary Butterfield got engaged last year, they decided to work on their marriage, not just their wedding.
RELATED ARTICLE: Questions Couples Should Ask (Or Wish They Had) Before Marrying The New York Times, December 17, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: 8 Things No One Tells You About Marriage: The surprising, enlightening, and sometimes hard truths we all face after we walk down the aisle — and how they teach us about what love really means MSN-Lifestyle- Relationships, By Ylonda Gault Caviness
RELATED RESOURCE: The First Five Years: Essentials for healthy, lasting relationships Family.org
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- Jill Scott Announces Engagement
Concertgoers first to hear of her upcoming nuptials to drummer Essence.com, June 25, 2008
Grammy-winning singer Jill Scott announced she’s engaged to her band’s drummer Jon Roberts on Friday, June 20, at her JVC Jazz Festival concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Scott’s rep has not released an official statement nor has he responded to calls, but audience members said toward the end of her performance, Roberts walked to the front of the stage and presented Scott with a bouquet of flowers. He then gave her a lingering kiss on the lips, which drew raucous cheers from the crowd. Scott blushed before turning to the audience and saying with a smile, “Ain’t life funny? We’re engaged.” . . . .
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- Fathering in America: What’s a Dad Supposed to Do? Psych Central, By Marie Hartwell-Walker, Ed.D., June 25, 2008
Americans seem more confused than ever about the role of fathers in children’s lives. On the one hand, more and more fathers are absent for all or significant periods of time. According to the 2006 Census, 23 percent of children under 18 do not live with their biological father and the number is climbing. On the other hand, search “fatherhood” on the web and you’ll find dozens of websites dedicated to teaching, encouraging, and supporting men in becoming more nurturing and involved fathers. Meanwhile, many TV sitcoms and animated shows continue to portray dads as dolts or, at best, well-meaning but misguided large children whose wives have to mother them as well as their offspring. If an alien in another universe happens to tune in to The Simpsons, Everyone Loves Raymond, Family Guy, etc., he (it?) will come away with a rather skewed idea of how men function in American families. . . . . We may be reconsidering how family should be defined. We may be confused about gender roles. We may be struggling with knowing how to parent well in a complicated time. But in the midst of all this confusion, there is a growing consensus that what kids need, at least, is clear. Kids need their fathers as well as their mothers. . . . What’s a Father To Do? Embrace your responsibility. . . . Be there. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Father's Day thoughts for the fatherless World Net Daily, By Greg Laurie, June 14, 2008
-- Father's Day has always been a hard day for me. That's because I never really had a father growing up. You see, I was illegitimate – the result of a one-night fling that my mom had with a sailor in Long Beach. I didn't find that out until my late 40s. My mom had quickly gone from marriage to marriage – seven of them, to be exact – so I never had a dad. As a result, there were big blank spots in my life – like trying to figure out a football game on TV, or how to tie your tie or defend yourself in a fight. There was just a void. (I recently finished a book about my life that I've entitled, "Lost Boy.") But every time Father's Day rolls around, I'm reminded that I have no dad. . . . . The truth is, a fatherless child can be headed for a lot of trouble. I don't think I'm overstating the matter when I say that most of our social ills today can be traced to the breakdown of the family – and specifically the absence of fathers. . .
RELATED RESOURCE: Greg Laurie Archive World Net Daily
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- Missing Ingredient For Gay Marriage: Women, Not Weddings Townhall.com, By Michael Medved , June 25, 2008
In a controversial recent piece in the Wall Street Journal (“Gay Marriage is Good for America”, June 22) Jonathan Rauch hails the benefits of matrimony in terms that most conservatives will enthusiastically endorse. “Marriage makes you, on average, healthier, happier and wealthier,” he writes. “If you are a couple raising kids, marrying is likely to make them healthier, happier and wealthier, too. Marriage is our first and best line of defense against financial, medical and emotional meltdown.” No fair-minded observer can argue against any of these observations, but at this point Mr. Rauch makes a logical leap that involves some neat rhetorical sleight-of-hand. . . . .The problem with the Rauch argument and the biggest threat from same sex marriage itself involves flagrant distortion of the “magic ingredient” for lasting, socially beneficial relationships. That ingredient isn’t governmental authorization or support. It is, rather, the uniting of male and female strengths and values in a durable combination. Men and women are different –profoundly, irreducibly, eternally. It is ridiculous and dishonest to suggest they are interchangeable in relationships. This undeniable truth obliterates the notion that a guy who takes another guy as life partner instead of a woman is just expressing his personal preference – like choosing a blonde over a brunette, or a Latino over an Asian. . . . . . American society has awakened to the terrible costs and dangers of fatherless households – and Barack Obama delivered an eloquent church sermon about the problem on father’s day. He neglected to mention, however, that every child-rearing lesbian couple is, by definition, a fatherless household, just as every gay male couple is even more unthinkable (in terms of raising offspring) as a motherless household. . . . . .It’s the female perspective and influence, not legal status, that civilizes couples (just ask my wife) as well as societies. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Marriage Is Good for America Wall Street Journal, By Jonathan Rauch, June 21, 2008
RELATED COMMENTS: Gay Marriage Is Good for America Wall Street Journal, By Jonathan Rauch, June 21, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Men really do think differently to women...and have a better sense of direction finds study The Daily Mail- UK, By Fiona Macrae, June 20, 2008
The next time your husband does something silly, try to be understanding. It's not really his fault, just the way his brain works. Equally, of course, he should be equally patient when you get a little bit muddled trying to make sense of the road atlas. A study has found that there are a host of subtle differences in the way men's and women's heads are wired. Hundreds of different genes are switched on and off differently within the cerebral cortex, which is the grey matter involved in memory, thought, reasoning, attention and language. The finding, made at Uppsala University in Sweden, could help explain some of the differences in the way the sexes think. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Obama's Father's Day Message CBS News Blog, Posted by Maria Gavrilovic, June 15, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Judaism's Sexual Revolution: Why Judaism (and then Christianity) Rejected Homosexuality OrthodoxyToday.org, By Dennis Prager
When Judaism demanded that all sexual activity be channeled into marriage, it changed the world. The Torah's prohibition of non-marital sex quite simply made the creation of Western civilization possible. Societies that did not place boundaries around sexuality were stymied in their development. The subsequent dominance of the Western world can largely be attributed to the sexual revolution initiated by Judaism and later carried forward by Christianity. . .
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RELATED BOOK REVIEW: Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth By Jeffrey Satinover, M.D.
“A stunning book. Originally trained as a Jungian analyst, Satinover presents a scientific perspective on homosexuality interpreted through a traditional Judeo-Christian viewpoint. This book is both scholarly and philosophical, and is written in a clear style that is at once erudite and passionate.” -- Joseph Nicolosi, Ph.D. (Eighth printing, 2003)
"Go out and get "Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth," one of the most compassionate, erudite books on the entire subject of homosexuality, whether you're homosexual, straight, undecided, this is a book to read." -- Dr. Laura Schlessinger
"Mr. Speaker, this is about the best book on homosexuality written in our lifetime. It should be read from sea to shining sea." -- Hon. Robert K. Dornan, on the floor of the U. S. House of Representatives
"Equally at home in genetics and psychology, Jewish and Christian teaching, Dr. Satinover demonstrates that the ancient [Biblical] viewpoint is astonishingly congruent with what modern science [has] learned about compulsion and its cure." -- Father Peter Toon, President, Prayer Book Society of the Episcopal Church. . .
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RELATED BOOK REVIEW: Homosexuality and the Truth First Things- The Journal of Religion, Culture, and Public Life, By Elizabeth Moberly, March 1997
. . . This pattern of pressuring institutions and researchers to produce results favorable to homosexuals and then claiming the results as objective evidence occurs again and again in pro-gay literature, and is perhaps one of the most curious features of scholarship in our times. . .
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- Heinz mayonnaise advert with two men kissing set to become most complained of the year The Daily Mail- UK, By Paul Revoir, June 24, 2008
A mayonnaise advert showing two men kissing has been withdrawn after it led to more than 200 complaints. Heinz confirmed last night that it had withdrawn the television commercial for its Deli Mayo following 'consumer feedback'. The ad was launched a week ago yesterday and had been due to run for five weeks. Heinz said it was no longer aired after last Friday. Nigel Dickie, of Heinz UK, said: 'It is our policy to listen to consumers. We recognise that some consumers raised concerns over the content of the ad and this prompted our decision to withdraw it. 'The advertisement, part of a short-run campaign, was intended to be humorous and we apologise to anyone who felt offended.' . . . Viewers said it was 'offensive', 'inappropriate' and 'unsuitable to be seen by children', while some parents were angry that they had been forced to explain same-sex relationships to their youngsters who asked them about the ad. The commercial shows a family scene with a young boy and girl getting ready to go to school. He is dressed like a delicatessen worker and has a New York accent. Their father enters the kitchen, grabs a sandwich and says to the man: 'See you tonight, love'. The 'mum' then shouts back 'Hey, ain't you forgetting something', before the two men kiss. 'Mum' then tells him: 'Love you. Straight home from work sweetcheeks.' It finishes with the slogan: 'Heinz Deli Mayo – Mayo with a New York Deli flavour.'. . .
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RELATED VIDEO: Anger at church 'gay wedding' BBC News, June 15, 2008
The Bishop of London has ordered an investigation into a church blessing for two gay priests. The Reverend Peter Cowell, 50, and the Reverend Dr David Lord, 28, exchanged vows in the City of London in May.
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- The gay priests 'wedding' album: A seven-tier cake, pink bouquets and a waltz The Daily Mail- UK, By Tom Kelly, June 23, 2008
Enjoying a tender first dance at their 'wedding', they are the two gay priests at the centre of a worldwide outcry. Peter Cowell and David Lord became the first homosexuals to be blessed in an Anglican service with a traditional marriage liturgy in which they exchanged vows and rings. Pictures of the £80,000 event have emerged, showing Mr Cowell, 50, and New Zealander Dr Lord, 28, dressed in identical morning suits and holding bouquets of pink roses. The Bishop of London has ordered an urgent investigation into the blessing at the end of last month which one senior member of the clergy condemned as 'blasphemous'. The service infuriated many senior figures in the Church of England and has reignited the row over gay clergy which threatens to tear apart the worldwide Anglican Communion. The couple arrived on May 31 at the 12th century St Bartholomew the Great in the City of London in a horse-drawn carriage. . . The traditional service by rector Martin Dudley was based on the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and opened with the words: 'Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God to join these men in a holy covenant of love and fidelity.' The couple exchanged £8,000 diamond-encrusted wedding bands, each declaring: 'With this ring I thee bind, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow: in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.'. .
RELATED ARTICLE: Archbishops regret gay 'wedding' BBC News, June 18, 2008
The Church of England's two most senior figures have expressed concern after the "marriage" of two gay priests was held at a London church.
RELATED ARTICLE: Anger at Anglican gay 'wedding' BBC News, June 15, 2008
Traditionalists in the Anglican Church have been angered after two gay clergymen exchanged vows in a version of a marriage ceremony. . . . Anglicans worldwide are split over homosexuality and conservatives have condemned the service - which had no legal status - as blasphemous. . . Under Church of England guidance, gay priests can enter civil partnerships as long as they remain celibate. Guidance also says that gay couples who ask a priest to bless their partnership must be treated "pastorally and sensitively".
RELATED BLOG: Historical Christianity Can Not be Reconciled with Gay Christian(*a) Theology Scripture Refiner's Fire- Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth in Love, January 26, 2008
. . .We believe God can forgive any sin including gay-sex, and we believe gays should be accepted in the church body like any other sinners. However, we do not accept their brazen attempt to legitimize immoral conduct that the Bible never commanded us to accept. It is not required for a sinner to repent first before they attend church, and they are welcome to attend, but it is required that they must abstain from injuring the church body by trying to legitimize immorality. In our opinion the gay Christian Movement is a Trojan horse to launch the gay-political agenda into the church. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Responding to Pro-Gay Theology Leadership U, By Joe Dallas
This three-part series will address the pro-gay theology by dividing its arguments--or tenets--into three categories: social justice arguments, general religious arguments, and scriptural arguments. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Judaism's Sexual Revolution: Why Judaism (and then Christianity) Rejected Homosexuality OrthodoxyToday.org, By Dennis Prager
When Judaism demanded that all sexual activity be channeled into marriage, it changed the world. The Torah's prohibition of non-marital sex quite simply made the creation of Western civilization possible.
Societies that did not place boundaries around sexuality were stymied in their development. The subsequent dominance of the Western world can largely be attributed to the sexual revolution initiated by Judaism and later carried forward by Christianity. . .
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- Why Are So Many Women Depressed? [Part 2] Townhall.com, By Dennis Prager, June 24, 2008
It is widely reported that women suffer depression at twice the rate of men. Apparently, more women are clinically depressed than ever before. On the assumption that these assessments are true, the question anyone interested in the subject -- which means anyone who cares about any woman -- asks is, why? In a recent column I offered one explanation -- the impossibly high expectations for happiness that feminism created for many women. There are other possible explanations. One is the way in which many girls have been raised. As every wise person and wise culture in history has known, it is impossible to attain any happiness without conquering one's nature. This is, of course, equally true for boys and girls, men and women. However, along with feminism arose a belief in the superiority of female nature. One result of this has been the suppressing of many male instincts -- both negative and positive -- along with little or no suppression of negative female instincts. . . . . The 1960s ushered in The Age of Hubris, a time of almost unprecedented levels of conceit that one knew better than all previous generations how to order life, that almost everything inherited from the past was just plain wrong and outdated. For this hubris we have paid, and will continue to pay, a steep price. And many women, untrained in subduing darker aspects of their natures, deprived of the female joy of femininity and increasingly deprived of men (as opposed to boys), are feeling the brunt of these losses. They call it depression. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Why Are So Many Women Depressed? Part I Townhall.com, By Dennis Prager, March 11, 2008
As one who regularly talks to women, and about men and women, on my radio show and who has informally counseled women of all ages, I would like to offer some explanations that may run counter to currently acceptable ones, but which should shed light on the subject. Assuming that any new phenomenon -- in this case, much higher rates of depression among women -- suggests a new cause, the major new cause can only be the consequences of feminism. This does not mean that feminism has achieved nothing good. . . . But how much good feminism has achieved is unrelated to the question of whether it is a, or even the, primary contributor to the rise in depression among so many women. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Heather Locklear in Treatment for Depression, Anxiety Psych Central, By John M. Grohol, Psy.D, June 24, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Depression Psych Central, By John M. Grohol, Psy.D., Feburary 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: ‘Stop Whining, Start Living,’ by Dr. Laura TODAY- MSNBC.com, March 10, 2008
The well-known talk show host says life is too short to sweat small stuff
RELATED ARTICLE: Anxiety: An Introduction to Anxiety Disorders Psych Central, By John M. Grohol, Psy.D., January 18, 2005
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- Marrying Mr Wrong: When love is not enough The Sunday Times- UK, By Jane Green, June 22, 2008
I remember the weeks leading up to my wedding. I was 30 years old, and I tried not to think, tried to keep moving, tried not to stop for a single minute to consider that perhaps the reasons I was getting married were not the right ones; that those feelings I kept trying to stuff down were panic; that not only was there more to life than this, but that I deserved it. I hadn’t had a good history of relationships. In my twenties, I had a series of flings, relationships that lasted a few months, all of which seemed to follow the same pattern. Men would meet me, think I was independent, attractive, good fun, all of which I was. And a few weeks, or months later, the neediness would kick in, and I became jealous, difficult, high-maintenance. The needier I became, the more they distanced themselves, and every relationship seemed to end with me in tears, wondering why I couldn’t get it right. When I met the man who was to become my husband, I was 29 years old. I’d had enough. Thirty was my own personal sell-by date, a great looming cloud that hovered over me throughout my late twenties, and if I wasn’t married before 30, I believed I would be sitting on the shelf for ever. The husband wasn’t like the others. For the first time, I was able to check all the boxes. Or at least, almost all. Ambitious? Check. Intelligent? Check. Would he be a good husband? A good father? Check. Was I attracted to him? . . . . . I felt as if I were doing what was expected of me, being a good girl. I was marrying a man everybody seemed to approve of, stepping out of my twenties where I had dated musicians, artists and writers, and chosen an investment banker, someone I thought my parents might choose for me, someone who would help me grow up, give me the conventional life I had decided I ought to have, rather than the unconventional one that in retrospect would have suited me much better. . . . Everything about our marriage was conventional. We were married in the same place my parents had married 32 years earlier, with a reception at Claridge’s. My dress was beautiful, the flowers divine, and I didn’t stop to think about why I felt so empty inside. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: A marriage to regret? The Sydney Morning Herald, By Samantha Brett, May 7, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: When your marriage is falling apart, should you stay or should you go? The Daily Mail- UK, April 9, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: 'Most marital problems revolve around why the wife is unhappy with her husband' Men's News Daily, By Glenn Sacks, March 4, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: The Latest Insult to Women: "Settle for Mr. Good-Enough" By Lesley M.M. Blume, February 19, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Marry Him! The Case For Settling For Mr. Good Enough Atlantic Monthly, By Lori Gottlieb, February 8, 2008
RELATED VIDEO: Should women wait for Mr. Right? MSNBC.com
RELATED ARTICLE: Great Expectations Psychology Today, By Polly Shulman, March 27, 2007
Has the quest to find the perfect soul mate done more harm than good? Psychologists provide insight into how the never-ending search for ideal love can keep you from enjoying a marriage or a healthy relationship that you already have.
