October/November
2004
November
30: World Interest:
WHO Reinstates Two De-Listed AIDS
Antiretroviral Drugs.
The
United Nations health agency is reinstating two generic AIDS antiretroviral
drugs it de-listed earlier this year after the Indian manufacturer carried
out new studies to confirm that the medicines, widely used in developing
countries, are as effective as their brand-name counterparts.
November
26: UK Interest:
First UK City Council Takes Stand Against 'Murder Music'.
Brighton and Hove,
renowned as the 'gay capital' of England, is the first city council in the
country to take a stand against 'murder music' after two motions calling on
retailers to stop the sale of music containing murderous lyrics were passed
unamended and unanimously last night.
November 25: UK Interest:
Gay Algerian Refugee Must Stay, Says Outrage!
A
gay Algerian refugee is at risk of deportation back to his home country,
where there is a serious danger he would be murdered by Islamic
fundamentalists.
November 25: UK Interest:
STIs “Biggest Infectious Disease Threat”
in UK – Health Agency.
Sexually transmitted
infections, including HIV, remain one of the biggest infectious disease
threats facing the United Kingdom, the annual report of the Health
Protection Agency (HPA) says.
November
24: USA Interest:
FBI
Annual Statistics on Hate Crimes:
Eighteen-Month
Spike in LGBT Hate Not Acknowledged.
Today, the Federal Bureau
of Investigation (FBI) released its annual report on Hate Crimes across the
nation. The report, which documented hate
crimes across the country in 2003, contained information on 1,239 incidents
in which the perpetrators’ motivating factor was victims’ actual or
perceived sexual orientation. Such incidents represented 17% of the total
number of hate crimes in the FBI’s report.
November
23: World Interest:
UNAIDS/WHO Report: Half of 37.2m Adults Living With HIV
Are Women.
A new report released
today shows that the number of women living with HIV has risen in each
region of the world over the past two years, with the steepest increases in
East Asia, followed by Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In East Asia, there
was a 56% increase over the past two years, followed by Eastern Europe and
Central Asia with 48%.
November
23: Wold Interest:
Reaction
To UNAIDS/WHO Report
November
19: USA/UK Interest:
HRC's Jacques Lauds UK for Domestic Partnership Law.
Human Rights Campaign President Cheryl Jacques has lauded the United
Kingdom’s Parliament for passing a law giving same-sex couples the right to
legal recognition and the same rights and responsibilities that married
couples receive.
November
19: UK Interest:
Cashman Celebrates as Civil Partnerships Act Becomes Law.
West Midlands
Labour MEP and gay rights campaigner Michael Cashman has welcomed the
passing of the Civil Partnerships Act into law last night.
November 18: UK Interest:
Civil Partnerships Welcomed – But Not
Enough, Says Group, by Andy Harley.
The
Coalition for Marriage Equality has welcomed the Parliamentary approval of
the Civil Partnerships Bill, calling it a “massive step forward in terms of
legal recognition after so long fighting for what really are basic human
rights.”
November 17: USA Interest:
Report Outlines How To Stay Healthy During Anti-Gay Campaigns.
Gay, lesbian, bisexual,
transgender people and their heterosexual allies can take concrete steps to
resist feelings of isolation, stress, and sadness in the face of anti-gay
campaigns, according to a new publication by the Institute for Gay and
Lesbian Strategic Studies
November
17: UK Interest:
UK
Public Health White Paper "Choosing Health":
Gay Men and Africans Sidelined, Says
National AIDS Trust, by
Andy Harley.
The National
AIDS Trust (NAT) has welcomed initiatives published today in the
Public Health White Paper
“Choosing Health”
to
tackle sexual health. But the
Trust is very concerned at the almost invisible profile of HIV and that the
needs of gay men and African communities are largely ignored.
November
16: UK Interest.
Gay Muslim Activist Slams Mayor’s Embrace of Anti-Gay Cleric.
A
gay Muslim is not too happy that London Mayor Ken Livingstone gave “red
carpet” treatment to the radical cleric, Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi,
last July.
November 10: UK Interest:
Hate Lyrics Campaign goes to Brighton and
Hove Council.
Brighton and Hove, renowned as the ‘gay capital’ of England,
could be the first city in the country to take a stand against ‘homophobic
murder music’, following the tabling of two motions by councillors ahead of
the City Council meeting on November 25.
November 8: USA Interest:
Healing the Wounds of a Divided Nation.
Opinion.
“Today I want to speak to every person who voted for my opponent. To make
this nation stronger and better, I will need your support and I will work to
earn it. I will do all I can do to deserve your trust. A new term is a new
opportunity to reach out to the whole nation.” The words of
President George W. Bush less than a week ago, following his re-election for
a second term of office.
November 2: UK Interest:
Vigil For David Morley in London on Friday.
There is to be a vigil of Friday (November 5) for the late David Morley, the gay
man who died at the weekend as a result of what appears to be a homophobic
attack on the south Bank in London in the early hours of Saturday morning.
November 1: UK Interest:
Urban Music Awards Drops Reggae Section
from Awards.
Organisers of the Urban
Music Awards, set for the Barbican Exhibition Centre in London on November
9, have withdrawn the “best reggae act” section from its ceremonies. The
UMA ceremony raises funds for UNICEF.
October 29:
USA Interest:
ACLU Scolds
Missouri High School for Censoring Gay Student.
The American Civil Liberties Union has come to the
defence of a high school junior who was sent home twice from school for
wearing t-shirts bearing gay pride messages. The principal cited concerns
that other students may be offended by the shirts worn by Brad Mathewson.
October 12: USA Interest:
A Message from
Judy Shepard on the Eighth Anniversary of the Murder of Her Son Matthew.
October 12th, 2004 is the sixth
anniversary of my son Matthew's murder. I quickly learned his violent death
was a fairly common occurrence. This realization prompted our family to
create the Matthew Shepard Foundation and do our part to create a more
respectful and caring culture free from hate. I have spent the past five
years traveling across the nation, speaking to over one million
people at schools, churches, corporations, anyone who will listen, to
try and stem the tide of hate that is eating away at the fabric of our
culture.
October 5: UK Interest:
Council Retains ‘Section 28’ Anti-Gay Policy
– Day of Protest Called.
Young people from all over Britain are again calling on Kent County Council
to scrap its offensive and homophobic, anti-gay education policy which
prohibits the ‘promotion of homosexuality’ in its 600 schools.
