A consultant says Pinellas County could increase tourism revenue by advertising to gay travelers, who spend more.

By STEVE HUETTEL, Times Staff Writer
Published June 27, 2006

Pinellas County is off the radar screen of most gay and lesbian tourists but could tap into the lucrative market by promoting itself as a "gay-friendly" destination, according to a consultant's report.

Only two-thirds of gay respondents in a national survey were familiar with the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area and 13 percent plan to visit in the next two years.

"Exploring this market will require a significant, extended and consistent marketing effort to establish the branding ... for a "Gay-Friendly St. Petersburg/Clearwater," wrote Walter Klages, whose Tampa company conducts research for the county's tourism marketing agency.

Klages also suggested the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Convention & Visitors Bureau look into whether the campaign might alienate traditional families, the county's bread and butter tourists, before sinking money into targeting gay people.

The agency began "niche marketing" aimed at African-Americans, Hispanics and gays and lesbians this year with proceeds from a 1-percentage-point increase in the resort tax.

Advertising to the ethnic groups is under way, but officials decided to wait for the survey of gay tourists before developing a marketing plan.

South Florida tourism marketers have long pitched their destinations in gay magazines and other media, said Carole Ketterhagen, executive director of the Pinellas bureau.

She cited state statistics that 60 destinations nationwide now market to gays.

"Our primary focus is still on the family and couples market," said Ketterhagen. "But it's important to develop as many niche markets for the destination as possible."

St. Petersburg City Council chairman Bill Foster asked during a budget hearing on the resort tax last month whether advertising to gays would turn off family vacationers.

He accepted Ketterhagen's answer that like other visitors, gay tourists come to Pinellas for a quiet vacation, not the night life of Miami's South Beach or Key West.

Advertising would be in gay-oriented publications that straight tourists won't likely see, she said Monday.

She didn't expect politicians, hoteliers or the public to object.

"Pinellas has always been a welcoming, hospitable destination for all visitors," said Ketterhagen, citing the strong turnout for Saturday's St. Pete Pride Festival.

Tourism boosters typically covet gay and lesbian visitors, who on average have higher household incomes, travel more often and spend more when they go on vacation.

The survey conducted in March by Community Marketing Inc. in San Francisco received responses from 1,730 adults.

Of those responding:

* Median household income is $87,500, with 41 percent earning more than $100,000.* 96 percent took at least one overnight leisure trip in the past two years, and the median number of trips was six.* 56 percent visited Florida in the past two years. Fort Lauderdale/Wilton Manors was the most visited destination, at 30 percent. Fourteen percent visited Tampa and 11 percent went to St. Petersburg/Clearwater.
Steve Huettel can be reached at huettel@sptimes.com or 813 226-3384.

Tourist destinations

The Tampa Bay area lagged behind other Florida destinations among gay and lesbian consumers asked in a national survey about their travel plans. Here are the share of respondents who expect to visit a Florida destination in the next two years:

Key West 50 percent

Miami/South Beach 48 percent

Fort Lauderdale 43 percent

Orlando 40 percent

Tampa 18 percent

St. Petersburg/Clearwater 13 percent

Sarasota/Bradenton 8 percent

Source: Community Marketing Inc.
See the full article

By JEFF BRUMLEY
The Times-Union

A gay-friendly Jacksonville church fighting a proposed state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in Florida said it is waging a David-vs.-Goliath battle against more powerful Christian groups bent on discrimination.

The Rev. Gary DeBusk, pastor of Christ Church of Peace in Riverside, said the congregation's recently launched Web site listing the names of amendment supporters has generated national media attention and reaction, good and bad.

DeBusk said he was recently interviewed by Fox News, CNN and others about the Web site, KnowThyNeighborFlorida.org.

Not bad, he said, for a 200-member nondenominational church waging a grassroots campaign against the powerful religious interests behind the pro-amendment petition drive.

"This is David vs. Goliath, and we are David," DeBusk said during a news conference at the church Thursday.

"That's just spin on their part," said John Stemberger, the Orlando attorney chairing Florida4Marriage.org, the coalition of religious groups leading the amendment campaign. The Florida Baptist Convention, Christian Coalition of Florida and Florida Catholic Conference are among those who support the amendment.

Stemberger said the Christ Church of Peace Web site is playing into the coalition's hands by generating much-needed publicity during the slow summer months.