RELATED ARTICLE: 8 Things No One Tells You About Marriage: The surprising, enlightening, and sometimes hard truths we all face after we walk down the aisle — and how they teach us about what love really means. MSN-Lifestyle- Relationships, By Ylonda Gault Caviness
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- The IoS pink list 2008
From businesspeople to authors, the famous (and infamous) to the unknown, these people have influenced our lives over the past 12 months The Independent- UK, June 22, 2008
How do you define influential? In drawing up this year's celebration of Britain's gay and lesbian movers and shakers, the panel had to debate whether tea-time television or morning radio had more influence. As you'll see, the presenter of Radio 4's 'Today' programme just had the edge over the creative genius behind Dr Who's renaissance. Russell T Davies's announcement that he's handing over the reins of the show to Steven Moffat had some bearing, but we look forward to hearing what he'll do next. The top 10 would have contained a young comedian (and something of a role model, we suspect), but he preferred not to receive the plaudit, which is a shame. Only three new Pink List nominees declined, which perhaps shows that, though the old stigma against homosexuality remains, it continues to decline. Meanwhile, there are those who are not exactly influential, but whose presence enriches or entertains us. This year we have introduced separate sections on prominent gays and lesbians from other countries, power couples whose combined force impresses, and those young personalities who may well be promoted to the main list in years to come. Finally, and with the help of Stonewall, we highlight people who you might not have heard of – unsung heroes who through their work promote equality and understanding. We thank all of those whom we celebrate here. Each person has last year's position in brackets above their name. . .
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RELATED COMMENTS: The Pink List The Independent, June 22, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people Wikipedia.com
This is a referenced overview list of notable gay, lesbian or bisexual people. Famous people who are simply rumored to be gay, lesbian or bisexual, are not listed.
RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Celebrity Profiles About.com: Gay Life
RELATED ARTICLE: Famous Homosexuals GayBiz.com
RELATED ARTICLE: Famous Out-Of-The-Closet Lesbian, Bisexual or Gay People
RELATED ARTICLE: Selling Homosexuality to America Regent University Law Review, By Paul E. Rondeau
This article explores how gay rights activists use rhetoric, psychology, social psychology, and the media--all the elements of modern marketing--to position homosexuality in order to frame what is discussed in the public arena and how it is discussed. . . . The economics and education of homosexuals makes them prime players in a capitalistic society. Money means power, and education means the knowledge to use that power to gain more. Homosexuals have demonstrated they have access to the leadership in media, government, education, business and other centers of influence as well as access to capital. These are hardly traits of an oppressed minority. . .
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- Same-sex marriage advocates seek to bounce initiative from ballot San Francisco Chronicle, By Bob Egelko, June 20, 2008
-- Gay-rights advocates asked the California Supreme Court on Friday to remove a proposed state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage from the November ballot, saying it would destroy fundamental rights that cannot be legally altered by a voter initiative. The suit was filed by organizations representing gay and lesbian couples in the case that led to the court's May 15 ruling striking down the state law that excluded them from marriage - a ruling that the Nov. 4 initiative would reverse. Like one of the laws that the court overturned, the initiative declares that "only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." In papers filed four days after the legalized same-sex weddings began around the state, advocacy groups argued that the measure would change the state's Constitution so profoundly that it would amount to a revision. Under the law, the Constitution cannot be revised by initiative alone - a two-thirds legislative approval is also needed before the measure goes to the voters. . . . Backers of the measure quickly denounced the suit. "Equality California and its allies are desperate to evade democracy," said attorney Glen Lavy of the Alliance Defense Fund, which represented the Proposition 22 Legal Defense and Education Fund. Prop. 22 was the 2000 ballot measure, approved by 61 percent of the voters, that declared same-sex marriages illegal, reaffirming a statute passed by the Legislature in 1977. "First, they used the courts to erase the votes of nearly 5 million Californians who voted to protect marriage," Lavy said, referring to the balloting on Prop. 22. "Now they are trying to silence the people's voice forever. This is just another attempt to force a radical political agenda upon the people of California.". . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: ADF: Equality California “desperate to evade democracy” ADF will defend Calif. marriage amendment against new lawsuit Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), June 20, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: ADF: Ballot initiative for Calif. marriage amendment not “speculation”. Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), June 03, 2008
Proposed amendment certified for ballot; ADF attorneys ask California Supreme Court to officially take notice. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Why homosexuals despise marriage World Net Daily, By Kevin McCullough, October 27, 2006
What's the real goal of the activists, the judges and the radicals who seek to subvert a moral worldview? The answer is simple: No longer satisfied with practicing the unspeakable perverse sexual pleasures that their hearts seek in private bedrooms, they wish to be able to do so in public. They are also suffering from such immense guilt over their sexual behaviors, because they know inherently that the actions they perform are in fact unhealthy, that they will go to any means necessary to try and shut down the voices in their heads that tell them it is wrong. . .
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- Is Gay Marriage Inevitable? Townhall.com, By Maggie Gallagher, June 20, 2008
. . . As the gay marriage movement becomes more confident of inevitable victory, it is also becoming more open and explicit about what gay marriage will mean for the rest of us. . . . . . I do not mean to underestimate the powerful forces pushing for gay marriage. But excuse me, I'm 48 years old. I've grown up with successive waves of progressive myths, all preaching "resistance is futile." I was told as a teenager that nobody would be pro-life once all the old folks died off, and that no mothers would be home with children. I was told communism -- or at least socialism -- was inevitable, too. Have you looked at the Soviet Union lately? War is not about killing your enemies; it's about crushing your enemies' will to fight. Guess what? Culture war is too. Nothing is inevitable but death and taxes. If we lose marriage at the polls this November, it will be because gay folks cared more, fought harder, gave more -- and I don't believe that's going to happen. . . .
Prediction: Californians are going to surprise the elites and the progressive mythmakers by joining the 27 other states (from Oregon to Wisconsin) that have voted to protect marriage as between husband and wife. We're here, we believe in marriage, get used to it. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Same-Sex Marriage and Immoral SUVs Townhall.com, By Bob Burney, June 20, 2008
There is a verse in the Bible that comes to mind: “So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter” (Isaiah 59:14). It’s a prophetic utterance of a time when judgment would be turned inside out and backward. Right would be wrong, wrong would be right and truth would be the victim, having “stumbled in the streets.” It would seem we are there. . .
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- She had a fabulous wedding on a budget CNN.com, By Jen Haley, June 20, 2008
-- Michelle Cottle, 38, of Westchester, New York, always dreamed of an elegant wedding. "I envisioned a large wedding, 200 guests... a big band sound, with the trumpets and a singer...the Frank Sinatra thing," she says. But then Michelle pauses and laughs. "And then I started to find out how much that would cost." Michelle and her fiancé, Jason Cohen, quickly realized that they had to make a choice: a down payment on a house or a dream wedding. For them, it was a no-brainer. The couple decided to keep their wedding budget to around $20,000. That's no easy feat, especially considering the cost of a wedding in the New York City area is about $46,000 according to a survey by The Knot Wedding Network. More broadly, the cost of an average wedding -- not including the honeymoon -- is about $28,000. But you can walk down the aisle without declaring bankruptcy. . . . One of the biggest mistakes couples make in planning a wedding is not having a clear vision of their budget. That's the best way to prioritize what you'll spend money on, and where you can trim costs. There are options in every category, whether its invitations or flowers, says Preli. Spend less money and attention on things that aren't very important to you. . . . .To make sure you're staying within your budget, check out the budget advisor at Brides.com. You'll get an itemized breakdown of expenses for your wedding. And that will help you prioritize what's most important. . . . And make sure you look at Web sites like eBay, PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com or Woreitonce.com for gently used wedding dresses. If you want a designer handbag or jewelry for your big day, consider renting them at Bagborroworsteal.com. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: I do, I do, I do, I do, I do: Wedding-mad bride set to marry husband five times The Daily Mail- UK, By Andy Dolan, June 19, 2008
After a whirlwind romance and a Las Vegas wedding, the couple who will marry a total of FIVE times in NINE months, in ceremonies across the globe, so their entire family can see them tie the knot.
RELATED ARTICLE: UK: Cost of the average wedding soars past £20,000 as couples take inspiration from celebrities The Daily Mail- UK, By Daily Mail Reporter and Sean Poulter, June 9, 2008
The cost of the average wedding has broken through the £20,000 barrier for the first time, research showed today. Couples now expect to blow an average of £20,273 tying the knot.
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RELATED ARTICLE: 'Competitive Wedding Syndrome' pushes up cost of average bash to £60 per minute The Daily Mail- UK, May 29, 2007
As the cost of weddings spirals out of control a new survey reveals that modern couples care more about beating their peers to the perfect wedding than showing their love on the big day.
RELATED ARTICLE & COMMENTS: The wedding planner who doesn't believe in marriage (and with two divorces behind her, is it any wonder?) The Daily Mail- UK, By Laura Topham, May 10, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: As the average cost of nupitals reaches £25,000.... a big wedding is the quickest way to the divorce court The Daily Mail- UK, By Esther Rantzen, August 29, 2007
Having a lavish wedding can paper over the cracks of what marriage is all about - love and commitment. Splashing out on the big day only serves to take away from what really matters and put pressure on the marriage.
RELATED ARTICLE: One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding AlterNet, By Emily Wilson, June 15, 2007
Pre-World War II, many couples got married in clothes they already owned. Today, they spend thousands. In her new book, One Perfect Day, Rebecca Mead shows how the wedding industry became so powerful and who it has exploited in the process.
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- Parenting Issues: Teen girls reportedly make pregnancy pact CNN.com, June 20, 2008
GLOUCESTER, Massachusetts (AP) -- A pact made by a group of teens to get pregnant and raise their babies together is at least partly behind a sudden spike in pregnancies at Gloucester High School, school officials said. Principal Joseph Sullivan told Time magazine in a story published Wednesday that the girls confessed to making the pact after the school began investigating a rise in pregnancies that has left 17 girls at the school carrying a child. Normally, there are about four pregnancies a year at the school. Sullivan told Time that nearly half of the expecting students, none over 16, were involved. Sullivan said students were coming to the school clinic multiple times to get pregnancy tests, and "seemed more upset when they weren't pregnant than when they were." Some of the girls reacted to the news they were pregnant with high fives and plans for baby showers, Sullivan said. One of the fathers "is a 24-year-old homeless guy," Sullivan told the magazine. . . . The rash of pregnancies has shaken the seaside city about 30 miles north of Boston. Last month, two officials at the high school health center resigned to protest the resistance from the local hospital to the confidential distribution of contraceptives. . . .
RELATED VIDEO: High school pregnancy pact (1:41) CNN.com, June 20, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Pregnancy Boom at Gloucester High Time magazine, By Kathleen Kingsbury, June 18, 2008
As summer vacation begins, 17 girls at Gloucester High School are expecting babies—more than four times the number of pregnancies the 1,200-student school had last year. Some adults dismissed the statistic as a blip. Others blamed hit movies like Juno and Knocked Up for glamorizing young unwed mothers. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Tell Congress to Fund Programs that Work Townhall.com, By Janice Shaw Crouse, March 26, 2008
A study in the American Journal of Health Behavior indicates that students in abstinence programs are 50 percent less likely to engage in sex. In contrast, the longstanding comprehensive sex education program that prevails in most public schools was studied by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last year and found to have no impact on teens’ behavior. . . . .But never mind the facts.
RELATED ARTICLE: Law Can't Prevent Underage Sex Townhall.com, By John Stossel, March 26, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Shocked Townhall.com, By Dr. Miriam Grossman, M.D., March 17, 2008
That so many American girls have a sexually transmitted infection should come as no shock. Rather, the shock should be at the madness in our country that we call sexuality education.
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RELATED RESOURCE: The Gottman Institute
At the Gottman Institute™, we understand that parenting is one of the most important, intense challenges adults with children have. In the preface to Dr. Gottman’s book on parenting, Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child, he explains, “Before I became a father, I had spent nearly twenty years working in the field of developmental psychology, studying the emotional lives of children. But it was not until our child arrived in 1990 that I began to truly understand the realities of the parent-child relationship.” Intense love. Frustration. Joy. Disappointment. Vulnerability. “Surprisingly,” Dr. Gottman explains that, “much of today’s popular advice to parents ignores emotion. Instead it relies on child-rearing theories that address children’s misbehavior, but disregards the feelings that underlie that misbehavior. The ultimate goal of raising children should not be simply to have an obedient and compliant child. Most parents hope for much more for their children. They want their children to be moral and responsible people who contribute to society, who have the strength to make their own choices in life, who enjoy accomplishments of their own talents, who enjoy life and the pleasures it can offer, who have good relationships with friends and successful marriages, and who themselves become good parents. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Innocence Lost: The Sexualization of Youth—From physical appearance to wanton behavior, sex dominates the thinking of young people. How did we get here? Is it too late to turn the tide? The Real Truth magazine, By Bradford G. Schleifer, November 29, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Dying to Date TownHall.com, By Kathleen Parker, November 16, 2007
-- If you're younger than 30 or maybe even 35, you may not recognize the word "date" as a verb. But once upon a time, dating was something men and women did as a prelude to marriage, which -- hold on to your britches -- was a prelude to sex. By now everyone's heard of the hook-up culture prevalent on college campuses and, increasingly, in high schools and even middle schools. Kids don't date; they just do it (or something close to "it," an activity that a recent president asserted was not actual sex), and then figure out what comes next. If anything.
RELATED ARTICLE: The Kids Aren't Alright Poz magazine & AIDS MEDS, by Tim Murphy, January 2007
Amid the heated, fiercely politicized debate between sex ed that teaches condom use versus sex ed that preaches abstinence, young people who have contracted HIV through sex share what they wish they’d learned beforehand.
RELATED ARTICLE: Sex Ed and HIV Prevention Education in U.S. Schools 'Fiercely Politicized' and 'Highly Problematic,' Article Says Kaiser Network, Dec 22, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Abstinence Education Advocates Criticize Results of Guttmacher Sex Study LifeNews.com, By Steven Ertelt, December 21, 2006
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RELATED ARTICLE: Get Chaste: The Dawn and the Eden of a countercultural revolution National Review Online, By Kathryn Jean Lopez, December 5, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Sex and Schoolkids Townhall.com, By Jeff Jacoby, October 24, 2005
[I]t is a big deal -- whether the grown-ups in their lives are prepared to say so or not -- when kids too young to lawfully buy a pack of cigarettes are routinely engaging in sexual activity that most of them don't yet have the maturity or understanding to handle. In its potential to inflict internal damage or cause lasting pain, sex far surpasses tobacco. But while kids are warned repeatedly and stridently about the dangers of smoking, school-age sex is widely regarded as inevitable. The same people who enforce "zero-tolerance" strictures when it comes to guns and knives push a very different message when it comes to sex: Keep it "safe" and legal, and you'll hear no complaints from us. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Study: Abstinence pledges may trigger risky sexual behavior USA Today, March 18, 2005
RELATED ARTICLE & STUDY: Teens Who Make Virginity Pledges Have Substantially Improved Life Outcomes The Heritage Foundation- Center for Data Analysis, By Robert E. Rector, Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D., and Jennifer A. Marshall, September 21, 2004
RELATED ARTICLE: Teen Pregnancy: Overview, Health Risks to the Baby and Other Consequences of Teenage Pregnancy Womens Health Channel, November 1, 2000
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- Jamie Lynn Spears Has a Baby Girl People magazine, By Mary Margaret, June 19, 2008
There is a new baby in the Spears clan! Jamie Lynn Spears and her fiancé Casey Aldridge welcomed a baby girl Thursday morning. PEOPLE confirms exclusively that the baby was named Maddie Briann. . . . Since announcing her pregnancy in December, Britney’s little sister has retreated from the bright lights of Hollywood, opting for the comforts of her hometown of Kentwood, La. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Shock, Disappointment Over Jamie Lynn's Pregnancy People magazine, By Tim Nudd, December 19, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Jamie Lynn Spears Pregnant At 16: Is Lynne Spears An Even Worse Mother Than Britney? Huffington Post, By Bonnie Fuller, December 19, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Celebrity: Moms Gone Wild: Sure, mothers always get blamed for everything. But—as a look at the women behind Paris, Lindsay, and Britney reveals—if your child is your meal ticket and career booster, it's hard to be the parent she needs Vanity Fair, By Judith Newman, November 2007 Issue
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RELATED BROADCAST: Sex Has a Price Tag (Part 1) TruthsThatTransform.org
What have you always wanted to tell your kids about sex? "If you are not married, don't do it. If you are married, go for it with the person you are married to." That is according to author and speaker Pam Stenzel. . .
RELATED BROADCAST: Sex Has a Price Tag (Part 2) TruthsThatTransform.org
What does every parent want their teenage daughter to know? If you want respect, you have to demand it. If you demand respect, you get it. That is not something you are going to hear in the popular media but it needs to be told! Pam Stenzel tells you and your teens what you need to know about the facts of life. . .
RELATED BROADCAST: Sex Has a Price Tag (Part 3) TruthsThatTransform.org
Guess who is having the best sex in this nation? Married Christian monogamous women! What a message for our teenagers! Sadly, they won't hear it in the mainstream media! So, how do you share this vital information with your teen? Pam Stenzel shows you how. . .
RELATED DVD TRAILER: Sex Still Has A Price Tag Featuring Pam Stenzel
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- Tad & Molly: Is baldness worse than the menopause? Times Online- UK, By Tad Safran and Molly Watson, June 19, 2008
Tad Safran caused a bit of a stir last year when he wrote in times2 that British women were unattractive. Some readers balked. One of the latter was Molly Watson. As it turns out, the pair disagree on almost everything. . .
Tad: I've had a hell of a tough week consoling a good friend. He's a mess.
