Kidnappings, Danish cartoons, gays and Islam

I did a quick survey story in this month's Press Pass Q (third news piece down) on how the North American queer press responded to the Danish cartoons fiasco. There was very little.... Here's the copy I found:

Lavender managing editor Ethan Boatner wrote an editorial that's no longer online: "I believe that Lavender's omission of the Danish cartoons stands not for capitulation to terrorists, but rather simple respect for those Muslims living and working peacefully here...."

He asked Minneapolis and St. Paul readers (in an online poll) whether to run the 'toons. The answer's yes, but hey -- only 18 responses were received.

Syndicated writer Wayne Besen (also printed in Lavender) is here. And Camille Paglia pontificated here: "This is simply another episode in a long-running story of iconoclasm. Images have always been a flashpoint in the history of religions. I think what we’re actually seeing has nothing to do with the cartoons in Denmark. It’s a kind of world protest against Western intrusion into the Middle East.

"This spilling out of frustration is not a good sign for the people who have been saying all along that Islam is a peaceful religion. But often, anything, including religion, can be hijacked by a determined and fanatical fringe. That’s what we’re seeing. I think it bodes very ill for our political future over the next century."

Boston's Bay Windows ran a piece Feb. 23 written by former editor Jeff Epperly.

X-Factor is an all-man magazine out of Phoenix, Ariz. See editor Ken Furtado's piece here.

Lotta 'mericans, eh? Here's one I missed the first time around, from Vancouver's Xtra West, here.

I dunno whether queer journalists think religion is irrelevent to their gay mandate, or if they're runnin' scared.