This comment was based upon the comments he made in the documentary about T and increased libido and the look on her face as well as how he said it. To be honest, I had a this feels creepy moment during that part of the dialogue. And relationship/marital rape research pertaining to these kinds of remarks. Also- Criminalizing marital rape: a comparison of judicial and legislative approaches.: An article from: Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law by Theresa Fus. (I'm doing current research in this area for teaching presently- this is just one article of several in forensic psychology and this kind of rape/sexual abuse/assault). Frankly, our society has continually refused to call this what it is and deal with the many facets of this kind of rape. And we need to call it what it is- rape. In the context of my prior post, I was using the term figuratively to make this point, but probably should have explained this.


My main point actually is that Chaz is not (to me) a positive role-model for transgendered persons and that there are so many others that are. I find Ira Beattie's to have some sound criticism of bono in terms of being a credible spokesperson- and he just 19 years old! Although, I admit, I have never (pre and post transition) thought Chaz Bono to be all that bright. I did appreciate having a Transperson go on DWTS and wanted to support that- but as I have read more and more about him and other transmen's issues with his being portrayed as some kind of expert on gender issues, I have lost respect for him. And there is the misogyny. Maybe as he continues his journey, he will grow in other ways and see how and why some of his actions and thought processes are quite sexist.

8 Stories Buried By the Corporate Media That You Need to Know About
Not all news stories are treated equally.

As 2011 comes to a close, we will see lists of the year’s most memorable events and most important people, as is the pattern every year. But not all stories are created equal. When the corporate media bury significant developments in the back pages of the paper or the second to last paragraph of an article, it’s easy for stories to go unnoticed.

As usual, this year was packed with critical, newsworthy and insufficiently covered stories that should have, but didn't, make the front page. Below are eight explosive must-read stories of 2011 that you may have missed.

1) Our Planet Saw the Largest Increase in Carbon Emissions Since the Industrial Revolution

2) Widespread Trafficking Of Iraqi Women And Girls Thanks To The Iraq War

3) More Iraq Veterans Committed Suicide Last Year Than Active-Duty Troops Died In Combat

4) Drone Strikes Kill Innocent Civilians, Not Just 'Militants'

5) Record Number Of US Kids Face Hunger and Homelessness
1 in 45 US kids are homeless - 1.6 million
16.2 million American children – one in five-- face the threat of hunger

6) Prisoners Are People Too

7) US Deports 46,000 Parents, Kids Left Behind In Foster Care

8) FBI Teaches Agents That Muslims Are Violent Radicals

Article here: http://www.alternet.org/news/153455/..._About/?page=1

Some good news.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/1...6pLid%3D122197

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- A Navy tradition caught up with the repeal of the U.S. military's "don't ask, don't tell" rule on Wednesday when two women sailors became the first to share the coveted "first kiss" on the pier after one of them returned from 80 days at sea.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta of Placerville, Calif., descended from the USS Oak Hill amphibious landing ship and shared a quick kiss in the rain with her partner, Petty Officer 3rd Class Citlalic Snell of Los Angeles. Gaeta, 23, wore her Navy dress uniform while Snell, 22, wore a black leather jacket, scarf and blue jeans. The crowd screamed and waved flags around them.

"It's something new, that's for sure," Gaeta told reporters after the kiss.

"It's nice to be able to be myself. It's been a long time coming."

For the historical significance of the kiss, there was little to differentiate it from countless others when a Navy ship pulls into its home port following a deployment. Neither the Navy nor the couple tried to draw attention to what was happening and many onlookers waiting for their loved ones to come off the ship were busy talking among themselves.

David Bauer, the commanding officer of the USS Oak Hill, said that Gaeta and Snell's kiss would largely be a non-event and the crew's reaction upon learning who was selected to have the first kiss was positive.

"It's going to happen and the crew's going to enjoy it. We're going to move on and it won't overshadow the great things that this crew has accomplished over the past three months," Bauer said.

