LAST UPDATED: London UTC: 09:00, Mar 16
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saving/summer time
April 9 at St
Stephens Club, 34 Queen Anne's Gate, Westminster SW1H 9AB
7pm to 12:00pm
CHISINAU Moldova
April 29 to May 2 KIDDERMINSTER England
May 2 MASPALOMAS Spain (Gran Canaria)
May 3 - 9
VILNIUS Lithuania
May 7 - 8 BRUSSELS Belgium
The Pride
May 14 - 16 WORLDWIDE
International Day Against Homophobia/Transphobia
May 17
ARE YOU GAY AND A VICTIM OF BULLYING AT SCHOOL (or outside
school)?
PHONE 'EACH'
Most mobile phone companies let you make a call on this
number for FREE.
After dialing, listen for recorded message for any charges.
Tuesday March 16, 2010
Jackson Clarion-Ledger - USA:
Itawamba Prom Hearing Could He Held by Monday. By Chris Joyner.
Attorneys for both sides in the controversy over barring same-sex couples from attending the now-canceled Itawamba Agricultural High School
prom said Monday they have agreed to an expedited court schedule in an attempt to settle the issue.
Barre Montpelier Times Argus - USA:
Use of State Money for Boy Scouts Comes Under Fire. By Peter Hirschfeld.
Gay rights organizations are opposing a $7,500 appropriation to the Boy Scouts in Gov. James Douglas' fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Cape Times - South Africa:
'It Was Not Another Township Murder'. By Luvuyo Mjekula.
As the murder trial of Zoliswa Nkonyana resumed on Monday, gay and lesbian rights activists protested outside the Khayelitsha court complex
demanding speedy justice after a string of postponements.
The Advocate - USA:
Frank Urges White House to Be Clear on DADT. By Kerry Eleveld.
During a Friday interview with The Advocate,Rep. Barney Frank intimated that the White House did not want to see "don't ask,
don't tell" repealed this year.
Radio Prague - Czech Republic:
Gay Grouping Demands Right to Adopt Children. By Chris Johnstone.
A gay association has called for the Czech legal landscape to be redrawn allowing individual members of gay couples to be allowed to adopt children. The
demand is backed up by legal analysis and a 2,000 signature petition calling for action.
South Wales Echo - UK:
International Referee Nigel Owens Announces Cardiff-Wales Mardi Gras. By Mike Smith.
More than 40,000 people are due to join the celebrations in the Welsh capital this summer with the 11th Cardiff-Wales LGBT Mardi Gras. Announcing
the 2010 event new Patron international rugby referee Nigel Owens said there will also be a week of events across the city and further afield ranging
from concerts and dance performances, theatre groups, photographic and art exhibitions to tea dances.
Ice News - Iceland: Swedish Bus Driver Investigated for Ordering Gay Passenger Off. SL, the Stockholm local transport authority, has been asked by the Swedish discrimination
ombudsman (DO) to provide adequate compensation to a gay man after he was instructed to leave a bus by a local driver.
The Local - Germany:
Westerwelle’s Taboo Travels. Commentary by Tissy Bruns (Der Tagesspiegel).
Homophobia didn’t disappear once Guido Westerwelle became Germany’s foreign minister. But questions about him promoting personal interests on official trips
abroad have nothing to do with him being gay. Also from The Local:
Westerwelle Calls Criticism of Trips 'Slander'.
USA and the AMERICAS
New York Times - USA:
Robert Carter, Priest and Gay Activist, Dies at 82. By Dennis Hevesi.
The Rev. Robert Carter, who in the early 1970s was one of the first Roman Catholic priests in the country to declare publicly that he was gay
and who helped found the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, died on Feb. 22 in the Bronx. He was 82.
The Advocate - USA:
View From Washington: Universal Stagnation. Commentary by Kerry Eleveld.
As Democrats struggle to push through health care reform and LGBT legislation, some gay activists are suggesting the administration's
failings are a product of incompetence.
The Advocate - USA:
Maryland AG Defends Marriage Announcement. By Julie Bolcer.
Maryland attorney general Douglas F. Gansler, who announced last month that the state would recognize same-sex marriages performed out of state, finds himself
rebutting accusations that the legal opinion is politically motivated.
DC Agenda - USA:
Citizen Lobbyists to Push for Trans Inclusive ENDA on Tuesday. By Chris Johnson.
Citizen lobbyists from across the country are expected to descend on Capitol Hill this week to encourage lawmakers to pass a trans-inclusive
Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
AFRICA
Xtra - Canada:
Elderly Bishop Rocks Uganda's Gay Rights Movement. By Kaj Hasselriis in Kampala.
In Uganda, where most queers are too afraid to come out of the closet, straight allies are essential to the gay rights movement — but
none are as cute, charming or controversial as 78-year-old Anglican Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo.
ASIA
Forbes - USA:
Pink Everest: Nepal Appeals for Gay Tourists. By Ravi Nessman.
Nepal wants to paint Mount Everest pink. It wants gay honeymooners trekking through the Himalayas. It wants to host the world's
highest same-sex wedding at Everest base camp.
Malaysia Star - Malaysia
Police: Penang a Gay Sex Services Hub. By Sira Habibu.
Penang is becoming a hub for commercial gay sex services and the local councils seem to encourage it, police claim.
AUSTRALASIA
GayNZ - New Zealand:
Anti-Gay Political Party Throws In the Towel. An anti-gay Christian political party formed to contest the last general election is in the process
of winding up, having spectacularly failed to impress New Zealand voters.
The Scotsman - UK:
No Sex Please, I'm Neither a Man nor a Woman – And That's Official. By Claire Gardiner.
A Scot looks to have made history after winning the right to be recorded as neither male nor female. Paisley-born
Norrie May-Welby now has a birth certificate that states: "Sex Not Specified."
GayNZ - New Zealand:
Wellington Mayor Launches Outgames Countdown. Wellington mayor Kerry Prendergast launched the one year
countdown to the 2nd AsiaPacific Outgames with a rousing speech in the capital on Friday.
Sunday March 14, 2010
Inter Press - Italy:
Malawi: Country Not Safe for Homosexuals. Commentary by Claire Ngozo.
Malawi is quickly becoming unsafe for homosexuals as the country’s police service recently launched a campaign to hunt down and arrest prominent people who
are suspected of being gay.
UK Gay News - UK:
Poland to Stage Summer-Long Gay Themed Exhibition at National Museum.
Poland’s National Museum in Warsaw is to stage an “Ars Homo Erotica” exhibition this summer. It will present over 200 artworks from
antiquity to the twenty-first century, with Greek vases with frolicking youths, male nudes by the “old masters and mistresses” of sculpture
and painting to contemporary Central-Eastern European LGBT art commissioned especially for the exhibition.
