NYC to widen web of AIDS surveillance?

Among a number of proposals that could be controversial, New York City’s health department wants to collect more information on people with HIV and to change state regulations to allow it to more widely use and share that information with doctors and other health departments, according to a prevention plan it filed with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Read the full article at Gay City News.

Twelve Iranian men face execution for sodomy

Ten young Iranian men, including eight teenagers, are currently awaiting execution for sodomy, and two more are being re-tried on the same capital charge.

Check out the full article at GayCityNews.com.

Gay City News has questions for the SBA about the closing of the Washington Blade

The Gay City News has some doubts about the Small Business Administration when it comes to the recent closing of some of hte nation's oldest and most respected gay newspapers saying, "While the federal Small Business Administration (SBA) is saying it played no role in closing the Washington Blade and the Southern Voice, two of the nation’s oldest gay newspapers, a 2008 order issued by a federal court gave the SBA broad and exclusive authority to manage the assets of the Avalon Equity Fund, the investment fund that owned Window Media, the parent company of the Blade and Voice."

Read the whole article here.

California upholds anti-gay Prop. 8

GayCityNews is reporting that at 10 a.m. today the California Supreme Court voted to uphold Proposition 8 banning gay marriages in California.

Bummer. I was really hoping it wouldn't go down that way.

“Today’s ruling is a huge blow to Americans everywhere who care about equality. The court has allowed a bare majority of voters to write same-sex couples out of basic constitutional protections,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “This ruling is painful, but it represents a temporary setback. There will be a groundswell to restore marriage equality in our nation's largest state, and HRC will not give up until marriage equality is restored in California.”

One significant effort already underway is a strategic partnership between HRC and California Faith for Equality (CFE), a statewide group established to educate, support and mobilize faith communities on LGBT equality. The partnership joins CFE and its 6,000 supporting faith leaders with both HRC's Religion and Faith Program expertise as well as HRC's National Field Department to broaden, diversify and deepen religious support for marriage equality in California.

“This ruling couldn't be more out of step with what's happening across the country,” said Solmonese, pointing to recent marriage victories in Iowa, Vermont and Maine. “We have no choice but to return this basic question of fairness for the estimated 1 million LGBT Californians back to the voters.”

“While we are relieved that the 18,000 couples who married before the Prop 8 vote will still have valid marriages, it does not in any way remove the sting of this ruling,” added Solmonese.

Over the past decade, public acceptance of marriage equality for same-sex couples has changed dramatically. For the first time, more Americans say they support marriage for same-sex couples (49%) than oppose it (46%), according to the latest Washington Post/ABC poll released in late April.

Be sure to attend the Denver Day of Decision event sponsored by Soulforce. This Nonviolent Civil Disobedience action is scheduled for 3 p.m. today. The action will take place along the north side of Colfax Avenue between 14th and 15th streets, in front of the Webb Administration Building.

Gross

Here's the latest Ted Haggard/New Life Church grossness from Gay City News.