yoM sphU ai A$M
Fully-equipped 1, 2 and 3BR cabins*
• Hot tub on property*
•Secluded, walk-to tent sites*
•Shady RV (30’ or less) sites*
•14 wooded, mountaintop acres*
•Hiking, biking, waterfalls, shopping &
dining nearby in Brevard 8t Asheville*
•Gay owned, GLBT friendly*
EVERYONE WELCOMED
Nature Revives the Spirit winter cabm specials
2/c
owmcj
Investment
'Rpck
Properties
Specializing In NC Mountain Property
Scott P. Macintosh
Owiier/Broker
l oll Free: 1-866-795-7337
Mobile: 828-310-1236
Scott ff?^brips.com
WWW.BRIPS.COM
URGHiFOR
IMANI'S 10* ANIVERSARY CELEBRATION
NOVEMBER 16 - 18, 2007
HELP US CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF LOVE AND FAITH
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 16 - HEALING SERVICE
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 17 - DINNER 7-8 DANCE 8-12
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 18 - WORSHIP 2:45
6 JANUARY 12 .2008 • Q-NOTES
International News
by Jack Kirven . Q-Notes staff
Spanish PM counters Papal disdain
MADRID, Spain — Prime Minister Jos^
Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (pictiued) denounced
demands by the Vatican to repeal same-sex
marriage and abortion in Spain. Pope Benedict
XVI, the Cardinal
Archbishop of Madrid
(Antonio Marfa Rouca
Varela) and the Council
of Bishops of Spain
organized a “Christian
family” demonstration to
denounce legislation
anathema to the Church.
Without bothering to mask his displeasure
toward the numerous homophobic and theo
cratic ideologies represented by the bishops’
speeches, Zapatero repeated that the Spanish
Constitution ensures the rights of all people,
even those who do not support the rights of
others. The government issued a statement
declaring that it has no intention of considering
steps away from democracy and that there is no
place in Spain for legislation regarding religion.
Tel Aviv recognizes marriages
TEL AVIV, Israel — People wishing to
form unions outside the rituals prescribed by
the rabbinate can now apply for identity cards
that are signed by both parties in front of a
civic officer and witnessing attorney. The
move has been spurred by a desire to provide
municipal services to more families and to
collect taxes from a wider base of couples
thathad previously been unrecognized.
These unrecognized couples account for as
much as 40 percent of the households in Israel
and include 18,000 same-sex couples; 250,000
couples who carmot legally wed because one of
the partners is not Jewish; and an expanding
faction of Israeli Jews who do not ivish to have
their unions solemnized through the rabbinate.
“First, the couple has to sign a 1^ contract
that details their n^ts and responsibilities in their
shared life, and the card, which is signed in front of
a lawyer, dedaies legally that the two people are
parties to this contract,” says frit Rosenblum,
founder of New Family, the organization that man
ages issuance of the ID cards.“It transforms their
rdationship from a'normative’ one — a common-
law one— to a contractual one.”
Ugandan church issues manifesto
KAMPALA, Uganda — In an effort to sohd-
ily definitions of doctrine against the budding
LGBT stride in East Africa, Rev. Fr. Leonard
Lubega pubhshed a letter in The Monitor news
paper detailing Church views and articulating
specific conclusions in response to “scientific”
research on homosexuality. However, his argu
ments are based on scripture and make only
passing references to actual developments in
science, politics or sociological thought.
“Today, many people especially in Uganda
have been scandalised by 'homosexuality.’
The Orthodox Church has not had a clear
position regarding homosexuality as a condi
tion since the distinction between homosexual
acts and homosexual conditions is as a result of
recent developments in scientific knowledge.
An objective definition and understanding
of homosexuality is difficult to come by regard
ing the current widespread controversy on the
issue basing on scientific, religious, ethical and
N O'tCS thinking. Reflecting on
modem knowledge opinion gives
thefolbwing views:
Homosexuality is a predominant, persistent
and exclusive psychosexual attraction toward
members of the same sex. This seeks actual sexu
alfulfilment of this desire by sexual pleasures.
This definition clears out distinction between
homosexual acts and the condition of a person
attracting them.
Homosexuality is an immoral sexual act
which should be shunned by all people irrespec
tive of their sex, calibre and tribe. Regarding
homosexual acts, the traditional and exclusive
teaching of the Church is condemnatory, seeing
such acts as morally wrong... (Rev. Lubega’s
errata throughout).
Bhutto’s death a setback
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan — Prior to her
assassination, former two-time Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto had been running on a platform
called “The Five E’s”: employment, education,
energy, environment and equality. She stood out
in world politics for being the first woman to
govern an Islamic nation. Not only did Bhutto
successfully campaign to lead Paldstan twice, a
remarkable feat in a conservative nation, she
ran on a pro-West, Uberal platform.
• Bhutto’s lost potential to influence equality
is of particular note. Although homosexuality
is a crime punishable with prison or death in
Pakistan, and Bhutto never explicidy declared
support for LGBT issues within her country,
her push for equahty for women was reminis
cent of feminist movements around the world.
These in turn paved the way for crusades for
racial and LGBT rights.
Bhutto’s death is considered an enormous
setback for the development of Western-style
democracy in Pakistan. The subsequent tur
moil has led to an alarming destabilization of
the nuclear-capable nation. Pakistan’s neigh
bor and chief rival, India, is also armed with
nuclear weapons.
Officers come out amidst ridicule
SEOUL, South Korea — A second man in a
squadron of riot police has outed himself via the
internet site for his company. Yoojeong Monh-
shik came out in 2006. He refused to complete
his term of service without the implementation
of employment protections and was imprisoned
as a result In South Korea men can opt to serve
in the riot police rather than enlist in the armed
forces; however, military lavre apply in both and
these codes still describe homosemality as a
mental disorder. Sodonty codes ban homosexual
activity and fdlow soldiers and policemen can
apply for restraining orders against people in
their companies found to be homoskual. The
Secretary of Defense has said that gays \^foo
choose to become straight will have the full sup
port of the government, indicating a residual
bdief that sexuality is either a conscious choice
or a treatable condition.
“The current law on homosexual manage
ment is just another way of classifying or seg
regating gays instead of treating them equally.
There is hardly any education offered to sol
diers to help them understand homosexualit)^’
said Chang Byung-kwon, a gay rights activist.
According to Democratic Labor Party leader
Kim Hyun-jong, there are approximately four
million LGBT people in Soiih Korea. M^ are
male and are ther^re subject to mflitary service
requirements. “Would you punish them all? Or
label all of them lunatics?” Hyun-jong asked. I