The ship returned to Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story following an 80-day deployment to Central America. The crew of more than 300 participated in exercises involving the militaries of Honduras, Guatemala Colombia and Panama as part of Amphibious-Southern Partnership Station 2012.

Both women are Navy fire controlmen, who maintain and operate weapons systems on ships. They met at training school where they were roommates and have been dating for two years, which they said was difficult under "don't ask, don't tell."

"We did have to hide it a lot in the beginning," Snell said. "A lot of people were not always supportive of it in the beginning, but we can finally be honest about who we are in our relationship, so I'm happy."

Navy officials said it was the first time on record that a same-sex couple was chosen to kiss first upon a ship's return. Sailors and their loved ones bought $1 raffle tickets for the opportunity. Gaeta said she bought $50 of tickets, a figure that she said pales in comparison to amounts that some other sailors and their loved ones had bought. The money was used to host a Christmas party for the children of sailors.

Snell said she believes their experience won't be the last one for gays and lesbians in the military.

"I think that it's something that is going to open a lot of doors, for not just our relationship, but all the other gay and lesbian relationships that are in the military now," she said.

Snell is based on the USS Bainbridge, the guided missile destroyer that helped rescue cargo captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates in 2009.

As is always true, I find your thoughts and keen communication skills around this to be helpful. My late partner was with a butch turned transman (15 year relationship) that did fall apart due to transition mainly. It was difficult, but they remained co-parents and friends.

2011 has been a tough year for the National Organization for Marriage (NOM).


http://equalitymatters.org/blog/201112210002

Pic of the kiss!

http://dodsonandross.com/files/blog_...jpg?1324561485

Texas loses half a billion trees to epic drought
Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com
December 21, 2011

A punishing drought in Texas has not only damaged crops, killed cattle, and led to widespread fires, but has also killed off a significant portion of the state's trees: between 100 and 500 million trees have perished to drought stress according to preliminary analysis. The estimate does not include tree mortality caused by fires. The drought has been linked to La Niña conditions, which causes drying in the Southern U.S., and has likely been exacerbated by global climate change.

In all around 10 percent of Texas' forests may have been lost to the drought—so far. Trees are expected to continue suffering and dying in Texas even if rain comes; however, forecasters predict dry conditions will remain in Texas for another six months at least. "This is a generational event," Barry Ward, executive director of Trees for Houston told Reuters. "Mature trees take 20 or 30 years to re-grow. This will make an aesthetic difference for decades to come." A recent study looking at tree ring data found that Texas had not seen a drought of this magnitude since 1789 when the territory was contested between the Spanish and Native Americans.

"[The drought] is basically off the charts. Based on past history, you wouldn’t expect to see this happening in maybe 500 or 1,000 years. One more year and we’re already talking about a drought more severe than anything we’ve ever had," Texas state climatologist, John Nielsen-Gammon, told CBS at the time.

A report in 2009 on expected climate change impacts in the Southwest region of the U.S. predicted increased drought and wildfires with negative impacts on agriculture and forests. Scientists say droughts like Texas' are increasingly becoming a combination of both natural variance and human impact, i.e. climate change. "When a drought comes, often temperatures are already higher than they would have been 50 years ago and so the effects of the drought are magnified by higher evaporation rates," Texas climatologist Katherine Hayhoe explained to Climate Progress.


http://photos.mongabay.com/j/drought.map.us.568.jpg

Map shows the level of drought and dryness across the US in July 2011. Map courtesy US Department of Agriculture. Click to enlarge.

from - http://print.news.mongabay.com/2011/...=SNS.analytics

Yale and Columbia Reimburse Gay Employees for Extra Taxes



http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/...xes/?src=rechp

(Beyond the beyond.....)



Linda Harvey: ‘There’s No Proof’ that LGBT people exist



http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2011/08/l...-people-exist/

Can't we just pull her tongue so she lisps or some such nonsense like she is spewing?

If we don't exist, why are they making LGBT coffee?
 