Dozens of Florida and national radio programs have interviewed Stemberger about the Christ Church of Peace Web site. And the more awareness there is about the amendment, he said, the more petitions are downloaded from Florida4Marriage.org

"So we view this as manna from heaven," Stemberger said.

The amendment defines marriage as being solely between one man and one woman. According to the Florida division of elections, activists so far have collected 466,616 of the 611,009 signatures they need to place the amendment on the November 2008 ballot.

John Schumpert, the administrator at Christ Church of Peace, said its Web site currently lists registered voters from 60 of Florida's 67 counties who have signed marriage amendment petitions. The names are public record and were obtained from those counties, including Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns.

Florida Times-Union
See the full article

A Jacksonville church published the names of Florida residents who signed a petition backing the ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriage.

BY ALEXANDRA ALTER
aalter@MiamiHerald.com

A Florida church launched a campaign this week to identify supporters of a proposed state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage by publishing the names and addresses of 400,000 Florida residents in 60 counties.

The Internet campaign by Christ Church of Peace, a nondenominational church in Jacksonville, has been denounced by groups that support a state ballot initiative that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

Gary Debusk, pastor of Christ Church of Peace, said the church began the ''Know Thy Neighbor'' effort Monday to encourage dialogue and prevent voter-signature fraud. As the head of a congregation that supports same-sex marriage, Debusk said he also wanted to add a new perspective to a debate that he said has been dominated largely by religious conservatives. ''It's time for another voice that is Christian to be heard,'' he said.

The website, knowthy neighbor.org/florida, is linked to the church's home page and contains a searchable database of names. The names on such petitions are part of the public record, according to the Florida Department of State.

Christian groups such as the Fort Lauderdale-based Center for Reclaiming America and the Florida Family Policy Council have denounced the website as a misguided effort to intimidate activists.

PRIVACY ISSUE

''It's a gross invasion of people's privacy,'' said John Stemberger, president and general counsel of the Florida Family Policy Council, an offshoot of James Dobson's national Christian conservative group Focus on the Family.

Stemberger argued that, if Christian conservatives published the names and addresses of gay-rights activists, they would likely be condemned as hatemongers.

''A lot of people would be outraged and say it's a hateful, un-Christian gesture,'' he said.

Lisa Owens, a nurse who lives in Pasco County, said she was furious when she learned from the Florida Family Policy Council that her name and address had been posted online.

''If somebody wanted to do a hate crime, my address was right there,'' she said. ``I felt like my privacy had been invaded.''

So far, Florida's Department of State had not received any complaints of harassment by people identified on the website.

The Know Thy Neighbor campaign, modeled on a similar effort in Massachusetts, may further feed controversy surrounding religious support for a ban on gay marriage.

Christian conservatives leading the petition drive say they have faced increasing interference from opponents of the ballot initiative.

Last week, Sunrise police investigated allegations that an off-duty officer harassed Christian volunteers who were collecting signatures for the marriage amendment at a Promise Keepers rally. Stemberger, whose group organized the petition effort at the event, said the officer verbally harassed volunteers and stopped them from distributing petitions.

More than 466,000 people have signed petitions supporting a state ban on same-sex marriage, zeroing in on the 611,000 signatures required to get the proposed amendment onto the 2008 ballot.

Some political analysts say that while the Internet campaign may deter some people from signing the petition, others will likely be stirred to activism as a result.

A QUESTION OF ANGER

''The actual activists will not be deterred by this. In fact, they might be angered and their anger will make them more zealous,'' said John Green, a senior fellow in religion and American politics at the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

John Schumpert, a founding member of Christ Church of Peace, said he got the idea for the website last February after reading an article about how gay-rights activists in Massachusetts published the names of residents who supported a gay-marriage ban there. After the church board unanimously approved the campaign, church leaders contacted Florida county supervisors of elections and got the information on petition signers. So far, the church has posted names from 60 of 67 counties.

Schumpert said the website isn't meant to encourage people to harass petition-signers. Instead, he hopes it will offer those who oppose a marriage amendment the chance to look up friends and family members who signed and engage them in dialogue.

''The information is really there for people to use in a positive manner,'' he said. ``You cannot legislate to take away someone's rights or permanently deny them rights under the cover of darkness.''

Still, some Christians who support gay marriage say that publishing names and addresses is going too far.

Garth Thompson, pastor of the Miami Beach Community Church, said that while he favors the legalization of gay marriage, he disagrees with the church's tactics.