USA Today - USA:
Vatican: 'No link' Between Celibacy Requirement, Sex Abuse. The Vatican on Sunday rejected the notion that its celibacy requirement for priests was the
root cause of the clerical sex abuse scandal convulsing the church in Europe and again defended the pope's handling of the crisis.
Jackson Clarion-Ledger - USA:
Are These Gay Teens Legally in the Right? Commentary by Ronnie Agnew.
Constance McMillen and Ceara Sturgis are forcing school districts to face new realities that many are unprepared to handle: The issue of gay
rights. McMillen, a senior at Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton, wants to bring her sophomore partner to the prom. School
officials first refused, and then, rather than deal with the controversy, canceled the April 2 prom altogether, shifting responsibility to
private groups.
ASIA
Times of India - India:
Mizo Church Talks Tough on Gays. While the Indian state has remarkably softened its stand on gays, the church in Mizoram has kicked
off a controversy by threatening to act against homosexuality.
Agence France Presse - France:
Shanghai's Openness Offers Hope to China's Gays. By Marianne Barriaux in Shanghai.
In a shabby hall in a working-class area of Shanghai, dozens of men slow dance to a ballad, enjoying a few hours in the company of other homosexuals before
going home -- many to their wives. Every weekend evening, men of all ages pay seven yuan (one dollar) to waltz, rumba and be themselves -- no
small feat in China, where homosexuals still face crushing social and familial pressure.
AUSTRALASIA
Canberra Times - Australia:
Gays, Lesbians and Supporters March for Equal Marriage Rights. By Jessica Wright.
Protesters maintained the rage and love at a colourful rally in Garema Place yesterday. Supporters of equal marriage
rights for gay and lesbians marched through Civic in protest against the defeat of the Greens' Marriage Equality Amendment
Bill in the Senate.
Saturday March 13, 2010
UK and EUROPE
New York Times - USA:
Vatican Sees Campaign Against the Pope. By Rachel Donadio in Rome and Nicholas Kulish in Munich.
As new details emerged on allegations of child sexual abuse by a priest in the Munich archdiocese then led by Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican
spoke out on Saturday to protect the pope against what it called an aggressive campaign against him in his native Germany.
Hürriyet Daily News - Turkey:
Gay Marriage? Well, What About Polygamy? Commentary by Mustafa Akyo.
This week, an interesting debate on an interesting topic took place in Turkey.
USA and the AMERICAS
Air Force Times - USA:
Ex-Staff Sgt. Says Police Told AF She Was Gay. By Timberly Ross (AP).
Jene Newsome said she played by the rules as an Air Force staff sergeant: She never told anyone in the military she was a lesbian.
The 28-year-old’s honorable discharge under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy came only after police officers in Rapid City, S.D., saw an
Iowa marriage certificate in her home and told officials at nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base.
CNN International - USA:
Susan Stanton's Son's Essay. An essay written by Steven Stanton's son Travis after he learned that his father was going to become a
woman. The story of his father's transformation can be seen on "Her Name Was Steven" at 8 and 11 p.m. ET Saturday on CNN.
USA Today - USA:
Prom Offers Flood In for Mississippi Students. By Chris Joyner.
An advocacy group for gay students in Mississippi said it has been fielding dozens of offers from around the nation to hold a prom for students of
Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton, Miss.
New York Gay City News - USA:
We Were Everywhere. Doug Ireland reviews Queers in History: The Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Historical Gays, Lesbians,
Bisexuals, and Transgenders by Keith Stern.
Washington Post - USA:
In Washington Area, Gays' New Right Stirs Up Old Conflicts. By Tara Bahrampour and Monica Hesse.
On the first day same-sex weddings were held in the District, Dustin Rhodes could barely stomach the outpouring of matrimonial enthusiasm: the joyful
couples exchanging vows in front of family, friends and colleagues, with all the flowers, cake and flash photography that come with the show.
Baltimore Sun - USA:
Gay Rights' Surprise Ally. Editorial.
There are two interesting things about Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell's executive directive this week banning discrimination in the state government's
personnel actions on the basis of sexual orientation.
AUSTRALASIA
GayNZ - New Zealand:
How Healthy Is Your Relationship? By Matt Akersten.
A new booklet about Kiwi same-sex coupling gives tips for healthy relationships – and advice on what to do if things go wrong.
Friday March 12, 2010
DC Agenda - USA:
State Dept. Report Identifies LGBT Abuses Abroad. By Chris Johnson.
A new State Department report reveals LGBT people in many foreign countries continue to endure discrimination and human rights abuses.
University of Arizona Daily Wildcat - USA:
Schools Should Permit Same-Sex Prom Dates. Commentary by Laura Donovan.
A classmate told lesbian Constance McMillen that she ruined her senior year. A Mississippi school district
canceled McMillen’s senior prom rather than allow her to take her girlfriend as a date and wear a tuxedo. Believe
it or not, classmates were furious with McMillen, even though she was the one who faced discrimination.
See also
The Stranger and video report from
CNN Headline News.
Jackson Clarion-Ledger - USA:
Prom Decision Attracts Attention. By Chris Joyner.
A northeast Mississippi school board's decision to cancel the high school prom rather than allow same-sex dates has attracted national
attention and evoked reaction across the political spectrum. The decision also prompted the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi
on Thursday to file suit in federal court against the Itawamba County School System. The ACLU is asking a judge to reverse the school board's
decision to cancel the April 2 dance.
Mike Tidmus Blog - USA: Constance McMillen on CBS News
. Embedded video of Constance McMillen on CBS News'
"The Early Show" this morning talking about the cancelled prom.
Washington Post - USA:
In Africa, a Step Backward on Human Rights. Commentary by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Hate has no place in the house of God. No one should be excluded from our love, our compassion or our concern because of race or gender, faith or
ethnicity - or because of their sexual orientation. It is time to stand up against another wrong. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered
people are part of so many families. They are part of the human family. They are part of God's family. And of course they are part of the
African family. But a wave of hate is spreading across my beloved continent.
LGBT Asylum News - UK:
Update on Threat to Gays on Kenya's Coast. Commentary by Paul Canning.
Threats to a HIV/AIDS clinic at the centre of anti-gay rioting in the town of Mtwapa, near Mombasa, appear to have been averted.
The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) clinic had been threatened with attack on Christian radio station Baraka FM with a closure deadline of
today, 12 March. Their broadcasts said: "homosexuals are not human beings and should be treated as such".
Daily Mail - UK:
Fury as German Football Boss Says: 'There's No Place in Football for Gays'. By Allan Hall.
A top German soccer boss today sparked fury by declaring: ‘There is no place in football for gays.’ Rudi Assauer,
who formerly headed up Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga, went on to say: ‘Perhaps they are OK in other sports but not in football.
Typically Spanish - Spain:
Torremolinos to Host Gay Song Festival. What is being described as the first ever Gay Eurovision Song Contest is
being organised in Torremolinos, although in reality all the contestants will come from each of Spain’s autonomous regions.
