http://www.pridesource.com Michigans Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender News Source en Copyright 2004, Pridesource susanhorowitz@pridesource.com kevin@pridesource.com http://www.pridesource.com/button1.jpg http://www.pridesource.com 120 60 Michigans Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender News Source http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=38849 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - The slaying of a gay teenager whose decapitated, partially burned body was found along a road in Puerto Rico last week is under investigation as a possible hate crime, a police official said Nov. 18.Activists say it would be the first case in this U.S. territory to invoke a law covering crimes based on sexual orientation.The dismembered body of 19-year-old college student Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado was discovered Friday in the interior town of Cayey. Lopez was widely known as a volunteer for organizations advocating HIV prevention and gay rights, and activists are planning remembrance vigils for him in cities including San Juan, New York and Chicago. http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=38853 The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) joins the national and international LGBTQ and anti-violence communities and allies as we mourn the loss of two youth to hate violence within the last ten days. We extend our deepest condolences to Jaysen and Jorge's friends and family members. These brutal murders remind us of the scope and severity of anti-LGBTQ bias and reinforce NCAVP members' commitment to ending a culture of violence. http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=38848 Tampa is the latest city in Florida to add "gender identity" to its human rights ordinance that bans discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation. http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=38850 The split over gay clergy within the largest Lutheran denomination in the U.S. has prompted a conservative faction to begin forming a new church body separate from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.Leaders of Lutheran CORE said Nov. 18 that a working group would immediately begin drafting a constitution and taking other steps to form the denomination, with hopes to have it off the ground by next August. http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=38798 It's not the only group of its kind on the popular social networking site, nor is it the only way the word gay is misused. Others include fan pages for "Not being gay" and "Not being lesbian." One group, "Homework is gay," has over 44,000 members. And a search of the term "faggot" yields over 3,200 results for groups - many of which target individuals with the word in a derogatory way. http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=38797 On a visit to her son's high school GSA meeting, in which he was active, she found that though he no longer talked about being bullied, he still experienced problems as an out gay youth. "I was surprised to find out - because he never really complained about issues or anything - that he was somewhat fearful at school," she says. "That he had to judge if he was going to go down that hallway and depending on who was there, reroute himself." http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=38799 Pronto!, a gay-owned restaurant and bakery in Royal Oak, has committed 10 percent of all food, drink and carry-out sales on Dec. 2 to a non-profit neighbor in Ferndale. http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=38798 It's not the only group of its kind on the popular social networking site, nor is it the only way the word gay is misused. Others include fan pages for "Not being gay" and "Not being lesbian." One group, "Homework is gay," has over 44,000 members. And a search of the term "faggot" yields over 3,200 results for groups - many of which target individuals with the word in a derogatory way. http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=38797 On a visit to her son's high school GSA meeting, in which he was active, she found that though he no longer talked about being bullied, he still experienced problems as an out gay youth. "I was surprised to find out - because he never really complained about issues or anything - that he was somewhat fearful at school," she says. "That he had to judge if he was going to go down that hallway and depending on who was there, reroute himself." http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=38796 Writing gives me another outlet for my activism. I have penned a children's book, "Jack With The Curly Tail." Episode one is currently available and episode two is in the works. http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=38799 Pronto!, a gay-owned restaurant and bakery in Royal Oak, has committed 10 percent of all food, drink and carry-out sales on Dec. 2 to a non-profit neighbor in Ferndale. http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=38800 Steppin' Out is holding a fundraising event, called Growth Through Art, at 6-9 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Douglas J. Aveda Institute in Royal Oak. http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=38696 "All the details have not been worked out, but we are definitely planning to move from downtown Lansing to Old Town," Schwartz divulged. "It's an old warehouse district that, over the years, has been redeveloped into sort of an arts and entertainment area. It's very gay supportive, so we think it'd be nice for a change - and who knows - it might become a permanent location." http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=38688 I try to keep the issues facing the LGBT community in the news so pressure can be brought on those in power to do something about them. http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=38689 "Rachel is a she-ro in the trans community and I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for her and being able to find Transgender Michigan when I got involved six years ago." http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=38690 http://www.pridesource.com View news about the gay and lesbian community in Michigan. Search for BTL articles query-string http://www.pridesource.com/search.html 3