''Even though we are definitely a pro-gay-rights church and an open and affirming church, it seems to me that they have a right to their opinion and a right to privacy,'' he said. ``It's almost like blackmail.''

Source: Miami Herald
See the full article

In the Miami Herald, Darran Simon had a wonderful story about a Sunrise cop who gave a Christian conservative group a good ol’ fashioned hassle. The Florida Family Policy Council,
led by the vile James Dobson, claims Sgt. Stephen Allen harassed them during a drive for signatures to support a gay marriage ban. Sarge told them that Jesus never said anything
about homosexuality and that their drive was a waste of time. Another gem
from Allen: “The Bible said you need to obey your governing authority. I am your governing authority and you need to obey me.”

Then he removed the group’s petitions and even had the gall to mock
them by giving Det. Michael Allard a peck on the cheek (photo above).
Okay, probably shouldn’t have done it, but damn, it’s refreshing to
see police, for once, abuse their authority on the side of the oppressed.
An ACLU official told Simon, ‘’If the police officer feels so strongly, then I think they need to take off their uniform, leave and join a peaceful, counterdemonstration.'’

posted at the pulp

See the full article

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: John Schumpert
904-388-1229
ktnf@christchurchofpeace.org

Jacksonville Church Opposes Anti-Gay Amendment; Posts Names of Petition Signers on Website

Christ Church of Peace to Harness Power of the Internet to Fight Discrimination

JACKSONVILLE, FL, June 12, 2006 - On June 12, 2006, Christ Church of Peace, a non-denominational Christian congregation, will launch "Know Thy Neighbor Florida," an outreach ministry directed at fair-minded Floridians who believe in full equality for all people. Through this ministry the church will include as part of its website the names of those who signed the petition in favor of the anti-family, anti-equality Florida Marriage Protection Amendment. Of the 611,009 signatures necessary to place the amendment on the November 2006 ballot, only 455,363 were gathered by the February 1, 2006, deadline. However, the group sponsoring the petition initiative, Florida4Marriage.org, continues in its efforts to obtain the additional signatures needed to place the issue before voters in 2008.

If the amendment were to pass, it would amend Florida's State Constitution to define marriage as a "legal union of one man and one woman as husband and wife," and that, "no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized." Millions of tax-paying gay and lesbian Floridians would forever be denied equal access to civil marriage, and all other forms of legal recognition such as domestic partnerships and civil unions could be at risk.

The goal of Know Thy Neighbor Florida is two-fold. Visitors to the church's website can view the list of petition signers and if they see the name of a family member, friend, co-worker or neighbor, they then have an opportunity to initiate an open and meaningful conversation with that person about how this discriminatory amendment would affect their life and, in many cases, the lives of their children. There are also concerns about the possibility of fraud in the collection of signatures. "When KnowThyNeighbor.org was launched in Massachusetts last year, it resulted in numerous reports of alleged fraud. While we are not saying that is the case here in Florida, we do believe the only real way to check for possible fraud is to give all Floridians easy and meaningful access to view this public information," said Christ Church of Peace founding member, John Schumpert.

"I was excited from the first moment that the idea was presented to me for our church to sponsor Know Thy Neighbor Florida," said the Rev. Gary DeBusk, pastor of Christ Church of Peace. "A portion of our church's vision statement reads, 'We will be.a tool for social change.' And what better way is there to advocate for change than to support equal rights for all people. As the February 1st deadline for signed petitions was approaching, Christ Church of Peace received daily e-mails, faxes and phone calls urging us to gather signatures at worship services and church functions. Now, of course, those who contacted us did not know that Christ Church of Peace is primarily made up of the very people that they are discriminating against. All that they knew was that we were on a list of churches. And unfortunately, a large percentage of their base is from churches. I find it sad that churches, in the name of God and Jesus the Christ, will promote discrimination and marginalization of people, and through peer pressure garner the signatures of their congregants. But, of course, it was also many of these same churches that opposed black civil rights. They were wrong then and they are wrong now! The proposed state constitutional amendment is discriminatory; it limits rights and marginalizes an entire segment of the population; which is completely contrary in a country that self-identifies as the leader of the free world. How free is it when some of its tax-paying citizens are relegated as second class?"

