Bush AIDS Abstinence Appointee Quits In Hooker Scandal

Randall Tobias, the head of the US Agency for International Development and President Bush's former coordinator for global AIDS relief, has quit amid allegations he was a client of a high-priced DC call-girl ring. Tobias, 65, is married.

In announcing his resignation the State Department said on that Tobias was resigning for personal reasons.

Tobias' name was among those clients of an exclusive escort service in the capital by Deborah Jeane Palfrey. He submitted his resignation a day after being confronted by the network.

In 2003 Bush appointed Tobias as the first global AIDS coordinator. For three years he promoted abstinence over the use of condoms, and fidelity in traditional marriage, to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa and was blamed for tying abstinence programs to aid to foreign countries. His agency also funneled money to faith-based groups that not only preached abstinence, faithfulness, and denounced sex between men or ignored male-on-male sex altogether in AIDS educational programs.

In 2006 Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice named Tobias to head USAID.

[of course, research after research showed that abstinence programs didn't work and show that Tobias programs failed miserably. Oh yes, and another wonderful example of "traditional" marriage.]

Adrian - 4 months old

Michelle Rodriguez Comes Out

Last November former Lost star Michelle Rodriguez was 'outed' by an article in The Advocate, and in next month’s issue of Curve magazine, the brown and beautiful actress is finally setting the record straight... by telling the world she's bi.

As the cover girl for next month’s installment of the lesbian glossy, Rodriguez reportedly discusses her relationship with openly bisexual actress Kristanna Loken (Terminator 3 and Painkiller Jane), and reveals that she herself is bisexual.

Rodriguez, 28, starred in films such as Girlfight, The Fast and the Furious, Blue Crush and the smash TV hit Lost.

Gay N.H. bishop to make union official

The Rev. V. Gene Robinson became the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop. Now, he and his partner want to be among the first gay couples in New Hampshire to officially unite under a soon-to-be-signed civil unions law.

New Hampshire is set to become the nation's fourth state to offer civil unions for gay couples after legislation approved by the state Senate on Thursday was sent to Gov. John Lynch, who has said he would sign it.

"I think this moves us one step closer to the American promise to all its citizens of equality under the law," Robinson told The Associated Press. "My partner and I look forward to taking full advantage of the new law."

Giuliani Flips, Now Against Civil Unions

Rudolph Giuliani has made a sharp departure from his previously stated stance on civil unions and has spoken out in opposition to a civil union law passed by the New Hampshire state Senate.

"Mayor Giuliani believes marriage is between one man and one woman. Domestic partnerships are the appropriate way to ensure that people are treated fairly," the Giuliani campaign said Thursday in a written response to a question from the New York Sun. "In this specific case the law states same sex civil unions are the equivalent of marriage and recognizes same sex unions from outside states. This goes too far and Mayor Giuliani does not support it."

The New Hampshire law is titled, "An act permitting same gender couples to enter civil unions and have the same rights, responsibilities, and obligations as married couples."

Previously Giuliani had made no secret of his support for civil unions. In February 2004, he told Fox News’ Bill O'Reilly, when asked if he supported gay marriage, "I'm in favor of... civil unions."
And in 1998, then-New York City Mayor Giuliani signed into law a domestic partnership bill that a gay rights group, the Empire State Pride Agenda, praised as setting "a new national benchmark for domestic partner recognition."

Regarding Giuliani’s change of position, the Sun observed: "Despite Mr. Giuliani's long history of supporting gay rights - or rather, because of it - yesterday's statement is likely to lead many to question whether the former mayor is concerned that his socially liberal record and positions aren't flying in the Republican primary. While he still holds a commanding lead in the national polls, he has taken a hit over the last month or so after reiterating his support for the public funding of abortion.”

Backwards Bush

Here's a keychain that counts down the days W has left in office. So if you're the kind of person who really needs to know exactly how much time is left until we need a new president, here ya go.

Sanjaya: I’m Not Gay

Sanjaya Malakar says he's always been popular with women. "I've always gotten along with girls better because I was raised by women," Malakar tells PEOPLE.

"I got teased in school because people figured I must be gay because I understand women," the American Idol castoff says. "I think that's why guys didn't like me – because I got along with girls so well. When I went up to girls they would give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek like I was their gay friend. But I was the straight guy that understood them."

As for his dating past, Malakar, who is now 17, says: "I had a girlfriend but she became clingy, and I didn't want to get into a really serious relationship because I was 16. Before his arrival on the hit FOX show, "I just wanted to date and have fun," he says.