Williamsburg roaster debuts 'gay coffee'
By Fran Ryan
Daily Hampshire Gazette / December 24, 2011

WILLIAMSBURG, Mass.—The coffee might not be gay, and the consumers are likely coffee lovers of every persuasion, but the message of this campy new brand is clear: Gay culture and gay history are splashing onto the coffee scene.

Five fledgling blends make up the new brand. There are dark roasts such as "Red Hanky Roast" and "Second Date," dark and medium blends like "Weekend Pass" and "Good Morning Mary" and a medium roast called "Stone Butch Breakfast Blend."

From the young blonde sailor on "Weekend Pass" to the woman carrying moving boxes on "Second Date," each blend sports humorously crafted artwork on the front to reflect its catchy moniker.

This kitschy concept comes from Elbow Room Coffee owner Melissa Krueger. Together with a handful of friends, Krueger says Gay Coffee started as a casual conversation over a cup of you-know-what. The discussion centered around how gay and lesbian culture has seemingly entered the mainstream in many areas.

"The `aha' moment came when we were talking about same-sex marriage and a friend commented on how gay culture is now seen everywhere. She said, `Why I bet this coffee is even gay.' It was a joke of course, but it got me thinking," she said.

Krueger thought it would be interesting to market a line of coffee with a gay theme, poking fun at stereotypes and cliches within the gay and lesbian community. She worried, however, that some people "wouldn't get it" and that is where friend Daniel Rivers came in.

Rivers, a visiting lecturer in the Study of Women and Gender at Smith College, encouraged Krueger to keep the camp on the front while putting cultural and historical facts on the back.

"And that was it. That took it from being just funny, to putting information into places where it normally wouldn't be," Krueger said.

Rivers did a little research and penned the educational bits on each blend. A longtime advocate of social justice and civil rights, Krueger said she had always wanted to market a product that had the potential to "make a difference."

"It's fun, it's educational and 1 percent of our profits are donated to the National Lesbian Gay Bisexual Task Force," she said. The task force helps to organize broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT legislation.

But it's not only about history, humor and social justice. Once consumers are drawn in by the marketing, Krueger hopes they will stay for the most important part, the taste.

"I roast everything here," she said of her Williamsburg shop, located a few feet off Route 9. "I have a 25-pound barrel roaster but I only roast eight to 12 pounds at a time. I could do more, but think that ratio of heat and air makes the coffee taste better," she said.

After debuting Gay Coffee at the Castro Street Fair in San Francisco on Oct. 2, she returned home and scrambled to put together an online store before the holidays. Gay Coffee took off.

"Initially I saw it as a small niche product, but the turnover has been quicker than I expected," Krueger said. So quick in fact, that Gay Coffee has already gone international. Krueger is not only sending orders throughout the U.S., but is shipping to Canada, Iceland and countries in Europe.

"I have to say I was pretty surprised when an order came in from Reykjavik!"

Locally, the brand can be purchased at Broadside Books in Northampton and Cup and Top in Florence, as well as directly from Elbow Room Coffee in Williamsburg. According to Krueger, she may add a few more blends to her repertoire.

"I would like to include some more multicultural labels and some that include the trans community. There are two or three more planned and we are always open to ideas from people," she said.

"This industry takes itself so seriously, that it is fun do a little play on branding. Obviously, coffee can't be gay, and you don't have to be gay to drink it. But I think there is a lot of room to put Gay Coffee on the shelves with other fair trade, organic artisan coffees," Krueger said.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/mas...--+Latest+news


-----------------------------------------

And visit Gay Coffee at http://www.gaycoffee.com/

Thanks for this Kobi! Even though I am a die-hard Peets coffee-drinker, I will buy a bag. I think it is critical to support LGBT businesses if they offer a quality product.

I will let you know how it is after I try it!

Minnesota gay community ‘apologizes’ to GOP adulteress for ruining her marriage


http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2011/12/m...-her-marriage/

I LOVE this. Ha ha

Sounding Quiet Dissent About a Holiday Perennial [LGBT and the Salvation Army]



http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/24/us...iews.html?_r=1

No More Plastic Bags in Seattle, Mexico City Closes Huge Landfill As Recycling Rises

12/23/2011
SustainableBusiness.com News

The City of Seattle City unanimously passed a bill that bans plastic bags and charges 5 cents for paper bags to encourage people to bring their own bags when they shop. Council Bill 117345, which goes into effect July 1, is intended to help clean up Puget Sound and protect marine wildlife from 292 million single-use plastic bags thrown away each year. Only 13% of those bags get recycled. Washington State consumes a total of 2 billion plastic bags a year.

In addition to environmental organizations supporting the plastic bag ban, businesses and unions advocated for the bill, including the Northwest Grocery Association, which represents the state's largest supermarkets (Safeway, Fred Meyer, QFC and Albertsons), the Washington Restaurant Association, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21, and local independent grocers.

http://media.salon.com/2007/08/plast...killing_us.jpg

"Of course people are not intentionally littering their bags into Puget Sound, but with so many in circulation, bags are ending up there, causing real damage to habitats and wildlife, says City Councilmember Mike O'Brien, who sponsored the bill. Bringing our own reusable bags when we go shopping is a simple step we can all take that will protect our environment and reduce unnecessary waste." Last year, for example, a gray whale washed up on shore with more than 20 plastic bags in its stomach.

Other Washington State cities, Bellingham, Edmonds and Mukilteo passed similar legislation earlier this year. More than a dozen municipalities in California, the Hawaiian islands of Maui and Kauai, and over 30 coastal towns in Alaska have banned plastic bags. Seattle's law also requires retailers charge 5 cents per paper bag they hand out to encourage people to bring their own bags, rather than just switching to paper. Retailers will keep the money as part of the incentive. Producing paper bags is actually more resource-intensive than that of plastic.

In 2008, Seattle attempted to charge 20 cents for paper and plastic bags, but strong pushback from the plastics industry killed that. The industry successfully persuaded voters to reject the measure, which they spend $1.6 million on to get on the ballot.



Mexico City Closes Landfill, As Recycling Rises

Mexico City announced it would close its landfill by the end of this year, which is one of the world's largest. The site will be turned into a recycling separation plant and composting center, and the old landfill will generate energy through landfill gas capture, but the 12,600 tons of garbage the city used to dump there will stop.The city has successfully reduced its garbage 50% by recycling and composting.

Going forward, concrete giant Cemex will buy 3,000 tons of garbage a day to convert to energy, and the remaining garbage will be dumped in smaller landfills. And a new plant will recycle construction waste into building materials. Closing the dump will cut greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum 2 million tons of carbon dioxide a year.

Mexico City has been aggressively ramping its recycling program. Whereas only 6% of waste was recycled three years ago, that percentage is now at almost 60%.

http://media.heraldonline.com/smedia...n0gU.St.55.jpg

We need to stop the use of paper bags too- the pollution from their manufacturing is actually worse than the production processes of plastic bags (yes, i didn't believe this at first.. Mega chemicals sent out to our air from paper manufacturing processing. The best thing is using canvas bags that we bring to the store when we shop. Plastic bags, however, are terrible for wildlife as the habdles on them get caught on animals. But, their actual production processes pollute less than the paper bags. Something that bothers me with cardboard recycling- again, chemicals spewn into the air. We need to cut down on as much paper production as possible- and develop less toxic ways to produce it.

We need to re-use and buy grocery bags that are reusable. Plus, stop all the damn littering!

Right on. I carry a couple different canvas and mesh bags in the trunk of my car.

Great post. The city of Long Beach, of all places, banned the use of plastic bags!

No department store, grocery store, any store- gives them out anymore! I believe it started January 1, 2011.

We either remember to bring in our own canvas or recycled plastic bags, or pay 10 cents extra for any paper bag that they use for purchases.

If you don't want to pay extra for a bag and you forget your own, your cart on the way out of the store looks just like it did when you got to the register.

I must have 10 different bags in my trunk now. Sometimes I still forget to grab one on my way into a store and must pack all my purchases @ my car.

