Mayor Mark Funkhouser to meet with LGBT community Nov. 7 at UMKC

After meeting with neighborhood and interest groups around the city, Funkhouse will hold his first town hall meeting with the LGBT community. The Lesbian and Gay Community Center of Kansas City, Four Freedoms Democratic Club, and UMKC Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered Office organized the meeting Wednesday, Nov. 7, 6-7 p.m. in the Plaza Room on the second floor of the UMKC Administration Center, 5115 Oak St.

Sebelius order protects gay, lesbian state workers

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius issued an executive order Friday making it illegal to discriminate against state employees because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, regardless of their job performance. The action protects more than 37,000 state employees from being denied jobs, fired or discriminated against because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The order takes effect immediately. Link to the Kansas City Business Journal

An AIDS survivor who makes no excuses
	Many people say they can’t ride in the AIDS Bicycle Challenge. They’re not in shape, they say, or they don’t have a bicycle or don’t know where they might borrow or rent one. Some reasons might be valid, while others are merely excuses, leaving others to raise money for those living with HIV/AIDS. Why Trish Steen rides in the AIDS Bicycle Challenge. Link to Camp-KC

Magic Johnson helps a friend, many others
	Earvin “Magic” Johnson came to town the weekend of Sept. 21 to help his friend Clay Johnson, a former Los Angeles Laker and a native Kansas Citian, give back to the community that supported him during his NBA career. Link to Camp-KC

Offstage, convention stars support gay issues

Academy Award winner Ben Affleck—who, some media reports say, is laying the groundwork for a political run himself—gave a rousing speech to the Democratic National Convention's GLBT caucus. Comfortably joking about his "partner Matt Damon" and sharing that he has a cousin, an aunt and a godfather who are gay, Affleck said, "Everyone has someone who is gay." Gay people are Americans, too, he said, and should have "every goddamn right" that all other Americans have. Link to gay.com

Failure of vaccine test is setback in AIDS fight
	A much-heralded H.I.V. vaccine has failed to work in a large clinical trial, dealing another serious setback to efforts to stop the AIDS epidemic. Merck said yesterday that it had halted test vaccinations after the vaccine failed to prevent infection or reduce the severity of infection among volunteers who became infected during the trial. Link to the New York Times

New anti-HIV drug 'promising' say researchers
	A prototype drug, tested on lab-dish samples of the AIDS virus, has shown great promise in attacking HIV from an unprecedented direction, French researchers reported on Friday. The drug inhibits the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) at a key point -- when it uses the hijacked machinery of an infected immune cell to reassemble its genetic code. Link to Yahoo LGBT News

Symbolism or substance in ENDA debate?

When the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) received its first-ever vote in the House of Representatives and passed the Education and Labor Committee on Oct. 18, it should have been a historic - and celebratory - moment for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. But there was a cloud hanging over the vote with many LGBT and social justice advocacy groups dissenting on the substance of the bill. Link to Edge New York