Molly: I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?
Tad: He suffered a terrible loss.
Molly: Oh dear. A member of his family?
Tad: No. His hair.
Molly: Oh, please - for a moment there I was genuinely concerned.
Tad: You should be. The guy is only 35. He'd been fighting baldness for years. Throwing everything science has to offer at the problem. Nothing could staunch the spread of scalp. The comb-over had recently become simply too sad, so he finally shaved the whole lot off. He has been inconsolable ever since.
Molly: Over baldness? I'm taking it he hasn't endured what he would no doubt see as the equally terrible tragedy of being short, or becoming fat or impotent.
Tad: Don't laugh. It's serious.
Molly: You make it sound as if this guy has been disfigured in some way. In fact he is just being forced to acknowledge, albeit in a fairly public way, the onset of middle age. That's never comfortable for any of us, but it is hardly a genuine trauma.
Tad: I don't think you're taking into account the psychological effect of baldness on men. It's like making fun of the menopause. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Male Pattern Baldness AskMen.com, By Joshua Levine
If you're a man who is seeing more of your scalp than you'd like, you're not alone. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, two out of three men in this country develop some form of balding. . . Most men who lose their hair have a hereditary condition called androgenic alopecia, says Neil Sadick, M.D., Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Dermatology at Cornell University Medical College. These men have increased levels of a hormone known as 5(alpha)-reductase, which transforms testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Male menopause: Myth or reality? Mayo Clinic- Men's Health
Sometimes called male menopause, aging-related hormone changes are very different in men than in women. Learn about symptoms and treatment. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Andropause (Male Menopause) - Does it really exist ?! Andrology.com
Female menopause has been known for centuries, but it has only recently been discovered that males also go through a similar phenomenon with identical symptoms. . .
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- I've had the G-shot...and YES,YES,YES, my sex life has never been better The Daily Mail- UK, By Natasha Courtenay-Smith, June 19, 2008
Three months ago, Caroline Cushworth sat her partner Christopher down and asked him a simple question. If, she said, I could be guaranteed an orgasm every time we had sex, what would be your reaction? Not that surprisingly, her partner Christopher, 27, a plasterer, replied that he'd be delighted. 'So I told him I wanted to have a brand-new treatment which would enable me to do just that - and also make my orgasms much more intense than normal,' says Caroline. 'His jaw literally hit the floor and he said, "Sounds good to me." 'And so a fortnight ago, Caroline became the first British woman to have the 'G-shot', also known as the 'orgasm jab' - an £800 non-surgical treatment that enhances a woman's sexual experience by boosting the G-spot, the ultra-sensitive area of tissue that can hold the key to happy love-making. Rather like lip-plumping jabs, the treatment involves injecting collagen straight into the G-spot. This not only enhances its sensitivity, but increases the width of the area to the size of a 10 pence piece. It also raises the G-spot a quarter of an inch in height, making it much easier to find. And, as Caroline can testify, the results are tremendous. 'I have quite literally never experienced anything quite like it,' she says. . .
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- North Carolina senator defaults on home loan AOL Real Estate- AP, June 19, 2008
- A North Carolina state senator and her former domestic partner have defaulted on a $1.3 million mortgage on a New Hanover County home. Sen. Julia Boseman and Melissa Jarrell have failed to pay the $7,156 monthly payments since last August, according to evidence at a court hearing last week. The home is now scheduled to be auctioned June 25 at the county courthouse, the Star-News of Wilmington reported. County tax records show $4,700 in taxes are also owed on the property. Jarrell now lives in the house, where they raised a son before separating. The loan could still be paid off or other arrangements may be made . . . . Boseman, a Democrat who is seeking a third Senate term in November, also testified during a December child custody hearing that she had used marijuana earlier this decade, according to a transcript of the hearing obtained by Wilmington television station WECT. . . Boseman told the Star-News last week the mortgage default was a private matter that wouldn't affect work for her constituents. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: From 'Real Deal' to Real Broke AOL Sports, June 6, 2008
- Maybe now we know why former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield wants to keep fighting at age 45. The "Real Deal" appears real broke. His $10 million estate in suburban Atlanta is under foreclosure, the mother of one of his children is suing for unpaid child support, and a Utah consulting company has gone to court claiming the boxer failed to pay back more than a half million dollars for landscaping. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: 50 Cent Told to Keep Gutted Mansion AOL News- AP, By Samuel Maull, June 10, 2008
- A judge Tuesday ordered 50 Cent to hold on to the property where a $2.4 million house at the center of a bitter dispute with his ex-girlfriend burned to the ground last month. State Supreme Court Justice Carol Edmead also ordered the rapper (real name: Curtis Jackson) to put any insurance proceeds he might receive into a trust account pending the outcome of the $50 million lawsuit filed against him earlier this year by Shaniqua Tompkins. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Ed McMahon's Beverly Hills Home in Foreclosure People magazine, June 4, 2008
RELATED RESOURCE: Tips for Avoiding Foreclosure US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
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- Tim Russert's Wife Opens Up About His Death People magazine, June 19, 2008
Leaving their hotel room in Italy ahead of his wife and son to go back to Washington, D.C., so he could tape that Sunday's Meet the Press, Tim Russert was grabbed by his wife, PEOPLE reports in its latest issue, on sale Friday. "I said to him, 'I want to give you a hug; maybe I'll never see you again,' " says journalist Maureen Orth, 65, speaking publicly about her husband for the first time since his June 13 passing – the day after he left Italy. "I don't know why I said that to him. I just had a feeling." . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Luke Russert Delivers His 'Dad's Last Speech' People magazine, By Susan Keating, June 18, 2008
A composed, 22-year-old Luke Russert delivered what he termed "my Dad's last speech" at funeral services in Washington, D.C., Wednesday for powerhouse journalist Tim Russert. The elder Russert, longtime host of NBC's Meet the Press, died Friday of a heart attack at age 58. . . . . Luke told his listeners: "Anyone can withstand anything" – even the loss of a beloved father. If God offered a Luke the option of having only 22 years with his father before the elder Russert were "called home to God," Luke said, "I would have taken that deal in a heartbeat." He concluded his speech with his father's favorite phrase: "Let us all go get 'em.". . .
RELATED COVERAGE: Remembering Tim Russert: Russert tribute: Family, friends, the Boss MSNBC.com
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RELATED ARTICLE: Russert’s Son Sounds a Theme of Unity at Funeral New York Times, By Jacques Steinberg, June 19, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE & COMMENTS: Tim Russert (1950-2008) Townhall.com, By Thomas Sowell, June 18, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE & COMMENTS: James Carville, Mary Matalin Break Down On Set Over Tim Russert's Death Huffington Post, June 17, 2008
RELATED VIDEO: In his own words MSNBC.com- TODAY, June 15, 2008
In honor of Father’s Day, TODAY presents excerpts of Tim Russert’s audio book in which he talks about the importance of family.
RELATED VIDEO: Russert's Final Interview: Wall Street Journal Editor Gerald Seib reflects on last moments with newsman FOX News, June 13, 2008
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- Calif. Court Considers Medical Rights
Justices Weigh Whether Doctors, Citing Religion, Can Refuse to Treat Some Patients Washington Post, By Ashley Surdin, June 19, 2008
-- On the heels of its ruling on same-sex marriage, California's highest court will decide another potentially landmark civil rights case: whether doctors can refuse to treat certain patients for religious reasons. The case reaches back nearly 10 years, to when Guadalupe "Lupita" Benítez of Oceanside was trying to conceive. Benítez, who is gay, says doctors violated her civil rights because they refused her a fertility treatment, saying it was against their religion to perform insemination on a lesbian. The two doctors and their employer, North Coast Women's Care Medical Group, say they denied Benítez treatment because it is against their Christian beliefs to perform insemination on unwed women, whether heterosexual or lesbian. Their refusal, they argue, is protected by their constitutional right to freedom of religion. Unlike instances in which doctors refuse to perform abortions, this case is unusual in that doctors are seemingly denying services to a select group of patients, said Joan Hollinger, a professor of family law at the University of California at Berkeley. And it is unclear whether the Constitution's religious freedom clause protects such selectiveness. Either way, the California Supreme Court's ruling could have far-reaching consequences for doctors and businesses, and for unwed women, particularly lesbians, trying to conceive. . . . . .When Benítez met with doctor Christine Brody for her first appointment, she told Brody that she is a lesbian. Brody replied that, should her treatment require intrauterine insemination, she could not perform it for religious reasons. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Do families need fathers? The Guardian- UK, By Aida Edemariam, May 20, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: The Incontrovertible Facts About Fathers Townhall.com, By Janice Shaw Crouse, February 27, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Dads DO matter: Why children brought up by BOTH parents are happier and more successful The Daily Mail- UK, By Jenny Hope, February 13, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Adult children speak out about same-sex parents TownHall.com, By Maggie Gallagher, July 7, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Children need both a mother and a father Rocky Mountain News, By James C. Dobson, Focus on the Family, February 28, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Two Mommies Is One Too Many. Mary Cheney is starting a family. Let's hope she doesn't start a trend Time magazine, By James C. Dobson, December 10, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: WHEN RIGHTS COLLIDE: Doctor and patient both say their liberty was violated San Francisco Chronicle, By Wyatt Buchanan-- Chronicle Staff Writer, July 29, 2005
A Southern California lesbian who sued her doctors for discrimination after they refused to artificially inseminate her is now fighting both them and the state's largest medical association over whether doctors should have the right to refuse treatment on religious grounds. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: What's Best for the Children: Public policy regarding adoption should not be directed by the desire of adults to become parents Concerned Women for America, February 17, 2005
Testimony of Robert H. Knight
Director, Culture & Family Institute
Concerned Women for America
Courts of Justice Committee, Virginia Senate
Regarding HB 2921
February 16, 2005
Good afternoon. We're here to talk about what's best for children and how to secure for them the best possible adoptive homes. Public policy should be guided not by what some adults want but by what's actually best for children. In most debates, homosexual activists argue that they "deserve" to be parents or that they "want" to be parents. Well, that's understandable. There's a universal longing to be a father or a mother, but this doesn't mean everyone is equally qualified. The activists also assert that this is about "equality," but that's not true. A household that is missing an entire parental sex, that is, missing a mother or a father, is not equal to a married household. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Collateral Damage? Children With a Gay Parent Speak Out Family.org, By Amy Tracey
RELATED ARTICLE: Why Children Need Father-Love and Mother-Love, Part 1 Family.org, By Glen T. Stanton
Much of the value mothers and fathers bring to their children is due to the fact that mothers and fathers are different.
RELATED ARTICLE: Why Children Need Father-Love and Mother-Love, Part 2 Family.org, By Glen T. Stanton
Much of the value mothers and fathers bring to their children is due to the fact that mothers and fathers are different.
RELATED ARTICLE (PDF): Are Same-Sex Families Good For Children? But we must all ask if these changes in our understanding of family are harmless. Family.org, By Glen T. Stanton
Same-sex advocates are quick to assure us that children with same-sex parents are happy and healthy. But is it true? Research tells us no such thing, simply because there is no reliable body of research that compares children being raised in same-sex versus mother/father homes. We are just beginning the same-sex family experiment; therefore there are not significant populations of such families for scientists to observe over long periods of time. . .
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- Sexuality isn't that simple
Evidence that sexual orientation is hardwired into our neural circuitry will only encourage outdated stereotypes The Guardian, By Jane Czyzselska, June 18, 2008
. . . According to scientists at the Stockholm Brain Institute, striking similarities between the brains of gay men and straight women have been discovered, offering new evidence that sexual orientation is hardwired into our neural circuitry. Scans reveal homosexual men and heterosexual women have symmetrical brains, with the right and left hemispheres almost exactly the same size. Conversely, lesbians and straight men have asymmetrical brains, with the right hemisphere significantly larger than the left. The findings published in an American journal apparently reveal that the right-hand side of the brain, which controls spatial ability, is more developed among straight men and lesbians, making them better navigators. Yet the left side is slightly smaller in lesbians and straight men, suggesting that while they share a predisposition for verbal constipation, it is gay men and straight women that are God's own chosen public speakers. Does this mean that when considering who should be best man at your civil partnership a straight chap would be the worst man for the job? It seems ridiculous to dignify these "discoveries" with a response, but I imagine that there will be much mirth over the Cheerios when America's top TV chatshow host, lesbian Ellen Degeneres, reads about the research before heading off to her packed television studio. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: When Biology Doesn't Explain Gay: One Woman's Perspective: Our Gay Wedding, My Straight Brain ABC News, Opinion by Aina Hunter, June 23, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Gay men and heterosexual women have similarly shaped brains, research shows The Guardian, By Ian Sample, June 17, 2008
. . . Savic and her colleague Per Linström took MRI brain scans of 90 volunteers who were divided into four groups of similar ages according to whether they were male, female, heterosexual or homosexual. . . . . Savic's team has yet to confirm whether the differences in brain shape are responsible for sexual orientation, or are a consequence of it. To find out, they have begun another study to investigate brain symmetry in newborn babies, to see if it can be used to predict their future sexual orientation. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: What the Gay Brain Looks Like Time magazine, By Alice Park, June 17, 2008
What makes people gay? Biologists may never get a complete answer to that question, but researchers in Sweden have found one more sign that the answer lies in the structure of the brain. . . . . Just what these brain differences mean is still not clear. Ever since 1991, when Simon LeVay first documented differences in the hypothalamus of gay and straight men, researchers have been struggling to understand what causes these differences to occur. . .
 RELATED ARTICLE: The "Gay Gene" Controlling The Media The Real Proposal magazine, April 1, 2008 RELATED ARTICLE: More than a 'gay gene' controlling the media: It's New Age heresy The Real Proposal magazine, April 12, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: "Homosexuality Is Not Hardwired," Concludes Head of The Human Genome Project LifeSiteNews.com, By A. Dean Byrd, Ph.D, MBA, MPH, March 20, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: How Might Homosexuality Develop? Putting the Pieces Together NARTH, By Jeffrey Satinover, M.D.
Excerpted from "The Complex Interaction of Genes and Environment: A Model for Homosexuality"
RELATED ARTICLE: Born or Bred? Science Does Not Support the Claim That Homosexuality Is Genetic CWFA.org, By Robert H. Knight, December 21, 2005
RELATED ARTICLE: Sacrificing Science: Hardwired for Homosexuality? Breakpoint.org, By Chuck Colson, May 26, 2005
. . .Neuroscientists have long known that the connection between the brain and human behavior is a two-way street. The patterns observed in the in hypothalamuses of gay men are just as likely to be an effect of their sexuality as a cause of it. Now, both the [New York] Times and Time [magazine] noted this -- and yet they couldn't resist running with the "gay gene" angle. Likewise, they know that a genetic predisposition, if one exists, to behave a certain way isn't a moral license. But when it comes to "gay rights," none of this seems to matter. Instead, they commit the same offense they accuse Christians of committing: sacrificing science on the altar of ideology. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: The Myth of the Gay Gene Homiletic & Pastoral Review, By Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco, December 2003 Issue
RELATED SITE: 'Homosexuality Cannot Be Changed': Is homosexuality really fixed and immutable as some argue? Family.org, By Joe Dallas
RELATED RESOURCE: National Association for Research & Therapy for Homosexuality (NARTH)
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- Next, at an Anglican church near you, a traditional service of divorce The Mail Online- Peter Hitchens Blog, June 18, 2008
I wonder how the religious affairs reporters managed to find out about the almost-wedding service of two homosexual clerics in one of London's loveliest churches? Did they happen to be passing at the time? Did one of the congregation disapprove so strongly that he leaked it? Seems unlikely to me. Or did those involved, by any chance, want to make sure the world knew that this had happened, shortly before a Lambeth conference which is already likely to involve a disastrous confrontation between sexual militants and conservatives, and speed the split in the Anglican Church? . . . . . .This isn't really about homosexuals, a small minority in our society . I really don't want to discuss homosexuality here, or the reasons why Christians (or anyone else) might regard homosexual acts as wrong. It's rather boring, it makes people bitter, and it isn't, actually, the point. It's part of a bait-and-switch trick in which the real centre of the argument is snatched out of sight while the gullible audience's attention is diverted. It's really about heterosexuals, about marriage, divorce, abortion, parental rights over children, the passing on of culture and morals, the ownership and inheritance of private property, the existence of a defensible private life, the priorities between work and home, all the issues which marriage tried to settle in favour of two adults living privately in a strong, privileged but restrictive relationship in which personal will was subjected to moral law. Homosexuality is the chosen battleground of the revolutionaries for a very simple reason. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: The gay priests' wedding album: A seven-tier cake, pink bouquets and a waltz The Daily Mail- UK, By Tom Kelly, June 23, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: I'd do it all again, says vicar after row over Britain's first gay 'wedding' in an Anglican church The Daily Mail- UK, June 16, 2008
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RELATED ARTICLE: Pew Forum surveys denominations' views on gay marriage Los Angeles Times, By Steve Padilla, June 21, 2008
Study finds a wide range of attitudes on same-sex unions from tolerance and support to strong opposition.
