Exodus: Live Out Loud

Changing minds

http://www.washtimes.com/culture/

By George Archibald
The Washington Times, Tuesday, July 27, 2004, Page A2
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Former homosexuals who had renounced same-sex
relations were called "offensive" by delegates to this
month's annual convention of the 2.7-million-member
National Education Association (NEA).

"I'm really offended that you're even here," a
delegate wearing the rainbow emblem of the NEA Gay
Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Caucus told a supporter
of the new NEA Ex-Gay Educators Caucus.

The Ex-Gay Educators Caucus distributed literature
explaining that scientific research shows that
homosexuality is not "a fixed, inborn trait."
Other opponents of the Ex-Gay Educators Caucus, whose
exhibit was permitted for the first time at this
year's union gathering at the D.C. Convention Center,
also challenged the NEA's claim of being democratic
and diverse.

One delegate who visited the exhibit told caucus
members that there was "a special place in hell for
us," said caucus founder Jeralee Smith from
California, an elementary special-education teacher
and former lesbian.

France annuls first same-sex marriage

www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5108119

July 27, 2004 3:15 PM

By Claude Canellas

BORDEAUX, France (Reuters) - A French court has annulled France's first gay marriage, setting a legal precedent for outlawing
same-sex marriages that came down on the side of the conservative government.

The government had already declared the marriage invalid and suspended the mayor who conducted it on June 5 in the Bordeaux
suburb of Begles. The court ruling was a blow for opposition politicians who want to make gay marriages legal.

"The tribunal declared null and void the marriage between Mr. Stephane Chapin and Mr. Bertrand Charpentier," the court in
Bordeaux, the main city near Begles, said in its ruling.

Chapin, a 33-year-old home care worker, and Charpentier, a 31-year-old shop worker, said they would appeal against the ruling
and take their fight to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.

"We will fight to the end, as we said two months ago, but we will win because we have faith in our country," Charpentier said outside
the court.

Pro-Family Crowd Hails House MPA Victory

http://www.crosswalk.com/news/1275645.html

Jenni Parker
Agape Press

July 26, 2004

Pro-family groups are praising the U.S. House of Representatives for making a strong show of support for traditional marriage through their decisive passage of the Marriage Protection Act (MPA) by a vote of 233-194. However, several are saying the legislation, although a step forward, does not go far enough.

The MPA (H.R. 3313) is designed to bar federal judges from ordering states to recognize homosexual marriages that other states have approved. The act does this by removing jurisdiction from the federal courts to hear challenges to DOMA or to the FMA. If the Senate also approves the measure and the president signs it into law, same-sex couples who want their Massachusetts marriages or marriage licenses recognized in other states would be without recourse in the federal courts.

Voices from the forefront of the battle to defend traditional marriage, pleased that U.S. lawmakers seem to be realizing that marriage is under attack, are hailing the passage of H.R. 3313 as an important win. Concerned Women for America, Focus on the Family Action, the Family Research Council, and Vision America were among those groups that issued overjoyed responses upon learning that the House had voted in favor of the bill.

Is Evangelism a Hate Crime?

http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/1275506.html

Ray Pritchard

An editorial in Christianity Today raises a question that just a few years ago would have been unthinkable. Is sharing Christ with others a "hate crime" that deserves punishment? In the changing religious landscape in America and around the world, the answer from some people would seem to be yes.

After missionary Bonnie Penner Witherall was murdered in Lebanon in November 2002, there was a loud public outcry. But the outcry was not against her killers, but against the missionary mandate that sent her and her husband to Lebanon in the first place.

It's no secret that evangelism in Muslim countries is enormously difficult. Missionaries often work for years with only a handful of Christian converts to show for their efforts. The reasons are partly spiritual, partly historical, and partly cultural. In a post-9/11 world, the challenge has been kicked up a notch by the rising tensions between nations and also between sincere followers of Islam and Christianity.

In the United States many people adopt the secular viewpoint that rejects any notion of absolute truth in favor of the idea that since we all worship the same God, it's arrogant to attempt to "convert" others to your faith. The CT editorial points out that in 1999 the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago said that an evangelistic campaign in this city "could contribute to a climate conducive to hate crimes."

STDs Still on the Rise in Britain: Gay men and young people most affected

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040727/ap_on_he_me/britain_sex_disease_1

By EMMA ROSS, AP Medical Writer

LONDON - Rates of sexually transmitted infections continued to rise in Britain last year despite new programs aimed at reining in a decade of steady increases, health experts said Tuesday.

The number of infections last year — 708,083 — was 4 percent higher than the previous year, but Britain's Health Protection Agency said the pace of the increase appears to be slowing.

Sexually transmitted diseases have been on the rise across Europe since the mid-1990s. Health experts partly blame complacency over condom use and casual sex as fear of HIV (news - web sites) has eased.

