Obama names Medal of Freedom recipients, including Harvey Milk …

, attempting to those who have acted as “agents of change,” he will bestow the Presidential Medal of , the country’s highest civilian honor, on a cast of living and deceased figures widely known in , the arts and sciences, and .

The 16 named by the today include , the city who an early movement for rights in public life and was assassinated. They include the late , a as well, and the ailing Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of .

The ’s , who will be honored at a ceremony Aug. 12, include American civil-rights the Rev. Joseph Lowery and South African fighter . They include a in for women, star , and the first on the , retired Justice Day O’Connor.

They include actor and singer .
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Obama names Medal of Freedom recipients, including Harvey Milk …

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Humpday Isn’t Really About Gay Sex

Lynn Shelton’s , a sexual , opens with a pair of breeders in bed. A youngish , Ben (mumblecordeon ) and Anna (Alycia ), confess they’re too tired to procreate that night and then confess their mutual relief. As if in response, the at 2 a.m. and Ben’s long- college buddy, Andrew ( survivor ), stumbles in from deepest . Anna, who has never had the pleasure, watches the unexpected bromantic action with grim incredulity. Aggressively loud, demonstrative, and hairy, Andrew is a credible representation of Ben’s id.

Reuniting an uptight with a footloose old pal, Shelton’s third feature offers a (much) more of Kelly ’s Old Joy, also a sort of buddy movie, also shot in the . In this case, the weekend is steeped in sexual . , Ben has to retrieve from a house called “” — home to a bi cutie (the director herself) and an omnisexual assortment of roisterers. No orgies, but plenty of stoned dancing. Anna, who has prepared her dinner, sits home alone. She stews; Ben gets stewed. Prompted by news of an amateur — sponsored by a local alt-weekly — Ben finds himself proposing to costar with showoff Andrew in a project, dude-on-dude action, totally straight, yet somewhere “beyond .” Maybe they’ll be famous. The only problem: Just who is going to bone whom?

Having thus invested its protagonists in a of “chicken,” played to justify their respective life , delivers some excellent situation . The scene where Andrew and Anna have a get-acquainted drink and Andrew inadvertently exposes Ben’s boastful lie that his wife has signed off on their “project” is pure Honeymooners. (Bang, zoom, straight to the moon!) Ben can’t tell Anna why he wants to have with Andrew, only that it’s very, very important to him. And, terrified that Ben might think he really did have a yen, Andrew can only sigh, “I wish I was more .” Of course. Just as Brüno is more of a comment on culture than the (or hate) that dare not speak its name, is actually less a than a satiric view of macho. Appreciative as Shelton may be of her dudes, she has another . Each in his own way, the guys have been freaked by a of assertive female — although the term “pussy-whipped” is never used.

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Gates Plan May Be Beginning of the End of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

Studies Ways to Relax Enforcement as First Step; Impact on Troops Would be Minimal

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — In the wake of yesterday’s unexpected announcement about in the military, experts say the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy may be on the of that would speed up its demise. After speaking with last week, has asked military to explore how to modify enforcement of the policy in ways that are “more flexible until the law is changed.” The Monday reiterated his to end against troops, saying he is working with and the military to do so.

Christopher , of the Palm Center, said the remarks by Secretary Gates marked the first time the has made clear that the is onboard with the ’s determination to lift the ban. “‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ is a package — both a law and a policy — that ’t been penetrated for fifteen years,” said. “This is a crack in , and it gets the ball rolling for a since it gives cover to who have been waiting for a from the .”

said that even a small change in how “don’t ask, don’t tell” is enforced could represent a seismic , even if it does not have a substantial on most troops, who would still be subject to discharge. If the military stops applying certain of the policy, as Gates says it is considering, it would send a signal to about the of change. “That’s why is the key to unlocking the ,” said . “Even the statements themselves, although they do await follow-up action, have changed the .”
 
Last month, the Palm Center published a report which outlined several legal and political for executive branch in regulating, and even halting, provided for by . One of those is closely linked to the new review announced by Secretary Gates. According to the Palm Center study, “the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy itself, as codified by , also authority to the to determine the procedures under which investigations, separation , and other personnel actions under the authority of 10 U.S.C. Section 654 will be carried out … The Secretary of Defense has to determine the specific manner in which ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ will be implemented.” Prior to the release of the Palm Center’s report, most had assumed that only or the end the firings of troops.
 
Amidst mounting public pressure, press said this week that he thought “don’t ask, don’t tell” would be repealed by the end of the ’s first term. Nathaniel Frank, senior research at the Palm Center, said this week’s developments were politically significant. “Serious discussions have been launched by the himself,” said Frank. “ has said this is a failed policy that harms , so these are not just fixes, but may be the .” Frank added that any regulatory changes that fall short of halting all will be “window-dressing,” but he focused on the implications for further political change. “This means the potato party may finally be over, as the understands where the buck stops.”
 