RELATED ARTICLE: Are the Anglicans About to Split? Time magazine, By David Van Biema, June 20, 2008
The schism long forecast for the Anglican Communion over the church's liberal stand on homosexuality may be getting closer. . . . Just days before the group's conference is set to begin in Jerusalem, GAFcon's leader, Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, declared in a 94-page theological statement: "There is no longer any hope, therefore, for a unified Communion ... Now we confront a moment of decision ... We want unity, but not at the cost of relegating Christ to the position of another wise teacher, who can be obeyed or disobeyed. We earnestly desire the healing of our beloved Communion, but not at the cost of rewriting the Bible to accommodate the latest cultural trend. We have arrived at a crossroads; it is, for us, the moment of truth.". . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Presbyterian minister officiates gay CA wedding Associated Press, By Lisa Leff, June 20, 2008
— A retired Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) minister challenged her denomination's position on same-sex marriage Friday by officiating the wedding of two women who wanted to be among the first couples to legally marry in California. The Rev. Jane Spahr, recently acquitted by a church council of officiating same-sex ceremonies before California made gay marriage legal, presided over the wedding between Sara Taylor, 54, and Sherrie Holmes, 57, at the Marin County Civic Center. "I pronounced them married under the authority granted me by the state and as a minister of the Presbyterian Church," Spahr said after the service, attended by Holmes' 30-year-old daughter and longtime friends of the couple, who have been together 18 years this week. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Presbyterians to tackle gay clergy debate — again Chicago Tribune, By Kimberly Winston, June 19, 2008
The nation's largest Presbyterian denomination will tackle the question of gay and lesbian clergy at its biennial General Assembly next week (June 20-28) in San Jose, Calif. After more than 30 years of back-and-forth debate, the Presbyterian Church (USA) will try once again to settle a perennial fight over whether non-celibate gays and lesbians should be ordained to church pulpits. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Anglican church in meltdown over gays and women Times Online—UK, By Ruth Gledhill, June 16, 2008
The Church of England has been plunged into fresh turmoil by the “marriage” of two gay clergymen and threats of an exodus of priests opposed to the consecration of women bishops. The Times has learnt that up to 500 Anglo-Catholic piests are ready to resign after failing to secure the concessions that they had sought over women bishops. . . . A further blow will be dealt to the unity of the Anglican Communion this week when 200 traditionalist bishops attend a meeting as an alternative to the ten-yearly Lambeth Conference, which they plan to boycott. They will gather for the Global Anglican Future Conference, in Jordan, organised by evangelicals, in protest at what they see as the liberal direction of the communion. Yesterday the Church of England was investigating the “wedding” of the two gay priests in defiance of church rules on such ceremonies. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Anger at Anglican gay 'wedding' BBC News, June 15, 2008
Traditionalists in the Anglican Church have been angered after two gay clergymen exchanged vows in a version of a marriage ceremony. The service, at St Bartholomew the Great Church in the City of London last month, used formal rites. The Reverend Peter Cowell and the Reverend Dr David Lord were already civil partners. Critics say the ceremony flouted guidelines, but the vicar who conducted it said church rules were not broken. The couple are said to have exchanged vows and rings in front of hundreds of guests in the event thought to be the first of its kind in the Anglican Church. . . . 'Erosion of respect': Anglicans worldwide are split over homosexuality and conservatives have condemned the service - which had no legal status - as blasphemous. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Gospel Music Responds to Same-Sex marriage The Real Proposal magazine, June 7, 2008
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RELATED ARTICLE: Responding to Homosexuality & Gay Marriage: “Love the Sinner. Hate the Sin” The Real Proposal magazine, March 21, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Responding to Pro-Gay Theology Leadership U, By Joe Dallas
This three-part series will address the pro-gay theology by dividing its arguments--or tenets--into three categories: social justice arguments, general religious arguments, and scriptural arguments. . .
RELATED BLOG: Historical Christianity Can Not be Reconciled with Gay Christian(*a) Theology Scripture Refiner's Fire- Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth in Love, January 26, 2008
. . .We believe God can forgive any sin including gay-sex, and we believe gays should be accepted in the church body like any other sinners. However, we do not accept their brazen attempt to legitimize immoral conduct that the Bible never commanded us to accept. It is not required for a sinner to repent first before they attend church, and they are welcome to attend, but it is required that they must abstain from injuring the church body by trying to legitimize immorality. In our opinion the gay Christian Movement is a Trojan horse to launch the gay-political agenda into the church. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: The Dangers of Same-sex "Marriage" BreakPoint.org- By Regis Nicoll, May 26, 2006
. . .Before we examine the societal effects of gay “marriage,” we need to set the record straight about the moral teachings of Jesus. While it’s true that Jesus said nothing explicitly about homosexuality, it’s also true he never mentioned the evils of bestiality, incest, pedophilia, rape, slavery, wife-beating, or substance abuse, to name a few. In fact, the New Testament records very few things that Jesus specifically condemned. It would be reckless, therefore, to assume that anything not specifically prohibited is permitted. What the scriptures do record, however, is Jesus’s shift from old-covenant particulars to core moral principles. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: 7 Va. Episcopal Parishes Vote to Sever Ties; Same-Sex Unions, Choice of Gay Bishop Spark Conservatives' Break From Church Washington Post, By Bill Turque and Michelle Boorstein, December 18, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Analysis: Anglican schism nears reality BBC News, By Alex Kirby, February 25, 2005
RELATED ARTICLE: Defender of the Faith: Why all Anglican eyes in London are nervously fixed on a powerful African archbishop Atlantic Online, By Philip Jenkins, November 2003 Issue
RELATED ARTICLE: Head to head: Gay church debate BBC News, Oct 15, 2003
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- Newspaper Reactions to California Marriage Cases (PDF) iMAPP, By Joshua K. Baker, June 18, 2008
At iMAPP, we've just released our latest research brief ("Newspaper Reactions to California Marriage Cases"), collecting newspaper editorial responses to the California Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage. Perhaps surprisingly, we found a decided ambivalence to the ruling from the nation's largest papers. Of the nation's 20 largest newspapers, 12 wrote editorials in response to the decision, with 7 opposing the ruling and 4 favoring it, while one offered a mixed reaction. As we note in the report: The major fear voiced by newspapers opposing the ruling is that the undemocratic imposition of same-sex marriage will spark a "culture war" similar to that sparked by Roe v. Wade's overturning of abortion laws, and that the gay rights movement would be better served by trusting the democratic process and the rapid change in opinions among their fellow citizens. For the full text of the report (PDF), including excerpts from each of the newspaper editorials, visit marriagedebate.com. Reactions welcome.
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- California ushers in same-sex marriage
First of licenses issued as ruling becomes law Chicago Tribune, By Carla Hall and John M. Glionna, June 17, 2008
—In Beverly Hills, the wedding couple wore matching ivory suits as a rabbi officiated on a courthouse plaza. In San Francisco, the brides exchanged vows as Mayor Gavin Newsom presided. And across California, at 5:01 p.m. local time Monday, the moment that same-sex marriage became legal by order of the state Supreme Court, exultant gay couples raced to partake in a legal ritual long denied them. Although county offices are typically closed by 5 p.m., the registrars and clerks who issue marriage licenses in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Alameda, Sonoma and Yolo counties remained open to allow at least two dozen same-sex couples the distinction of being among the first to wed. Before the ceremonies began, Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony and seven other Southern California Catholic bishops reaffirmed their opposition to same-sex marriage. In a joint statement, the clerics said marriage "has a unique place in God's creation, joining a man and a woman in a committed relationship in order to nurture and support the new life for which marriage is intended." In Los Angeles County, longtime partners Diane Olson and Robin Tyler were the first same-sex couple to obtain a license Monday. Together 15 years, Olson and Tyler were the original plaintiffs in the 2004 California lawsuit challenging the ban on gay marriage as unconstitutional. The couple were chosen to receive the county's first license "in recognition of their unique role in the court's decision," said acting Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Marriage Is Back On The Radar For Republicans, Evangelicals. But Overall Opposition to Gay Marriage is Less Than in 2004 Pew Research Center, June 12, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: The Marriage Edicts — Hope Thou in God Concerned Women for America (CWFA.org), By Anne Downey, June 4, 2008
At times the psalmist faced setback upon setback. But he asked himself, "Why art thou cast down O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him." (Psalm 43:5) This is a great inspiration to us during recent challenging events in America. The decision by four justices of the California Supreme Court to mandate allowing same-sex "marriage" in that state, and the subsequent order by New York Governor David Paterson that all New York State agencies must recognize same-sex "marriages" performed outside New York, have ushered in a new era in which five individuals have imposed their views on millions of Americans. For those of us who understand that traditional marriage serves as the bedrock upon which our society is built, the recent developments come as a blow. But there is good news. . . . . . . Sometimes a setback becomes a stepping stone to good things when God's people stand up, make their voices heard, and lift up their prayers. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: School’s in (especially for John McCain): A “conservative” defense of Marriage The Real Proposal magazine, May 28, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: California gay marriage decision: The battle is on for our freedoms! The Real Proposal magazine, May 22, 2008
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- Commentary: The Price of Prejudice
Fostering tolerance and diversity is important to recruit, retain, and motivate the best and brightest. Condé Nast Portfolio, By Editors, June 16 2008
Thanks to the recent decision by the California Supreme Court, we expect gay marriage will again be an issue this election year. On their November ballots, California voters will be asked to amend the state’s constitution, in effect overturning the court’s legalization of same-sex marriage. It should be quite a fight. Gay marriage may appear to be one of those cultural issues that should be of no concern to a business magazine. But we feel strongly that Californians face a defining moment that is as much about their economy as it is about their social mores. . . . The economic case for same-sex marriage often sounds like a pitch for another stimulus package: Allow gays to marry and so many more billions will be spent throughout the economy on weddings, gift registries, and travel. But that argument is far too narrow. Corporate America understands that fostering tolerance and diversity is important in order to recruit, retain, and motivate the best and the brightest. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Wachovia's Troubles Reflect Financial And Moral Failures Concerned Women for America (CWFA.org), By Guest Columnist Warren Cole Smith, June 11, 2008
. . . One of the major differences between these banks is that Allison has kept BB&T relentlessly focused on its core financial businesses. Wachovia, on the other hand, got into the financial engineering business, completing complicated mergers it couldn't digest, creating complex financial instruments whose risks it couldn't assess, and -- worse yet -- getting involved in liberal social causes that alienated employees and customers, creating morale problems and "corporate culture" conflicts. Wachovia, for example, has been an outspoken proponent of homosexual rights. Its "vendor diversity" program encouraged employees to do business with "gay-owned" businesses. Wachovia is one of the nation's largest corporate contributors to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the largest gay-advocacy group in the nation. Ken Thompson and the bank's senior leaders have often meddled in local, state, and national politics, and not just as a part of the normal lobbying for the interests of the bank, but as major donors to liberal and Democratic candidates and causes. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: 'Gay marriage' laws become a money-spinner for California Times Online- UK, By Chris Ayres, June 7, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Queer Inc.: How Corporate America fell in love with gays and lesbians. It's a movement. CNN Money (Fortune magazine), By Marc Gunther- Fortune senior writer, November 30 2006
. . . Last June the gay rights movement quietly achieved a milestone: For the first time, more than half of Fortune 500 companies - 263, to be precise - offered health benefits for domestic partners, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Ten years ago only 28 did. Along with health benefits for their families, many workers also get bereavement leave when their same-sex partner dies, adoption assistance or paid leave if they have children and relocation assistance for their partners if they are transferred. Put another way, gay marriage - an idea that has been banned by all but one of 27 states that have voted on it - has become a fact of life inside many big companies. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Corporate America gets 'gay'-friendlier: Biggest names in U.S. business applauded for promoting alternative sexual lifestyles World Net Daily, Spetember 20, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: America’s pro-homosexual giants: 2006 World Net Daily, September 20, 2006
List of companies scoring perfect 100 percent from 'gay'-rights group. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Selling Homosexuality to America Regent University Law Review, By Paul E. Rondeau
This article explores how gay rights activists use rhetoric, psychology, social psychology, and the media--all the elements of modern marketing--to position homosexuality in order to frame what is discussed in the public arena and how it is discussed. . . . The economics and education of homosexuals makes them prime players in a capitalistic society. Money means power, and education means the knowledge to use that power to gain more. Homosexuals have demonstrated they have access to the leadership in media, government, education, business and other centers of influence as well as access to capital. These are hardly traits of an oppressed minority. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: How America Went Gay Leadership U, By Charles W. Socarides, M.D.
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- Gay Couples Find Marriage Is a Mixed Bag New York Times, By Pam Belluck, June 15, 2008
— Four years after Massachusetts became the first state to allow gay couples to marry, there have been blissful unions, painful divorces and everything in between. Some same-sex couples say being married has made a big difference, and some say it has made no difference at all. There are devoted couples who have decided marriage is not for them, couples whose lawyers or accountants advised them against marrying, and couples in which one partner wants to marry but the other does not. But as same-sex marriage begins in California, Massachusetts’s experience may offer hints of what is to come. For example, after an initial euphoric rush to the altar, the number of gay weddings here fell sharply and has declined each year since. Of the more than 10,500 same-sex couples married here since May 17, 2004, 6,121 wed in the first six months. There were 2,060 weddings in 2005; 1,442 in 2006; and 867 in the first eight months of 2007, the most recent data show. Gay men and lesbians say the early wave of weddings reflected “pent-up demand” from longstanding couples. The subsequent numbers indicate that “marriage isn’t for everybody,” said Mary L. Bonauto, a lawyer who argued the case that led to same-sex marriage being legalized here. And, Ms. Bonauto said, “there’s only so many gay people in Massachusetts.” The Census Bureau recorded 23,655 same-sex households in Massachusetts in 2006. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Marriage Between Young Gay Men: The Trend That Isn't New York Observer, By Choire Sicha, April 29, 2008
Sometimes statistics can give rise to a piece of journalism. New York Times magazine contributing writer Benoit Denizet-Lewis, a resident of Boston, found that 700 gay men age 29 or younger were wed in the state of Massachusetts between May 2004 and June 2007. What resulted is a 7000-word New York Times magazine cover story, published this weekend. This number sounds like a statistical anomaly! It certainly is. From 2004 and 2006, 8100 gay couples were married in Massachusetts. So Denizet-Lewis' 350 gay male couples that are 29 and younger make up fewer than 4.3% of gay marriages in Massachusetts—a percentage that shrinks if you then take into account the number of 2007 and 2008 gay marriages. Not only are his young gay men a very small percentage of gay marriages in Massachusetts, they are also a statistically insignificant to both the state's population and its marriages overall. There are nearly 6.5 million Massachusetts residents, according to the 2006 American Community Survey. About 20% of those residents (1.25 million) are between 20 and 34 years old. So those 700 married gay men 29 and younger are much fewer than .00056% of the population of people of that age. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: The 'Real' New Gay Marriage GayWired.com, By Ross von Metzke, May 7, 2008
What we aren’t, however, is Norman f*****g Rockwell… we’re not Ivy League, bucking for country club membership or any other idealistic relationship stereotype—which is probably what bothered me so much about a recent cover story in The New York Times Magazine, documenting what writer Benoit Denizet-Lewis dubs “the new gay marriage.” . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Young Gay Rites New York Times, By Benoit Denizet-Lewis, April 27, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Comparing the Lifestyles of Homosexual Couples to Married Couples Family Research Council, By Timothy J. Dailey, Ph. D. (Posted March 2008)
The “I’m boring.” down-home portrayals of homosexual couples are meant to provoke the question: Since gay couples really differ only in that both partners are of the same sex, what rational basis exists for denying them full marriage rights? Are homosexual households, as the article suggests, simply another variant of human relationships that should be considered, along with marriage, as “part of mainstream American society”? On the contrary, the evidence indicates that “committed” homosexual relationships are radically different from married couples in several key respects:· relationship duration
· monogamy vs. promiscuity
· relationship commitment
· number of children being raised
· health risks
· rates of intimate partner violence . . . .
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- Sara Evans Marries Her Football Hero People magazine, By Eileen Finan, June 15, 2008
Country star Sara Evans married former University of Alabama quarterback Jay Barker Saturday evening in an outdoor ceremony at a Franklin, Tenn., farm near Evans's home, PEOPLE reports exclusively. Evans's son Avery, 8, walked his mother down the aisle, preceded by her two daughters, Olivia, 5, and Audrey, 3. The couple's seven children (Barker has four from his previous marriage) sat on quilts during the ceremony and were the only attendants. They collectively gave their parents away. . . . Christian minister Joe Beam, who was responsible for introducing the couple last fall, performed the ceremony. . . . Evans met Barker, the host of a morning sports radio show in Birmingham, Ala., through Beam when each had turned to the minister for support after their respective divorces last year. "He was our own personal matchmaker," laughs Evans, who says that Beam made both of them promise – before they even met one another – that they would let him officiate at their wedding. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: FIRST LOOK: Sara Evans Wedding Photo People magazine, By Eileen Finan and Jessica Haralson, June 17, 2008
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RELATED ARTICLE: Ex Accuses Sara Evans of Being Really Restless E! Online, September 10, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Who’s doing the most to attack marriage? The Clinton Herald, By Scott T. Holland, November 29, 2006
It is clear that our growing fixation with celebrity culture and, as a byproduct, the marriages of these complete strangers whom we think we know only because we recognize their faces, is a factor in the way some normal people view marriage, and it seemingly has not changed that view for the better. . . . . Where’s the problem? Is it the celebrities? Is it the tabloid journalists? Or it is us, the consumers, who simply can’t get enough of the entire experience?. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Sara Evans Seeks Divorce, Quits ‘Dancing with the Stars' Extra TV, October 13, 2006
In a decision that stunned America, "Dancing with the Stars" fan favorite Sara Evans has quit the show, citing her sudden divorce as the reason. "Extra" blows the lid off the shocking divorce, which includes allegations of cheating, abuse and a problem with pornography. . . .