[I believe him... cough, cough]

Thanks to the new and unabashedly pro-homosexual Democrat leadership in Congress, Bible-believing Christians and Jews face an onslaught of bills that will inevitably create federally protected “class status” for homosexuals, bisexuals, transvestites, “transgender” and “transsexual” persons.
Specifically, I’m talking about the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Protection Act (H.R. 1592) and the “Employment Nondiscrimination Discrimination Act” (ENDA).
Please don’t be deceived: while “hate crimes” and “nondiscrimination” laws sound noble and high-minded, they aim to normalize homosexuality and “transgenderism” in all arenas of society – and to silence and punish all opposing viewpoints.

Of immediate concern is H.R. 1592 – the “hate crimes” bill that was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in March. This bill establishes a new federal offense for “hate crimes” and adds “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as protected classes in the U.S. criminal code. These classes are based solely upon unverifiable self-identification and/or sexual behavior.
Ominously, this bill mandates a separate federal criminal prosecution for state offenses – with the possibility of life imprisonment – for crimes motivated by actual or perceived “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.”

Obviously, we have many concerns with a bill like this – including the fact that it is constitutionally suspect, unfair, dangerous, indefinable, unnecessary and un-American.
And not only does H.R. 1592 violate the concept of equal protection under the law by granting more government protection to certain classes of people, it is a clear overreach of federal power – allowing the federal government to intervene in local and state affairs.

[This is from an email AFA sent me- ugghhh. But HRC hasn't sent out an action alert to support the Employment Nondiscrimination Discrimination Act]

Episcopal leader holds firm on gay rights

Saying "I don't believe that there is any will in this church to move backward," the top official of the Episcopal Church USA said yesterday that the election of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire has been "a great blessing" despite triggering intense controversy and talk of possible schism.

In an interview during a visit to Boston, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori compared the gay rights struggle to battles over slavery and women's rights, and said she believes that it has become a vocation for the Episcopal Church "to keep questions of human sexuality in conversation, and before not just the rest of our own church, but the rest of the world."

Jefferts Schori said that it could take 50 years for the debate over homosexuality to be resolved, but that she believes it will happen. She said she hopes that the Anglican Communion, an umbrella organization including the Episcopal Church and the Church of England, will stay together.

"Where the protesters are, in some parts of Africa or in other parts of the Anglican Communion today, is where this church and this society we live in was 50 years ago, and for us to assume that people can move that distance in a year or in a relatively instantaneous manner is perhaps faithless," she said. "That kind of movement and development has taken us a good deal of pain and energy over 40 or 50 years, and I think we have to make some space so that others can make that journey as well."

Spitzer has support on gay marriage: poll

Gov. Eliot Spitzer's plan to introduce a gay marriage bill in New York state is favored by almost two-thirds of the 1,022 respondents to a recent Crain's online poll.

About 63% of voters said they support a gay marriage law. If New York adopted the new legislation, it would become only the second state behind Massachusetts to legalize same-sex marriage.

"If two people love each other, who are we to say it [whether it can or can't be] with the same sex," said Alexandra Akira. "It's very simple."Supporters also say same-sex couples should be afforded the same rights as heterosexual couples. "Why should gay and lesbian couples pay taxes if they are not treated equally?" said Paul. Slee. "Right now the unavailability of gay marriage to gay couples is a matter of gross inequality, injustice and taxation without representation."

World Sexual Relationship Database

In an effort to better understand society's interconnected nature, this database was created to serve as a repository for information regarding the sexual histories of individuals, across the world and throughout time.

www.sexualrelationshipdatabase.com

[interesting project? for fun - try typing in Paris Hilton]

Vatican: Gay Marriage Evil

The Vatican's second-highest ranking doctrinal official on Monday forcefully branded homosexual marriage an evil. The attack by Archbishop Angelo Amato, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was the latest in a string of speeches made by either Pope Benedict or other Vatican officials against gay rights.

In an address to chaplains, Amato said newspapers and television bulletins often seemed like "a perverse film about evil." He denounced "evils that remain almost invisible" because the media presented them as "expression of human progress." Part of this list was "parliaments of so-called civilized nations where laws contrary to the nature of the human being are being promulgated, such as the approval of marriage between people of the same sex ..."

[just one question: what would jesus do? my guess is open his arms to gays and lesbians and really try to make a positive difference in the world. lord knows, there is a lot in the world that needs help.]