I am very happy the city did this even if inconvenient at times.

LOL, finally, I remember to put a few in the dog mobile as well as the car trunk! SF is following in Long Beach's steps soon and all resturants here around me don't use any styrofoam any longer (thankfully!). Making sure to pout them back in vehicles after putting groceries away was my downfall. But, I have just made that part of the grocery buying experience.

Ugh... packaging in general in the US is so damn wasteful and "un-green," costing us in ways most people don't consider as personal. The cost (passed on to consumers) of landfill procurement, required environmental requirements to set them up and closure (which is monitored for years at high cost) is expensive and reflected in our waste pick-up costs.

But, our making changes individually adds up- we do make an impact by recycling and reducing consumption of things like plastic (or paper) bags. LOL, can you tell my family is in the waste and recycling industry?

Kalamazoo looks to push back against House Bill that would void anti-discrimination ordinance


http://www.wwmt.com/articles/void-13...kalamazoo.html

Lesbian couple sue Hawaii hotel for discrimination after they are 'barred from getting a room'

Diane Cervelli and Taeko Bufford claim the owner of the Aloha Bed & Breakfast in Honolulu said she cannot accommodate lesbians because of her religious beliefs

B&B 'violated' Hawaii's public accommodation law


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1hegTGUhf


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...imination.html

CAUTION: Animal Abuse Story
 

Not "breaking news", but, since we have a lot of animal lovers here...what a sick creep. Click on the link for the Sacramento Bee for a more thorough story (be aware more thorough means more information on the specific abuse).

I am so glad the asshole got 10 years! If I can get the judge's contact information I am going to write him to thank him!

http://www.newser.com/story/136162/s...-10-years.html

(Newser) – A wheelchair-bound California parolee has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting an eight-month-old Chihuahua. He must also register as a sex offender in what could be the first such requirement in an animal abuse case. Robert Edward De Shields was renting space in a Sacramento house when the homeowners returned to find him with their Chihuahua, Shadow, "in pain and shock," reports the Los Angeles Times. A veterinarian examined the Chihuahua, and discovered the dog had suffered severe damage to its internal organs.

Shadow survived following surgery, according to the Sacramento Bee. The dog is currently being cared for in a foster home. "Shadow is a victim in every sense of the word," the new owner told the judge. The dog is extraordinarily fearful of men, "like many victims of sexual assault," she said, and may never fully recover from its physical wounds.

not breaking news either....



Ron Paul Refused To Use Gay Mans Bathroom


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/1...r=Gay%20Voices

Teacher preventing gender bullying


This article is about a teacher who came to the realization that she had to address gender stereotyping and bullying in her Grade 1 class.


http://togetherforjacksoncountykids....er-bullying-in

Nearly One in Five U.S. Women Raped in Lifetime
By David Beasley

ATLANTA (Reuters) Dec 15 - Nearly 20% of women in the United States have been raped at least once and one in four has been severely attacked by an intimate partner, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Wednesday.

Almost 80% of female victims were first raped before age 25 and more than half were raped by a current or former partner, according to the CDC's analysis of data from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey of 18,049 men and women in the United States in 2010.

The survey, which the CDC said was the first of its kind, found that one in eight female rape victims said the perpetrator was a family member.

Alaska, Oregon, and Nevada had the highest percentage of women who had been raped, the study found.

One in seven men reported having experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner and one in 71 men said they had been raped at least once.

The report highlights numerous long-term health problems associated with sexual violence, including headaches, chronic pain, and difficulty sleeping.

"This landmark report paints a clear picture of the devastating impact these violent acts have on the lives of millions of Americans," U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement.

The CDC numbers show rape "is still a crime that impacts almost every family in America," said Scott Berkowitz, president of the nonprofit group Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.

More victims need to report rape and more rapists need to go to prison, Berkowitz told Reuters.

"The more we can get off the street, the more crime we can prevent," he said.

The new report defines rape as "completed forced penetration, attempted penetration, and alcohol or drug-facilitated completed penetration."

