Start With A Laff

With "news" headlines like "Gay Agenda Misplaced, Feared Lost" and "Christian Meteorologists Declare War on Rainbows", FakeGayNews.com stands out as a great place to get a smile as you head into your day. Don't miss the posting "George Michael Arrested for Making Gays Look Bad".

"...wrestling...forced me into the closet.”

The totally-out-of-context quote above is from pro wrestler Chris Kanyon. Chris Klucsarits (Kanyon's real name) recently revealed his homosexuality and, in his first interview, talked exclusively with Chicago's Windy City Times.

A sad day - Lane Evans retiring

U.S. Rep. Lane Evans (D-IL 17th Congressional District Representative) has announced his decision not to seek re-election. Rep. Evans, first elected in 1982, has an admirable record on civil right issues, including voting NO on the proposed Constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, and sponsored an amendment for equal rights by gender. A Vietnam-era veteran, Evans established himself as a voice for vets early in his career. He spearheaded legislation that compensated Vietnam War veterans exposed to Agent Orange and fought for more funding for veterans medical care. He became the top-ranking Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee in 1995 and also sat on the Armed Services Committee. Some of his civil rights voting record is available at OnTheIssues.org.

Less Opposition to Gays

Public acceptance of homosexuality has increased in a number of ways in recent years, though it remains a deeply divisive issue. And opposition to gay marriage has fallen across the board, with substantial declines even among Republicans. These are among the results of the latest national survey by the Pew Research Center conducted among 1,405 adults from March 8-12. According to the survey, a 60% majority now favors allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, up from 52% in 1994, and 46% support gay adoption, up from 38% in 1999. Not surprisingly, the survey also finds that by a 58%-to-34% margin most Americans would oppose a national version of South Dakota's new law banning abortion in all cases unless the mother's life is endangered.

Tickets Ready for Spring Fling '06

The Differently Normal Association (DNA) of Peoria has announced that tickets are now available for Spring Fling '06, their fourth annual event to kick off Pride season. Last year's event was great fun, and this year features even more entertainment, food and fun. We at Rainbow Gifts will be there again this year, too, with a full load of our most popular products. All the details of this years festivities are available at the DNA web site.

Gay Activists: "neo-Nazis, the KKK and prostitutes"?

The chair of the nation's biggest St. Patrick's Day Parade marched Friday while sidestepping questions about remarks comparing gay Irish-American activists to neo-Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan and prostitutes. The parade chair, John Dunleavy, was blasted by the City Council's first openly gay leader for the remarks, which appeared in The Irish Times on Thursday. Link to coverage of the remark and parade from WashingtonBlade.com.

Gay marriage opponents rally in Iowa state capital

Nearly 1,000 opponents of gay marriage rallied outside the Iowa Statehouse on Tuesday, calling on legislators to recommend a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman.The issue is bottled up in the Iowa Senate, where leading Democrats are not allowing it to come to a vote, which prevents one of the steps needed for a statewide referendum on the amendment. Several dozen high school students staged a protest next to the rally, waving banners bearing the slogan, “Keep hatred out of Iowa’s future.” Here's the story from Davenport, Iowa's, Quad City Times.

Cells natural defense against HIV

Scientists (at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, et al.) have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that cells use to fight off the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the cause of AIDS. The findings indicate that two proteins that normally help repair cellular DNA can also destroy the DNA made by HIV after it enters a human cell. This HIV DNA is essential for the virus to survive and reproduce. The published study is referenced at biologynews.net.

Patriot Guard Riders v. Fred Phelps

CNN's Ed Lavandera recently spent time with the Phelps family of protesters, and notes the rise of the "Patriot Guard Riders", a volunteer group of motorcycle riders that came together to support family members of service personnel at their funerals after hearing that so many military families were being blindsided by the protesters. The link is to CNN.com's Behind The Scenes in US news.

Red Cross calls for equal treatment of gay blood donors

For the first time since a ban prohibiting gay men from donating blood went into effect more than two decades ago, the American Red Cross is petitioning the government to revise the guideline. The story by Andrew Keegan of the Washington Blade.

USA Today - Time to repeal 'don't tell'

On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the federal government can withhold funds to universities that deny military recruiters access to their campuses. Dozens have done so to protest the "don't ask, don't tell" law, which bans anyone who reveals his or her homosexuality from military service. The schools had claimed that providing access to recruiters forces them to violate their anti-discrimination policies and free speech rights. In an opinion piece posted last night, USA Today.com calls the U.S. ban on openly gay servicemembers "an archaic and hurtful assault on people who want only to serve their country." Note: you may get a pop-up ad.

"...morally repugnant and downright dangerous..."

A report released last Thursday by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute reveals the ex-gay movement's new tactic of targeting lesbian, gay and bisexual youth for "conversion-therapy" and "preventive" measures. "It is morally repugnant and downright dangerous the way these extremists demonize young people and prey on the fears of parents through their so-called ex-gay programs," said Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "This report exposes the extent to which these zealots will go, including reformulating their ex-gay snake oil at the expense of vulnerable children and young adults." The quotes are from a press release by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Hey, Wisconsin, listen up....

Tom Scharbach, in a wonderfully written take-no-prisoners posting on his fascinating PurpleScarf blog entitled "You want a war, you got one ...", notes "The Republican Party in Wisconsin declared war on equal citizenship of gays and lesbians last night." A proposed amendment to Wisconsin's constitution cleared its final hurdle in the Republican-controlled legislature last night, and will appear on the ballot on November 7. The amendment seeks to ban same-sex marriage, civil unions, domestic partnerships, and any "legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals".