JUNE 2008

June 30: European Union:  Wider Powers Needed to Tackle Discrimination Against Gays in Europe, Says Rights Agency.  Equal protection by European Union anti-discrimination law remains an ideal – not a fact – for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexual people (LGBT) living in many parts of the EU, a report published today says.
June 28: Kenya:  Gay Kenyan Anglicans Send Strong Message to Lambeth Conference.  Kenyan Anglican clergy, gays and allies have sent a strong message of affirmation and inclusiveness to the bishops at the forthcoming Lambeth conference, due to be held next month.
June 28: Hungary:  Police Criticised After Budapest Gay Bar Set on Fire.  Gay groups in Hungary have criticised Budapest police in the aftermath of the torching of a gay bar in the city in the early hours of yesterday.
June 27: UK:   Ad Campaign on London Underground Breaks Down Sting of ‘So Gay’ As Insult.  A new travel company poster campaign launched today in London’s Underground network is set to smash through the supposed insult value of “so gay”, by reclaiming the term as part of an advertising slogan.
June 27: Religion:   Anglicans Challenged on Power, Sex and ‘Traditionalism’.  According to the standard script, the current war in the world-wide Anglican Church over sexuality, scripture and authority is one between ‘traditionalists’ and ‘revisionists’, and ‘liberals’ versus ‘evangelicals’.
June 26: Bulgaria:  European Parliament Intergroup Backs First Gay Pride in Bulgaria.  Politicians from the European Parliament’s all-party ‘intergroup’ on gay and lesbian rights said last night that they warmly supported the Gay Pride scheduled to take place on Saturday in Sofia.
June 24: Belarus:  Increase in Assaults on Gay Men in Belarus.  There is widespread concern among the gay community in Belarus following an increased number of homophobic attacks over the past four weeks.  Among the victims was Edward Tarletski, a well-known Belarusian gay and member of the Board of Lambda Belarus.
June 23: UK:  ‘Discrete’ Gays Safe in Iran: Really Ms. Smith?  Op-Ed.  It was enough to make anyone with a remote interest in gay men and women from Iran seeking refuge in the United Kingdom – and their problems with the Home Office – choke on their morning corn flakes.
June 23: Russia:  Gays Sue Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev Over Moscow Pride.  Organisers of Moscow Gay Pride today applied to the city’s Tverskoi District Court accusing Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev of “inaction on their letter” concerning the staging of the march for tolerance – and respect for the rights of freedoms of homosexual people in Russia – in Alexandrovskiy Sad, part of the Kremlin.
June 23: Nepal:  Still No Respect for Gays and ‘Third Gender’ People as Equal Citizens.  By Sunil Pant.  Like many marginalised and voiceless Nepali people, homosexuals and third genders fought against autocracy and took to the streets for democracy during the second people’s popular movement in Nepal in 2006.
June 21: UK:  Gay Catholics to Parade at Pride London.  Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics from all over the United Kingdom will be parading behind the ‘Proudly Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgendered & Proudly Catholic’ banner in the Pride London Parade next month.
June 21: Ireland:  Students Urge Push for Equal Marriage Rights Ahead of Dublin Gay Pride.  The Union of Students (USI) last night urged for a push for equal marriage rights for gay and lesbian citizens ahead of today’s Dublin Pride Parade.
June 20: Ireland:  Dublin Gay Pride 08 Will Be “One to Remember” – Lord Mayor.  More than 10,000 people are expected to take part in tomorrow’s Pride Parade in the Irish capital.  And Dublin Lord Mayor Paddy Bourke predicts it will be “one to remember”.
June 20: UK:  Gay Newspaper Website Launches Interactive Web 3.0.  The Pink Paper marks a new era in its long standing history with the most interactive website that provides an information channel for all areas of the LGBT community.
June 20: World:  The World is an Unkind Place for Gay Refugees.  By Hossein Alizadeh.  Just two years ago, Arash and Javad (not their real names), two young Iranian men were building their future together. Arash was pursuing a successful career in Iran's financial sector and Javad was a university student in Tehran. Now the men live in abject poverty in a remote area of Turkey.
June 18: Russia:  Moscow Court: Third Gay Pride Ban “Lawful”.  Tverskoi District Court of Moscow this afternoon dismissed the complaint by Moscow Pride organisers against the ban of one of the Gay Pride marches for tolerance and respect for the rights and freedoms of homosexual people in Russia planned for May 1 this year.
June 18: UK:  Cardiff Pride to Offer Cash Boost for Local Gay Charities.  The Welsh capital is all set to get its big gay day out this year after all.  Thousands of people from across the UK are expected to attend Cardiff Pride on Saturday September 6.
June 18: UK:  Damning Inequalities Revealed in First Major Lesbian Health Study.  The first major survey ever conducted into lesbian and bisexual women’s health in Britain reveals deeply disturbing levels of self-harm, substance abuse and exclusion from routine testing for cervical cancer.