SOURCE: http://1.usa.gov/t10uOI

CDC, 2011.

Reuters Health Information © 2011

==========================================

It feels really strange to say "thanks" for this . . . but thanks for bringing it to our attention.

Study Endorses HPV Testing for All Women Over 30

LONDON (Reuters) Dec 15 - New DNA tests looking for the virus responsible for most cases of cervical cancer make sense for all women aged 30 or over, since they can prevent more cases of cancer than Pap smears alone, Dutch researchers say.

Results of a five-year study involving 45,000 women provided the strongest evidence yet in favor of using human papillomavirus (HPV) testing, Dr. Chris Meijer and colleagues from the VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam reported in The Lancet Oncology on December 15.

In recent years, tests for high-risk HPV strains have been developed by companies including Roche and Qiagen.

The new tests are known to work well in detecting HPV, but the Dutch study is the first to show they are better than Pap smears alone over two screening rounds set five years apart.

The researchers, who looked at women aged 29 to 56, said use of HPV tests led to earlier detection of pre-cancerous lesions, allowing for treatment that improved protection against cancer.

Dr. Hormuzd Katki and Dr. Nicolas Wentzensen from the U.S. National Cancer Institute said the results reinforced earlier findings, and provided "overwhelming evidence" of the benefits of including HPV testing in cervical screening programs.

The government-backed U.S. Preventive Services Task Force currently urges women who have been sexually active and have a cervix to get Pap smears at least every three years. However, the group recommends against routinely screening women over 65 if they had normal results on a recent Pap smear.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/sXFXKa

Lancet Oncol, 2011.

Reuters Health Information © 2011
==========================================

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/2...y-bluster.html

Iranian oil threat is mostly bluster, say observers

I sure hope it is bluster- I don't trust that the US could get into another military intervention in the region.

Analysis: Manning's legal strategy could lead to plea deal
 

This doesnt erase the concerns raised in the previous article regarding his defense team using GID as part of their strategy but it does explain the potential rationale behind using it.



NEW YORK (Reuters) - While it may appear that the government's document-leaking case against U.S. Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning is strong, the defense could have some surprising leverage with prosecutors and force plea negotiations.

Prosecutors may in particular find it difficult to prove the 24-year-old Manning intended to provide the information to enemies of the United States such as al Qaeda, and that the information was helpful to them, legal experts said.

Manning faces 22 charges of participating in the largest leak of classified government documents in history, including the accusation that he had unauthorized possession of information related to national defense and that he stole records belonging to the United States.

At a hearing that concluded last week, military prosecutors presented evidence that Manning downloaded thousands of classified or confidential files that later made their way to the WikiLeaks website. In his closing summation at the hearing, Captain Ashden Fein, the lead prosecutor, said Manning was a well-trained soldier who "used that training to defy our trust."

"He gave the enemies of the United States unfettered access to these documents," Fein said.

Manning's case is being reviewed by investigating officer Lieutenant Colonel Paul Almanza, who will make a recommendation by January 16 on whether or not the military should court-martial Manning.

A court-martial, which could be a few months away, is not much different from a civilian criminal trial. The charges against the accused in a court-martial must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, just like in civilian court.

The biggest difference is that jurors in a court-martial consist exclusively of members of the military. There were about

1,900 Army courts-martial in fiscal year 2010 and about 60 acquittals, according to U.S. military justice statistics.

If convicted of all counts, Manning would face a maximum punishment of life imprisonment, reduction in rank to the lowest enlisted pay grade, forfeiture of all pay and allowances and a dishonorable discharge, the Army says. The charge of aiding the enemy is a capital offense, but the Army has indicated it will not seek the death penalty.

'SKY IS NOT FALLING'

Although legal observers agree the government's case is a good one, some speculate that prosecutors could have a tough time proving the most serious charge that Manning gave information to the enemy.

During the preliminary hearing, Manning's lawyer, David Coombs, sought to demonstrate that the audience for the leaked information was not foes of the United States, but the American people, and that the country was not put in any danger due to the leaks.