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- A Father's Day message: We need dads 365 days a year StarTribune.com, By Katherine Kersten, June 14, 2008
For fathers, it's "the best of times and the worst of times." So says the National Fatherhood Initiative of Gaithersburg, Md., echoing the opening lines of Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities." Today, many dads are more engaged than ever in their children's lives. They put bread on the table, as their grandfathers did, but they also diaper the baby, coach soccer and help with birthday parties. At the same time, father absence has hit record levels. About 25 million children -- roughly one in three -- are not living with their biological fathers, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Until recent decades, fatherhood was one of the most venerated social institutions in America. But today it's under assault. The reasons range from the sexual revolution and economic changes to the rise of the divorce culture. Sixties-era feminism also has played a role, with its view of men as expendable and of traditional sex roles as oppressive. If men and women are the same, who needs dad? Now a mountain of social science evidence is confirming what our parents and great-grandparents understood: Dad's presence is central to kids' well-being. Children with involved fathers have lower rates of juvenile delinquency, substance abuse and early sexual activity. . . . . . What's so special about dad? Kyle Pruett of Yale University explains in his 2000 book, "Fatherneed." . . . . . I've heard it summed up this way: When mothers see their young ones scrambling up a jungle gym, they tend to call out, "Be careful!" (I know I do.) Dad's challenge is likely to be different: "Can you make it to the top?" . . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: A Tribute to Fathers: When Daddy Let Me Drive Kzoovette.org
There are times in our lives that we can look back and reflect on. Moments that we remember with such clarity that you believe you can feel the sun or smell the flowers, just as you had then. Those memories are the thread, spun and woven into the fabric of our very existence; they are what made us who we are. There are some that are clearer and more important than others and when you think of defining moments, those are the ones that come to mind. For me, it was when my dad let me drive. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Father's Day Tribute Babyzone.com
As women, we sometimes give dads a rough time about what they do, and how much they pitch in. This Father's Day, let's pay tribute to how great dads really are. What makes your guy a great dad?
RELATED ARTICLE: ESSENCE's Special Tribute to Celebrity Fathers Essence.com, As told to Regina R. Robertson, June 2008
Father Knows Best: For these famous fathers—Steve Harvey, Wyclef Jean, Kevin Liles, James Pickens, Jr., and Blair Underwood—sharing strength, courage and wisdom with their children is all in a day's joy. . .
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- Obama family at new Chicago church for Fathers Day. First time out since quitting Trinity United Church of Christ Chicago Sun Times Blog, By Lynn Sweet, June 14, 2008
--The Obama family has a tradition of going to church on Fathers Day; that's what Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the presumptive Democratic nominee told Jimmy Kimmel when he taped an interview with the talk show host on Friday. But the Obama family quit Trinity United Church of Christ a week ago, in the wake of divisive comments by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Father Michael Pfleger. Where to go? This Sunday, the Obamas leave their Kenwood home on a landmark block on Chicago's South Side to attend church at the nearby Apostolic Church of God, 6320 Dorchester Ave. But Obama will have to work on Fathers Day. Obama will "speak about the responsibilities we have as fathers and parents to help our children achieve their dreams," his campaign said. . .
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- Why is the church full of single black women?
New movie tries to find the answer The Jamaica Gleaner, June 13, 2008
SOULMATE IS an award-winning documentary examining why the church is full of single, black, Christian women. The film is causing a storm in black Christian circles in North America and Europe. The Voice newspaper talks to writer, producer and director, Andrea Wiley, who has worked on classic United States comedies like The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and The Parkers. . . .
Voice: What key message were you trying to convey through Soulmate?
AW: I wanted to reveal who our true soulmate is. Our goal in life should be to get to know Him intimately. He is our one true soulmate. Any love we receive on top of His unconditional love is just icing on the cake!
Voice: What, in your view, were the most touching parts of your DVD?
AW: The most touching parts of the film for me were discovering that a black child had a better chance of growing up in a house with a married mother and father during slavery than today, that 70 per cent of black children are born to single mothers, and realising how many people live their entire lives without ever knowing their purpose. These tragic truths speak to the breakdown of the family, which is the foundation of society. . . .
Voice: What role should the church play in helping women deal with their singleness, longing for marriage and children?
AW: In 1 Corinthians 7:34, scripture says that the unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. I don't think that single women are taught that singleness is a gift. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: A Dubious Milestone New York Times, By Bob Herbert, June 21, 2008
. . . I’ve been thinking about Kendra ever since Barack Obama spoke on Father’s Day about the tragic flight of so many American fathers, especially black fathers, from their children’s lives. His comments came as the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston was compiling data that revealed a dubious milestone. In 2006, for the first time in U.S. history, a majority of all births to women under 30 — 50.4 percent — were out of wedlock. Nearly 80 percent of births among black women were out of wedlock. By comparison, when John F. Kennedy was elected president in 1960, just 6 percent of all births were to unmarried women under 30. Since then, the percentages have risen across the ethnic spectrum. One-third of white, non-Hispanic women under 30 who gave birth in 2006 were unmarried. For Hispanics, it was 51 percent. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Marriage Does Not Lower Blood Pressure -- Reading Matrimaniacal Media Accounts Raises It Huffington Post, By Bella Depaulo, March 24, 2008
. . . Obviously, it would be good for singles if there were less singlism (singles-bashing) and matrimania. What may be less obvious is that if reports were more accurate and less caricatured, that would also be good for anyone who is, or wants to be, coupled. When singles are stigmatized, there is a risk that some people will be tempted to couple and marry for the wrong reasons - to escape the cultural muck that comes with being single. When singles are no longer marginalized or demeaned, then people who want to couple can do so from a position of strength. Rather than running away from singlehood to escape the stigma, they can move toward marriage or coupling as something they want to embrace. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Tough, Sad and Smart: Cosby's Crusade Against Epidemic of Fatherlessness New York Times, By Bob Herbert, October 16, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Four decades later, scholars re-examine ‘Moynihan Report' Harvard University Gazette Online, By Ken Gewertz, October 4, 2007
Before he was a United States senator from New York, before he was ambassador to India, before he taught government at Harvard, Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1927-2003) served as assistant secretary of labor under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and it was in that capacity that he issued a report in March 1965 titled “The Negro Family: The Case for National Action.”. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: 'Marriage Is for White People' Washington Post, By Joy Jones, March 26, 2006
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- Norway Approves Gay Marriage On Top Magazine, June 13, 2008
Norway's Parliament in a 84 to 41 vote Wednesday approved a new gay marriage law. The law, which goes into effect at the end of the year, places the country in the company of only six others where gay marriage is legal – Spain, Canada, South Africa, Belgium and the Netherlands. The new law also allows gays to adopt children and permits lesbians to be artificially inseminated. I am extremely pleased that we managed to get this last stage passed. Now we have to tackle the prejudice which still exists in society,” Norwegian Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen said after the vote. Outside the Parliament, a handful of protesters objected to the new law. Homosexuality had been outlawed in the country of nearly five million as early as 1972. Norway adopted civil unions for gay & lesbian couples in 2003. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Norway Parliament Approves Gay Marriage 365Gay.com, June 11, 2008
(Oslo) The gallery at the Norwegian Parliament erupted in applause and cheers on Wednesday with the passage of legislation allowing same-sex couples to marry. The law also recognizes both partners in a marriage as equal parents and gives lesbian couples the same access to "medically assisted reproduction" as opposite-sex couples. Parliament voted overwhelmingly to approve the bill, despite opposition from the Christian Democrats and Progress Party. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Norwegian government proposes law allowing same-sex marriages, adoptions International Herald Tribune- AP, March 14, 2008
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- Creep of the Week: J. Matt Barber PrideSource.com, By D'Anne Witkowski, June 12, 2008
Ladies and Gentlemen: Ellen DeGeneres is turning American housewives gay. Personally, I just thought she had a talk show where she danced funny and occasionally bawled her eyes out over puppies. But then, I'm not an expert like Concerned Women for America's J. Matt Barber. Barber writes in a June 4 column on CWA's site that he doesn't dislike Ellen, "But she's playing with fire. Ellen compounds the sin of homosexuality by using the platform she's been given to lead others astray. She guides her many adoring housewife fans into rebellion against God's divine and explicit natural order by suggesting they celebrate sin and entertain, along with her, the 'gay marriage' delusion." Thankfully there are still shows like "Desperate Housewives" to help pull them back from the gay sin and nudge them toward more respectable behavior like having sex with their opposite sex neighbors and landscapers. But it's going to take more than that to save heterosexual America, especially since that damn ruling in California making it okay for gays to get hitched. . .
RELATED REFERENCE: Marc Cherry Wikipedia.org
Marc Cherry, the creator, writer, and producer of "Desperate Housewives," was described in a Newsweek article as a "somewhat conservative, gay Republican."
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RELATED ARTICLE: Taking the Plunge in a Pool with No Water CWFA.org, By Matt Barber, June 4, 2008
As one of those pop-cultural non-conformist types, please indulge me while I go ahead and toss that stifling, mind-numbing muzzle called political correctness. I’m going to dispense with the subtleties and point out what most are thinking but won’t say for fear of the inevitable “progressive” backlash (shhhh… they’re everywhere): So-called “same-sex marriage” is a counterfeit. It’s a fraud and not even a good one at that. If marriage is a Rembrandt, then the ridiculous and oxymoronic notion of “gay marriage” is a Rembrandt knock-off from the pages of Mad Magazine. It’s a silly novelty. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: The Runner-up for "Worst Person in the World" Speaks Out TownHall.com, By Sandy Rios, August 9, 2007
"Please do us all a favor... get raped and then killed. You rancid, filthy ___." That's a direct quote from an e-mail I received after appearing on "The O'Reilly Factor." I was on the show objecting to the San Diego Padres celebration of "Gay Pride" on the same day they invited hundreds of children for a floppy hat giveaway. "You are a shameful disgrace and hate monger," penned another in response to my statement that homosexuality is an unhealthy, life-shortening lifestyle that should not be promoted by the Padres to children. For such "hate" I was named runner up for the "Worst Person in the World" by MSNBC's Keith Olberman. This kind of vulgarity, exaggeration and the not-so-veiled threats are nothing new to those of us who dare speak the truth to a world turned upside down. Homosexual activists have propagated their deceptive message so effectively that their own community tragically believes they cannot change, they have no choice—and that people who oppose their "choice" hate them. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: When marriage became a 'hate crime' Jewish World Review, By George Will, June 25, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Opposition to Gay Marriage is Not Discrimination Human Events Online, By Rabbi Aryeh Spero, June 8, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: There's nothing Hateful About Protecting Marriage Human Events Online, By Michael Lewis, June 7, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: CANADA: Same-Sex “Marriage,” “Hate Crimes,” and the New Totalitarianism LifeSite Special Report, By Michael D. O’Brien, February 28, 2007
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- Massachusetts: With love and pride, Governor Deval Patrick’s daughter comes out publicly Bay Windows, By Laura Kiritsy — Editor-in-chief, June 12, 2008
On June 14, 2007, the day that lawmakers finally voted down an anti-gay marriage amendment to the state constitution, Katherine Patrick stood outside the State House and looked up at her father. Gov. Deval Patrick was standing on the front steps, surrounded by a jubilant crowd of hundreds that mobbed the brick sidewalk and spilled halfway across Beacon Street. As they cheered the defeat of the amendment - an effort led by the governor, Senate President Therese Murray and House Speaker Sal DiMasi - Katherine had never before felt more proud of her father. "Because, of course, he didn’t know that I was gay then," the 18-year-old recalls. . . . . . "As private of an issue as it is, we’ve sort of had to come to terms with the fact that we are a public family and there you give a part of yourself away," says Katherine. "And we also ... wanted people to know that it’s not only something that we accept, but it’s something that we’re very proud of. It’s a great aspect of our lives and there’s nothing about it that is shameful or that we would want to hide." Katherine recalls coming out to her parents as they prepared for a picnic by the pool at their home in the Berkshires. It was July 3, 2007 at around 2:30 p.m., she says. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Governor's daughter, 18, says she is a lesbian Boston Globe, By Matt Viser, Globe Staff, June 12, 2008
Governor Deval Patrick's 18-year-old daughter announced this morning that she is a lesbian, calling it a source of pride that she is ready to share with Massachusetts. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Opinion: Straight talk proves war is won in Mass. Boston Herald, By Margery Eagan, June 13, 2008
Katherine Patrick says she’s comfortable with her very public coming-out. Her father, the governor, has some misgivings. He told Bay Windows, the Boston weekly that covers the gay community and yesterday revealed that Katherine Patrick is a lesbian, that he wouldn’t be giving an interview to announce his daughter is straight. Surely that’s true. Still, there was something ho-hum about the news yesterday. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Easy Out: Ok, maybe not easy. But today's gay high schoolers are discovering that declaring their homosexuality- and doing it at younger and younger ages - brings little of the stigma and complications that earlier generations faced. The Boston Globe, By Alison Lobron, November 11, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Why Liberals Make Atrocious Parents TownHall.com, By Kevin McCullough, September 30, 2007
The leading liberals in America gave frightening clear evidence this week, that not only do they lack the wisdom to run the nation, but that by their own words they do not even understand the priorities of good parenting. The position of "parent" is God granted, yet they shirk with great disdain the desire to give their children the basic wisdom of life. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: What's a Parent to Do? When Christian parents learn of their child’s homosexuality, it is very tempting to react more strongly to this situation than to other difficult circumstances such as a heterosexual son or daughter engaging in premarital sex Family.org, by Melissa Fryrear and Michele Fergueson
RELATED ARTICLE: Myths and Facts About Homosexuality, Part 2 Family.org,
Is homosexuality just another way to love, or is there danger ahead?
RELATED ARICLE: Myths and Facts About Homosexuality, Part 3 Family.org
Is homosexuality just another way to love, or is there danger ahead?
RELATED ARTICLE: 'Homosexuality Cannot Be Changed' Is homosexuality really fixed and immutable as some argue? Family.org, By Joe Dallas
RELATED ARTICLE: 'How Could So Many People be Wrong?' Ten percent of the population is gay: fact or fiction? Family.org, By Joe Dallas
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What We Need
Contrary to popular teaching, love and respect aren't gender specific. Christianity Today, By Jonalyn Grace Fincher, Summer 2008I grew up believing, like most females bred on 20th-century evangelical Christianity, that women naturally love their husbands. It's preached from pulpits, written in bestselling books, and seems to be a convenient explanation for Ephesians 5:21-33, that mini-manifesto on marriage: "Women are commanded to respect, not love, because God made women to love, and loving comes naturally to them." Well, with a whopping six years of marriage under my belt, I've unearthed two rather inconvenient truths. The first is that, despite my womanhood, I am not a naturally loving person. I act with impatience, stonewalled silence, and selfishness just as quickly as a man. I wish I naturally unconditionally loved my husband, Dale, but I do not. . . . The second surprising truth upset me even more profoundly. I discovered I could respect my husband beautifully but fail to love him completely. According to Dr. Emerson Eggerichs's popular book, Love and Respect: The Love She Most Desires, The Respect He Desperately Needs, disrespect means to "hold in contempt." I had followed Eggerichs's formula to perfection. I avoided contempt of Dale, I honored him, I treated him as my hero. But until I studied him and his needs, I was deficient in love. Respect devoid of love is not the biblical goal. . .
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- Fairytale marriage could be at an end for Turks and Caicos premier Caribbean Net News, By By Tricia N. Henry, June 11, 2008
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands: Just two years into the fairytale marriage of Dr Michael Misick, Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), and American actress and businesswoman Lisa-Raye McCoy-Misick in April 2006, sources connected to the islands now say that the marriage of the First Couple of the TCI could be coming to an end. In April of this year, Misick was accused of sexually assaulting a US citizen on a visit to his and Lisa-Raye’s home in the TCI. It was reported that the female visitor in question was a friend of Lisa-Raye’s. Just days after the allegations were made, the TCI premier issued a televised statement that “strongly and categorically” denied the charges. . . . Although Misick denied the charges, reports from other media sources, including internet sites and Bahamian newspapers, stated that Misick admitted there was sexual contact but claims that it was consensual. Since then, speculation of an impending divorce has been fueled by the still-unknown outcome of the investigation into the allegation of rape. . . . . Lisa-Raye, who was voted by readers of Black Men Magazine as one of “The 10 Sexiest Women of the Year” in 2001, is a well-known American actress, most recently being cast in a lead role for the now-cancelled CW comedy All of Us. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: 'Can an affair really SAVE a marriage'? A controversial new book reveals infidelity doesn't have to end in disaster The Daily Mail, By Mira Kirshenbaum, June 10, 2008
Mira Kirshenbaum has worked in psychotherapy for 30 years and counselled hundreds of couples. In her controversial and provocative new book When Good People Have Affairs - with which many will disagree - she argues that while infidelity is wrong, affairs don't have to be disastrous: it's how we handle them that matters. And one of the worst things we can do is feel guilty. Mira argues her case...
RELATED ARTICLE: Should a Candidate's Private Indiscretions Matter as He Seeks the Public Trust? Absolutely BlackAmericaWeb.com, By Joseph C. Phillips, October 16, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Would Cheating Ruin Your Marriage? AOL Body, By Caroline Howard
Just last week, Shania Twain and her husband of 14 years, producer Robert "Mutt" Lange, were calling it quits. Now the circuits are buzzing with the news that another woman, the couple's secretary, may have come between them. The question on everyone's mind: Huh? How could he? It's déjà vu all over again: Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon. Marilyn Manson and Dita Von Teese, for Pete's sake. These affairs fly in the face of common wisdom regarding infidelity, who does it and why. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Questions to Ask Before Having An Affair AOL Body, By Vicki Salemi,
Thinking of having an affair? An affair has emotional and financial consequences that will impact both you and your loved ones. Here, 15 questions to ask yourself before you stray. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Cheating Myths and Facts AOL Body, By Vicki Salemi,
Not everyone cheats, but a lot of us do. According to a 2006 report on sexual behavior by the National Opinion Research Center, nearly a quarter of married men and 13% of married women have had an affair. But there's more to infidelity than you think. The truth may surprise you. . .