In the wake of this week’s developments, the Palm Center announced that it is preparing a more extensive legal analysis of administrative for relaxing the application of certain of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” said that the Defense Department should invite as the rules are re-drafted, which would be consistent with past processes when military regulations have been
changed. “This review should be no different,” he said.
 
Organizations and individuals who have endorsed or endorsed consideration of the use of based on the legal theories outlined in the Palm Center’s study include Secretary Gates, 77 of , the page, , Campaign, , of the , the Robert Shrum, and former aide .
 
The Palm Center is a research institute at the , Santa Barbara. The Center uses rigorous social to inform of controversial , enabling to be informed more by evidence than by . Its data- approach is premised on the that the public makes wise on when high-quality information is available. For more information, visit www.palmcenter.ucsb.edu.

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Senator Harry Reid Says Obama Should Sign Order on Gay Troops, SLDN Also Joins Call for Executive Option

SANTA BARBARA, CA — Harry Reid has called on to sign an suspending the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, according to the magazine.

Referring to the repeal of the ban, Reid told reporter Kerry Eleveld that, “My hope is that it can be done administratively.” Eleveld added that, “A Democratic aide later clarified that Reid was speaking about the possibility of using an to suspend or perhaps halting enforcement of the policy by changing within the .”

As well, the () has called on to sign an . In a letter to the yesterday, wrote that, “ should consider all viable he can take on his own to get rid of this , including issuing a ’stop-loss’ order.” For more than a , has been the largest and most in the country working on the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

The idea of ending the ban by gained after the release last month of a Palm Center study showing that the has the authority to suspend “don’t ask, don’t tell” via a . Before that time, many argued that only or the courts could lift the ban on service by openly troops.

Others calling for the to sign an include the page, the Campaign, Out, an of and alumni of the U.S. at , Los Angeles and Center Jean, and former Clinton official .

Palm Aaron said that awareness of the has changed the conversation about “don’t ask, don’t tell” substantially. “ used to duck the issue by blaming for the inertia. Now it’s clear that he has unilateral authority to fulfill his campaign .”

The Palm Center is a research institute at the , Santa Barbara. The Center uses rigorous social to inform of controversial , enabling to be informed more by evidence than by . Its data- approach is premised on the that the public makes wise on when high-quality information is available. For more information, visit www.palmcenter.ucsb.edu.

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The Church and Gay Marriage: Are Mormons Misunderstood?

, Jay began hearing that in his neighborhood were receiving letters about him. lives in Alameda, Calif., a small, liberal-leaning community hanging off Oakland into the Bay. , who is a , had supported Proposition 8, the ballot banning same- . And that made him a . “Dear ,” the letter began, “Our , Colleen and Jay ” — and it gave their — “contributed $1,500.00 to the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign. SHOULD BE AWARE OF THEIR .” The note accused the Pimentels of “ about same- .” It listed a variety of local causes that recipients should support — “unlike the Pimentels.”

, a and a lay leader in the small congregation in Alameda, is markedly even-keeled. Yet the poison-pen note still steams him, even though in May the California validated Prop 8 as constitutional. He is bothered less by the of his , which he stands by, than the fact that the letter’s author didn’t bother to find out that every other Saturday for 15 years, he or someone else from Alameda’s 184-member ward has delivered a of meals to the Midway Shelter for Abused and and Children — one of the organizations the Pimentels allegedly wouldn’t support. “The church does a of things in the community we don’t issue press releases about,” he says. “And when criticize us, we often just take it on the chin. I you could say I’m not satisfied with the way we’re seen.”

Across the country, that’s the dilemma facing the Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints. With 13 million worldwide (by its own count), the is the fourth largest church in the country, the richest per and one of the fastest-growing abroad. The body has become a force, counting among its political heavyweights like former and Democratic Harry Reid, businesspeople like the Marriotts and like Glenn Beck and Twilight novelist Stephenie Meyer. The passage of Prop 8 was the church’s latest display of its power: individual contributed half of the proposition’s $40 million despite constituting only 2% of California’s . Michael Otterson says, “This is a moment of .”

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TIME

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New Study Says Obama Can Halt Gay Discharges With Executive Order

Experts Chart Course to End 16-Year Ban

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — A study released today by a team of experts shows that the has the to end with a single order. The idea of ending the ban by has gained in the wake of news that mission-critical personnel, including speaker Dan Choi, continue to be fired under the administration because they’re . endorsed an to end the ban on Saturday and was asked about it by on . The report, “How to End Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: A of Political, Legal, Regulatory, and Organizational Steps to ,” is sponsored by the Palm Center at the , Santa Barbara.