A new day for same-sex couples in Washington state

Amid happy tears and rounds of applause, Washington state Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a bill that grants same-sex couples some of the same rights as married people, saying, "This is a very good moment for me."

The state law, effective July 22, gives gays, lesbians and unmarried seniors rights to visit a partner in the hospital, inherit property when there's no will and make decisions on matters such as emergency health care, funeral arrangements and disposition of remains. Domestic partners are to register with the Secretary of State's Office to qualify for the rights.

"I'm delighted," said 70-year-old John McCluskey of Tacoma, Wash. "I don't want my family making decisions when my time comes, if Rudy is still around. He is my partner. We have committed our lives together."

Religious protesters suspected of bombing WorldPride route

A bomb in Jerusalem exploded Friday near the route of this year’s gay pride parade, injuring a worker near the West Bank separation fence. Police suspect that ultra-Orthodox Jews may have planted a bomb near the route out of protest of the parade taking place.

Noa Sattah, executive director of advocacy group Jerusalem Open House, said the attack was just one example of violence against LGBT people internationally.

“Morally bankrupt religious bigotry will never deter us from our struggle for freedom of expression and full and equal civil and religious rights,” Sattah said in a statement.

Ex-Congressman Paying Page Scandal Legal Fees From Campaign Funds

(West Palm Beach, Florida) Former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley is using leftover campaign cash to pay for the huge legal bills he's racking up defending himself in the congressional page scandal that led to his resignation. Foley spent $206,000 in campaign cash on attorneys from November to January, according to recent filings with the Federal Election Commission. That left about $1.7 million in the Florida Republican's campaign account March 31, even after he returned more than $110,000 from donors.

"Many congressmen, when they resign, they keep the money and do good things with it. But paying for your legal bills? I don't think so," said Robert Starr, chairman of the Charlotte County Republican Party.

The FEC has ruled in other cases that such expenditures generally are lawful.

Hawaii - The Big Island

At one of the concerts for the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, I bought three tickets for the Hawaii raffle - and won. A week stay at a private house on the Big Island just south of Kona.

The house was perfect - private pool off the bedrooms, small lawn with a hammock between two palm trees, leading right to the bay. You can see more about the house at www.alaulakai.com. The first day we saw the whales passing right outside of Kealakekua Bay and the dolphins came and visited us a couple times.

The Captain Cook Monument was across the bay and we kayaked over for great snorkeling and jumping off the small cliffs into the water.


Here is a little view from the back yard and Jorge on the lava rocks leading down to the water.



The dinning table was outside - perfect view of the bay for breakfast and dinner.

Every night, we had a beautiful sunset. I think Jorge took about 500 pictures of the sunset every night.




While we did a bit of snorkeling, kayaking, shopping (Andy), and seeing the local sights, there was a lot of time to enjoy the beautiful views, eat and nap.

When Jorge wasn't on the phone or computer with Roger, this was one of his favorite things to do:

One day, we toured the local area.

Small coffee farms litter the area and we sampled coffee at every farm and co-op we could find. I am not a big fan of coffee, but the Peaberry and macadamia nut coffees were very good.

We also visited the Painted Church - Andy still has part of the steeple.

Little pineapple plants grew everywhere.

We visited the Place of Refuge, now part of the national park system - where if you broke one of the kapu you could go to be obsolved of your crime by the local priest.

If was also the private vacation area for the king.

We didn't get to see the lava tube here, because it was damage during the recent earthquake on the big island. But we did see many sea turtles and came the next morning to go snorkeling with them.

I swear, you can't take some people anywhere.





The turtles were so close to the edge of the shore. You can just make out the turtle in the water right in front of Jorge.

We took a day to go to the other side of the island to see the volcano - Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The crater is huge, but the lava flows from a side fissure a couple miles from the crater.

Around the crater, there are sulfer and steam vents.

The yellow is crystallized sulfuric acid.

It was much cooler and windy around the crater, so the steam vents actually felt nice (warm).

I don't know why you aren't allowed to build rock piles -- of course, I was tempted.

Everywhere on the island where you saw lava flows - it was just black. You can see Andy next to a fracture in the lava flow.

Below is a picture of me just before we went into one of the lava tubes. Nick and I went down the "natural, non-lit" part of the tube. Andy and Jorge chickened out rather quickly.