RELATED SURVEY: "Lust, Love & Loyalty Survey," AOL Body
RELATED ARTICLE: Why DO clever women fall for second-rate men? The Daily Mail-UK, By Helen Kirwan-Taylor, May 21, 2008
We all know the type: she's successful, bright and, oh yes, too often has a man who humiliates her. What on earth is the attraction?. . .
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- Parenting Issues: A Boy’s Simple Act of Love a Reminder of How Precious Childhood Is, How Fast Time Passes BlackAmericaWeb.com, By Joseph C. Phillips, June 10, 2008
I lay in bed floating on an antihistamine-induced high. I felt a presence at the side of my bed, so I opened my eyes and stared into the face of innocence. Barely able to see into the bed, my four-year-old son stood on his toes watching me.
“Daddy, are you okay?” he was concerned.
“Daddy is just a bit under the weather today.”
“Can I give you hug?”
Let me tell you, nothing satisfies like those little skinny arms around my neck. I felt better immediately. He ran downstairs to announce to his mother that he had given daddy a feel-better hug. Ah, childhood. . . . . .We recognize how precious those qualities are. As adults, we bust our humps to provide safety and security for our children and are outraged when anything or anyone acts to rob them of their innocence. Yet, often we become so focused on protecting them that we forget to enjoy them. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Sorry, but my children bore me to death! The Daily Mail, By Helen Kirwan-Taylor, July 26, 2006
It's the start of the summer holidays, when millions of mothers despair at how to entertain their children for the next six weeks. What none of them dare say is that they would rather their children were still at school or, frankly, anywhere else. Helen Kirwan-Taylor, a 42-year-old writer, lives in Notting Hill, West London, with her businessman husband Charles and their sons Constantin, 12, and Ivan, ten. Here, she argues provocatively that modern women must not be enslaved by their children. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Searching for Joy? It’s Got Two Ingredients – Purpose and Gratitude BlackAmericaWeb.com, By Joseph C. Phillips, Oct 31, 2005
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- Same-sex couples told to avoid lawsuits San Francisco Chronicle- SF Gate, By Bob Egelko, June 10, 2008
-- Gay and lesbian couples from around the country who flock to California to get married in the coming months should try to win support from friends and neighbors when they return home but refrain from filing lawsuits, which could backfire, nine advocacy groups said Tuesday. "One thing couples shouldn't do is just sue the federal government or, if they are from other states, go sue their home state or their employer to recognize their marriage or open up the health plan," the organizations said in a joint message to their members. Couples are likely to lose such lawsuits, creating precedents that will take a long time to overturn, and in the process may alienate people the movement needs to win over, the groups said. The message went out a week before the May 15 ruling by the California Supreme Court that struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage takes effect. Unlike Massachusetts, whose high court legalized gay and lesbian marriages in 2003, California takes couples who cannot marry legally in their home states, and thousands of visitors are expected for nuptials in the next few months. . . . . Most states have recently passed laws refusing to recognize same-sex marriages performed legally in another state or nation. A 1996 federal law denies federal marital benefits to members of same-sex couples, such as joint income tax filing and Social Security survivor payments, and tells states they can deny recognition to those marriages. Those laws have not yet been tested in state or federal appellate courts. In Tuesday's message, groups advocating same-sex marriage advised against early court challenges. "We need to lay the groundwork by changing the climate - convincing community leaders, moving public opinion - before we rush into court," the groups said. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Same-Sex Couples Face Another Growing Hurdle -- Divorce Wall Street Journal, By Nathan Koppel, June 10, 2008
Next week, same-sex couples across the country who want to marry will be welcomed in California. But what happens if they later want to divorce? That is one of the many legal issues that could confront California newlyweds who return to home states where same-sex marriages are prohibited. . . .
RELATED BLOG: After California, Gay Couples Still Face Legal Thicket; “Don’t Sue!” Wall Street Journal Blog, Posted by Dan Slater, June 10, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Memo To Advocates of "The Conservative Case for Same Sex Marriage" Townhall.com, By Jennifer Roback Morse, June 10, 2008
. . . Speaking of divorce, we could use your help in divorce reform. You may not realize it yet, but marriage is one of the least binding contracts in this society. Adultery is one of the most painful and disruptive experiences a person can go through. Yet, the law takes no notice of this egregious violation of the most basic condition of the marriage contract. Normally, the law requires the breaching party to provide compensation to the injured party. Only violators of the marriage contract get to walk away without any accountability. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Calif. Battle Over Gay Marriage Raises Novel Legal Questions. Court Legalized Unions, but Ballot Measure Would Ban Them Washington Post, By Ashley Surdin, June 8, 2008
-- Two things are certain in California's mounting legal showdown over same-sex marriage: Gay couples will wed this month, and, come November, voters will decide whether the state's constitution should exclude them from such unions. If the vote is yes, the only certainty will be confusion. . .
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- Gay bishop ties the knot in New Hampshire Pink News, By Staff Writer, June 9, 2008
The man at the eye of the storm battering the Anglican communion celebrated his same-sex relationship with a civil union ceremony and a church blessing on Saturday. Bishop Gene Robinson's election as Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003 made him the first openly gay man to take control of an Anglican diocese. His elevation caused huge ructions within the worldwide Anglican church over gay clergy and the blessing of gay relationships. This weekend, however, the controversy was forgotten as he and his partner Mark Andrew took advantage of new legal recognition for gay and lesbian couples in New Hampshire by entering into a civil union. The ceremony was held on the fifth anniversary of his election as Bishop. Both the civil union and a service of thanksgiving were held at St Paul's Church in Concord, the state capital of New Hampshire. Concerns about security meant that Mr Andrew and Bishop Robinson, who have been partners for two decades, did not publicly reveal the date of their intended nuptials. . . . "And frankly the reason I'm doing it at this time is that there is every reason to believe that my life will be in danger at the Lambeth conference. "There are lots of crazy people out there and you know more and more crazy people are turning to violence. "And so I'm not willing to put my life at risk without taking advantage of what protections I can put in place, in a civil union for my partner and family. I think that's what any wife or husband would do.". . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Gospel Music Responds to Same-Sex marriage The Real Proposal magazine, June 7, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Gay bishop threatens to upstage gays The Telegraph Blogs, By George Pitcher, May 24, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Gay rites; New Hampshire's Bishop Gene Robinson is about to enter into a civil union. In a new book the Anglican clergyman explains why he wanted to formalise his 20 year relationship Times Online- UK, By Gene Robinson, April 29, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Responding to Homosexuality & Gay Marriage: “Love the Sinner. Hate the Sin” The Real Proposal magazine, March 21, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Responding to Pro-Gay Theology Leadership U, By Joe Dallas
This three-part series will address the pro-gay theology by dividing its arguments--or tenets--into three categories: social justice arguments, general religious arguments, and scriptural arguments. . .
RELATED BLOG: Historical Christianity Can Not be Reconciled with Gay Christian(*a) Theology Scripture Refiner's Fire- Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth in Love, January 26, 2008
. . .We believe God can forgive any sin including gay-sex, and we believe gays should be accepted in the church body like any other sinners. However, we do not accept their brazen attempt to legitimize immoral conduct that the Bible never commanded us to accept. It is not required for a sinner to repent first before they attend church, and they are welcome to attend, but it is required that they must abstain from injuring the church body by trying to legitimize immorality. In our opinion the gay Christian Movement is a Trojan horse to launch the gay-political agenda into the church. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: The Dangers of Same-sex "Marriage" BreakPoint.org- By Regis Nicoll, May 26, 2006
. . .Before we examine the societal effects of gay “marriage,” we need to set the record straight about the moral teachings of Jesus. While it’s true that Jesus said nothing explicitly about homosexuality, it’s also true he never mentioned the evils of bestiality, incest, pedophilia, rape, slavery, wife-beating, or substance abuse, to name a few. In fact, the New Testament records very few things that Jesus specifically condemned. It would be reckless, therefore, to assume that anything not specifically prohibited is permitted. What the scriptures do record, however, is Jesus’s shift from old-covenant particulars to core moral principles. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: 7 Va. Episcopal Parishes Vote to Sever Ties; Same-Sex Unions, Choice of Gay Bishop Spark Conservatives' Break From Church Washington Post, By Bill Turque and Michelle Boorstein, December 18, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Analysis: Anglican schism nears reality BBC News, By Alex Kirby, February 25, 2005
RELATED ARTICLE: Defender of the Faith: Why all Anglican eyes in London are nervously fixed on a powerful African archbishop Atlantic Online, By Philip Jenkins, November 2003 Issue
RELATED ARTICLE: Head to head: Gay church debate BBC News, Oct 15, 2003
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- Coming in 2013: Brokeback Mountain the Opera People magazine, By Arnesa A. Howell, June 09, 2008
Sing it from the hilltops: the love story of Brokeback Mountain is being revived – as an opera. The New York City Opera has commissioned American composer Charles Wuorinen to set to music the Oscar-winning film starring Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger. Based on the short story by Annie Proulx, the opera, like the feature film, will follow the 20-year love affair of two men who fall in love in 1963 Wyoming. Wuorinen has already agreed to compose the opera, set to premier during the City Opera's 2013 spring season. "Ever since encountering Annie Proulx's extraordinary story I have wanted to make an opera on it, and it gives me great joy that Gerard Mortier and New York City Opera have given me the opportunity to do so," Wuorinen said in a statement, according to Reuters. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: How America Went Gay Leadership U, by Charles W. Socarides, M.D.
RELATED ARTICLE: Selling Homosexuality to America From Regent University Law Review, By Paul E. Rondeau
This article explores how gay rights activists use rhetoric, psychology, social psychology, and the media—all the elements of modern marketing—to position homosexuality in order to frame what is discussed in the public arena and how it is discussed. . . . The economics and education of homosexuals makes them prime players in a capitalistic society. Money means power, and education means the knowledge to use that power to gain more. Homosexuals have demonstrated they have access to the leadership in media, government, education, business and other centers of influence as well as access to capital. These are hardly traits of an oppressed minority. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: The "Gay Gene" Controlling The Media The Real Proposal magazine, April 1, 2008
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- Gay pride parade draws thousands in West Hollywood
The recent California Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage lends added significance to the event. Los Angeles Times, By Jack Leonard, June 9, 2008
As many as 175,000 revelers, from the spectacularly garbed to the sedate, converged on West Hollywood on Sunday for the city's annual gay pride parade, a celebration given added meaning since the state Supreme Court struck down a ban on same-sex marriage last month. Seth Hutton and his fiance, Alvin Black, reflected on the landmark decision as high school students waved flags and loudspeakers from a nearby float boomed out Three Dog Night's "Joy to the World." "It's really overwhelming," said Black, 20. "It's fun to come here and see the high energy." The couple said they had flown from Portland, Ore., to attend the parade for the first time, drawn by the historic events that paved the way for same-sex marriage ceremonies to begin in California on June 17. "For us, it's like peering into the future -- coming down here and seeing what the rest of the country is going to look like," said Hutton, 31. . . . . Among those honored were Robin Tyler and the Rev. Troy Perry, two plaintiffs in the lawsuit that led to last month's Supreme Court ruling. Rodney Scott, president of the Christopher Street West Assn., which organized the event, said the decision to honor them had been made before the ruling. . . . At one point on the route, which ran from Crescent Heights to Robertson boulevards, fewer than a dozen protesters stood with bullhorns and signs that read "God Abhors You" and "Smile: Satan Loves You." But their presence did little to dampen spirits at the event, as some parade-goers snapped photos of them or walked past laughing. . .
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RELATED PHOTOS: Gay pride parade Los Angeles Times
Thousands gathered in West Hollywood over the weekend for L.A. Pride 2008, which celebrates the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities. This year's event was given added meaning after the state Supreme Court struck down a ban on same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage ceremonies are slated to begin June 17.
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Calif. clerk stopping marriages to resist ruling AP, By Amanda Fehd, June 7, 2008
— As same-sex couples prepare to wed in California later this month, one county clerk in the conservative Central Valley plans to sidestep the state's legalization of gay marriage by not performing any ceremonies. Ann Barnett plans to stop performing ceremonies for all couples in Kern County as of June 14. She will issue the new gender-neutral marriage licenses as required by law on June 17, but refuses to preside over any ceremony because of space and staff constraints, she said in a statement. Barnett's announcement came after she received advice from county lawyers that she could not refuse to marry only couples of her choosing. Barnett, who also got advice from the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative Christian law firm, did not return multiple requests for comment on Friday from The Associated Press. Another Central Valley clerk, Merced County's Stephen Jones, said Friday he would end all ceremonies too, but he later retracted his statement after coming under pressure from county officials. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: San Diego County clerk reassigns workers who object to gay marriage Los Angeles Times, By Tom Perry, June 20, 2008
The official says those who express religious concerns are given duties that don't involve issuing licenses or officiating at ceremonies. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: As Gay Marriage Spreads, Clerks Take Sides EDGE Boston, By Scott Stiffler, June 19, 2008
In California, and in Europe, civil employees are using a Kafkaesque form of civil disobedience. Exploring the possibility of opting out of facilitating ceremonies for gays and lesbian couples, some of them are end-running the issue all together by eliminating all marriage ceremonies for straight or gay couples. . . . Does that mean that Logan would simply re-assign a clerk who refused to perform same-sex marriages? And if he did, wouldn’t that be allowing a public employee to flout the law? To give the example that comes most readily to mind, what if that clerk objected to a mixed-race marriage? Or a Christian marrying a Muslim?. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: ‘I Do’? Oh, No. Not Here You Don’t. New York Times, By Jesse McKinley, June 13, 2008
— Thousands of gay and lesbian couples across California are expected to marry next week, when a State Supreme Court decision granting that right becomes official. But here in the seat of Kern County, same-sex marriages will not take place in the county clerk’s office. Nor will any others. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: California Supremes Order Homosexual ‘Marriage’ — Will Citizens Submit? Townhall.com, By Janet M. LaRue, May 16, 2008
I was a Californian for 40 years, so I have to ask my former fellow citizens: Are you going to sit by and do nothing while four black-robed despots take away your right to govern yourselves?. . . . California is now the second state after Massachusetts where homosexuals will be allowed to “marry.” But unlike Massachusetts, California has no law that prohibits homosexual couples living in states that don’t recognize same-sex “marriage” from marrying in the Golden State. The California Supreme Court has opened the door to a legal battle royal across the nation. . . .
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- Cuba to offer free sex changes
Cuba's new president Raul Castro has decided to offer citizens free sex changes The Telegraph, By Angus McDowall, June 7, 2008
The development is the latest in a series of eye-catching reforms in state policies since Mr Castro succeeded his brother Fidel in February. Health officials in Havana said the country's health minister, Jose Ramon Balaguer, has already signed the resolution allowing the operations. Under the new regulations, the procedure will be offered by the country's universal health service, widely regarded as one the communist states few successful ventures. So far, 28 Cubans have requested the operation and Cuban surgeons have received training from Belgian doctors in how to carry it out. Cuban doctors first carried out a sex change operation in 1988, but a public outcry from scandalised citizens persuaded the government not to offer them as a routine service. The new policy was spearheaded by Mariela Castro Espin, 46, the president's daughter, who heads the National Centre for Sex Education. She has already worked to improve gay rights in the country and has pushed for Cuba to recognise same-sex unions and inheritance rights. If those changes are approved, Cuba will have the most liberal sexuality laws in South America. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: A “Gay Man” Trapped in a Woman’s Body and Other Nonsense Townhall.com, By Matt Barber, December 26, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Surgical Sex First Things.com, By Paul McHugh, November 2004
Mental health professionals like Paul McHugh at Johns Hopkins University believe that all the social, medical and psychiatric resources employed in turning men into women are “a misdirection of psychiatry.” and partly at the his urging, Johns Hopkins no longer performs sex reassignment surgery. He became convinced that to provide a surgical alteration to the body of these unfortunate people was to collaborate with a mental disorder rather than to treat it. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Psychiatric Misadventures By Paul R. McHugh— Henry Phipps Professor and Director of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
RELATED ARTICLE: Paul McHugh on transsexualism Transsexual Road Map
RELATED ARTICLE: Liberals Reveal 'Hidden Politics': The hidden politics of mental health associations are revealed in what some call "the most important book of the decade." Family.org, By Aaron Atwood
In 1973, another major mental health group, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of clinical disorders. Robert L. Spitzer of Columbia University, then a member of the Nomenclature Committee, argued for homosexuality's removal from the "Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)." In "Destructive Trends in Mental Health: The well-intentioned path to harm," William T. O'Donohue and Christine E. Caselles explain that there is more to this removal than meets the eye. . .