Christ Church of Peace is a worshiping and ministering community of believers with a Christian foundation and welcomes people of all races, nationalities, genders, sexual orientations and disabilities. Says DeBusk, "I am proud to be the pastor of a Christian church that will not be intimidated, is willing to stand up for equality, and will not allow God, through exclusionary theology, to be used as a tool for discrimination and marginalization. Know Thy Neighbor Florida is the tool that Christ Church of Peace is using to make a difference. It is the tool that we are using to promote equal and civil rights." Please visit Know Thy Neighbor Florida at www.christchurchofpeace.org and, if you see the name of a family member, friend, neighbor or co-worker on the list of petition supporters, make sure that person is not a victim of fraud and let them know why marriage equality is important to you.

For further information, contact John Schumpert at 904-388-1229.
###
See the full article

By JEFF BRUMLEY
The Times-Union

Christ Church of Peace in Jacksonville and a Massachusetts gay rights organization launched a Web site Monday listing the names of Floridians who have signed petitions to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage in the Sunshine State.

Supporters of the proposed constitutional amendment responded by branding Know Thy Neighbor Florida Web site as an unethical breach of privacy and an attempt to intimidate supporters of the biblical definition of marriage.

"This is the kind of thing we do to pedophiles in Florida, not to law-abiding citizens who want the traditional definition of marriage upheld," said John Stemberger, chairman of Florida4Marriage.Org, a coalition of religious groups promoting the amendment.

But a Jacksonville man whose wife's name and their address are published on the site said neither of them are worried.

"You cannot be intimidated by some gay person who believes in a certain agenda," said Stanuel Aaron, who said he signed the petition about a year ago and whose wife, Pamela Aaron, is listed on the first page of the site.

"They want us to adopt their agenda, and we are saying 'no,'" the 47-year-old teacher said.

The Florida Marriage Protection Amendment seeks to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Proponents missed their February deadline to get the issue on the November ballot.

So far, at least 466,614 Floridians have signed the petition, according to Florida Department of State's Division of Elections Web site. Organizers need 611,009 certified signatures to get the amendment onto the November 2008 ballot.

The Rev. Gary DeBusk, pastor at Christ Church of Peace in Riverside, said the congregation helped launch the Web site as a way to foster dialogue between opponents and proponents of same-sex marriage and to help ensure that the names submitted by petitioners are valid.

DeBusk said most of his 200-member congregation is gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered people.

The proposed amendment would limit the rights of gays in Florida, and supporters shouldn't be allow to enact it anonymously, DeBusk said.

The site -- www.KnowThyNeighbor.org/florida -- also is meant to show that not all churches in the state support the amendment campaign.

"Churches are the foundation of their support, but it's time for churches that see our faith and our belief differently to stand up and say, 'This is just wrong,'" DeBusk said.

DeBusk said his congregation was inspired by a similar Web site launched in Massachusetts by an organization called Know Thy Neighbor. The process of contacting that group and preparing the Florida Web site began in February, he said.

He said the church had to contact the election supervisors in each of the state's 67 counties for lists of names.

Joey Vaughn, a Jacksonville attorney who leads the marriage amendment effort in Duval County, said the Web site is legal and that the names of voters who signed petitions are public record.

But he said it's also an attempt to discourage others from signing the petitions.

jeff.brumleyjacksonville.com, (904) 359-4310

@The Web site listing names of voters who have signed the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment is at www.KnowThyNeighbor.org/florida.

To view the amendment or download the petition, visit www.florida4marriage.org.

Source: Florida Time-Union
See the full article

Posted
at PageOneQ

A website by a right-wing preacher and self-professed
'ex-gay' DL Foster has posted a picture of the executive
director of Truth Wins Out, Wayne Besen, that has been modified to
make Besen appear like Adolph Hitler.

Foster's blog Perspectives In Motion, has a post dated June 10th in which
Foster refers to Besen's new organization as "Wayne
Besen's Final Solution." Later in the post, Foster
points out that Besen is Jewish: In the press conference, Besen (of Jewish descent)
claimed that 'ex-gay' ministries could not be trusted
or tolerated in our tolerant society. To back up those
claims he presented evidence that 'ex-gay' leaders
invariably go back to being gay. Richard Cohen, John
Paulk, Michael Johnston and uhhhh those two guys who
"fell in love" left their wives, got AIDS
and lived happily ever after. Proof positive, he
asserted that 'ex-gay' ministries were shameless snake
oil salesmen.

