PA State Senator Daylin Leach Formally Introduces Marijuana Legalization Bill Today in Harrisburg

Erik Altieri | NORML | February 11, 2013

Today, Pennsylvania State Senator Daylin Leach will formally introduce a bill to tax and regulate marijuana in Pennsylvania.

“This past November, the people of Washington State and Colorado voted to fully legalize marijuana,” said Leach.  “It is time for Pennsylvania to be a leader in jettisoning this modern-day prohibition, and ending a policy that has been destructive, costly and anti-scientific.”

“NORML applauds Senator Leach for taking this important step forward to end the failed policy of marijuana prohibition in his state. Pennsylvania has long been considered a bellwether state that sets the precedent for politics across the country, as such it is both exciting and encouraging to see the Keystone State take up this crucial dialogue,” said Erik Altieri, Communications Director for NORML, “Marijuana prohibition costs the state of Pennsylvania over 300 million dollars a year in enforcement costs and tens of millions a year in lost potential tax revenue, while doing little to keep the substance out of the hands of children or lower use rates. It is time for a new policy that works for the state and its people. We encourage all of Senator Leach’s colleagues in Harrisburg to join him in this call for rational marijuana laws.”

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Doors swing open for advocates of marijuana legalization on Capitol Hill

Advocates for the legalization of marijuana plan to step up their political  giving and lobbying efforts now that members of Congress are taking an interest  in changing federal drug laws.

The lobbyists say lawmakers who wouldn’t give them the time of day are suddenly  interested in meeting with them and introducing legislation following  the approval of ballot initiatives in Colorado and Washington that legalized  recreational use of the drug.

 

“These were folks who wouldn’t take a call five years ago and now they are  calling us and telling us to get up there with our PAC money and our expertise,” said Allen St. Pierre, executive  director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). “For those of us who have been at this for the past 20 years, it has been nice  to see the warm turn.”

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Pope Benedict XVI retires: Will the next pope come from the ‘global south?’

Sara  Miller Llana | Christian Science Monitor | Yahoo News | February 11, 2013

With the surprise announcement that Pope Benedict XVI will resign at the end of this month, many in the so-called “global south” are hopeful that a new pope might finally hail from Asia, Africa, or Latin America.

Latin America is home to 40 percent of the world’s 1 billion Catholics: Brazil is the largest Catholic country in the world, and Mexico is the second largest.

There has never been a non-European pope, and naming a leader from Latin America, Africa, or Asia would be considered a radical new direction for the Eurocentric Vatican. But it would also reflect a new, and to many a long overdue, pragmatism within the institution. While nearly three-quarters of Latin Americans identify as Catholic, for example, only a quarter of Europeans do.

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Eastern Europe’s Gay Rights Battle: Is LGBT Equality Out Of Reach?

Agence France Presse | Huffington Post | February 11, 2013

Ania and Yga have been inseparable for the last 17 years, living together as a couple in the Polish capital Warsaw but their love is seen as second class in this deeply Roman Catholic country.

As Britain and France legalise gay marriage, in January Polish lawmakers voted down three bills on civil unions for unmarried couples whether gay or straight.

With the Polish constitution defining marriage as a relationship between a man and woman, the drafts did not include the right for gays to marry or adopt. In July, parliament rejected four similar draft laws.

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Credit Report Errors Plague 1 In 5 Consumers: Study

Associated Press | Huffington Post | February 11, 2013

WASHINGTON — A government study says 20 percent of consumers had an error in a credit report issued by a major agency.

The Federal Trade Commission study also says 5 percent of the consumers identified errors in their reports that could lead to them paying more for mortgages, auto loans or other financial products.

The study looked at reports for 1,001 consumers issued by the three major agencies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The FTC hired researchers to help consumers identify potential errors.

The study closely matches the results of a yearlong investigation by The Columbus Dispatch. The Ohio newspaper’s report last year said that thousands of consumers were denied loans because of errors on their credit reports.

The FTC says the findings underline the importance of consumers checking their credit reports.

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Ugandan LGBTI Community braces as Anti-Homosexuality Bill to be Debated in Parliament Tomorrow

Melanie Nathan | Oblogdeeoblogda | February 11, 2013.

David Bahati, MP and author of AHB

Ugandan LGBTI community is bracing itself for the moment that they knew would come, but hoped would not, as they report that The Anti-Homosexuality Bill, also known as the Kill the Gays Bill, is scheduled for its second debate tomorrow, in Uganda’s Parliament. This could lead to swift passage if President Museveni assents to it,  by signing the Bill.

The President could choose not to assent to it, and then it will return to the Parliament for further debate.  After the President returns it for a second time, the bill could see passage, without the President’s signature, on a two third majority vote.   Because the bill is a Private Member Bill, having been introduced by MP David Bahati,  the President has not veto power.

The Bill had to pass the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee to get to this point.  It has been rumored that the Committee has suggested that the death penalty be removed, but until such time as the report is seen in parliament, there is no proof of this assertion.