On Top Magazine - USA:
First Gay Couples Marry In Mexico City. By Carlos Santoscoy.
Five gay and lesbian couples tied the knot Thursday in Mexico City, the first to marry since a gay marriage law went into
effect in the nation's capital.
DC Agenda - USA:
New Bill Would Bar Housing Bias Against Gay, Trans People. By Lou Chibbaro Jr. .
U.S. Rep. Gerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) introduced a bill Thursday that would amend the landmark Fair Housing Act of 1968 to include
a ban on housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
DC Agenda - USA:
Ben & Jerry’s Celebrates Same-Sex Marriage. By Steve Fox.
A local couple wed at the Georgetown Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop on Thursday, with the company’s co-founder joining the celebration.
Page includes video.
ASIA
Fridæ - Hong Kong:
4th ILGA Asia Conference in Surabaya, Indonesia: Mar 26-28. ILGA Asia will hold its 4th Regional Conference in Indonesia on
March 26-28, 2010, with the theme "LGBT ASIA Moving Forward!". Over 150 LGBTQI activists from all over Asia are expected
to participate in this 3-day conference.
Thursday March 11, 2010
US Department of State - USA:
2009 Reports on Human Rights Practices. The Annual Report on human rights in all the countries of the world, except USA, was
published today. The link in to the country index. Each country report includes an LGBT section.
UK and EUROPE
Kathimerini - Greece:
Gay Rights Not Upheld in Serbia. Gays and lesbians in Serbia face violence, abuse and discrimination and the government is failing
to protect their rights, a gay rights group said yesterday.
BBC Northern Ireland News- UK:
Pair Guilty of Homophobic Murder. Two men have been found guilty of murdering a County Tyrone supermarket manager almost two years ago.
Pink Paper - UK:
Chris Bryant Urges EU to Galvanize on Gay Rights. By Renata Pereira.
Minister for Europe Chris Bryant has asked EU residents to share their honest opinions about LGBT rights in Europe.
South Devon Herald Express - UK:
'Gay Pub' Plans Move Up the Road. Torbay's famous 'gay pub' The Meadfoot Inn is moving to bigger premises. The pub is transferring
to the former Hesketh Arms, also in Torquay's Meadfoot Lane, which has stood empty for nearly a year.
USA and the AMERICAS
Jackson Clarion-Ledger - USA:
Miss. School Cancels Prom Over Gay Controversy. By Chris Joyner.
The Itawamba County school board announced today it would cancel the Itawamba County Agricultural High School prom after a gay
student challenged the district on its policy forbidding same-sex dates. "Due to the distractions to the educational
process caused by recent events, the Itawamba County School District has decided to not host a prom at Itawamba Agricultural
High School this year," school board members said in a statement.
Washington Post - USA:
Va. Gov. McDonnell Prohibits Bias Against Gay State Workers. By Rosalind S. Helderman.
Hoping to quell a growing uproar on Virginia's college campuses over gay rights, Gov. Robert F. McDonnell issued a directive to all 102,000 state
employees Wednesday that prohibits discrimination in the state workforce, including on the basis of sexual orientation, and warns he will
reprimand or fire anyone who engages in it.
DC Agenda - USA:
Discharged Officers to Testify on ‘Don’t Ask’ Before Senate. By Chris Johnson.
Two former service members who were discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” are set to testify on the law at an
upcoming Senate hearing. The Senate Armed Services Committee will hear from Jenny Kopfstein, a lesbian and former Navy surface warfare
officer separated under the law, and Michael Almy, who’s gay and served as an Air Force communications officer for 13 years before his discharge.
New York Gay City News - USA:
Boies, Olson Voice Prop 8 Optimism. By Paul Schindler.
In New York appearance, marriage equality litigators says opponents fell well short.
The Advocate - USA:
Outgames & Gay Games Merging? By Michelle Garcia.
The two major organizations that hold LGBT sports competitions are considering a merger, according to Outsports.
AFRICA
ABC News - USA:
Anti-Homosexual Bill In Uganda Causes Global Uproar. By Dan Harris, Kate Hinman and Almin Karamehmedovic.
Standing onstage in black velvet robes, despite the stifling heat in the open-air church, Pastor Martin Ssempa's face is a mask of disgust.
This page contains embedded eigh-minute video report screened last night in America on ABC's 'Nightline'
BBC News - UK:
Gambia Row Over Wave of Arrests. An opposition leader has criticised a wave of arrests in The Gambia, saying detainees - including a
former minister - do not know why they are being held. President Yahya Jammeh is frequently criticised by rights groups. In recent
years, he has publicly threatened to kill gay people and rights workers.
ASIA
Arab News - Saudi Arabia:
Homosexual-cum-Impostor Cop Sentenced to Jail, Lashes. By Rima Al-Mukhtar.
A 27-year-old man who was arrested in January on three charges, including homosexuality, was sentenced to one year in prison and 1,000
lashes and fined SR5,000, local media reported on Wednesday.
Prague Daily Monitor - Czech Republic:
Fischer Strongly Criticises Unions' Head for Lashing Out at Gays. Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer Saturday strongly
criticised transport unions leader Jaromir Dusek over the statement that the Czech Railways (CD) company is controlled by
homosexuals and he called on him to make a public apology, which Dusek said he would not do.
Hürriyet Daily News - Turkey:
Health Minister Again Challenges Colleague, This Time on Gays. Health Minister Recep Akdağ, who earlier came to attention for his public
disagreements with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over the swine flu vaccination campaign, has clashed this time with his family
affairs colleague over homosexuality.
BBC News - UK:
Guernsey: Churches Have Mixed View on Gay Age of Consent. There has been a mixed reaction from Guernsey's church leaders to
proposals to bring down the gay age of consent. It is currently 18 and politicians are debating later this month whether
it should be changed to 16, the same as for heterosexuals, on equality grounds.
Copenhagen Post - Denmark:
Church Minister to Consider Gay Partnerships. Integration and church minister Birthe Rønn Hornbech has said she will look into the
possibility of the National Church providing a framework to register same-sex partnerships, reports Kristeligt Dagblad newspaper.
The Independent - UK:
Supreme Court Rejects Christian Registrar's Claim. By Stephen Howard (PA).
A Christian registrar who lost her job after she refused to carry out civil partnership ceremonies has been refused permission
to appeal to the Supreme Court.
New York Times - USA:
Florida Ponders Tax as Tool to Aid Family-Values Films. By Damien Cave.
The movie “Bait Shop” had too much boozing to earn the extra rebate from Florida’s “family friendly” program of incentives for film production.
“Confessions of a Shopaholic” was, well, just too violent. But for Florida’s Republican leaders, that is apparently not enough. A bill that aims
to expand the state’s film incentive program — an effort to attract jobs, which is likely to pass — would add language limiting a proposed 5 percent
tax credit to productions that do not exhibit or imply “nontraditional family values.”
Washington Post - USA:
In Virginia, Legalized Discrimination Is Alive and Well. Editorial.
In a March 4 missive to state colleges and universities, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) argued that the schools had overstepped their
legal bounds by enacting nondiscrimination policies that include protections for sexual orientation. Under Mr. Cuccinelli's reading of the law, the
schools must refrain from offering more protections than the law requires unless the Virginia General Assembly explicitly authorizes them.
Washington Post - USA:
What Virginia's Opinion on Gay Protections Means. Three Letters to the Editor on the request by the Virginia Attorney General that
publicly-funded university end thier policies that protect gays.
Foreign Policy - USA:
The World's New Gay Rights Battlegrounds. By Peter Williams.
They're here, they're queer, and governments from Africa to Asia don't quite know what to do about it. Four countries where gay rights
movements face an upward battle for equality ...
Kansas City Pitch - USA:
Hamburger Mary's Figures Kansas City's Ready for Big Gay Burgers. By Charles Ferruzza.
It's here, it's queer and it serves beer: Hamburger Mary's, a restaurant that does for America's favorite sandwich what Liberace did for classical
music. It's flamboyant in every sense of the word, right down to the color of the building. [T]he building where Southwest Boulevard
meets Baltimore in the Crossroads is now the color of a grape-flavored all-day sucker. And if the violet exterior doesn't come right out
and scream "queen" (or something like that), the awning over the entrance says it all: "Eat, drink ... and be Mary."
Tuesday March 9, 2010
Reuters - UK:
Circumcision May Not Cut HIV Spread Among Gay Men. Although studies in Africa have shown that circumcision can lower the spread of HIV among heterosexuals,
it may not do much to prevent infections among gay and bisexual men in Western countries, a new study suggests.
UK and EUROPE
Gloucester Citizen - UK: Catholic Priest Apologies for
"Adam and Steve" Remark. A Catholic priest in Cheltenham has apologised after members of his flock accused
him of making a homophobic comment. The Rev Frank Wainwright insists his reference to “Adam and Steve” while discussing marriage was
not meant to be offensive to the town’s gay community.
Pink Paper - UK:
Registrar to Take Anti-Gay Case to European Court of Human Rights. By Peter Lloyd.
Homophobe Lillian Ladele may take her case against Islington Council to the European Court of Human Rights, she has announced.
The news comes just days after the High Court rejected her leave to appeal against an earlier ruling, which says she must perform civil
partnerships as part of her role as a registrar.
BBC Scotland News - UK:
'I Was Bullied by an Entire School'. By Jo Perry.
Emma Little says she was "dragged out of the closet" when she was just 14 years old. It was not her choice that everyone at her
school in Kirkcaldy, Fife, knew she was a lesbian.
Digital Journal - USA:
Homophobia DVD Will Go to Every Scottish Secondary School. By Andrew John.
Every secondary school in Scotland is soon to receive a powerful anti-homophobia DVD, which is being premiered in the country today.
It’s called FIT and will be distributed by Stonewall Scotland throughout the rest of March. It’s billed as the first feature film of
its kind, and has been described by one critic as “a gritty take on E4’s Glee”.
Pink Paper - UK:
Pope Pride Lorry Wrongly Banned, German High Court Rules. By Lisa Rogers.
A German high court has today ruled that a parade lorry sporting controversial images of the pope was wrongly banned from a German
Pride celebration, in Munich.
USA and the AMERICAS
Medical News - Australia:
"Cyberbullying" Leads to Depression in LGBT Youth. Schools are typically on guard against students who bully by inflicting repeated
violence on other students. But technology has given rise to a relatively new form of bullying which inflicts emotional harm in a stealth
manner, working through Web sites, chat rooms, e-mail, cell phones and instant messaging. And according to a new national study by Iowa
State University researchers, one out of every two lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and allied youths are regular victims of
"cyberbullying,"
CNN International - USA:
Gays Have Right to Privacy, Too. Commentary by Christopher Wolf.
Today is the first day same-sex weddings will be performed in the District of Columbia. Last week, D.C. was added to the
list of those few states that permit gay marriage. A law passed in December and signed by the mayor went into effect when
Congress (which has the power to reject D.C. laws) refrained from interfering.
Voice of America - USA:
Same-Sex Couples Wed in Washingtion, DC. A lesbian couple has become the first same-sex pair to be married in Washington, D.C. under the district's
new gay marriage law. Angelisa Young and Sinjoyla Townsend exchanged vows Tuesday at the headquarters of the Human Rights Campaign, a lobbying
group for homosexual, bisexual and transgender Americans.
Washington Post - USA:
First Same-Sex Marriages Celebrated in D.C. By Ann E. Marimow and Keith L. Alexander.
There were yellow roses, champagne toasts and tiered white-frosted cakes to celebrate the District's first same-sex marriages
Tuesday morning. Page includes link to photogallery of 21 pictures by Washington Post staff photographers.
NBC News Washington - USA:
It's Wedding Day for Some D.C. Same-Sex Couples. By Megan McGrath.
Wearing matching tuxedos, Jeremy Moon and Brian Legaspi came to D.C. Superior Court well before dawn on Tuesday. They wanted to be among the first
in line to pick up their marriage license and planned to be wed by a judge later in the morning.
Washington Post - USA:
Students Irate at Cuccinelli Over Gay-Rights Policies. By Daniel de Vise and Rosalind S. Helderman.
Campus activists across Virginia put spring break on hold Monday to mobilize against Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II, who has
riled student groups with a letter advising public universities to retreat from their policies against discrimination on the
basis of sexual orientation.
Falls Church News-Press - USA:
Newspaper Editor Tells F.C. Council: 'You Are in Cuccinelli's Cross Hairs". Because of its use of language protecting lesbians
and gays from discrimination, the City of Falls Church is "in Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's cross hairs," Falls Church News-Press
editor Nicholas F. Benton told the F.C. City Council in a public statement at the Council's business meeting tonight. See also
The Advocate.
Forbes - USA:
Archbishop Defends Decision on Lesbians' Children. The archbishop of Denver is defending a Catholic school's decision not to allow two
children to continue as students because their parents are a lesbian couple.
New York Times - USA:
Supreme Court: Justices to Hear Case of Protest at Marine Funeral. By Adam Liptak. The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to
decide whether the father of a Marine killed in Iraq may sue protesters who picketed his son’s funeral with signs that read “God
Hates You” and “Thank God for Dead Soldiers.”
The Advocate - USA:
White House Calls Massa Story "Ridiculous". By Julie Bolcer.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs this morning dismissed the controversy involving congressman Eric Massa of New York, who
stepped down Monday amid allegations that he sexually harassed a male staffer.
AFRICA
Gay Uganda - Uganda:
New Threats, in Mombasa, Kenya. The Government in Kenya is Reluctant to Protect Citizens of Kenya, because they are gay. Those who are
not gay can issue threats on the Radio Stations with impunity. And promise and then carry out Genocide or Ethnic Cleansing with impunity. Now,
they say that the next attacks will be more brutal. And, they will happen after Friday Prayers on 12 Mar. 2010.
The Independent - Uganda:
Are Gays More Powerful than Ugandan Opposition? Commentary by Norman Miwambo (a Ugandan living in UK).
Few well organised and skilled personalities can achieve what non-organised masses can fail. That is exactly what the global gay-community is doing in regard to
Ndorwa West MP David Bahati’s proposed Anti-gay Bill in Parliament.
Ekklesia - UK:
Malawian Gay Couple Are Prisoners of Conscience, Say Campaigners.
Human rights advocates have called for a same-sex couple in Malawi to be recognised as prisoners of conscience after they were arrested
for holding a traditional engagement ceremony. Amnesty International has been urged formally to regard Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge
Chimbalanga as "prisoners of conscience” as part of the campaign for their release.
Monday March 8, 2010
UK and EUROPE
BBC News - UK:
Gay Asians Reveal Racism Problems. By Sanjiv Buttoo.
Gay Asian men living in Yorkshire say they are facing increasing racial abuse from within the gay community.
They claim the problem means that some of them are fearing for their own safety and have decided to stay at home or just suffer in silence.
Pink Paper - UK:
Escort Ads May Become Illegal, Charity Warns. By Adam Lowe . Legislative change headed by Harriet Harman could see an out-right
ban on escort adverts in magazines. The proposal comes as changes to the Policing and Crime Act would increase police powers to crack
down on brothels and people wo use their homes to sell sex.
BBC News - UK:
Guernsey 'Attitudes Have Changed' Over Age of Consent. Attitudes towards lowering the age of consent for gay people in Guernsey
have changed over the last decade, says the deputy who was behind previous moves.
Ekklesia - UK:
Gay Church Blessings and a Crisis of Faith: Fisking Damian Thompson. Jonathan Bartley responds to Saturday's commentary by Damian Thompson in The Telegraph
which suggested that, under the provision of the Equalities Bill, clergymen could be sued if they refuse to carry out homosexual "marriages" in church.
USA and the AMERICAS
Bakersfield Californian - USA:
Roy Ashburn: "I am Gay". By Christine Bedell.
State Sen. Roy Ashburn said he was feeling "numb" mid-morning Monday after announcing to his constituents that he is gay. Ashburn, R-Bakersfield,
came out Monday morning in an interview with talk radio host Inga Barks of AM 1180 KERN.
KERN Talk News Radio Bakersfield - USA:
Audio: "I am Gay". Inga Barks Interviews Sen. Roy Ashburn.
Audio is in two parts.
US News & World Report - USA:
Virginia Republicans Back to Gay Bashing and Bedroom Policing. By John Aloysius Farrell.
Every time one of the two political parties appears to have learned its lesson, and actually seems to be working in the interest of our lives and liberties,
rather than its aggrandizement, we seem doomed to disappointment. The latest example comes from Virginia, where a newly-elected Republican attorney
general has decided that what the commonwealth really needs is a good dose of discrimination, harassment and hate crime.
Palm Beach Post- USA:
Florida Bill to Reward 'Family-Friendly' Films Is Derided as 1950s-Style Moral Censorship. By Michael C. Bender.
Movies and TV shows with gay characters could be ineligible for a "family-friendly" tax credit in Florida under a little-noticed provision
tucked into a $75 million incentive package that Republican House leaders hope will attract film and entertainment jobs to the state.
Denver Post - USA:
Crowd Outside Boulder Church Protests Barring of Child from Catholic School. By Yesenia Robles.
A crowd holding signs protesting the treatment of a student with lesbian parents exchanged smiles and waves with parishioners walking into a
Boulder church for Sunday Mass. Last week, a standing policy of the Archdiocese of Denver denied a child from enrolling in the Sacred
Heart of Jesus Catholic School for kindergarten next year because the student's parents are lesbians.
Miami Herald - USA:
Winter Party on Miami Beach Draws Crowd for a Good Cause. By Paradise Afshar.
Lizzz Kritzer and her girlfriend, Danielle Lise Desrochers, are not typical snowbirds. Sure, they migrate from the South Hamptons
to Miami Beach once a year to warm up. But for the past two years they have come with a mission: to party in support of the lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender community at the Winter Party Beach Party in Miami Beach.
Chicago Tribune - USA:
Dump ‘Don’t Ask’: The Military Can Handle the Challenge of Admitting Gays. Editorial.
Some of the nation's highest military officers have a difference of opinion on a major issue of government policy. Adm. Mike Mullen,
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has come out in favor of repealing the Pentagon policy that bars open homosexuals from serving
in the ranks, as proposed by President Barack Obama. The Army and Air Force chiefs, Gen. George Casey Jr. and Gen. Norton Schwartz,
say they're not convinced now is the right time to lift the ban. Marine Corps commandant Gen. James Conway says "the current policy works."
AFRICA
Time - USA:
Being Gay in Uganda: One Couple's Story. By Glenna Gordon.
Pepe Julian Onziema looks great in a suit. Tall and lanky, she doesn't slouch to hide her height and doesn't apologize for her
boyish figure. Or for anything. She's got at least 10 suits: pinstripes, white linen, black, gray, navy and others. She
buys them from a guy who runs a shop on Entebbe Road, a major Kampala thoroughfare. He knows her build, and he knows what she likes.
These days, though, Onziema doesn't wear suits nearly as often as she used to. As one of a dozen or so publicly out Ugandan
homosexuals, Onziema knows that even a trip to a local shop is risky. Wearing a suit can be a death wish.
Thought Leader (Mail & Guardian) - South Africa:
Is Ugandan Homophobia a Sign of Impending Genocide? Commentary, by Roger Diamond, which looks at Rwanda, Ugandan hatred of gays and
asks if the current homophobic developments in Uganda are a similar symptom to the start of genocide in Rwanda.
ASIA
China Post - Taiwan:
Gay Issues to be Integrated Into School Curriculum. The issue of homosexuality will be integrated into the curricula of junior high
and elementary schools with effect from academic year 2011, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said yesterday.
AND FUNILLY ...
... Fresh from the gay Mardis Grass 'Down Under' in Sydney, photographer Spencer Tunick, who recently snapped more than 5,000 people wearing
nothing but a smile outside the city's famed Opera House, is set to do the same in Salford and Manchester. The 'shoot' in England's North West
is to honor artist LS Lowry who is noted for capturing crowds on canvas - but with their clothes on. The
Manchester Evening News has the story.