June 17: Uganda:  Gay Ugandan: “The Government Is Only Looking After Straight People”.  The arrest of three people protesting the lack of HIV/AIDS programming for men who have sex with men at the recent HIV/AIDS Implementers' Meeting in Kampala, capital of Uganda, has drawn criticism from HIV activists around the world.
June 17: Gibraltar:  GGR Welcomes Proposed New EU Anti-Discrimination Law.  Equality Rights Group GGR yesterday welcomed the news that the European Commission will be introducing a new Directive prohibiting discrimination in the provision of goods and services across many categories, including sexual orientation.
June 16: Russia:  Moscow Gay Pride Organisers Appeal Anti-Luzhkov Picket Ban to European Court of Human Rights.  Moscow Gay Pride organisers have today sent their new application to the European Court of Human Rights Strasbourg against Russia.  It is the third application to be sent from Moscow to the Court.
June 14: UK:  Gay Youth Gives Homophobia Its Pride Marching Orders!  Pride London’s Youth @ Pride group have today sent an open letter to the ten ‘uniformed’ youth services inviting them to take part in this year’s Pride London parade and celebrations, and work together to combat homophobia and transphobia.
June 13: Hungary:  Police Approve Budapest Gay Pride March.  The chief of Budapest police has today reversed his decision earlier this week to ban the city’s Gay Pride march next month.
June 12: Hungary:  European Fury at Gay Pride March Ban.  There has been anger today in the European Parliament over the ban on Budapest Gay Pride by the city’s police chief Dr. Gábor Tóth for traffic congestion reasons.
June 12: Hungary:  Police Chief Bans Budapest Gay Pride.  Budapest police chief Dr. Gábor Tóth has banned the Gay Pride March, it emerged last night.  The march, which Dr. Tóth said would disrupt traffic in the city, was scheduled to take place on Saturday July 5 on Andrássy, one of Budapest’s main streets.  
June 9: Lithuania:  Lithuania Risks EU Sanctions Over Equalities, Warns Gay European Parliament Group.  Lithuania will face sanctions from the European Union if the country does not protect everyone it its Law on Equal Treatment, the president of the European Parliament’s all-party ‘Intergroup’ for gay and lesbian rights warned this evening.
June 9: UK:  Foreign Office Gets ‘Gay’ Kudos While Home Office Remains ‘Not Fit for Purpose’.  Commentary.  Over the past week, the UK Government has earned itself considerable praise world-wide after flying ‘Rainbow Flags’ on two embassies in Eastern Europe during Gay Prides in Latvia and Poland.  Yet while the two flags were proudly flying on embassies in Riga and Warsaw, there are gay men and women who are seeking sanctuary in the United Kingdom, having fled their countries under threat of execution or lengthy imprisonment because of their sexuality.  
June 9: UK:  Gay Immigration Group Wins Funding to Assist LGBT Refugee Seekers.  Awards for All, which distributes lottery funding to ‘good causes’ has awarded a £5,000 grant to the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG) for its work in supporting LGBT people seeking refuge in the UK.
June 8: Poland:  Warsaw Gay Pride a “Classic, Brimming With Colour, Music and Fun”.  From a special correspondent in Warsaw.  The ‘Gay Pride’ march, known as Parada Rownosci, or Equality Parade, came out in style onto the main streets of Warsaw yesterday, with considerable acceptance by the wider community and demonstrating the vibrant dynamism of the Polish capital which has suffered like no other – and deserves freedom like no other.
June 6: USA:  Obama Promises to Get Rid of Anti Gay Legislation in America.  The abolition of discriminatory legislation against gay American men and women are among the promises made by Senator Barack Obama, the presumptive Democrat presidential candidate in November’s general election.
June 6: Poland:  British Embassy in Warsaw Flies Rainbow Flag in Support of Gay Pride.  The British Embassy in Warsaw will fly the rainbow flag alongside the Union Flag this weekend in support of Warsaw Pride 2008.
June 6: Lithuania:  Gays To Be Excluded From Proposed Equal Opportunities Law?  An amendment by Lithuanian Prime Minister Egidijus Klumbys to exclude sexuality from the draft law on equal opportunities has been approved by the country’s parliament, the Seimas.
June 6: UK:  Manchester Cathedral to Welcome Gays and Lesbians.  Manchester Cathedral is to host a special service of welcome aimed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people next week.
June 2: Latvia:  British Embassy Salutes Riga Gay Pride by Flying the Rainbow Flag. A little piece of UK gay history was made when the British Ambassador to Latvia, Richard Moon ordered the Rainbow Flag to be flown t the Embassy to mark Riga Pride and Friendship Days.
June 1: Russia:  Moscow Cops Threaten to Bust Gays for Drug Dealing in Apartment Stand-Off After Pride. Police are threatening to plant drugs on the four gay activists who are trapped in an apartment opposite the Moscow City Hall.
June 1: Russia:  Moscow Gay Pride in Pictures.  Three pages of pictures from Moscow.  The first two pages are of the demonstration by the Tchaikovsky statue, from GayRussia.ru, while the third is outside City Hall where a banner was unfurled.