"The sky is not falling, the sky has not fallen and the sky will not fall," said Coombs.

Some military law experts also question whether the government will be able to prove that Manning intended the information to reach militant groups such as al Qaeda. Merely proving that he intended the information to be displayed on the WikiLeaks website may not be enough to convict him of that charge, said some experts.

It could also be difficult for the government to prove that the information was particularly valuable to al Qaeda, said Eugene Fidell, who teaches military law at Yale Law School.

"What is it that he has told al Qaeda indirectly that is of value to al Qaeda? Is everything that is hurtful to the United States in the eyes of the world of value to al Qaeda? I don't think so," Fidell said.

By underscoring those uncertainties, Coombs may have paved the way for a more favorable plea deal, said David Velloney, a military law expert who is a professor at the Regent University School of Law. In the best-case scenario for the defense, Almanza would recommend that Manning not face the charge at a court-martial of giving information to the enemy. Such a recommendation, made to a higher-ranking officer, is not binding. But it could convince the military prosecutors to drop the charge.

"If you can win one battle there and have the government say, 'Nah, that's not such a good idea we go forward on that charge,' then that's a windfall for the defense before the trial begins," Velloney said.

Coombs has signaled he also has some cards to play at any potential sentencing. At a court-martial, there are two stages -- one to determine culpability and the other to determine a sentence. During the sentencing stage, the defense can offer extenuating and mitigating circumstances that would justify a lighter sentence than sought by the government

Throughout the hearing to determine whether a court-martial is appropriate, Coombs attempted to portray Manning as emotionally unstable with gender-identity issues who should not have had access to sensitive government files.

Combs cited emails and memos showing that Manning's superiors were aware of his gender issues and his need for therapy. But no effective action was taken, Coombs argued. The same arguments about Manning's unit could be presented at any potential sentencing.

"They're going to air all the government's dirty laundry," said Velloney. "It potentially softens the government in any plea deal."

(Reporting by Andrew Longstreth; Editing by Peter Cooney)

http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-manni...002309634.html

Woman Killed In X-Mas Day Hit-And-Run Dreamt Of Building Housing For Gay Teens



http://www.queerty.com/woman-killed-...eens-20111228/

Archbishop of Chicago under fire for comparing Gay Pride parade to Ku Klux Klan




http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...Klux-Klan.html

NC Baptist Leader Hopes That Marriage Will Be Kept Away from Gay 'Sinners' in a 'Civil' Manner


http://www.charlotteobserver.com/201...-marriage.html

Why Are American Citizens Getting Locked Up and Even Deported By Immigration Authorities?

Over 4,000 citizens were detained or deported in 2010 alone.

...“Secure Communities” is the latest of these controversial programs, introduced and piloted by the Bush administration in 14 jurisdictions beginning in 2008. According to an October 2011 report by researchers at UC-Berkeley School of Law, “Secure communities by the numbers,” the program has "expanded dramatically" under President Obama and is currently "active in 1,595 jurisdictions in 44 states and territories, a 65% increase since the beginning of this year." Since the beginning of Obama's term, his administration has overseen the deportation of 1.1 million people, “the highest number in six decades" according to the New York Times. ICE is so pleased with Secure Communities, it plans to expand its reach to all US jurisdictions by 2013.

The program requires local jails to crosscheck fingerprints of jailed individuals with Homeland Security's immigration database. If a positive match is found, federal immigration officials can issue detainers that authorize local law enforcement to hold the suspect in custody for up to 48 hours.

However, the DHS database is riddled with flaws, as demonstrated by the growing number of US citizen being wrongfully tagged. The New York Times notes, “Unlike the federal criminal databases administered by the FBI, Homeland Security records include all immigration transactions, not just violations. An immigrant who has always maintained legal status, including those who naturalized to become American citizens, can still trigger a fingerprint match.”