Sunday March 7, 2010
Arab Times - Kuwait:
Bing Blocks Online Sex Searches in Mideast. The Open Net Initiative (ONI) on Friday said Microsoft’s search engine Bing is more prudish than
government censors when it comes to sex-related online queries. A January test of a Bing version tailored for users in Arab countries showed
that it filtered Arabic and English words for sexually explicit content along with queries related to gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender
material.
Nyasa Times - Malawi:
Norway Presses Malawi on Gay Rights. One of Malawi’s major bilateral donors, Norway has pressed the country for more tolerance to homosexuality
other than persecuting gays and lesbians. Norwegian Minister of International Development, Erik Solhem, on an official visit to Malawi made
the remarks when he met Malawi Foreign Affairs Professor Etta Banda and Finance minister Ken Kandodo.
Sunday Telegraph - UK:
Lord Alli Attacks Bishops in 'Gay Marriage' Row. By Andrew Alderson.
A Labour peer has launched a fierce attack on a group of bishops in a growing row over whether homosexual "marriages" should be permitted in
church. Lord Alli, who is homosexual, says critics of religious civil partnership ceremonies are misleading Church leaders and the public
over the effects of a proposed new law.
The Mail - UK:
After Tory Leader Reveals His List of Ethnic Candidates, Cameron's Rainbow 1st Eleven. By Simon Walters and Brendan Carlin.
In the latest development in his campaign to show how dramatically the Tories have changed, David Cameron has published the party’s first-ever
official list of openly gay MPs. The Conservatives say they have 20 openly gay candidates standing in the Election. Of those, 11
told party chiefs they were ‘happy’ to be named in the first authorised list of gay Conservative candidates.
Bloomberg - USA:
Petraeus Tells CNN He’s Worked With Gay, Lesbian CIA Officers. By Carol Wolf.
General David Petraeus, the head of the U.S. Central Command, told CNN that he has worked with Central Intelligence Agency officers “who were known
to be gay and one who’s known to be lesbian.” “After the 10 seconds of awareness wore off, the focus was on the professional attributes,” he said.
Sacramento Bee - USA:
Sen. Roy Ashburn in Firestorm Over DUI Arrest, Sexual Orientation. By Susan Ferriss.
A prominent Republican state senator arrested on suspicion of drunken driving this week in Sacramento has taken a personal leave
through Sunday from the upper house.
New York Times - USA:
‘The Band’ Helped Writers Find Their Beat. By Patrick Healy.
Mart Crowley's play “The Boys in the Band” opened off Broadway on April 14, 1968, and instantly made theater history: It was, as Clive Barnes wrote in his
review in The New York Times, “by far the frankest treatment of homosexuality I have ever seen on the stage.”
France 24 News - France:
Thousands March in Cape Town for Gay Rights in Africa. Thousands of people took part in a raucous gay pride march Saturday in Cape Town, South
Africa's gay capital, pressing for more tolerance in Africa, one of the world's most homophobic regions.
Sindh Today - Pakistan:
Nepal’s Transgenders Make a Political Mark. Bhumika Shrestha, who became the first Miss Pink Nepal, is an icon of the transgender
community. And she is also its first member to take the plunge into politics.
Saturday March 6, 2010
KUSA 9 News Denver - USA:
Gay Couple's Child Denied Re-enrollment at Catholic School. By Jeffrey Wolf and Kevin Torres.
A preschool student at a Catholic school in Boulder will not be allowed to return next school year because of what is going on at
home. The student's parents are two women and the Denver Archdiocese says their homosexual relationship violates the school's
beliefs and policy. See also update:
Parents Rally to Support Gay Couple.
Cyprus Mail - Cyprus:
Same-Sex Marriages ‘Could Boost the Island’s Economy’. By Patrick Dewhurst.
Hundreds of couples could flood to Cyprus every year if Cyprus legalises same-sex marriages, boosting the economy in the process, a gay
rights campaigner said yesterday.
CNN International - USA:
Lawyer: Leak of Sex Claims Against Italian Official Is 'Shameful'. Reports that an Italian government official accused of financial
corruption allegedly used a Vatican choir singer to arrange gay liaisons for him are "shameful," the official's lawyer told CNN Saturday.
Ekklesia - UK:
Evangelical Bishop "In Sympathy" With Same-Sex Partnerships. The Church of England’s Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, has said he is “in sympathy”
with a recent vote in Parliament to allow the use of religious elements in same-sex civil partnerships. Jones, a leading evangelical, appeared
to show a significant shift in his own views on sexuality.
Liverpool Daily Post - UK:
Bishop of Liverpool to Enter Into Gay Debate in High Profile Speech. By Ben Schofield.
The Bishop of Liverpool will enter into the debate on the Church’s stance on homosexuality. Bishop James Jones is planning to use one of his most
high profile speeches of the year to call for the two sides in the spat to agree to disagree and for Christians to accept “diversity of moral conviction”.
Lancashire Evening Post - UK:
City Teen to Star in Gay Documentary. Preston's gay scene will be in the spotlight in a major new documentary. David Williams, 19, from
Ingol is starring in the ITV show about life as a gay man.
The Advocate - USA:
View From Washington: Playing Chicken. Commentary by Kerry Eleveld.
As the legislative push to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell” switched into high gear this week, the pressure point between Congress and the Department
of Defense was brought into sharp relief — revealing what is shaping up to be a game of chicken over whether to take legislative action this year.
National Public Radio - USA:
Gays In Military Ruling Creates Dilemma For Brass.
A pressing legal reality for the "don't ask, don't tell" standard for gays serving in the military is that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
has already struck down the way it's practiced in much of the Western United States. The 2008 ruling, while largely overlooked, would force
the military to apply a much higher threshold in determining whether a service member should be dismissed for being gay.
Friday March 5, 2010
Xtra - Canada:
Uganda's Anti-Gay Bill Would Lead to 'Super-Criminalization' of HIV. By Kaj Hasselriis .
A doctor who has many gay and lesbian patients in Uganda says the country's anti-gay bill is a "disaster for public health" —
and not just for queers. This is the ninth in a series of articles from Uganda by Xtra freelance reporter Kaj Hasselriis.
Gibraltar Chronicle - Gibraltar:
Courts Set to Decide on Gay Consent Age. By Brian Reyes.
The stage is set for a unique Supreme Court case that will establish whether Gibraltar is violating constitutional law by criminalising
homosexual sex under the age of 18. At issue is the difference between the age of consent for homosexuals compared to that for
lesbian and heterosexual couples.
Washington Post - USA:
Cuccinelli Asks Colleges to Rescind Policies Protecting Gay State Employees. By Rosalind S. Helderman.
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II has asked the state's public colleges and universities to rescind policies that ban
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, arguing in a letter sent to each school Thursday that their boards of visitors
have no legal authority to adopt such statements.
Pink Paper - UK:
Green Party Launch Lesbian and Gay Election Manifesto. By Peter Lloyd.