This personifies the extremism that is characteristic of
the 'ex-gay' movement, Mr. Besen told PageOneQ
today. "They claim they are about love, yet
regularly engage in character assassination and
misinformation campaigns," he added. Besen
responded to the image on the site, as well as it's
title, "I am disturbed by the blatant anti-semitism
of Rev. Foster. His writing and the use of a graphic
image which is so painful to so many speaks loudly not
only of Foster, but reflects poorly on the entire
so-called 'ex-gay' community," said Besen.

See the full article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KnowThyNeighbor.org Expands to Florida; Posts Names of 450,000 Anti-Gay Petition Signers Online

Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA, June 12, 2006 -- KnowThyNeighbor.org, the Massachusetts group that drew national attention for posting the names of anti-gay marriage petition signers online in December 2005, announced today that it has expanded its activities to Florida. KnowThyNeighbor.org has partnered there with the Christ Church of Peace in Jacksonville to post online the names of over 450,000 signers of The Florida Marriage Protection Amendment.

The names can be accessed at KnowThyNeighbor.org and ChristChurchofPeace.org.

The two groups have been working together since February 2006 when members of the Christ Church of Peace congregation contacted KnowThyNeighbor.org for help. Tom Lang, co-director of KnowThyNeighbor.org, says, "We are excited to be partnering with people of faith to protect the rights of gay citizens. It’s great to have a pro-gay, Christian group making such a strong statement on this issue and we are honored to have them with us."

The proposed Florida amendment would not only deny civil marriage rights to gays and lesbians, but also put civil unions and domestic partnerships in jeopardy. Lang explains, "The other side will accuse us of trying to intimidate voters but they are the ones who are threatening to take people’s rights away. When someone is sponsoring legislation to hurt your family, it is your right if not your obligation to find out who is behind it?"

KnowThyNeighbor.org expects that, as in Massachusetts, gay citizens in Florida who find the names of friends, neighbors, family, and co-workers on the website will be triggered into a state of activism and seek out conversations with those who would take their rights away. Lang explains, "These conversations can be uncomfortable for both parties but are desperately needed if people are to understand how important marriage and family are to the gay community."

The expansion to Florida represents a conscious effort by KnowThyNeighbor.org to move onto the national scene and its directors have been actively collaborating with citizen activists in other states. Co-director and webmaster Aaron Toleos explains, "The Republican Party has used the gay marriage issue as a tool to mobilize voters in this country. But their tactics have also given rise to a counter-movement that we plan to capitalize on as KnowThyNeighbor.org becomes a tool for grassroots organizing across the nation."

Primary Contact: Tom Lang, Co-Director
Cell: (978) 335-0477

Secondary Contact: Aaron Toleos, Co-Director
Cell: (978) 821-4620

###
See the full article

Palm Beach Post Editorial

President Bush came out of his political hole Monday and saw his shadow, which means at least six more weeks of demagoguery.

It happens every even-numbered year. In February 2004, facing reelection, the president called for a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. It failed, but it rallied Republican religious fundamentalists. Once Mr. Bush had won and the Republicans had kept control of Congress, the issue went back underground, as it will again after November.

With another election looming and ratings for Mr. Bush and the Republican Congress in the dumper though, it's time once again to blame homosexuals for everything that's wrong with the country. Today, as happened Monday and may happen Wednesday, the Senate will "debate" another same-sex marriage ban that everyone knows doesn't have the 67 votes necessary to pass it.

Think of President Bush and the Republicans as the cheating husband who needs to string the mistress along when she feels neglected. The political marriage in Washington is between the GOP and the nation's wealthiest Americans and corporations, but the fundamentalists know that all they need to do is threaten to cut off the Republicans at the polls. Think of the marriage amendment vote as a political candlelight dinner.

Though the national divorce rate has been declining, slightly more than 40 percent of marriages don't last - and the rate is higher in states that vote Republican in national elections. Kentucky's, for example, is more than twice as high as Massachusetts'. Those numbers may be worth worrying about, but one thing we know is that heterosexuals are to blame for any weakness in the marriage institution.

President Bush's amendment would be the only one in the Constitution to restrict freedom. Polls by news organizations over the past two years have show that most Americans would civil unions that allow same-sex couples to enjoy the roughly 1,100 federal protections and benefits that apply to married couples. Nationally, Americans are less divided and more thoughtful on this issue than Washington. But Mr. Bush and the Republicans need a distraction, and the mistress is getting antsy.

Source: Palm Beach Post
See the full article

Both sides of the gay marriage ban issue have criticized Sen. Bill Nelson for his moderate approach to the issue.