The last night, we (Jorge was scared and didn't go) went snorkeling at night to see the manta rays. Kole, a female ray, showed up. She was 12-13 feet wide and about 2,000 pounds. The water was pitch black, except for flashlights held by divers and snorklers. Kole [not actual picture, but you get the idea] came out of nowhere, swimming right below us, to feed on the plankton that were attracted by the flashlights.

Amazing.

Haggard moves from Colorado Springs to Phoenix for "new beginning"

The Reverend Ted Haggard moved Wednesday from his longtime home in Colorado Springs, Colo., to Phoenix, where the disgraced minister will join the same church that helped fallen televangelist Jim Bakker. Haggard, 50, resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals last year, after a former male prostitute alleged a three-year cash-for-sex relationship.The man also said he saw Haggard use methamphetamine. Haggard confessed to undisclosed ''sexual immorality'' and said he bought meth but never used it.

As part of his severance package from New Life Church, a 14,000-member congregation he started in his basement, Haggard agreed to leave Colorado Springs, a city he helped make an evangelical center.

''When he moved out of town today, there was a kind of relief on the part of the church that life can get back to normal,'' said the Reverend H.B. London, one of three ministers overseeing what has been called Haggard's ''restoration.'' ''For the Haggards, it is the beginning of a huge new chapter. It's a brand-new start for them, the beginning of a new beginning.''

Before his fall, Haggard was an emerging voice in evangelical politics. He took part in White House conference calls and fought to broaden the movement's agenda to include environmental issues.

[Yeah, three weeks in rehab and he is completely heterosexual.]

New Hampshire governor says he'll approve civil unions bill

New Hampshire governor John Lynch said Thursday he will sign legislation establishing civil unions for gay couples in New Hampshire. ''I believe it is a matter of conscience, fairness, and preventing discrimination,'' Lynch told the Associated Press in Concord, the state capital.

New Hampshire would become the fourth state to adopt civil unions, following Connecticut, Vermont, and New Jersey. Massachusetts established same-sex marriage.

[I love it when people get it. Marriage would be better, but give it time.]

Archbishop of Canterbury announces he will meet with Episcopal Church

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, announced he intends to visit the United States this autumn in response to the invitation from the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church.

"I look forward to some sharing of our experiences as pastors as well as discussion of the business of the Communion. These are complicated days for our church internationally and it's all the more important to keep up personal relationships and conversations," he said. "My aim is to try and keep people around the table as long as possible on this, to understand one another, and to encourage local churches on this side of the Atlantic and elsewhere to ask what they might need to do to keep in that conversation, to keep around the table."

Williams said the meeting will take place during the House of Bishops' previously scheduled fall gathering in New Orleans September 20-25.

[I am glad Rowan was able to meet with the HoB well before the September 30 deadline from the Primates.]

This will be the first time Williams has met with the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops or attended a meeting of any of the church's leadership bodies such as General Convention or Executive Council.

The House of Bishops said on March 20 "there is an urgent need for us to meet face to face with the Archbishop of Canterbury and members of the Primates' Standing Committee" and requested and urged Jefferts Schori and Williams to negotiate a meeting "at the earliest possible opportunity."

"I won't speculate on outcomes, but I don't think it takes rocket science to work out that (a positive decision) will pose some problems," he said. Anglican churches in other areas of the world, particularly in the southern hemisphere, are vehemently against liberalizing attitudes toward homosexuality, believing it contrary to Scripture.

[Well, at least he is going into the meeting open-minded.]

Catholic Church Closes Parish With High Gay Membership

(Boston) A Catholic church in Boston's heavily gay South end will close in July, ending an outreach to the LGBT community that has gone on for more than a decade. The Jesuit Urban Center has been home to countless Catholic gays and their families, but the superior of the New Jesuit Order, the Rev. Thomas Regan, says the decision had nothing to do with the sexuality of the preponderance of the church's members.

Parishioners learned of the impending closure at mass on Sunday.

"This comes after a few years of rough times for gay Catholics, with Vatican and local Episcopal declarations that have not been so friendly," Dr. Juan Jaime de Zengotita told the Globe. "I don't know what will be the future of gay ministry."

Massachusetts Catholic bishops have been a leader in a push for a constitutional amendment in Massachusetts that would ban same-sex marriage. The legislature approved the measure in the first of a two part process in January. The measure is to come up again this session. If it is again approved the question would be put to voters.

Last year the Catholic diocese of Boston announced that it will close its adoption agency rather than conform to Massachusetts law that prohibits discrimination against gays and lesbians.