The Green Party has launched its LGBT Manifesto for the upcoming general election. The Greens claim they are offering "the strongest,
most comprehensive and radical LGBT equality policies of any party."
Ex-Gay Watch - USA:
Former Love In Action Director John Smid Offers Apology. By David Roberts.
John Smid was the director of Exodus member ministry Love in Action (LIA), a residential ex-gay program in Memphis, Tennessee, for 22 years. This
included the Refuge youth program which gained notoriety in 2005 when a teen, Zach Stark, created what became a plea for help on his MySpace page.
UK and EUROPE
The Telegraph - UK:
Transsexual Fights for Early Pension. By Harry Wallop.
Christine Timbrell, formerly known as Christopher, undertook a full sex change in 2000 however she is still not recognised in law as a
woman – unlike most transsexuals – because she refuses to divorce her wife.
New York Times - USA:
Vatican Enmeshed in Gay Sex Allegations. By Rachel Donadio.
A singer in an elite Vatican choir and a jailed Italian public works executive who served as a papal usher were let go by the Vatican this week
amid allegations that they were involved in what prosecutors believe was an organized network of gay prostitution, Italian news media reported.
BBC Sport - UK:
Wales Star Gareth Thomas Reveals World Cup Trauma. Gareth Thomas has spoken about the mental trauma he went through during the
2007 Rugby World Cup in France. Not only did Wales crash out of the competition before the knockout stages but Thomas had to
fend off Press threats about revealing his sexuality. See also Liverpool Daily Post:
Thomas is set to go on a league crusade.
USA and the AMERICAS
DC Agenda - USA:
Adoption Anti-Discrimination Bill Gets Reboot. By Chris Johnson.
An adoption anti-discrimination bill previously introduced in the U.S. House is set to get a new start this week when the bill’s
sponsor reintroduces it with modified language.
Salt Lake Tribune - USA:
Gay Lawmaker to Leave Utah House, Laments Lack of 'Equal Protections'. By Rosemary Winters and Robert Gehrke.
Rep. Christine Johnson is stepping down from her seat in the Utah House at year's end. But she's not backing away from her role
as a gay-rights advocate. "I'm not leaving because I'm giving up on the fight in Utah," the two-term Salt Lake City Democrat said
Thursday after announcing she won't seek re-election. "We have so many budding leaders [in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender community] that I'm anxious to see who's going to step up next."
On Top Magazine - USA:
GOP Lawmaker A Regular At Gay Bars, Says Mayor. Openly gay West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon says the anti-gay GOP
lawmaker arrested Wednesday morning for drunk driving shortly after leaving a gay bar in Sacramento is a regular at gay
nightspots throughout the city.
The Advocate - USA:
Was Sen. at Gay Bar Before DUI Charge? By Julie Bolcher.
Some media are questioning initial reports that California state senator Roy Ashburn was at a gay bar in Sacramento before he was arrested
on drunk driving charges early Wednesday morning.
DC Agenda - USA:
We’ve Come a Long Way. Commentary by Peter Rosenstein.
Two days ago, same-sex marriage became legal in the capital of the United States. When I first struggled to come out many years ago,
marriage rights was the last thing I thought would ever become a reality. My fondest dream in those days was that my family and
friends would accept me and that I would be able to get a job if people knew I was gay.
Time - USA:
Hurrying to the Altar on D.C.'s First Day of Gay Marriage. By Katy Steinmetz.
It was Culture Wars: The Musical outside the District of Columbia's Superior Court on Wednesday. On one side of the
plaza, a group protesting the first day of same-sex marriage licensing in D.C. belted out familiar melodies with political
lyrics, bellowing "This is the final straw with God" to the tune of "Ants Go Marching." A few yards away, a group of
supporters responded with an impromptu riff on "This Little Light of Mine," drowning their opponents as they sang, "Standing
on the side of love, we're gonna see them shine."
Wall Street Journal - USA: Mexico City Opens to Gay Unions, Setting Up Culture War. By Nicholas Casey in Mexico City.
Mexico's capital city handed out its first licenses for same-sex marriage, allowing gay couples not only to marry legally, but
also to adopt children and receive government benefits—changes that pit the city's progressive government against a more
conservative country that surrounds it.
Thursday March 4, 2010
UK and EUROPE
Washington Post - USA:
New Woe for Vatican as Usher Linked to Prostitution. By Philip Pullella (Reuters) in Rome.
One of Pope Benedict's ceremonial ushers and a member of an elite choir in St Peter's Basilica have been implicated in a gay prostitution ring,
in the latest sexual scandal to taint the Vatican.
Ekklesia - UK:
Campaigners and Faith Groups Welcome Same-Sex Partnerships Vote. A range of campaigning groups and faith-based
organisations have expressed their support for a decision to allow the use of religious premises and religious language
in same-sex partnership ceremonies.
Pink Paper - UK:
Attitude Magazine Resume Distribution with WH Smith High Street, While GT Agrees Three-Year Deal. By Peter Lloyd and Kim Watson.
Attitude magazine is to be re-stocked by WH Smith with immediate effect, it was announced this week. The monthly gay title, which
currently features an interview with Conservative leader David Cameron, was de-listed from the stores' shelves last month.
The Local - Germany:
Munich Hosts Homosexual Job Fair. Europe’s first career fair for homosexuals comes to Munich this weekend. Moritz
Honert from Der Tagesspiegel spoke with the founder of Milk 2010 about job prospects for gays and lesbians in Germany.
NRC Handelsblad - Netherlands:
Church Bows to Gays Seeking Communion. Homosexuals can now attend communion in all parishes in the diocese of Den Bosch.
This is the outcome of a meeting between the church council of the main Roman Catholic church in the Netherlands, St. John’s Cathedral
in Den Bosch, priest Geertjan Van Rossum, Vera Bergkamp of the gay organisation COC and editor-in-chief of the gay peridocial Gaykrant.
Pink Paper - UK:
Ladslads.com Continues to Feel Wrath of Customers. By James Picketing.
Complaints about social networking site Ladslads.com reached a new fever pitch this month, almost two years after PinkPaper.com first
highlighted user problems.
USA and the AMERICAS
The front page of today's Washington Post
Washington Post - USA:
For Gays, a DC Day to Treasure. By Keith L. Alexander and Ann E. Marimow.
This is an updated version of article listed late yesterday.
Seattle Times - USA:
Senators: Lift Ban on Gays Donating Blood. By Jim Abrams.
The time has come to change a policy that imposes a lifetime ban on donating blood for any man who has had gay sex since 1977,
18 senators said Thursday.
Washington Post - USA:
Democrats Vow Quick End to 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' as Senate Bill Is Introduced. By Ed O'Keefe.
Leading Senate Democrats pledged Wednesday to move quickly to repeal the ban on gays serving openly in the armed forces rather than wait, as the
Pentagon has requested, for the military to complete a lengthy review.