BY LESLEY CLARK
lclark@MiamiHerald.com

WASHINGTON - Sen. Bill Nelson, a moderate often panned for sidestepping controversial issues, has become a target in the red-meat debate over a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages.

Nelson, a Florida Democrat up for reelection, opposes gay marriage but disapproves of federal intervention and says he is inclined to vote against the likely-to-fail measure, which the Senate is to take up this week.

''He cannot support an amendment that basically puts the courts in a position to intrude on all sorts of relationships,'' Nelson spokesman Dan McLaughlin said, adding the proposal could affect domestic partnerships or other relationships, along with gay marriages.

ELUSIVE VOTERS

Nelson's stance is like that of many Democrats who seek to navigate a path of reaching voters in the middle without alienating those who support letting gays and lesbians marry.

And his stance has already drawn fire from the right, which attacked him in a Focus on the Family newspaper ad last week and singled him out in an e-mail from the Florida Family Association.

''Every child understands how important a mom and a dad are,'' the ad reads. ``But apparently Sen. Nelson needs a reminder.''

McLaughlin called the ad ``typical of the work of polarizing extremists who think they have a monopoly on faith and family values. It's an attempt to smear the senator by making you think he supports gay marriage, which, of course, is not true.''

In contrast, Nelson's likely reelection opponent is an enthusiastic supporter of the federal ban.

On the campaign trail last year, Republican Rep. Katherine Harris told The Miami Herald she expected that a similar measure on the state ballot could boost Republican turnout at the polls -- as it was believed to do in 2004 when it appeared on ballots in several states including Ohio.

''I believe the majority of Americans strongly support the preservation of traditional marriage,'' said the Sarasota Republican, who faces three challengers in the GOP primary. ``We must never undermine the uniqueness of an institution that continues to serve as an essential thread in the fabric of our society.''

Democrats have complained that the GOP -- smarting from the president's declining popularity -- is bringing up the amendment as a political move to mollify its base.

''Welcome to Wedge Month,'' read an e-mail from a Democratic group called the Senate Majority Project.

But Nelson's position on the gay marriage amendment is also drawing heat from some in his Democratic base who say that the senator -- comfortably besting Harris in early polls -- could take a stronger stance.

GUTSY MOVE

One gay and lesbian group said it applauds Nelson for suggesting he will vote against the measure, but is looking at him to denounce it.

''He's running so far ahead of Katherine Harris and the unknowns, he could be much more outspoken in his opposition rather than playing it safe,'' said Stephen Gaskill, spokesman for the Florida Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Democratic Caucus, which boasts 15 chapters across the state. ``There are more than one million gays and lesbians in Florida and most of us are Democrats and it would be nice to have a reason to vote for somebody.''

Nelson's spokesman, McLaughlin, said the Democrat ''firmly believes marriage should be between one man and one woman'' but that the states should regulate marriage.

He notes that Florida already has a law that bans same-sex marriage.

The criticism from the gay and lesbian caucus has been voiced before by other elements of the Democratic base, but Chad Clanton, Nelson's campaign manager, said Nelson isn't about to act otherwise.

''Bill Nelson is someone who approaches his job seriously. He's not that loud; it's just not really his style,'' Clanton said.

Source: Miami Herald

See the full article

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today joined Massachusetts
Democratic Representative Barney Frank and Wisconsin Democratic Representative
Tammy Baldwin in issuing the following Proclamation marking PRIDE Month:



"Today, on behalf of Democrats across America, we join together in honoring
the contributions that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and
their families make to our society and reaffirming our Party's abiding
commitment to full equality for all Americans, including the LGBT community.

"Because Democrats value all families, we are committed to the
fundamental principle that every American has the right to live in dignity, with
equal rights, responsibilities and protections under the law. No American should
have to live in fear or be forced to hide their true identity to avoid horrific
attacks or discrimination in areas like hiring, housing or health care. That's
why Democrats have led the fight for hate crimes legislation at the federal and
state levels, and why Democrats continue to fight for laws that would prohibit
discrimination based on sexual orientation.

"Sadly, too many of our colleagues on the other side of the political
aisle do not share our commitment to equality. This month, as millions of LGBT
Americans prepare to march in PRIDE Parades across America, Republicans like
Bill Frist are using issues like marriage as political wedges to distract people
from their failed leadership and misplaced priorities. Because Americans have
lost confidence in their ability to solve challenges like Iraq, immigration,
health care, gas prices or homeland security, Republicans in Washington are
ripping a page from the Karl Rove playbook by scapegoating LGBT families for
partisan gain.

