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DECEMBER 31. 2005 • Q-NOTES 2005 Year in Review ews notes from around the nation & globe Year in review by David Stout Q-Notes staff January PFLAG names new director WASHINGTON, D.C. — Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) announces the hiring of Jody Michael Huckaby (pictured) as the organization’s new executive director, concluding a six-month search. Huckaby, who is openly gay, said, “My family didn’t have the resources of PFLAG to help us back then. But today more than 500 [PFLAG] chapters across the country are essential in helping to end discrimination and achieve equality for everyone, regardless of our sexu al orientationor gender identity.” Gay festival postponed PATONG, Thailand — The annual Phuket Gay Festival slated for February is postponed due to the Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami that dev astated the Thai island and much of south east Asia. The festival is moved to April. “The general feeling of the Gay Festival organizers, supported by the many participating busi ness owners, was that respect for the consequences of the tsunami was by far the most important issue, [along with] allowing Patong area resi dents to have some time to recover both emotionally and physically from the disaster,” oiganizers wrote on the Festival website. February Gay buying power lops $610 bil WASHINGTON, D.C. — A consumer study estimates that the total buying power of LGBT adults in the U.S. will top $610 billion in 2005, a $30 billion increase in just two years. Bob Witeck, CEO of Witeck-Combs, the firm behind the report, said, “Validating buying power is a reliable business tool for companies and policy decision-makers. It provides the most compelling snapshot of the economic activity of America’s diverse gay, lesbian and bisexual population.” He added that survey data suggests that between 6 and 7 percent of the adult U.S. population self- identifies as gay, lesbian or bisexual — or between 14 and 16 million individuals. HIV 'super strain' identified? New York, N.Y. — Infectious disease spe cialists report that an HIV strain resistant to three classes of AIDS drugs has been identi fied. The “super strain” is diagnosed in a New York City man in early February. San Diego County’s public health officer says that a strain with “a similar molecular make up as the patient in New York City” may have infected a local man. Boston health officials add that they have seen similar cases. Despite these assertions, the news is met with skepticism from some experts who aigue that the anomalies likely have more to do with the patients’ genetics than with HIV. TS golfer ok'd for British Open LONDON, England — Mianne Bagger (pictured) made history in 2004 when she became the first transsexual golfer to com pete at the Australian Open. Her participa tion was made possible when the Australian Ladies Professional Golf tour abolished its rule requiring players to be female at birth. Thanks to a similar decision by the Ladies’ Golf Union, the transplanted Aussie is allowed to join the Ladies European Tour as well. She accepts an invitation to com pete in the Women’s British Open in late July. The event is one of the most respect ed tournaments in women’s golf. March Lesbian's senior photo banned GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. — Openly gay Fleming Island High School student Kelli Davis is told by Principal Sam Ward that her senior picture will not be pub lished in the yearbook because she was photographed wearing a tuxedo. Ward’s decision is supported by the school board and Superintendent David Owens at a meeting attended by approximately 200 people. School officials claim Davis’ sexu al orientation has no bearing on the situ ation. They said the issue is that she did not dress appropriately. Buster, SpongeBob in the news NEW YORK, N.Y. — An episode of the popular PBS series “Postcards from Buster” is dropped from broadcast after Education Secretary Margaret Spellings criticizes the appearance of a lesbian couple in a segment depicting Buster’s visit to a Vermont farm, owned by the women, to learn about maple syrup production. The same week a music video featuring SpongeBob SquarePants, Miss Piggy and dozens more children’s TV characters singing “We are Family” is dis tributed to over 60,000 schools to promote tolerance. Anti-gay leaders label the effort an attempt to promote homosexuality. April Civil unions bill becomes law HARTFORD, Conn. — On April 20 Gov. M. Jodi Rell (pictured) signs a civil unions bill extending many of the rights of marriage to the state’s same-sex couples. The law enacted less than an hour after it passes its final hurdle in the legislature — the inclu sion of a clause defining marriage as being between one man and one woman, an addition that had been requested by Rell. “The vote we cast today will reverberate around the country and it will send a wave of hope to many people, to thou sands of people across the country,” said Sen. Andrew McDonald, an openly gay state lawmaker. Connecticut joins Vermont as the only states to recognize civil unions. see next page > Chariotte^ residential rental specialist featuring... Se habla espanol. 7617 Denon Hill Drive $795 3br, 2bt House 1200 sq. ft. Greatroom with fireplace, back patio, convenient to Elizabeth, Myers Park, East Charlotte, shopping. Located in Cotswold area $1,175 ... 3022 Uxbridge Woods Court > Newly listed in the “gayborhood.” Huge 2br, 2.5bt House, 1100 sq. ft. Energy efficient, walking distance to Thomas Street Tavern and the Penguin restaurant. Located in Plaza/Midwood area Choose from over 800 houses condos and duplexes starting at $375! KLUTTS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 1433 Emerywood Drive Charlotte, NC 28210 704.554.8861 Fax: 704.553.2256
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