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- Parenting Issues: Nightmare on Prom Street Townhall.com, By Brent Bozell III , June 07, 2008
Should the high school prom be renamed the high school porno? They call it "grinding" or "freak dancing" when students grind their pelvises into each other to the beat of sexually explicit music, sometimes in chains of three or four or more. This kind of dancing is so commonplace with high-school students that some parents and cultural writers are suggesting all attempts at school dancing decorum should be abandoned. . . . The freak-dancing wars are a symptom of a larger disease. In too many schools, parents and principals and chaperones are letting the inmates run the asylum. What should be a strict, clean, carefully observed behavior code is being challenged and ultimately rejected by students -- spoiled punks -- emboldened enough to defy and intimidate the adults who would enforce those codes. What's left is a tacky event where teenagers dress in expensive tuxedos and gowns and dance like they weren't wearing any clothes at all. . . . And you parents out there who condone this activity: You disgust me. If I were chaperoning one of these dances and a boy attempted to perform this kind of lewd activity on my teenage daughter, I'd have a solution. I wouldn't ask him please not to simulate anal sex on her. I wouldn't refer him to the contract he signed at school. I'd beat the stuffing out of him. . . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Shocked at the Sight of Kids’ Provocative Dancing? If You Did ‘The Freak,’ You Shouldn’t Be BlackAmericaWeb.com, By Gregory Kane, May 29, 2008
Google “rape dance.” After you do, you’ll get results that might read like this: “School ‘Rape Dance’ Video Posted on You Tube Shocks Parents.” Or “Rape Dance Vid Shocks Community.” Or “Rape Dance Controversy in Memphis, TN.” In early May, two videos were posted on YouTube. Some very young -- and apparently very horny -- students at Mitchell High School in Memphis held a dance in their gymnasium where the boogying took a turn that was darn near pornographic. . . . . But if parents are looking for culprits in this one, they need look no farther than the closest mirror. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Beyonce's New Brand of Pedophilia Chic Townhall.com, By Michelle Malkin, May 14, 2008
If you thought the soft-porn image of Disney teen queen Miley Cyrus -- wearing nothing but ruby-stained lips and a bedsheet -- in Vanity Fair magazine was disturbing, you ain't seen seen nothing yet. Pop diva Beyonce Knowles, 27, and her fashion designer mother have launched a girls clothing line that makes Miley's bare-backed glam session look like a Shirley Temple photo shoot. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: The Media, Aided by Sisters in Hip-Hop Videos, is Creating Hottentot Venuses for a New Generation BlackAmericaWeb.com, By: Tonyaa Weathersbee, March 05, 2008
The Hottentot Venus had a name -- Saartje Baartman. She was a descendant of the Khoi Khoi tribe in South Africa who found work in the home of a Boer farmer whose brother, Peter Cezar, took a fascination to her protruding buttocks and exotic skin. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Want a Shocking Dose of Reality? Try Listening to the Songs on Your Child’s MP3 Player BlackAmericaWeb.com, By: Joseph C. Phillips, December 11, 2007
It is often jarring when the cleanliness of theory meets the messiness of reality. Such was the source of the recent smack in the face I received when I purchased one of my sons a MP3 player for his birthday. . .
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- AIDS: Getting the message; Good news on treatment. Bad news on propaganda The Economist, June 5, 2008
. . . Writing earlier this year in the British Medical Journal, Roger England of Health Systems Workshop, a health-policy charity, suggested that spending on AIDS is diverting resources from more cost-effective health interventions, and called for the abolition of UNAIDS. Dr England and those who think like him argue that because of the single-issue activism that AIDS inspires, it receives a quarter of global health aid even though it causes only 5% of the burden of disease in poor and middle-income countries. They also claim that earmarking money in this way makes it harder to strengthen the health systems of those countries. Dr England summed up his criticism thus: “The global HIV industry is too big and out of control. We have created a monster with too many vested interests and reputations at stake.”. . . . . Every war has its propagandists and the money was for a decent cause. So a little forgiveness may be in order. But the second charge, concerning prevention, is harder to excuse. It has been known for years that HIV is hard to pass on during normal heterosexual intercourse. Only one copulation in 500-1,000 with an infected individual will do so. The risk comes with certain behaviour (anal intercourse, which risks tearing the lining of the gut; and injecting drugs using dirty needles), certain professions (prostitutes of both sexes) and certain ways of life (multiple, simultaneous lovers, rather than serial polygamy). Aiming propaganda at heterosexual teenagers is (outside the special case of Africa) a waste of money. It is, however, often an easier course than tackling drugs, whores and buggery, which many politicians would prefer to pretend have no place in their countries. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: The writing is on the wall for UNAIDS British Medical Journal, By Roger England- chairman, Health Systems Workshop, Grenada, May 10, 2008
The creation of UNAIDS, the joint United Nations programme on HIV and AIDS, was justified by the proposition that HIV is exceptional. The foundations of exceptionalism were laid when the "rights" arguments of gay men succeeded in making HIV a special case that demanded confidentiality and informed consent and discouraged routine testing and tracing of contacts, contrary to proved experience in public health. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Head to head: Are we spending too much on HIV? British Medical Journal, By Roger England, February 17, 2007
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RELATED ARTICLE: Why AIDS is mostly a "Gay" thing after all... Townhall.com, Posted by Kevin McCullough, June 27, 2008
Disturbingly the story casually admits that the group most at risk are boys 13-24. And to be specific - these are males who are having sex with other males... African American males - MOST at risk in the under 25 category... So who is going around raping these 13 year old black boys, and where are the voices condemning these actions from the so-called "leaders" of today's radical sexual activists?
RELATED ARTICLE: HIV resurges in men who have sex with men: Cases climb 12 percent among group of U.S. boys and men ages 13 to 24 MSNBC.com- Reuters, June 26, 2008
A new analysis of HIV diagnoses among men who have sex with men points to a troubling increase in new cases among young men, U.S. health officials reported Thursday. Public health experts use the term "men who have sex with men," or MSM, because many of these men are not strictly homosexual or even bisexual. Between 2001 and 2006, male-to-male sex was the largest HIV transmission category in the U.S., and the only one associated with an increasing number of HIV/AIDS diagnoses, according to a report from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The jump was highest — an increase of 12.4 percent — among boys and men between the ages of 13 and 24 years who had sex with other males, particularly among ethnic minorities. . . . Of 214,379 diagnoses during the study period, 46 percent were among MSM. The rate of new diagnoses declined in all other transmission categories — injection drug use, high-risk heterosexual contact, and other routes of transmission. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Global AIDS rates up for drug users, gay me — Report: Marginalized groups are refused care in some developing nations MSNBC.com- Reuters, June 25, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: CDC misses mark with HIV prevention programs: critics; Only four of 49 interventions target gay, bisexual men Washington Blade, By Ryan Lee, June 06, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: MRSA Outbreak Among 'Gays'- Let the Whitewash Begin Townhall.com, By Matt Barber, January 24, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Health Issues: New Bacteria Strain Is Striking Gay Men New York Times, By Lawrence K. Altman, January 15, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant, Community-Associated, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Clone USA300 in Men Who Have Sex with Men Annals of Internal Medicine, February 19, 2008- Volume 148 Issue 4
RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Men Plagued by Health Issues Scripture Refiner's Fire Blog, September 3, 2007
RELATED ARTICLES & INFO: HIV/AIDS and Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) Centers For Disease Control and Prevention
RELATED ARTICLE: The Negative Health Effects of Homosexuality Virtue Online— Family Research Council- Issue No.: 232, By Timothy J. Dailey, Ph. D.
Homosexual activists attempt to portray their lifestyle as normal and healthy, and insist that homosexual relationships are the equivalent in every way to their heterosexual counterparts. Hollywood and the media relentlessly propagate the image of the fit, healthy, and well-adjusted homosexual. The reality is quite opposite to this caricature which was recently conceded by the homosexual newspaper New York Blade News: Reports at a national conference about sexually transmitted diseases indicate that gay men are in the highest risk group for several of the most serious diseases. . . . Scientists believe that the increased number of sexually tranmitted diseases (STD) cases is the result of an increase in risky sexual practices by a growing number of gay men who believe HIV is no longer a life-threatening illness. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Till Death Do Them Part: The Deadly Consequences Of Homosexual Unions Catholic Citizens.org, By Dr. Brian Kopp, December 5, 2003
According to Dr. Kopp, "The best scientific evidence suggests that putting society's stamp of approval on homosexual partnerships would harm society in general and homosexuals in particular, the very individuals some contend would be helped. A large body of scientific evidence suggests that homosexual marriage is a defective counterfeit of traditional marriage and that it poses a clear and present danger to the health of the community. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: The Health Risks of Gay Sex Catholic Education Resource Center, By John R. Diggs, Jr. M.D.
RELATED ARTICLE: Homosexuals and Same Sex Marriage WPAAG.org
Subjects Addressed in This Document:
Homosexual Promiscuity
Promiscuity Quotes by Homosexuals
Homosexual Health Problems
AIDS Health Costs to Taxpayers
Homosexuality and Children
Same Sex Marriage and Religious Speech Freedom
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- Lesbians Kissing at Ballpark Cause Stir AOL News- AP, June 5, 2008
- Most of the time, a kiss is just a kiss in the stands at Seattle Mariners games. The crowd hardly even pays attention when fans smooch. But then last week, a lesbian complained that an usher at Safeco Field asked her to stop kissing her date because it was making another fan uncomfortable. The incident has exploded on local TV, on talk radio and in the blogosphere and has touched off a debate over public displays of affection in generally gay-friendly Seattle. "Certain individuals have not yet caught up. Those people see a gay or lesbian couple and they stare or say something," said Josh Friedes of Equal Rights Washington. "This is one of the challenges of being gay. Everyday things can become sources of trauma." As the Mariners played the Boston Red Sox on May 26, Sirbrina Guerrero and her date were approached in the third inning by an usher who told them their kissing was inappropriate, Guerrero said. The usher, Guerrero said, told them he had received a complaint from a woman nearby who said that there were kids in the crowd of nearly 36,000 and that parents would have to explain why two women were kissing. . . . The code of conduct - announced before each game - specifically mentions public displays of affection that are "not appropriate in a public, family setting." Hale said those standards are based on what a "reasonable person" would find inappropriate. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Kissed Off: Lesbian Couple Almost Ejected from Mariners Game for Kissing Calls Charges Ludicrous The Stranger, By Dan Savage, May 30, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE & VIDEO: Lesbian Kiss Too Much for Seattle Fans: Same-Sex Couple Sues After Faced With Ultimatum at Mariners Baseball Game ABC News, By Jon Wienedr, May 30, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: That Inevitable ‘Birds and the Bees' Talk a Big Reminder Just How Fast Our Kids Grow Up BlackAmericaWeb.com, By Joseph C. Phillips, May 26, 2008
The reality of how brief childhood is recently hit me with the force of a hammer. My wife and I received a permission slip for our fifth-grader son to attend his elementary school’s sex education program. The curriculum consisted of a film, followed by discussion with a nurse and a faculty member -- male for the boys, female for the girls. Prior to receiving our permission, the school invited parents to view the film and thumb through the material. I took them up on their offer. This is California, after all. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Is Main Street USA Ready for Gay PDA? An ABC News Social Experiments Gauges Bystander Reactions to Two Affectionate Gay Couples ABC News-- 20/20, By Elizabeth S. Joseph, April 25, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Why I wish we'd kiss goodbye to this plague of PDAs (Public Displays of Affection, that is) The Daily Mail- Uk, By Carol Sander, April 23, 2008
Public displays of affection, which in my schooldays we sniggeringly shortened to "PDAs", have changed from what was then a spot of hand-holding bravado to increasingly flamboyant, grotesque displays of sexual activity that nobody should have to put up with, but which most of us - except, it seems, especially plucky publicans - do. It's not all late-night smooching on a darkened dance-floor or the traditional back row of a cinema, either - for some couples, any hour and any excuse is fine by them. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: The "Gay Gene" Controlling The Media The Real Proposal magazine, April 1, 2008
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- Calif. Gay Marriage Ruling Goes Forward
State Supreme Court Refuses To Stay Ruling Until After Nov. Election, Clears Way For Marriages CBS News-AP, June 4, 2008
California's highest court has refused to delay finalizing its ruling to legalize same-sex marriage, clearing the way for gays and lesbians in the most populous U.S. state to marry in less than two weeks. Conservative religious and legal groups had asked the California Supreme Court to stop its order from becoming effective until voters have the chance to weigh in on the issue. An initiative that would amend the state constitution to limit marriage to between a man and a woman has qualified for the Nov. 4 ballot. Its passage would overrule the court's decision. The amendment's sponsors argued for delay, saying that chaos would ensue if couples could get married during the next few months, only to have the practice halted at the ballot box. . .
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- California Sees No Rush Of Gay-Wedding Bookings Wall Street Journal, By Mylene Mangalindan, June 4, 2008
-- As California prepares to lift its ban on same-sex marriages, hotel proprietors like Cosette Trautman-Scheiber are wondering where all the matrimony-minded gay couples are. California's Supreme Court ruled May 15 that the state's ban on gay marriage violated its constitution, paving the way for such marriages to begin June 17. Yet Ms. Trautman-Scheiber, who owns the Hope Merrill House bed and breakfast in the Sonoma wine country, is puzzled that she hasn't received any inquiries about her new elopement and honeymoon packages targeted at gay couples. Other hotel chains, small inns and wedding venues also report a surprisingly small number of gay-wedding reservations. San Francisco, which many expect to be ground zero for gay marriages, hasn't seen a deluge of hotel or travel bookings, says a spokeswoman for the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau. One reason: Some gay couples appear to be proceeding cautiously because they are worried about challenges to the high-court ruling, says David Paisley, a consultant to the hotel and travel industry on gay and lesbian market research. "If the window [for gay marriage] opens, hopefully it opens forever," says Mr. Paisley. "So there's no urgency right now." A big concern is a voter referendum slated for the November ballot: The state said Monday that opposition groups had collected enough signatures to qualify an initiative that calls for the amendment of California's constitution to define marriage as a union "between a man and a woman.". . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Same-sex marriage FAQ The Mercury News, June 5, 2008
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- Britain's first ever 'divorce fair' to cater for soaring numbers of couples splitting up The Daily Mail- UK, June 4, 2008
An event dubbed the UK's first divorce fair is to be staged to help parting couples break-up as painlessly as possible, its organiser said today. Solicitors, financial experts, mortgage advisers and health professionals will exhibit at the one-day event at Brighton Racecourse in Brighton, East Sussex, on October 11. The fair, called the Starting Over Show, has attracted 20 potential exhibitors with the aim of gaining 90 and follows on from other divorce fairs held in Europe. It is being promoted as an event to enable people bounce back from relationship break-ups, including civil partnership splits, and help them build the skills to face the future. But while legal advice will be offered, organisers insist there will be no exhibitors promoting DNA paternity testing or private detective work. Event producer Suzy Miller said the fair may help people struggling with the credit crunch, who may to be too frightened to split because of financial fears. Ms Miller, 44, said: 'I heard about a couple of fairs being held in Europe and wondered how something similar would go down in the UK, with the emphasis on three main things. 'That is to provide a great collaboration of lawyers, especially when children are involved, to provide good financial advice to take the fear out of the process and, importantly, to have motivational help to make it feel less doom-laden. 'From the people I have spoken to, they have said, "God I wish something like this was around when I broke up.". . . .
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- Mama's Boy
Bridget Moynahan, Tom Brady's ex, on being in love with a younger man — her son, Jack Harper's Bazaar, By Marshall Heyman, June 2008
The first thing Bridget Moynahan did when she returned home from the hospital last August with her newborn son, John, was cry. Uncontrollably. “Everyone says, ‘You give birth, you go home, and you have this amazing baby and it’s just beautiful,’” says the 37-year-old Massachusetts-raised model turned actress. “And I walked in and I just started sobbing.” It wasn’t postpartum depression, which fortunately Moynahan never suffered from. It was more of an overwhelming (potentially hormonal) anxiety about raising a child. “All of a sudden, you have this newborn you have no training for. It’s frightening.” . . . . Moynahan never imagined that she’d wind up a yummy mummy without a hubby. “I’m not sure anyone — and I could be wrong in this — grows up thinking, I want to be a single mom,” she says. She had dated Brady for three years, but in February 2007 she found herself in a complicated situation. She was three months pregnant with his child but no longer in a relationship with him. Though she says, “There’s no reason why my son years down the line would need to read anything [personal] about his mother or his father,” it’s common knowledge that Brady has since moved on with Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen, 27. Meanwhile, Moynahan is raising her son alone (though Brady does spend time with Jack).. . .Informing her parents of her plans was a challenge. “When you’re suddenly pregnant and no one is standing by your side, even if you’re in your 30s, it’s a hard conversation,” she continues. “I’m a traditional girl, and I believe in marriage, and I just always thought that’s the way I’d be doing this. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Turning Fool’s Gold Into the Real Thing Townhall.com, By Robert Knight, February 12, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Should Getting Married Be the Price a Man’s Willing to Pay for a Woman’s Passion? Absolutely BlackAmericaWeb.com, By Joseph C. Phillips, December 04, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Four Myths About Living Together Without Marriage Human Events -By Janice Shaw Crouse, Mar 1, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Why falling marriage rates are bad for the culture ScrippsNews, By Betsy Hart, October 26, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: The Marrying Kind: Which Men Marry and Why The National Marriage Project- The State of Our Unions 2004, By Barbara Dafoe Whitehead and David Popenoe
RELATED ARTICLE: The Perils of Playing House Psychology Today, By Nancy Wartik
Living together before marriage seems like a smart way to road test the relationship. But cohabitation may lead you to wed for all the wrong reasons -- or turn into a one-way trip to splitsville.
