Washington Blade - July 21, 2006

WASHINGTON - President Bush nominated gay physician Mark R. Dybul July 17 to be United States Global AIDS Coordinator, a post at the State Department that has the rank of ambassador. If the U.S. Senate ratifies his nomination, Dybul would replace pharmaceutical industry executive Randall Tobias as head of a $15 billion program initiated by Bush and approved by Congress to combat AIDS in developing countries, with a focus on Africa. Bush appointed Tobias to another administration post. "[Dybul] is widely recognized as someone highly qualified for this position," said Carl Schmid, a gay Republican activist who serves as federal affairs director for the AIDS Institute, a national AIDS advocacy group. Dybul currently serves as acting U.S. global AIDS coordinator and chief medical officer at the State Department. He would become the third openly gay person to hold a U.S. ambassadorial position. President Clinton appointed businessman and philanthropist James Hormel as ambassador to Luxemburg. In his first term in office, Bush appointed gay career Foreign Service Officer Michael Guest as ambassador to Romania.

Gay activists march on Focus on the Family

DENVER (AP) - Members of a gay advocacy group say the founder of Focus on the Family manipulated research data to try to argue gays are not good parents. The Virginia-based group Soulforce said the disinformation has led to ridicule of gay parents. Soulfource members and supporters began a 65-mile march July 17 from Denver to Colorado Springs where the office of Dr. James Dobson, head of the conservative Christian group, is located. New York University sociologist Judith Stacey said her work was manipulated to make it appear she supported Focus on the Family's position. But Focus spokesman Glenn Stanton said that other research shows children need a mother and father. The march is expected to end July 22 with participation by Judy Shepard, mother of the murdered gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard; and actor Chad Allen, who announced publicly five years ago that he was gay.

Cleveland health officials scrutinize new bathhouse

CLEVELAND (AP) - City health officials want the owner of a new, upscale gay bathhouse to provide condoms, offer customers regular HIV testing and appoint employees to answer questions about preventing sexually transmitted diseases. The Flex club, scheduled to open next month, will become part of a chain of six bathhouses extending from Atlanta to Los Angeles. Plans for the 50,000-square-foot complex inside a defunct Greyhound bus depot feature three pools, two saunas and a gym and include 110 cabana-like spa rooms equipped with cots and televisions, 18 hotel rooms and a restaurant. City leaders say the club could help spark the economic revival of a desolate commercial block, but they also worry the bathhouse could fuel HIV/AIDS and other diseases. "I think it's going to be a big mess in the not-too-distant future," said William Tiedemann, AIDS director for the Cleveland Department of Public Health. Flex's website claims the facility will be the largest bathhouse in the world.

Gay man runs for mayor of Dallas

DALLAS - An openly gay Latino lawyer is running for the mayor of Dallas. Rogelio "Roger" Herrera, 39, announced his candidacy July 5, the Dallas Voice reported. The incumbent is not seeking re-election. "I want to make a difference, to try and really unite the city," Herrera said, the Dallas Voice reported. The race is expected to draw other candidates. Herrera said labeling him "the gay candidate" would be a mistake, and that he wants to be a candidate for the entire city. An issue in the race may be the transformation of Oak Lawn, now the city's most popular gay neighborhood. "In Oak Lawn, a lot of affordable housing was demolished to make room for expensive development, and there are a lot of people who used to live there who can't afford it now," Herrera told the paper.

Univ. of Louisville to offer D.P. benefits

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The University of Louisville's trustees passed a plan July 13 offering health insurance to domestic partners of school employees. Louisville is the first public university in the state to endorse such a plan for unmarried gay and heterosexual partners of school faculty and staff. The trustees said the move wasn't a social statement but an effort to keep competitive with other universities. State Sen. Richard (R-Lakeside Park) said he will consider legislation that would challenge the program. "I find this very repulsive," Roeding said. "I don't want to entice any of those people into our state. Those are the wrong kind of people." After learning that the Kentucky Log Cabin Republicans, a group for gay Republicans, called for Roeding's resignation over his comments, the senator called the group "a bunch of queers," the Cincinnati Post reported.

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