Many have argued that only can lift the ban on service by openly troops. But according to the study, is not needed. Dr. Aaron , Director of the Palm Center and a study co-author, said “The administration does not want to move forward on this issue because of from both parties in , and does not want to move forward without a signal from the . This study provides a recipe for breaking through the , as well as a for once the civilians give the green light.”

There are three legal bases to the ’s authority, the report says. First, has already granted to the the to halt under 10 U.S.C. 12305, a law which titled, “Authority of to suspend certain laws relating to promotion, retirement, and separation.” Under the law, the may suspend any of law relating to promotion, retirement, or separation applicable to any member of the who the determines is essential to the of the during a “period of national emergency.” The statute specifically defines a “national emergency” as a time when “ of a reserve component are serving involuntarily on active duty.”

The second and third bases of presidential authority are contained within the “don’t ask, don’t tell” itself. The law to the Defense Department authority to determine the process by which will be carried out, saying they will proceed “under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, in accordance with procedures set forth in such regulation.” Finally, the law calls for the discharge of service if a finding of is made, but it does not require that such a finding ever be made. According to the study, these mean that the , not , has the “authority to devise and implement the procedures under which those findings may be made.”

Diane H. Mazur, Professor of Law at the University of Florida College of Law and another study co-author, said the presidential authority to stop firing troops, known as “stop-loss,” is different from the highly unpopular stop-loss policy that the recently announced it would phase out. “That use of stop-loss forcibly extends service by those who wish to leave the military,” she said, “whereas suspending for would do the opposite: allow ongoing service by those who wish to remain in uniform.” The study says the of the stop-loss law, which are granted by , are “sensible because they give the authority to suspend laws relating to separation when a national emergency has strained personnel requirements.”

The other four authors of the study in addition to Mazur and are Dr. Nathaniel Frank, a Palm researcher and author of “: How the Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America”; Dr. Gregory M. Herek, Professor of Psychology at the , Davis; Dr. Elizabeth L. Hillman, Professor of Law at the Hastings College of the Law; and Bridget J. Wilson, who practices law at Rosenstein Wilson &; in . The report will also be published in a , “ Social Policy Perspectives 2010,” edited by James Parco, David Levy and Fred Blass.

The Palm Center is a research institute at the , Santa Barbara. The Center uses rigorous social to inform of controversial , enabling to be informed more by evidence than by . Its data- approach is premised on the that the public makes wise on when high-quality information is available. For more information, visit www.palmcenter.ucsb.edu * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual

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“TEST ME / for hiv” challenges assumptions about HIV risk in the Asian and Pacific Islander Communities

Asian &; Coalition on /, Inc. () will announce the of “TEST ME / for ”, a historic effort to a major discrepancy and public problem – very limited access to testing and increasing infection rates in the Asian and (A&;) communities.

On May 19 2009, A&; / Awareness Day, will be joined by elected officials and on the steps of to the campaign and the public to take . May is also .

Currently, A&;PIs are the only racial/ethnic group in New York that have not experienced a in the number of new diagnoses, but only six percent (6%) of A&; report that their doctor recommended an test. This presents a major public concern that could have a far-reaching impact.

 
“‘Do you want an test today?”’ That question can be all it takes for a doctor to begin a conversation about their patient’s for ,” said Robert , ’s Chief . “ almost never pose that question to their Asian and patients because they assume the patient won’t need it. The patient the doctor’s office not knowing their status; this can to harm to the patient and extreme for their (s). This is a public concern. have an obligation to ask that question without regard to culture or ethnicity.”

has identified limited access to testing as a critical that requires the attention of and the community. Often, have preconceived assumptions about the sexual factors and lifestyle of A&;PIs based on the of Asians as “the .” seeks to change among by encouraging A&;PIs to begin the conversation in an effort to this major public problem.

 
Patients, who depend on their to advise them about what they should be screened for, are left with an incomplete of their and in possible danger. This year, a Chinese , living with , was finally diagnosed with the disease after she sought services at . Infected with and stricken by an related illness, she went from local doctor to doctor without a diagnosis, much less a recommendation for an test. During this delay in getting the right treatment, had weakened her system to the point where she developed an opportunistic infection, which could have been prevented with appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

The of the campaign will be a coordinated effort to have visit their doctor’s office wearing a tee shirt that reads “TEST ME / for ”. The action is meant to initiate conversation and create an opportunity to educate about the discrepancy.

hopes that the earned media in both and ethnic press and work with religious and will expand the discussion about in various A&; communities. The campaign will also disseminate information about the issue, and educate A&; community about obtaining an test.