"This is morally wrong, and it hurts LGBT Americans. Democrats are
committed to fighting this hateful, divisive amendment and to fighting similarly
discriminatory ballot initiatives in states across the country. We strongly
oppose any attempt to write discrimination into law - whether it be at the local
or state levels or in the United States Constitution.

"During this month of LGBT PRIDE, we remember the courageous men and
women who faced down discrimination at the Stonewall Inn in June of 1969 and
ignited a movement that is changing the hearts and minds of the American people.
They called on this nation to live up to its promise of equal opportunity,
liberty and justice for all. As leaders of the Democratic Party, we stand
proudly with the LGBT community and commit ourselves to building a hopeful and
optimistic vision of America that is inclusive of all Americans, rejects the
politics of fear and division, and renews our commitment to ending
discrimination in all its forms."

See the full article

Truth Wins Out -- to Take on Key Issue In Anti-Gay Campaigns



Washington, DC -- As President Bush and Congress prepare to
debate gay marriage, a new organization will launch next Wednesday, June 7th to
combat so-called "Ex-Gay" ministries and organizations.



"Truth Wins Out will confront a dangerous lie that has buttressed anti-gay
campaigns from coast to coast," said founder and noted activist Wayne Besen.
"From school boards to city councils to Congress, a lie is being advanced
that sexual orientation is something that can be directed or 'cured. It's false,
and Truth Wins Out will strike this pillar out from under anti-gay
efforts."



Truth Wins Out will launch at the National Press Club with dramatic personal
stories of victims of "ex-gay" programs, and insights into how ex-gay
theories are woven into nearly all efforts opposed to equality for gay and
lesbian Americans. The press conference will also expose the new Right-wing
strategy to force "ex-gay" theories into classrooms.



WHO: Truth Wins Out, presenting victims of "ex-gay"
efforts.

Wayne Besen, Author, "Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and
Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth"



WHAT: A new national organization to combat so-called
"ex-gay" efforts and larger Right-wing misinformation campaigns.



WHEN: Wednesday, June 7th, 2006 at 10:00am



WHERE: National Press Club, Zenger Room

529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC

10AM



**NOTE** Truth Wins Out will launch in the same week that Focus
on the Family convenes in Washington, DC to support President Bush’s
effort to ban gay marriage.

posted at : waynebesen.com
See the full article

"If Miller had his way," says the announcer, "America would
be nothing but one big fiesta for illegal aliens and homosexuals."

Congressman Brad Miller (D-NC) is facing one of the nastiest campaigns in the
nation, as supporters of challenger Vernon Robinson race-bait in black
neighborhoods and question the Representative's sexual orientation in radio ads
set to mariachi music, according to the News & Observer.

"Brad Miller supports gay marriage and sponsored a bill to let American
homosexuals bring their foreign homosexual lovers to this country on a marriage
visa," an announcer says in a Robinson-endorsed ad.

"If Miller had his way America would be nothing but one big fiesta for
illegal aliens and homosexuals," the ad continues. "But if you elect
Vernon Robinson, that party's over."

The ad can be heard at Robinson's Website at this link.

Excerpts from the lengthy News & Observer piece follow:

"My wife was interviewed on three television stations last week about
why we had not had children and what was my sexual orientation," Miller
recently told delegates to the 13th District Democratic convention at Alamance
Community College.

...

Robinson has already run a radio ad that features mariachi band music playing
in the background. "If Miller had his way," says the announcer,
"America would be nothing but one big fiesta for illegal aliens and
homosexuals."

...

Besides trying to attract white conservatives, Robinson hopes to siphon off
15 percent of the black vote. His campaign has sent separate mailings and left
recorded telephone messages in the homes of black voters. The telephone message
criticizes Miller for, among other things, living in an all-white neighborhood
in the Five Points section of Raleigh.

...

Robinson's biting campaign style has long been controversial. In the
Republican primary in 2004 in the 5th District, he ran a TV ad showing the face
of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton morphing into that of [rival Virginia] Foxx,
accusing Foxx of supporting "racial quotas, gay rights and the abortion
bills." Since winning the House seat, Foxx has had the most conservative
voting record in the North Carolina delegation, according to the nonpartisan
National Journal.

***

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