Sexual health campaigners have also blamed Britain's problem on delays in treatment, inadequate sex education and long waiting lists at clinics. However, health officials said the increases were partly attributable to more people coming forward for testing.

Gay men and young people remained the groups most affected.

Americans Fear AIDS Threat to Kids

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040727/ap_on_he_me/aids_ap_poll_7

AP:

Tue Jul 27, 8:08 AM ET

By WILL LESTER, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Fewer people believe the overall threat of AIDS (news - web sites) is very serious these days, but a majority of Americans say they worry about the impact of the sexually transmitted disease on the nation's children, an Associated Press poll found.

That decline in fears about AIDS comes at a time the disease is showing signs of making a comeback in the United States.

About six in 10, 61 percent, said they feel AIDS is a "very serious" problem, according to the poll conducted for the AP by Ipsos-Public Affairs. When people were asked in 1987 how serious AIDS was as a national health problem, almost nine in 10 said it was "very serious."

Revolutionary new drugs allow people to live longer with AIDS, and young gay men have no memories of the devastating early days of the sexually transmitted disease two decades ago. Health officials fear complacency could contribute to a comeback of the disease.

Their fears were confirmed a year ago when AIDS diagnoses increased for the first time in a decade.

Clinic goes online to battle spread of syphilis

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2703174

July 27, 2004, 1:11AM

Projects warns gay Internet users about a new threat
By NANCY MARTINEZ
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
PROJECT CORE
Houston's Montrose Clinic is turning to the Internet to help combat an increase in syphilis cases among gay and bisexual men.

• How it works: STD educators log on and offer information to those in sexually oriented chat rooms.
• What happens with data: Clinic will evaluate program's effectiveness and submit data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With statistics showing syphilis cases increasing among gay and bisexual men, Houston's Montrose Clinic is taking its outreach efforts online to what health experts call the latest frontier for unsafe sex.

"Our clients tell us they can find a male sex partner online faster than they can get a pizza delivered in Houston," said Eric Roland, Montrose Clinic education director.

"We're already at bathhouses, adult bookstores and bars," he said. "We need to be everywhere people hook up."

Across the country, health departments are experimenting with online outreach to provide both education and partner notification.

One reason for the new campaigns is the increase in syphilis cases. With studies showing that one in every three gay men uses the Internet to find casual sex partners, health experts have realized they can't control the spread of the disease without targeting online chat rooms.

Democrats Embrace Gay Rights, Not Marriage

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040726/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_gay_marriage_1

Mon Jul 26, 5:21 PM ET

By JEANNINE AVERSA, Associated Press Writer

BOSTON - Democrats are doing a delicate dance as they attempt to embrace gay rights but not necessarily gay marriage. Nearly 42 percent of Democratic convention delegates interviewed by The Associated Press said they support gay marriage. But 21 percent are against it and around 38 percent said their feelings either didn't fit into a "for" or an "against" category or they declined to answer the question.

Draft language in the Democratic platform being considered Monday stopped short of endorsing gay marriage but supported "equal responsibilities, benefits and protections" for gay and lesbian families.

That's consistent with the stance of the party's presidential candidate, Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), who opposes legal recognition of gay marriage but supports legal recognition of same-sex civil unions, which accords gay couples many of the rights of marriage.

Some members of the Democratic Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus, meeting here Monday, said that Kerry's and the party's stance on the issue wasn't perfect but that they were willing to go with it.

Rep. Ron Paul on Liberty

www.federalistpatriot.us

"The Founders never intended for a handful of unelected, unaccountable federal judges to decide social policy for the entire nation. Just as Texas is not required to recognize medical licenses, law licenses, or driving licenses from other states, it ought not be forced to recognize gay marriage licenses granted elsewhere. ... Federal judges have flouted the will of the American people for too long, acting as imperial legislators instead of jurists. The Marriage Protection Act represents a long-overdue exercise of the congressional power to limit and define federal court jurisdiction. The definition of marriage -- a union between a man and a woman -- can be found in any dictionary. It's sad that we need government to define an institution that has existed for centuries." --Rep. Ron Paul
26 July 2004
Federalist Patriot No. 04-30
Monday Brief

Quote: Senator Jon Kyl

www.federalistpatriot.us

"To the extent that the traditional definition of marriage should be reconsidered at all -- despite the wisdom and tradition of virtually all of human history -- that process should take place within the realm of legislatures or citizens working directly through the ballot or initiative process. Judges, egged on by activist lawyers, have no business inventing imaginary provisions in state constitutions, denouncing traditional marriage as a 'stain' that must be washed away, or scoffing at the 'mantra of tradition,' all of which was part of the recent decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Court. Were it not for their lack of judicial restraint, we wouldn't have arrived at the unfortunate point of having to consider a Constitutional Amendment to begin with. Nor is it realistic to assume that same-sex marriage can be isolated in some states but not others, even if one finds such a goal acceptable." --Sen. Jon Kyl

26 July 2004
Federalist Patriot No. 04-30
Monday Brief