 
“Our hope is that the will come around, but until that time comes I call on every A&; person to demand a test. is here to teach you what you should ask for and help empower you to take of your , but it’s up to you to take that step and say ‘test me for ’, “said Therese R. Rodriguez, ’s . “If you have not discussed with your doctor, you do not have a complete picture of your . You need to ask the question so that you can have the peace of mind that a complete exam gives.”

’s mission is to combat / stigma and related , to prevent the spread of the / in Asian &; communities, and to provide care and treatment for Asian &; living with / and their families. The was founded ago and remains the only Pan-Asian / devoted to working with A&; communities in .

“I applaud for empowering Asian and to take of their ,” said Dr. Monica Sweeney Assistant Commissioner of the Department’s Bureau of / Prevention and . “As long as there are out there who are unaware of their status, there is a great of transmission. If you do not know your status, you cannot access the care you need and you can unknowingly spread the to others. Everybody needs to know their status.”

’s Chief and will brief the media about the issue and the campaign at the May 19 press conference and can be made available for interview prior to the announced. Mayor Michael , Governor David Patterson and other elected offices have been invited to attend the press conference.

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White House Sets Record Straight on Gay Ban

SANTA BARBARA, Calif — The following was released today by the Michael D. Palm Center:

Asked today if the would consider halting by presidential authority, press said it would not stop the firing of troops. That said, insisted that the believes that the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy “isn’t working for our ” and that he “will work with the Joints , the administration and with ” to change the policy.

In recent weeks, the ’s team has sent . spoke of what action would occur “if” the policy were repealed, suggesting it may not be; and advisor said this weekend he was not sure if the ban would be lifted.

Scholars said that ’ comments today indicate new from the in reassuring the public that “don’t ask, don’t tell” will be repealed. Nathaniel Frank, senior research at the Palm Center, said that “today’s remarks appear to send a signal to any member of the administration who questions the ’s resolve.”

At the same time, ’ statement raised questions by rights experts about why , who continues to say he wants the ban terminated, would preside over ongoing when he has authority to end them by . The Palm Center yesterday released a report by a team of scholars and showing that the has to halt immediately.

, who worked in the as special assistant to the on issues, said that the should the short-term he has to end the ban. “I have long supported and advocated a on further ,” he said today, “and I think it’s well within the ’s to do that immediately.” Socarides said an halting would be consistent with ’s stated that the policy should end.

The Palm Center is a research institute at the , Santa Barbara. The Center uses rigorous social to inform of controversial , enabling to be informed more by evidence than by . Its data- approach is premised on the that the public makes wise on when high-quality information is available. For more information, visit www.palmcenter.ucsb.edu.

Website: http://www.palmcenter.ucsb.edu
Website: http://www.palmcenter.org

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Same-sex marriage is all up to Gov. Lynch in New Hampshire

Gov. is facing “a of ” on whether to allow in .
That’s the assessment of , director of the University of Center, who said he does not believe the popular governor will be hurt politically no matter what his decision.
The House passed the bill Wednesday, for it to land on Lynch’s . He has three facing him: He can the bill, sign it or allow it to become law without his .
He has stated publicly he believes the state’s law passed in 2007 provides all the legality needed for and he doesn’t personally support . He has also said he has not made up his mind as governor how he will come down on the issue.
No matter what his decision, said Smith, he’ll be just fine.
“He’s not in a position where it matters to him electorally. He’s got a 70-percent . He can say whatever. He’s got his own independent political machine that’s outside the ,” he said. “If he it, the will gripe, but they have never been able to field a credible candidate against him. If he it, the are still going to for him (in 2010).”
Smith said the votes in the House and the — 178-167 and 13-11, respectively — are not dissimilar to ’ feeling on the issue. In the most recent conducted by the center, 55 percent favored and 39 opposed it. The latter number has trended down slightly since the center started polling several years ago, he said. Initially, 42 percent were in . See Same-sex marriage is all up to lynch
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When a staffer switches genders

Tony Ferraiolo will never forget his first day back at work after surgery. The 46-year-old ’s trembled as he entered the windowless headquarters of ., a switch and in Branford, .

Under the of his , Ferraiolo crossed the plant floor and settled into his office. A later, Madison owner and Steve walked in and sat down. “So you’re a ‘he’ now, right?” asked. Ferraiolo nodded. “Good enough,” said briskly. “I’ll let the managers know.”

For , 50, there was no question about what would happen next. Ferraiolo would continue to supervise more than half of the plant’s 50 employees. Life would go on as before, with one small difference: Ferraiolo would no longer use the ladies’ room.

describes his decision to support the employee formerly known as Ann Ferraiolo through the as a no-.

“If you start limiting your in staff based on this kind of thing, you’re yourself off from a of good ,” he says. “We could have a valuable manufacturing - it was as simple as that.” See When a staffer switches genders @

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