Welcome to Fabulous Friday, a review of the week's news for the LGBT Kos Community. We'll be highlighting some interesting news stories, as well as providing a list of some notable LGBT diaries here at Daily Kos. If you ever run across stories/blog posts/diaries that should be included here, please send a Kosmail to LGBT Kos.
Please note: This is supposed to be a safe space to discuss our issues, so please, keep your piefights where they belong, which is not here. That applies to the meta food fight of the day, the Obama Wars, what have you. It's not that we don't like debate or that we don't have opinions on those issues. There are places for these debates and they are not here at LGBT Kos. We are more interested in the diversity of our life experiences, our cultures, and our dreams of a better tomorrow. We believe that we can create a space to discuss these differences without engaging in the political debates that have often divided our community. If you can't abide by this rule, you'll be asked to leave.
LGBT News - Youth/Education
Bullied gay teen meets with President Obama, proposes LGBT youth advisor
When we last checked in with Caleb Laieski — a gay teen from Arizona who started his anti-bullying activism when he was forced to drop out of high school at the age of 16 — he was in the middle of a month long lobbying crusade, meeting with legislators on Capitol Hill to garner support for the Student Non-Discrimination Act.
Now, two months later, Caleb is back from his third trip to Washington D.C. this year, where most recently he was an invited guest of the White House to attend President Barack Obama’s LGBT Pride Reception on June 29.
LGBT News - Transgender
Judge apologizes to inmate seeking sex-change
BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday apologized to a transgender inmate who has waited years for a ruling on whether she can get a taxpayer-funded sex-change operation.
Michelle Kosilek, a convicted murderer, first sued the Massachusetts Department of Correction 11 years ago. Two years later, U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf ruled that Kosilek was entitled to treatment for gender-identity disorder, but stopped short of ordering surgery to complete Kosilek's transformation into a woman.
Kosilek sued again in 2005, arguing that the female hormones she was receiving were not enough to relieve her anxiety and depression. Kosilek argued that the surgery was a medical necessity and that the Department of Correction was violating her constitutional rights by refusing to provide the operation.
Transgender Contestant Returns to "America's Next Top Model"
Transgender model Isis King will be back to compete on the upcoming season of "America's Next Top Model."
King, 25, was living in a homeless shelter in 2008 when she first approached show officials about competing as a girl "born in the wrong body." Show host and producer Tyra Banks liked the idea and King became one of 14 finalists for the eleventh cycle of the show, placing tenth.
On her blog, King hinted that she might present herself differently this time around.
LGBT News - Health/HIV
Care and diplomacy combined in Dutch approach to AIDS/HIV
Funded to the tune of 47 million euros, the Dutch-based AIDS Fund is joining forces with six other organisations to combat AIDS/HIV worldwide. The main paymaster of the project is the Netherlands' Foreign Ministry.
Aimed at an estimated 400,000 gay and transgender people, as well as intravenous drugs users, sex workers and their partners, the project concentrates on preventing HIV infections and improving treatment and care of HIV/AIDS sufferers.
Delivery of Global AIDS Funding Drops 10 Percent
There's been a slowdown in HIV/AIDS donations from rich countries to developing nations, according to a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation and UNAIDS.
An analysis released this week found that donors disbursed $6.9 billion last year for HIV prevention and treatment funding, down from $7.6 billion in 2009. The bulk of the decrease is attributed to a slow down in U.S. funding distribution -- but not an actual budget cut.
LGBT News - International
A critical moment for Turkey’s LGBT community: Amnesty International pushes for much-needed protections in new constitution — and you can help
The upheavals of autocratic governments that started in North Africa and spread eastward into Asia have been — and are still being — well documented.
One nation about which we have heard less is Turkey. But that may soon change.
Trans Wedding In Cuba Highlights Growing Tolerance
In a development considered unthinkable just a few years ago, a transgender woman and a man identifying himself as gay were married in a public wedding in Havana on Aug. 13, with family members, friends and newly emerging gay activists attending the ceremony.
“This is the first wedding between a transsexual woman and a gay man,” the 31-year-old groom, Ignacio Estrada, told the Associated Press. “We celebrate it at the top of our voices and affirm that this is a step forward for the gay community in Cuba,” the AP quoted Estrada as saying.
Although same-sex marriage remains illegal in Cuba, Estrada and his new wife, Wendy Iriepa, 37, told members of a large international media contingent covering the ceremony that their relationship and wedding symbolized some of the positive changes taking place in Cuba for the LGBT community.
LGBT Kos News
In addition to Fabulous Friday, posted every Friday at 5:30pm (ET), we publish a diary every Wednesday at 8:00pm (ET), and an open thread every Sunday at 2:30pm (ET). If you are interested in hosting an open thread or writing a diary for the group, please send a message to the group.
Notable Diaries
LGBT-related diaries from the previous week (Friday, August 12th through Thursday, August 18th) that did not make the recommended diaries list and were not rescued.