TOP6NEWS - Date 7.20.05

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1-NEWS: Canadian Senate approves ssm
2-NEWS: Reaction to Canadian ssm
3-NEWS: Gay reaction to John Roberts' nomination to the Supreme Court
4-NEWS: Santorum defends aide
5-NEWS: Boston launching gay tourism campaign
6-OP-ED: WashTimes: DC minister has 1st amendment right to say what he wants
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1-NEWS: Canadian Senate approves ssm

Senate approves same-sex bill
Wednesday, July 20, 2005 Updated at 12:21 AM EDT Canadian Press
Ottawa — One of the most raucous debates in Canadian history resulted in a vote that made Canada the fourth country to sanction same-sex marriage on Tuesday.
The Senate erupted in a loud cheer as it adopted the Liberal government's Bill C-38, which will give gay and lesbian couples the right to marry in courthouses and city halls across the country.
The 47-21 vote came after years of court battles and debate that divided families, religious groups and even political allies.
The final word in the debate came from a Liberal senator who read to the hushed chamber an e-mail from a Yukon constituent.
“You have no idea what a difference it makes to the human spirit to know that you are treated equally under the law,” said Ione Christensen, the 71-year-old senator from Whitehorse.

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2-NEWS: Reaction to Canadian ssm

HISTORIC VOTE - SENATE PASSES EQUAL MARRIAGE BILL!!
At 11:25 pm on Tuesday, July 19, the Senate passed the equal marriage bill by an overwhelming 46 to 22. What a night!! Today, Wednesday, the bill will receive Royal Assent and be proclaimed into law. Same sex couples will now be able to marry in every province and territory of this great country.
Parliament has spoken. It has clearly and loudly proclaimed that same sex couples are equal in value and equal in law.
The vote was not expected until later in the week, since it was only reported back from the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee on Monday evening. In the end, the debate concluded of its own accord, without the need for closure.
This is a proud and exciting time to be a Canadian. Today, we made history. Today, we affirmed once again our world-wide reputation as a country that is open, inclusive and welcoming.

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3-NEWS: Gay reaction to John Roberts' nomination to the Supreme Court

365Gay.com, July 19, 2005
Bush Nominates John G. Roberts To Supreme Court by Paul Johnson,  365Gay.com Washington Bureau Chief
(Washington) President Bush Tuesday night nominated John G. Roberts to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court.
The vacancy stems from the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
Roberts currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.  He was appointed to that position in 2003 by President Bush.
Roberts attended Harvard College and Harvard Law School and was a clerk for Justice William H. Rehnquist on the Supreme Court.
A conservative and longtime Republican, Roberts served as Deputy Solicitor General. In 1990, he argued in favor of a government regulation that banned abortion-related counseling by federally-funded family planning programs. His brief to the court contained a note that the Bush administration's belief that Roe v. Wade should be overruled.

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4-NEWS: Santorum defends aide

Antigay Santorum defends openly gay aide
The disclosure that one of the country's most homophobic politicians has a top aide who is gay is beginning to draw some attention back in Sen. Rick Santorum's home state of Pennsylvania. The local newspaper in Wilkes-Barre reports that Santorum answered questions Monday about his chief spokesman, Robert Traynham, whose homosexuality was first disclosed last week on a gay activist's Web log.
Speaking to reporters outside a VA medical center in Plaines Township, Pa., Santorum once again reiterated his position that just because he is on the record criticizing homosexuality, it doesn't mean he has a problem with a gay staff member. Santorum said he treats all people with "dignity and respect irrespective of what they might do outside of work." And The Citizens' Voice reports that he referred to the publicity surrounding Traynham's sexual orientation as being "bigoted and mean-spirited."

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5-NEWS: Boston launching gay tourism campaign

Boston launching gay tourism campaign $100G gay tourism campaign launched By Donna Goodison Boston Herald Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - Updated: 07:57 AM EST Boston and Cambridge are rolling out the rainbow carpet.
Tourism officials hope to lure more gay and lesbian travelers through a new $100,000 advertising and marketing campaign.
     The Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau has teamed with Man Around - a U.K. company billed as the world's largest long-distance gay-tour operator - to market Boston and Cambridge as gay-friendly destinations.
     Gay and lesbian travelers are an attractive market for the tourism industry, according to Pat Moscaritolo, the convention bureau's chief.
``Because they have higher income, they have a propensity or ability to travel,'' Moscaritolo said. ``They also have an affinity to support destinations and companies that support the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.''

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6-OP-ED: WashTimes: DC minister has 1st amendment right to say what he wants

WashTimes: DC minister has 1st amendment right to say what he wants If you would like more background on this, let me know From the pulpit July 20, 2005 Washington Times Editorial
The minister of a prominent D.C. Baptist church is under fire from homosexuals because of remarks he made about lesbianisn and feminism in a sermon. The Rev. Willie Wilson, senior pastor of Union Temple Baptist Church, says his remarks were taken out of context. In this instance, there's nothing wrong with a preacher sermonizing on culture.
    During a July 3 morning service, the reverend said: "We live in a time when our brothers have been so put down, can't get a job, lot of the sisters making more money than brothers. And it's creating problems in families. That's one of the reasons our families [are] breaking up. And that's one of the reasons many of our women are becoming lesbians.

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