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Saturday, June 30, 2012

MOROCCO: Wearing the hijab may not be an ‘Islamic duty’ says university | WNN – Women News Network

http://womennewsnetwork.net/2012/06/25/morocco-wearing-the-hijab-may-not-be-an-islamic-duty-says-university/


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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Palestinian: US supports 'an apartheid system that is suffocating us' - World News

http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/28/12444325-palestinian-us-supports-an-apartheid-system-that-is-suffocating-us?lite


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Egyptian first lady-to-be sparks debate

Egyptian first lady-to-be sparks debate

She draws mixed reactions in a country accustomed to first ladies with Western looks and degrees. 

Read the entire story here:



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PDF of SCOTUS Decision

http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/uploadedFiles/Reuters_Content/2012/06_-_June/Healthcare_decision.pdf


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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Parents of Rutgers student who committed suicide say "Sin needs to be taken out of homosexuality" - Rock Center with Brian Williams

http://rockcenter.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/27/12437202-parents-of-rutgers-student-who-committed-suicide-say-sin-needs-to-be-taken-out-of-homosexuality


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NYTimes: Afghan Rape Case Turns Focus on Local Police

A young woman's accusation of rape and abduction against a local police unit highlights the persistence of tribal custom, the fragility of newly legislated protections for women, and the power of armed men.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/28/world/asia/afghan-rape-case-turns-focus-on-local-police.html

AP Mobile: High-tech way to explore, share about AIDS quilt

WASHINGTON (AP) - For tourists struck by the summer heat in the nation's capital, a quilt might be the farthest thing from their minds. But thanks to the NAMES Project Foundation, one quilt in particular is stealing the show at the national Mall.

To mark its 25th anniversary, the AIDS Memorial Quilt has returned to Washington as part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. It's the quilt's first appearance on the Mall since 1996. Each of the 8,000 panels of the quilt on display for the festival memorializes a man or woman who died battling HIV/AIDS.

When the quilt was here 16 years ago, the entire thing stretched across the Mall. At 1.3 million square feet, organizers say today's quilt is too large to be displayed in full.

Most of the panels sent in come from friends, family or loved ones of those who died of HIV/AIDS. At the onset of the project in 1987, organizers believed the disease would be cured and the squares would be taken apart and sent back within five years, said Julie Rhoad, NAMES Project Foundation executive director.

Rhoad said the foundation has made a lot of progress in 25 years towards educating the public, but there still is not a cure.

"I think that we've come a long way," Rhoad said, "but the question is: 'Do we settle on where we are right now?'"

Almost 35,000 people were diagnosed with AIDS in 2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Though medication exists to slow HIV from becoming AIDS, the agency says these treatments must be taken daily for the rest of the patient's life.

"The least among us don't have access to quality care," Rhoad said.

At the opening ceremony for the festival held Wednesday, Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., said the AIDS Memorial Quilt symbolizes a need for people "to learn to live together."

"The AIDS Quilt is saying we all live in the same house, the American house, the world house," Lewis said. "We can never, ever leave this house, so together we must build a world community that is free from disease and is finally at peace with itself."

For those unable to get to the Mall to see the quilt in person, researchers from the University of Southern California created a website for the Names Project Foundation that launched at the festival Wednesday.

Organized alphabetically by first name, it allows users to see blocks dedicated to specific people, their name, city, date of birth and date of death if that information is available, and the block's location among those laid out on the mall. Users can also post stories and comments alongside squares of the quilt displayed online. Those at the event can use it to locate specific panels laid out on the mall.

The standard size of a panel is 6 feet-by-3 feet. Eight panels make up one block, and on the Mall, four blocks were cable-tied together to form what they refer to as a patch, with an area of about 576 square feet, bigger than some D.C. studio apartments.

Many of the panels on the Mall indicate birth and death dates of the people they memorialize.

Festival visitor Nancy Bard of Seaford, Del., was surprised to see that she was born in the same year as many of those who had passed away.

Since the first cases of AIDS appeared in the United States more than 600,000 people diagnosed with the disease have died, according to the CDC.

"I think people have put their heart and soul into this," Bard said, "and I'm surprised. As I see them, you know it hits home how many people have and are dying from AIDS."

Kelly Rivera Hart, a volunteer for the NAMES Project Foundation from San Francisco, contributed a panel this year in honor of his friend, Rick Flener, who succumbed to AIDS in 2002.

The panel for Flener is a blue rectangle with a disco ball in the left-hand corner made from shiny fabric Hart found in the Haight-Ashbury district. Clear letters written on the panel spell out one of Flener's favorite jokes and qualities that friends and family remember about him: "his sweet smile," ''his warm friendship" and "silliness."

Hart became involved with HIV/AIDS activism when he received his diagnosis in 1992. He said finding out he had HIV woke him up.

"I thought, you know, I need to be doing something with my life," Hart said.

After his diagnosis, Hart began taking medication to treat the disease, which he said gave him nerve damage, forcing him to give up running and going out dancing four nights a week.

But Hart remains optimistic.

"Things slow me down," Hart said, "I'm not letting them stop me."

The Folklife Festival also contains an exhibit called "Citified" that displays art from southeast Washington D.C. and one called "Campus and Community," celebrating colleges established by land grants in 1862. Those exhibits and the AIDS Memorial Quilt exhibit will run from June 27 to July 1 and July 4-8.

