Calendar 

• Every first, third and fourth Wednesday of the month UCAN  hosts a facilitated support group for HIV infected people.
• Every Wednesday 5PM Stonewall Youth Support Group
• Every Thursday M-Powerment Core Group Meeting 6PM-8PM
•  Every first, third and fourth Wednesday, 6 pm to 8 pm there is an HIV/AIDS support group
• Every second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 3:30 to 4:30pm in the afternoon, the Rainbow Youth of Mason County Youth Group that meets in Shelton.
• Every Thursday, 6 pm to 8 pm M-Powerment Project hosts a Core Group Meeting
• March 11th, Sunday at 2 pm PFLAG Olympia.
• March 16th at 11:30 am the HIV/AIDS Consortia meeting
• March 18th at 2 pm, UCAN hosts their Client Advisory Committee meeting

Australian PM Ready To Deal On Gay Partners
(Sydney, Australia) It isn't a complete turnaround, but Australian Prime Minister John Howard is reportedly ready to grant some rights to gay and lesbian couples.

Broadcaster OK To Call Carson Kressley 'A Pillow Biter'
(Sydney, Australia) An Australian radio personality has been cleared of hate-speech charges after calling "Queer Eye For the Straight Guy star Carson Kressley a “pillow biter” and “pompous little pansy prig.”

Partial Victory In Canadian Gay Class Action Suit
(Ottawa) Canadian Gay couples have won a partial Supreme Court victory over pension benefits.

McCain Officially Enters White House Race
(Washington) Apparently believing that what's good once is even better twice, Republican Sen. John McCain announced his candidacy for president during a TV appearance, and then announced he will announce his candidacy again next month.

Romney Campaign In Trouble
(Boston, Massachusetts) Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney can campaign in New Hampshire and still sleep at night in his own bed in Massachusetts. Yet, the neighbor's edge has been less than a home-court advantage in the nation's first 2008 presidential primary state.

Argentina Moving Toward Gay Marriage Rights
(Buenos Aires) Legislation will be presented in Argentina's Parliament this fall that would give same-sex couples all of the rights of marriage.

Gay Couples Can Live Together Virginia Court Rules
(Richmond, Virginia) The Virginia Court of Appeals has ruled that same-sex couples can live together, reversing a lower court ruling that said the word "cohabit" only applies to opposite-sex couples because of the state's ban on same-sex marriage.

Battle For Partner Benefits In Madison
(Madison, Wisconsin) A gay City of Madison worker and his union will seek binding arbitration in a dispute with the city over health benefits for the partners of city employees.

  News Briefs 

Equal Rights Washington has wonderful news to report! Only 72 hours after Equality Day, the Domestic Partnership bill easily passed the Senate floor.

The bill has enough sponsors to pass through the House, and the Governor has already stated she'll sign it when it lands on her desk. This is a truly historic moment for the LGBT community and the allies, clergy, and people of faith who supported the legislation. Thank you to all the volunteers and co-sponsors who contributed to and helped out with Equality Day. And a special thank you to Senator Ed Murray, whose stewardship of this important bill was paramount to its passage.

Here's a link to a well-written story about the bill.

The Seattle Times

Mexican Soldiers With HIV Win Case Against Army
(Mexico City)  Mexico's Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the armed forces cannot kick out HIV-positive members because doing so is discriminatory and unconstitutional.

2007 is a big year of change for Capital City Pride. Thanks to new grants and strong support from our long-time funders, we have been able to revamp our web-site, diversify our promotions, hire staff and expand to two days of Pride activities.  ...more

Research Project Needs Participants

My name is Melanie Morrison and I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Saskatchewan. I am also the Co-Chair of the Canadian Psychological Association's Section on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGII).  ...more

  Equal Rights 

State Domestic Partner Bill Vote Coming: Act Now
By Josh Friedes

On Monday February 26th a crowd estimated at 2,000 gathered on the steps of the State Capitol to rally in support of LGBT civil rights. This rally was co-organized by the Religious Coalition for Equality (RCE) and Equal Rights Washington (ERW) who are jointly leading the fight to help legislators understand that people of faith, straight and gay, support civil rights for LGBT individuals and families, including marriage equality. ...more

Queers for Economic Justice

The Immigrant Rights Project at Queers for Economic Justice (QEJ). QEJ is an organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender-nonconforming (LGBTQ) people committed to promoting economic justice in a context of sexual and gender liberation. QUJ is in the process of contacting LGBTQ groups across the United States to raise awareness of issues facing LGBTQ immigrants. QEJ recognizes that there is a marked lack of LGBTQ voices in the current immigration debate. Congress and the nation are presently looking toward measures of immigration reform and we recognize that several agencies are working organizationally to influence the outcome of these reforms. ...more

Dear Dr. Dobson
Dobson's Homosexual Myths and Facts: Part 4
By Patrick M. Chapman, Ph.D.

In "Straight Answers: Exposing the Myths and Facts About Homosexuality," James Dobson's Focus on the Family organization counters eight supposed myths promoted by the homosexual community. Six of the supposed myths - that homosexuals are born gay, homosexuality is not changeable, the Bible does not condemn homosexuality, how many homosexuals there are in society, that homosexual relationships are no different than heterosexual ones, and that lesbian relationships are as unhealthy and life-threatening as gay male relationships - have been dealt with in previous months of the Rainbow Journal Olympia. Two additional supposed gay "myths" are: "AIDS is as much of a risk for heterosexuals as it is for homosexuals" and "homosexuals are normal, healthy, everyday people."  ...more

A BETTER END-GAME STRATEGY
By Dennis Cavalier

It used to be true that after a diagnosis of H.I.V./A.I.D.S. people gave up any hope for a future. Everybody spent their last dime on what happiness they believed their money could bring, in an effort to ease out of this life in "comfort". Decades later, this proved to have been one of the most ill-advised moves. ...more

  Opinion 

GUILT!!!
by Bob Withrow

It is said that there is one difference between Catholics and Jews: Jews were born with guilt, while Catholics learned it from the nuns. Queers have certainly been burdened with it from day one and we have raised it to the level of high art. It is the mother of all words, and its daughter, shame, is not to far behind. ...more

Last Month's Issue of Rainbow Journal Olympia 

Lesbian Resource Center - Seattle, WA - a community-based organization committed to advancing the status of lesbians by combating oppression and by promoting empowerment, visibility, and social change. Established in Seattle, Washington in 1971, the Lesbian Resource Center is the oldest organization of its kind in the country. http://www.lrc.net

Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Health Pages - Public Health, Seattle & King County, WA - Lots of great information here.  http://www.metrokc.gov/health/glbt/