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OneGoodLove.com Announces Valentine’s 2013 “LGBTI State of the Date Report”

Contact:  Trish McDermott, oneGoodLove.com Email:  tmcdermottpr@aol.com Cell:   707-529-1509

OneGoodLove.com Announces Valentine’s 2013 “LGBT State of the Date Report” 65% of LGBT Singles More Likely to Desire Marriage As States Pass Marriage-Rights Laws

Los Angeles, CA – February 11, 2013—OneGoodLove.com (www.onegoodlove.com), the Internet’s leading relationship-focused online dating service for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) singles, announced today the release of its Valentine’s 2013 “LGBT State of the Date Report.” The report, based on a survey of over 500 LGBT singles using OneGoodLove, as well as analysis of the stated dating preferences of OneGoodLove’s more than 150,000 members, is a Valentine’s Day snapshot of LGBT dating experiences today. Gay And Lesbian Daters Are Optimistic About Love And Marriage

• Eighty-seven percent of LGBT singles surveyed are optimistic they will find love in 2013, with 39% reporting they are “very” or “extremely” optimistic.  Lesbians are slightly more optimistic than gay men.

• Sixty-five percent of gay and lesbian singles report that as states pass laws providing same-sex marriage rights, they find themselves more likely to consider marriage as their long-term dating goal.  Gay men (68%) were more likely than lesbians (58%) to say this.

• Somewhat contradictory, when oneGoodLove.com members are asked directly by other members about their relationship goal, only 8% claim “I am looking for marriage.”  LGBT singles, like their hetersexual counterparts, may not want to scare away prospective romantic partners by making marriage the topic of first date conversations.

What LGBT Singles Want

• When asked about the one quality that might make them fall in love with a romantic partner, 64% of gay men indicated it was someone who made them feel special, 23% indicated a great sense of humor, 7% indicated attractiveness, and 5% indicated intelligence.

• Forty-five percent of lesbians report sense of humor as the one quality most likely to make them fall in love, followed by 42% who might fall in love with a woman who made them feel special.  Eleven percent of lesbians might fall in love with a woman due to her intelligence.

• Not a single lesbian (0%), and only 1% of gay men surveyed, said being good in bed was the quality most likely to make them fall in love with a potential romantic partner.

• Eighty-seven percent of OneGoodLove members are open to meeting a partner with an ethnicity different from their own.

• Forty-one percent reported that they wanted children one day.

• Almost half of LGBT singles don’t want to date a drinker, and 64% of gay men, and 60% of lesbians, don’t want to date a smoker.  Smoking status was the matching criteria rated most important to oneGoodLove singles.

• Fifty-two percent of OneGoodLove singles said their ideal first date is a dinner date.

• Thirty-six percent of gay men, and 41% of lesbians, are willing to travel 50 miles to meet the right date.

Technology and LGBT Dating

• LGBT singles reported they are more flirtatious in person (37%), or while texting (36%), than they are using email (15%), while on Facebook (6%), or over the phone (6%).  Not a single LGBT person reported they were the most flirtatious on Twitter (0%), which was one of the possible answers.

• When asked their opinion regarding the worst romantic transgression made with technology or social networks, 55% of LGBT singles said breaking up with someone via text or email.  13% said changing your relationship status on your social network to “single” before notifying the person you were dating about the change.  11% said cyber stalking a potential romantic partner, and 10% said speaking badly in your social networks about an ex.

What Moms and Dads Want for LGBT Singles

• When asked to report what their parents, “deep in their hearts,” hoped the ultimate outcome of their dating lives would be, 73% of LGBT singles said said their parents would want them to be in a happy, loving relationship with someone of the same sex, while 23% said their parents would prefer them to be in a heterosexual relationship, even if it wasn’t loving or fulfilling.  Four percent reported their parents would want them to be in a loving relationship, fully out as a transgender man or woman.

• Lesbians were more likely (32%) to say their parents would want them to be in a heterosexual relationship, even if it wasn’t loving or fulfilling, than were gay men (20%).

“As same-sex marriage rights are achieved state by state, and with a president who has unequivocally stated he is on the side of full rights and equality for the LGBT community, there’s never been a  more promising Valentine’s season for LGBT singles hoping to find their one special someone,” said Frank Mastronuzzi, Co-founder and Chief Love Officer at oneGoodLove.com.  Mastronuzzi is featured in Dan Slater’s just-released book, Love in the Time of Algorithms, which looks at the development of the online dating industry and what technology means for the future of relationships. Visit the OneGoodLove blog at: blog.onegoodlove.com Contact Frank Mastronuzzi at:  Frank AT onegoodlove.com Contact Dan Slater at:  danielbslater AT gmail.com About ONEGOODLOVE.COM: oneGoodLove.com is the first online dating site built specifically for relationship-minded gay and lesbian singles.  Co-founded by Frank Mastronuzzi, former senior manager of business development at Match.com, and Nic Marlin,  Internet entrepreneur and marketing executive, the site’s mission is to offer gay and lesbian singles a better way to meet life mates, while also directly challenging the stereotype that gay and lesbian dating is primarily promiscuous.  The site’s proprietary Personality Profile Test and matching algorithm was formulated specifically for gay and lesbian singles, based on analysis of long-term lesbian and gay relationships. oneGoodLove.com is committed to giving back to the LGBT community through corporate volunteerism and donations to LGBT non-profits. Early investors include Tim Sullivan, CEO of Ancestry.com, and former CEO at Match.com, Bret McAlister, CTO of 1-800Dentist, Fred Joyal, and investment strategist and capital formation expert, Anqelique DeMaison.