Although it's difficult to obtain an exact number of Americans illegally detained by ICE, Jacqueline Stevens, a political science professor at Northwestern University estimates that over 4,000 US citizens were detained or deported in 2010 alone. According to a study published by Stevens last spring, this raises the total number of American citizens detained or deported since 2003 to well over 20,000.

The Times points out that “Any case where an American is held, even briefly, for immigration investigation is a potential wrongful arrest because immigration agents lack legal authority to detain citizens.” Stevens has even referred to the “potential wrongful arrest” of US citizens as “kidnapping” because “ICE has no jurisdiction over U.S. citizens.”

Furthermore, wrongful detention and deportation is not limited to US citizens with easily accessible state-issued identification in their wallets. As Joshua Holland notes, "permanent residents, students, tourists, and people seeking asylum from torture and persecution are also swept up in the maw of Homeland Security in not-insignificant numbers." If American citizens, like Montejano, who are guaranteed the right to due process, have trouble proving their citizenship to the authorities, it's likely even more difficult for legal residents as well as other vulnerable populations, such as the mentally disabled, who may lack a clear understanding of the circumstances.

Mark Lyttle, a North Carolina native with a mental disability, spent four months wandering around Central America after being deported in 2008 because he told jail officials that he was born in Mexico City, Mexico. According to the Associated Press, Lyttle was "coerced and manipulated" by immigration agents into signing false statements that allowed his deportation.

According to his lawyers, Lyttle, who spoke no Spanish, was flown to Texas and "forced to disembark and sent off on foot into Mexico, still wearing the prison-issued jumpsuit.” Over the next 115 days, Lyttle drifted around Central America with no identification or proof of citizenship, which got him arrested and jailed in Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua. Meanwhile, his family was frantically searching for him with no help from the authorities whatsoever. The ACLU has since filed a federal lawsuit on his behalf.

Sadly, this shameful episode isn’t the first of its kind. Lyttle’s abuse at the hands of immigration enforcement sounds eerily similar to the deportation of another mentally disabled American citizen, Pedro Guzman. Holland explains how the "mentally disabled U.S. citizen who was born and raised in Los Angeles, was deported to Mexico last year, sparking a frantic search by relatives until he was finally found, three months later, alone and desperately trying to get back to the United States."

More recently, an immigration detainer mistakenly snared Romy Campos, a 19-year-old American college student. Following a November 12 arrest for a minor misdemeanor, Campos was held in a California jail for four days and denied bail.

She was assigned a public defender in state court, but the attorney told her that nothing could be done to lift the federal detainer. Campos wasn't released until four days later when ACLU attorney Jennie Pasquarella provided ICE with Campos' Florida birth certificate. Campos is a dual citizen of the US and Spain and has both a US and Spanish passport, which she has used interchangeably. Because she once entered the US with her Spanish passport, she is recorded in the DHS database.

“I felt misused completely, I felt nonimportant, I just felt violated by my own country,” Campos told the Times. While her detention was inexcusable, Campos is one of the luckier ones who got out quickly. Others have been detained for weeks and even months before proving their citizenship...

The rest of the article is here: http://www.alternet.org/immigration/...s/?page=entire

40 Years of a Pointless, Tragic Drug War -- But As Feds Crack Down, Reformers Fight Back

Tension between popular will and the political establishment makes this a time of hope and frustration for the drug reform movement.


http://images.alternet.org/images/ma...40x319_310x220

ARTICLE:http://www.alternet.org/drugs/153585...rs_fight_back/

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
NY AP TOP NEWS
Advocates: More gay-friendly senior housing needed

Experts say many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender seniors fear discrimination, disrespect or worse by health care workers and residents of elder housing facilities — ultimately leading many to go back into the closet after years of being open about their sexual orientation.


http://online.wsj.com/article/AP47f2...09bae4136.html

Lord, maybe I better get on that waiting list of hundreds now for that gay housing facility
in LA...maybe they will have an opening by the time I retire. I figure I will be able to afford to retire by the time I am 70.

All of the other RN's and social workers that I work with joke (not-so-funny) that we will be pushing our walkers in here until they boot us out.