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- 'Wouldn't you love to be in that bed' ... Carla Bruni's taunt to Sarkozy's woman minister The Daily Mail- UK, June 4, 2008
French First Lady Carla Bruni taunted the country’s most senior woman politician about her failure to seduce the President, an explosive new book reveals. The former supermodel pointed at a double bed in the Elysee Palace before turning to Justice Minister Rachida Dati, who is single, and snarling: 'You'd have loved to occupy it, wouldn't you?' The jibe by Bruni, 40, who is also a pop star, is contained in 'Carla and Nicholas - The True Story', which recounts every detail of her 80-day romance with Nicholas Sarkozy before they married in February. Twice divorced Mr Sarkozy, 53, was known to have been playing the field continuously before meeting Carla at a Paris dinner party last November. It was frequently rumoured that he was having a relationship with Miss Dati, an exotic beauty from an impoverished North African background, according to the book. It also suggests Carla, whose long list of past lovers include Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton, was well known as a 'maneater' in the French capital, and that she did everything possible to seduce Mr Sarkozy. Carla and Miss Dati, a rising star in the government who is tipped to become France’s first woman president, have since fallen out and no longer speak. What makes the book by respected journalists Yves Azéroual and Valérie Benaïm so remarkable is that it has been sanctioned by Carla, who is quoted throughout. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Think THIS image of Carla is racy? You should see the ones I didn't publish, says photographer The Daily Mail— UK, March 27, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: The REAL story of how Sarkozy seduced Carla Bruni The Daily Mail- UK, February 15, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: 'My whirlwind romance with President Sarkozy' - by France's new First Lady The Daily Mail- UK, February 13, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni - a hasty marriage is not necessarily a bad thing The Telegraph- UK, By Annabel Heseltine, February 5, 2008
Just like the Sarkozys, Annabel Heseltine had a whirlwind wedding... and has never looked back.
RELATED ARTICLE: A Very French Affair: While their president happily flaunts his love life, discretion remains the watchword in France when it comes to ‘the other woman’ The Sunday Herald, By Julie Davidson, January 27, 2008
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- Wife No Virgin; Marriage Annulled Time magazine By Bruce Crumley/ Paris, June 03, 2008
When French Justice Minister Rachida Dati on Monday ordered an appeal to a court decision annulling a Muslim couple's marriage on the grounds that the wife had lied about being a virgin before the wedding, the acclaim was almost universal. The ruling's logic — essentially creating the legal concept of chastity fraud — was widely seen as an attack on women's rights that undermined decades of progress on sexual attitudes. The lower court's ruling seemed as well to have put Muslim religious concerns above France's strictly secular laws. But for the woman whose public repudiation sparked the controversy, Dati's decision means something else: the prolongation of a humiliating process to get her out of an unwanted marriage. . . . . Until the state's challenge is heard, however, the woman — identified only as a 25-year-old nursing student from northern France — is condemned to play the role of symbol for the many forces that have seized her case as a major cause. The storm broke out last Thursday, when France's national media picked up on the unpublicized April 1 verdict annulling the couple's 10-month marriage on the husband's complaint that his wife's prenuptial assurances of virginity were false. The judge had reasoned that the wife's claimed virginity constituted "an essential quality decisive for the consent of her husband to wed." That, protestors argued, reduced the woman — and by extension all women — to the status of goods whose acquisition could be renounced by husbands claiming to have discovered hidden impurities or defects in them. . .
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- Swedish woman celebrates rock solid marriage
Eija-Riita claims she's married to the Berlin Wall The London Free Press, June 2, 2008
It just had to be an outdoor wedding. That chilly day in 1979, the bride wore white. And the groom, as expected by all those who attended, was entirely stoned during the entire nuptials. Across the great history and expanse of human attraction, some romances seem odder than others. Sonny and Cher. That time Julia Roberts hooked up with Lyle Lovett. Jack Black and anyone at all. But few can compare with the sheer off-balanced weight of Eija-Riitta's marriage vows and the decades old relationship that's been built up and torn down between her and her chosen 'husband'. The 54-year-old eccentric woman from Liden, in northern Sweden, claims — and is well known in her community — for having a long-distance relationship with the Berlin Wall. Her unusual attraction to objects — dubbed 'objectum-sexuality' — goes back to when she was seven and first saw the symbol of Communist oppression on television. Eija-Riita believes inanimate objects have souls and life-forces, which are beyond most people's perception. . . . . . She truly considers her relationship with the Berlin Wall to be no less a marriage than what Julia and Lyle did — only Eija-Riitta's says her union has lasted longer. . . . |
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- The Gay Activists Are Headed For The Churches Townhall.com, By Harry R. Jackson, Jr., June 2, 2008
The next two Sundays, a coalition of radical gay groups comprised of SoulForce, The National Black Justice Coalition, and Equality Riders have coerced two of the nation’s most influential leaders into a closed-door showdown. Two of these groups (Soulforce and Equality Riders) are known for civil disobedience - even getting arrested in the name of GLBT justice. . . . While their letters and discourse promised civility, we believed that the invitation carried a veiled threat of picketing or disruption if we did not “talk.” Because of our church’s activism in religious freedom disputes, I have received death threats and intimidating e-mails and phone calls from individual gay activists. In light of this history, our church had a feeling akin to those of US leaders who have to decide whether or not to negotiate with terrorists. Two Saturdays ago (May 24) the radical gay rights group, SoulForce, showed up at our church in Beltsville, MD for a “discussion/debate ” with our pastors. The next day their group of gay “families,” including children, attended one of our worship services. The group of 31 kept their word to act respectfully this time. So why did they come to our church along with TD Jakes’ Potter’s House, Eddie Long’s New Birth Community Church, and Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church? And why are they going to Willow Creek Community Church and Saddleback Community Church? The answer is simple. Their goal is to force us to accept their lifestyle by slowly desensitizing us to their aberrant theology and practices. This change in tactics is an attempt to play the pity card. . . .It is no accident that this American Family Outing began the week before the landmark gay marriage decision came down from the Supreme Court of California. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Townhall.com, By Harry R. Jackson, Jr. May 19, 2008
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RELATED VIDEO: Religious Liberty Under Fire YouTube.com- Air Maria
A special AIRMARIA report on the status of religious liberty in America, relative to the ongoing push on the part of the homosexual lobby for full same-sex marriage. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Our Moral Foundation: Immorality on the offense World Net Daily, Judge Roy Moore, June 11, 2008
. . .When Clerk Greg Smith of the San Diego County Assessor and Recorder's Office publicly stated that his office would not force its employees to perform same-sex "marriages" if such employees have serious moral or religious objections to them, those who favored same-sex "marriage" were "outraged.". . . .Indeed, it was just a couple of months ago that I related in this space the situation of photographer Elaine Huguenin, who was fined by the New Mexico Human Rights Commission for refusing to photograph a lesbian "commitment ceremony," and was ordered not to discriminate against homosexuals in the future despite her Christian beliefs. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: California gay marriage decision: The battle is on for our freedoms! The Real Proposal magazine, May 22, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Responding to Homosexuality & Gay Marriage: “Love the Sinner. Hate the Sin” The Real Proposal magazine, March 21, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Banned in Boston: The Coming Conflict Between Same Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty Cover Story- The Weekly Standard, By Maggie Gallagher, May 15, 2006 Issue
RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Marriage v. Religious Liberty National Review Online- The Corner- By Stanley Kurtz, May 8, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: The Meaning of Religious Liberty The Heritage Foundation, By Matthew Spalding, Ph.D., December 5, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Responding to Pro-Gay Theology Leadership U, By Joes Dallas
This three-part series addresses the pro-gay theology by dividing its arguments— or tenets —into three categories: social justice arguments, general religious arguments, and scriptural arguments. Joe Dallas—a former homosexual— is the Founder of Genesis Counseling and the of three books on homosexuality:
Desires in Conflict Unforgiven Sins A Strong Delusion: Confronting the "Gay Christian" Movement
RELATED ARTICLE: How America Went Gay Leadership U, by Charles W. Socarides, M.D.
RELATED ARTICLE: Selling Homosexuality to America From Regent University Law Review, By Paul E. Rondeau
This article explores how gay rights activists use rhetoric, psychology, social psychology, and the media—all the elements of modern marketing—to position homosexuality in order to frame what is discussed in the public arena and how it is discussed. . . . The economics and education of homosexuals makes them prime players in a capitalistic society. Money means power, and education means the knowledge to use that power to gain more. Homosexuals have demonstrated they have access to the leadership in media, government, education, business and other centers of influence as well as access to capital. These are hardly traits of an oppressed minority. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: CANADA: Sask. tribunal fines Regina marriage commissioner for discrimination: Marriage counsellor fined $2,500 for refusing to marry same-sex couple Canada.com, May 30, 2008
-- Saskatchewan's marriage commissioners will be directed to abide by the law and perform same-sex marriage ceremonies after a human rights tribunal fined a Regina commissioner $2,500 for discriminating against a gay couple. . . A Regina marriage commissioner for 25 years, he was found guilty of violating the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code for declining to perform a same-sex marriage three years ago. Nichols too will be asked to comply and if he won't, he'll likely be allowed to complete any outstanding bookings for weddings before he loses his appointment as a commissioner, Morgan said. Nichols, who has about 37 weddings scheduled, is currently weighing his options, including an appeal. "I am very disappointed in the decision," he said. "I broke the law because of my religious beliefs.". . .
RELATED ARTICLE: FAITH UNDER FIRE: Christian photographers fined for refusing same-sex ceremony. State hits couple with $6,600 penalty for violating anti-discrimination law World Net Daily, April 11, 2008
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- In Harlem, the Governor’s Support of Same-Sex Marriage Gets a Mixed Reaction New York Times, By Cara Buckley, June 2, 2008
The news not only caught Edwin Perez off guard, it turned his stomach. Mr. Perez, 28, had long been a supporter of Gov. David A. Paterson, who forged his political career in Harlem, which he represented in the State Senate for 23 years. But Mr. Paterson’s recent move to order state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere eroded Mr. Perez’s respect for a man he had once greatly admired. “I’ve lost my faith in him because of this,” said Mr. Perez, a law student at Fordham University who also sells incense and scented oils on the corner of West 125th Street and Lenox Avenue. “He could be trying to pick up the backing of the gay population, but even with that agenda, it’s still not right,” said Mr. Perez, a burly man who converted to Islam as a teenager, and who believes that homosexuality is a sin. “It’s just wrong. It’s nasty.”. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Christian Legal Group To Sue New York Over Gay Marriage Decision NY1, May 31, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: News Analysis: Fighting Same-Sex Policy Seems to Be Uphill Battle New York Times, By Adam Liptak, May 30, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: The Aftershocks of Gay Marriage Human Events.com, By Gary Bauer May 30, 2008
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- Retreating to a defensible position on gay marriage Dallas Morning News, By Rod Dreher, June 1, 2008
The California Supreme Court says gay marriage is a constitutional right. What a gift to Republicans! You're kidding, right? Republicans are all talk. Conservatives should quit lying to themselves about the culture war. It's over. We've lost. How? Polls show that most Americans are against gay marriage. Yes, but not young voters. There's a clearly emerging social consensus in favor of gay marriage. Maybe conservatives need better arguments. Good luck with that. What we're arguing against is not gay marriage, really. It's modernity itself. Oh, come on. Fifteen years ago, nobody took gay marriage seriously. Now you have courts declaring it a constitutional right. True, but same-sex marriage doesn't come out of nowhere. It is the logical result of philosophical assumptions about the nature of truth that nearly everybody in the modern era takes for granted. Huh? A culture's ideas about truth determine most everything about its way of life. Eminent Harvard sociologist Pitirim Sorokin identified three general types of cultures, based on their fundamental orientation toward truth. The ideational culture believes that truth is objective, known through religious revelation. The sensate culture holds truth to be subjective, perceived through the senses. The idealistic culture is a hybrid of the two, synthesizing the truth of faith with the truth of empirical observation. What do ten-dollar words have to do with same-sex marriage? Hold on, we're getting there. . . . |
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RELATED ARTICLE: First-ever majority favors gay marriage The Mercury News, By Edwin Garcia, May 28, 2008
For the first time ever, a statewide survey reports a majority of California voters favor gay marriage - a finding that pollsters describe as a milestone driven by younger people. . . . The poll of 1,052 registered voters has a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points, and the results, while notable, show the public clearly divided on the issue. When voters were asked about the ruling, the results were nearly even: 48 percent supporting the court ruling permitting same-sex marriage, and 46 percent opposed. . . . Divisions evident: The Field findings were released less than a week after another statewide survey, the Los Angeles Times/KTLA Poll, showed a different outcome of the divided population: 41 percent of respondents said they approved of the Supreme Court's decision to allow same-sex marriage, and 52 percent said they disapproved. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: School’s in (especially for John McCain): A “conservative” defense of Marriage The Real Proposal magazine, May 28, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: A Poll Finds Californians Still Oppose Gay Marriage New York Times, By Jesse McKinley, May 24, 2008
RELATED BLOG: L.A.Times: Gay Marriage Opposed by a Very Narrow 19-Point Margin Patterico's Pontifications— Harangues that Just Make Sense, May 23, 2008
An L.A. Times story is titled Californians narrowly reject gay marriage, poll finds. A headline on the paper’s main web site speaks of the “small margin” by which the public rejects gay marriage:. . . .Wow. With language like “slimly reject,” “narrowly reject,” “small margin,” and “bare majorities,” this sounds like a real photo finish. Let’s look at the body of the story, to see how narrowly the anti-gay marriage forces are barely squeaking past the opposition. It turns out that the proposed amendment to ban gay marriage is “was leading 54% to 35% among registered voters.” Jeez. Only a 19-point difference! That’s certainly a “small margin”! You can’t reject gay marriage more “narrowly” than that! I think they mean that Californians, who are slim, are rejecting gay marriage by a large margin. Hence, slimly rejecting!. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Californians narrowly reject gay marriage, poll finds Los Angeles Times, By Cathleen Decker, May 23, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Americans Still Reject Same-Sex Marriage Angus Reid Global Monitor, October 31, 2007
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- Singles find love, marriage after age 45 USA Today, By Sharon Jayson, June 1, 2008
When she was still single in her 40s, Debra Siegel made a list of qualities for her yet-elusive perfect husband: honest, family-oriented, a hard worker and physically fit. But the years passed and the list went unfulfilled. "When I hit 50, the bells went off," she says. "I didn't want to be alone for the rest of my life." That's when she took what she calls "drastic action." Her future husband, Dan Furlin, was of a similar mind. "I didn't think marriage was in the picture for me," he says. "Once you hit 50, you don't want to go through the rest of life without your soul mate. I was a little bit more aggressive." Both went the online dating route and met within months. The Dunedin, Fla., couple are both fitness-conscious and vegetarian. They were also both natives of New York state, and each had lived in Los Angeles. They moved to Florida — Furlin to Clearwater and Siegel to Orlando — before meeting online. They married in 2003. Siegel-Furlin, 56, and Furlin, 58, are among a small but growing group of older adults marrying for the first time after age 45. Years ago, these older singles would have been known as the "spinster" neighbor or the confirmed "bachelor" friend. But now, longer life spans mean 50 is the new 30 — there's plenty of life ahead. That, coupled with the baby boomer "never-wanna-be-old" attitude and a greater number of aging singles in the population, makes it more likely that those who want to marry actually will. . . . . Dating websites have been reinventing themselves since online dating took off in the mid-1990s. They've refined their methods, largely emphasizing a more scientific approach, which often includes compatibility and personality testing. Others have focused on niche marketing, including Spark Networks, whose online dating sites include JDate for Jewish singles, as well as CatholicMingle.com, InterracialSingles.net, BlackSingles.com, LatinSinglesConnection.com and PrimeSingles.net. That site, as well as lavalifePRIME and BOOMj.com, is among those offering social networking for these older singles. . . . |
- Star Wattage: A Woman in Full Vanity Fair, By Rich Cohen, July 2008 Issue
Playing out her life on the big screen—whether the role is damaged girl, humanitarian, or wife of Brad Pitt—Angelina Jolie is more than an outstanding actress. She’s the ultimate avatar of fantasies (hers and ours), whose next movie, Wanted, taps into her pent-up need for action. As Jolie examines the effect of her own childhood on the unconventional family she and Pitt have created, Rich Cohen hears about the mother she lost last year, the father she’s estranged from, and why, in her second pregnancy, she feels so sexy. . . . . It has been a hectic few years for the 33-year-old Jolie. She lost her mother, adopted children, appeared in films, and dominated tabloids, in which her history and every move have been carefully analyzed: how, though her father (Jon Voight) was a famous alum of the school (Hollywood), she turned up all alone in the hallways, then, just like that, became the talk of the big year-end blowout (Oscars), sidled up to the best-looking boy in the school (Pitt), looked at his popular cheerleader girlfriend (Jennifer Aniston), saw no competition, and stole him away, in the process forcing those who follow such things (everyone) to re-write the hierarchy of the lunchroom. . . . |
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RELATED VIDEO: A Jolie Good Show Vanity Fair, July 2008 Issue
Rich Cohen, author of the July 2008 Vanity fair cover profile of Jolie offers a guided tour of her transformations. |
RELATED ARTICLE: Cover Story: Angelina Jolie: A Candid Q&A EW.com, By Dan Karger, June 11, 2008
She's a human rights advocate and, in summer action flick ''Wanted,'' a remorseless killer. In a frank interview, the star with the disarming and dangerous persona talks about sex, tattoos, motherhood, war, and peace. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Is Angelina Driven to Be a Compulsive Mother?: Need for Babies Can Signal Depression or Even Manipulation, Experts Say ABC News, By Susan Donaldson James, February 27, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Home-wreckers and the "Other Woman" Club Sydney Morning Herald, November 7, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE & COMMENTS: Angelina's secret sadness - by her brother The Daily Mail- UK, By Sharon Feinstein, March 26, 2007
. . . In fact, the young Angelina was precocious in many ways. This was a girl sufficiently confident to start a sexual relationship at the age of 14 and bring her lover back to live under the same roof with the tolerance, if not the approval, of her mother.
RELATED ARTICLE: ANGELINA: I Tried Not to Steal Jen's 'Best Friend' NY POST.com, By David K. Li, December 12, 2006
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