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Senator Chuy Hinojosa Files SB 480 to Create Civil Unions in Texas

To

• dailyqueernews@yahoo.com

 

Building a State of Equality in Texas     PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release Contact:                     Chuck Smith                     Executive Director, Equality Texas                     O: 512-474-5475 x1 Senator Chuy Hinojosa Files SB 480 to Create Civil Unions in Texas Austin, Texas (February 11, 2013) – State Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa of McAllen (D-20) today filed legislation [SB 480] to partially repeal Texas’ “Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA) which was added to the state’s Family Code in 2003. DOMA denies same-gender Texans in committed relationships the freedom to marry or enter into a civil union.  The legislation filed by Senator Hinojosa would remove the prohibition of civil unions and provide for the establishment of civil unions for same-gender couples granting them “the same rights, benefits, protections, and responsibilities under the law as are granted to spouses in a marriage.” If enacted, SB 480 would provide some important legal protections for same-gender couples, including property rights, homestead rights, child custody and support, adoption, intestate succession, probate transfers, group insurance for state employees, and workers’ compensation benefits. The legislation would take effect in 2014, but only if the constitutional amendment proposed last week by Senator Jose Rodriguez [SJR 29], Rep. Rafael Anchia [HJR 77] or Rep. Garnet Coleman [HJR 78] is approved by voters. SJR 29, HJR 77 or HJR 78 would repeal the 2005 Texas Marriage Amendment which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman and prohibits recognition of anything similar to marriage, including civil unions. Statement of Equality Texas Executive Director Chuck Smith: “We believe that every Texas family should be able to take care of those they love. Today’s action by Senator Hinojosa is a landmark first step in the process of dismantling Texas’ discriminatory “Defense of Marriage Act” and charting us on a path toward full equality. Equality Texas supports full equality and the freedom to marry. Our work for equal recognition of all Texas families will not be complete until the discriminatory Texas Marriage Amendment is repealed from the State Constitution and DOMA is fully repealed from the State Family Code, thus allowing committed same-gender couples the freedom to marry. Until then, this legislation would provide committed couples with some of the important protections they need in order to take care of their families.” ### Equality Texas advocates and  lobbies for the elimination of  discrimination based on sexual  orientation and gender  identity/expression.           Equality Texas Foundation educates and engages the public about policies and their effect on Texans of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions.

Pope Benedict Is Resigning, but Institutional Catholic Homophobia Isn’t Going Anywhere

John Becker | Huffington Post | February 11, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI announced today during a meeting of Vatican cardinals that he will resign the papacy effective Feb. 28. In a statement issued at noon today Vatican time (6 a.m. Eastern Time), the pope wrote, “After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.” Benedict XVI is the first pope to resign in nearly 600 years; the last pope to do so was Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415 to end the Western Schism.

NPR reports that news of the pope’s resignation took the Vatican, including members of the pope’s inner circle, by surprise. One reason may be that, as the National Catholic Reporter points out, the consensus among most modern popes is that resignation is unacceptable. Benedict’s predecessor, John Paul II, famously refused to resign even as his body was being ravaged by Parkinson’s disease and osteoarthritis. Pope Paul VI said that paternity cannot be resigned, concluding that a pope “could not resign the apostolic mandate except in the presence of an incurable illness or an impediment that would prevent the exercise of the functions of the successor of Peter.”

I must confess that what shocks me most about the whole matter (in addition to the utter lack of modern precedent for the action Pope Benedict is taking) is the abruptness of his exit: Feb. 28 is just seventeen days away. It seems odd, and I wonder if there isn’t perhaps more to the story, either that he’s much closer to death’s door than any of us is aware of, or that he’s resigning swiftly to avoid some as-yet-unknown scandal. Only time will tell.

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DOMA Bars Gay Military Families From Nearly 100 Benefits

Amanda Terkel | Huffington Post | February 11, 2013

WASHINGTON — In one of his final moves at the Pentagon on Monday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that he was extending certain benefits to gay service members and their families in the path to equality in the military.

Yet even after this step, there are still nearly 100 benefits that these service members cannot access, according to the gay rights group OutServe-SLDN. The Defense of Marriage Act defines marriage as being between one man and one woman, and therefore, federal benefits that are granted to “spouses” do not apply to men and women in same-sex marriages.

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