___

Online:

AIDS Quilt website:http://www.aidsquilttouch.org


Christian group backs away from gay 'cure' - Life

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47975787/ns/us_news-life/t/christian-group-backs-away-gay-cure/


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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Christian group backs away from ex-gay therapy

http://m.cbsnews.com/fullstory.rbml?catid=57461144&feed_id=999&videofeed=999


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Fwd: Task Force applauds National Council of La Raza’s marriage equality endorsement


National Gay and Lesbian Task Force National Gay and Lesbian Task Force National Gay and Lesbian Task Force National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

MEDIA CONTACT:


Inga Sarda-Sorensen
Director of Communications
(Office) 646.358.1463
(Cell) 202.641.5592
isorensen@theTaskForce.org

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force applauds National Council of La Raza's marriage equality endorsement

WASHINGTON, June 26 — The board of directors of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, recently voted to endorse marriage equality. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and NCLR have worked together on issues related to racial and economic justice, comprehensive and humane immigration reform, LGBT rights and marriage equality, among others.

Statement by Rea Carey, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

"This is truly a historic moment as the National Council of La Raza takes an official and unequivocal stand for marriage equality. We are proud to work together with NCLR on the many issues that affect all of our lives. Whether it be for comprehensive and humane immigration reform, fair access to education and jobs, an end to voter suppression and racial profiling, the right to love and be who we are free of discrimination — these issues affect us all, our families and our country. With this historic vote, NCLR reaffirms that LGBT issues are Latino issues and we reaffirm that Latino issues are LGBT issues."

To learn more about the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, visit www.theTaskForce.org
and follow us on Twitter: @TheTaskForce.

–30–


The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force builds the power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community from the ground up. The Task Force is the country's premier social justice organization fighting to improve the lives of LGBT people and working to create positive, lasting change and opportunity for all. The Task Force is a 501(c)(3) corporation incorporated in Washington, D.C. Contributions to the Task Force are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. © 2012, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 1325 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 600, Washington, D.C., 20005. Phone 202.393.2241. TTY 202.393.2284. theTaskForce@theTaskForce.org.


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Pool of American imams too small to meet the demand

http://www.religionnews.com/faith/clergy-and-congregations/pool-of-american-imams-too-small-to-meet-the-demand


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More Than 30 LGBT, HIV/AIDS Orgs Call for National Immigration Reform in Wake of High Court Ruling - Poliglot

http://www.metroweekly.com/poliglot/2012/06/lgbt-hivaids-orgs-call-for-reform.html


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Monday, June 25, 2012

Fwd: Supreme Court strikes down key provisions of Arizona’s anti-immigrant law



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Begin forwarded message:

From: "National Gay and Lesbian Task Force" <Media@theTaskForce.org>
Date: June 25, 2012 12:05:08 PM EDT
To: "Faisal Alam" <alam.faisal@gmail.com>
Subject: Supreme Court strikes down key provisions of Arizona's anti-immigrant law
Reply-To: <Media@theTaskForce.org>

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force National Gay and Lesbian Task Force National Gay and Lesbian Task Force National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

MEDIA CONTACT:


Inga Sarda-Sorensen
Director of Communications
(Office) 646.358.1463
(Cell) 202.641.5592
isorensen@theTaskForce.org

Supreme Court strikes down key provisions of Arizona's anti-immigrant law

WASHINGTON, June 25 — The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, a longtime advocate for comprehensive and humane immigration reform, responded to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling today striking down significant portions of SB 1070, Arizona's anti-immigrant law. The court did, however, leave intact the racist "show me your papers" provision. The Task Force has repeatedly spoken out against the unjust law.

Statement by Rea Carey, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

"This ruling strikes down some key provisions of a draconian law that makes people more vulnerable to abuse. SB 1070 and laws like it only serve to divide us by opening the door to racial profiling, infringement of civil rights, and harassment and violence against those seen as 'different.' While we are encouraged by parts of today's decision, the path has been cleared for the most offensive portion of the law – the 'show me your papers' provision – to take effect. Nobody should be forced to live in constant fear of having their family torn part, of being separated from their loved ones, while simply trying to go about their daily lives.

"The bottom line is that Arizona's anti-immigrant law is a license to discriminate. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people know all too well how easily those who are perceived to 'look different' or 'act different' can be singled out for persecution.

"This ruling spotlights the critical need for comprehensive immigration reform, and we continue to urge Congress to make it a priority. Laws that target and demonize people are not the answer; stripping people of their civil liberties and humanity is not the answer. Our political leaders must work toward reform that is fair and humane. SB 1070  was a cruel, ill-conceived idea that wasted taxpayer dollars and demeaned our country's values of fairness and freedom."

To learn more about the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, visit www.theTaskForce.org
and follow us on Twitter: @TheTaskForce.

–30–


The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund builds the grassroots political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. The Task Force Action Fund does this through direct and grassroots lobbying to defeat anti-LGBT ballot initiatives and legislation, and works to pass pro-LGBT legislation and other progressive initiatives. The Task Force Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation incorporated in New York. Contributions to the Task Force Action Fund are not tax-deductible. 


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Sunday, June 24, 2012

Faith groups on front line of Pride Parade - chicagotribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-gay-pride-parade-religion-20120624,0,5946622.story


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BBC NEWS - London 2012 Olympics: Saudis allow women to compete

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18571193


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AP Mobile: Egypt election commission: Islamist Mohammed Morsi wins presidential runoff



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Valentine's Day Across the Muslim World (2012)