Air Force Times - USA:
AF Secretary Backs Repeal of Gay Ban. By Tom Spoth.
Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said Thursday he supports the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” putting him at odds with the service’s
top uniformed leader.
Box Turtle Bulletin - USA:
Nearly Half of All Americans Live Where There Is Some Recognition of Same-Sex Couples. Commentary by Timothy Kincaid.
About 5.1% of Americans (15.5 million) live in areas in which same-sex marriages are legal and equal to opposite-sex marriages:
Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia.
Wednesday March 3, 2010
UK and EUROPE
The Times - UK:
Peers Vote for Church Civil Partnership Ceremonies. By Mary Bowers.
The House of Lords voted to lift the ban on civil partnership ceremonies in churches and other religious premises last night.
Peers voted by 95 to 21 - a majority of 74 - to lift the ban which previously prevented gays and lesbians from getting “married” in such
places.
The Telegraph - UK:
David Cameron: Homosexual Couples Will Enjoy Tax Breaks Too. By Rosa Prince.
Homosexuals who have undertaken a civil partnership ceremony will benefit from extended paternity and maternity leave under the Conservatives, David Cameron has pledged.
Mid Devon Star - UK:
Prospective MPs Questioned on Gay Rights. Equality South West has written to the region’s prospective Parliamentary candidates to
ask them about their attitude towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender electors’ rights.
Pink Paper - UK:
European Court of Human Rights: Polish Legislation Discriminates. By Peter Lloyd.
Yesterday, the European Court of Human Rights unanimously ruled that Poland discriminated against a gay man by denying him a right to succeed a tenancy of a flat where
he lived with his now-deceased partner.
USA and the AMERICAS
Washington Post - USA:
Same-Sex Couples Line Up As D.C. Gay Marriage Law Takes Effect. By Keith L. Alexander and Ann E. Marimow.
Sitting at a desk in the marriage bureau of the D.C. Superior Court on Wednesday morning, Angelisa Young's eyes filled with so many
tears, she eventually buried her face in her fiancee's chest. Within 30 minutes and with a final keystroke, Young and her
partner, Sinjoyla Townsend, who met 13 years ago in a constitutional law class at the University of the District of Columbia,
became the first same-sex couple to apply to be married in the District, as the city officially joined five states in allowing gay marriage.
The Hill - USA:
Bill Repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t tell’ Launched. By J. Taylor Rushing.
Legislation was launched Wednesday to repeal the 17-year-old policy that prohibits openly gay men and women from serving in the U.S. military.
A group of six senators — including five Democrats and headed by Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, an independent who caucuses with
Democrats — introduced a three-part bill that would immediately repeal the policy, prohibit discrimination against armed service members based
on their sexual orientation, and establish Reserve Officer Training Corps units at colleges and universities where they had been barred.
CNN International - USA:
D.C. Same-Sex Marriage Law Takes Effect This Week. By Bill Mears, CNN Supreme Court producer.
The District of Columbia's same-sex marriage law will go into effect as scheduled this week, after the Supreme Court refused to stop
its enforcement. Chief Justice John Roberts issued a three-page order Tuesday, a day before the law becomes official. He
concluded the high court should defer to local matters in the federal district of Washington.
MSNBC News - USA: Mexico City Enters Gay Marriage, Adoption Fray. By Anne-Marie O'Connor (WP).
The Mexican wedding may never be the same. On Thursday, this sprawling megalopolis will catapult to the front lines of gay
rights in Latin America when a city law legalizing same-sex marriage and adoption goes into effect.
ASIA
China Post - Taiwan:
Gays Protest Against Government Memo. More than 100 people protested outside the Taipei City Government building yesterday against
the memo issued to high schools about banning homosexual student activities in schools by the Ministry of Education (MOE) basing on a
suggestion of the Taipei City Council Civil Affairs Committee (CAC). They accused the government of discrimination against
homosexuals and demanded for explanation and apology.
AUSTRALASIA
Radio New Zealand International - New Zealand:
Fear of Backlash in Fiji Over New Gay Rights. The Women’s Action for Change group in Fiji has expressed concern over a possible
violent public backlash against a new decree recognising gay rights.
Tuesday March 2, 2010
UK and EUROPE
Pink Paper - UK:
Illegal HIV Tests Being Sold on UK Websites. By Peter Lloyd and Ben Wicks.
HIV home testing kits that give instant results are being sold illegally online to UK consumers, according to Which?
magazine. The leading consumer magazine reported the websites to the Department of Health, and they are being investigated.
Time - USA:
In France, Transsexuals Celebrate a Small Victory. By Gaëlle Faure in Paris. Several decades have passed
since the West stopped considering homosexuality a mental illness. But for transsexuals, that kind of milestone has
been elusive — until now. Last month, France became the first country in the world to remove transsexualism from
its official list of mental disorders — a major victory when it comes to acceptance of this oft misunderstood condition.
The Guardian - UK:
BBC Presenter Kristian Digby Found Dead. By Vikram Dodd.
The BBC television presenter Kristian Digby, 32, was yesterday found dead at his east London home. Police said the death was unexplained, and that the host of daytime
television shows was dead when police and paramedics found him. See also
Tributes to 'Much-Loved' TV Presenter Kristian Digby (BBC News).
The Scotsman - UK:
Most Gays Fall Victim to Hate Crimes but Just One in Seven Goes to Police. By Claire Smith.
More than a third of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Scotland say they have been physically attacked, but just 15 per cent of victims report incidents to
the police, according to figures released today.
USA and the AMERICAS
Human Rights Campaign - USA:
Opponents of DC Marriage Equality Make Last Ditch Pitch to Supreme Court. Commentary by Michael Cole.
Having exhausted just about every legal avenue to stop loving, committed couples in the District of Columbia from being able to marry, opponents of equal marriage
have reportedly filed an 11th hour appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court asking the Justices to halt Wednesday’s issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
DC Agenda - USA:
Church’s Rental of E Street Cinema Prompts Boycott Talk. By Lou Chibbaro Jr..
A Maryland-based church whose pastor is leading efforts to overturn D.C.’s same-sex marriage law is holding Sunday morning services at the E Street
Cinema in downtown Washington, prompting some activists to call for a boycott of the theater.
DC Agenda - USA:
D.C. Gay Marriage Opponents Appeal to Supreme Court. By Lou Chibbaro Jr..
Opponents of D.C.’s same-sex marriage law have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to issue an emergency stay to block the law from taking effect
Wednesday, according to reports. Gay rights attorney Mark Levine has said an appeal to the Supreme Court to intervene in the matter
would have to be based on a claim that allowing same-sex marriages to be performed in the District would violate the opponents’
constitutional rights.
The Advocate - USA: Washington Blade Assets Bought for $15,000. By Neal Broverman.
The people behind the new gay newspaper DC Agenda have acquired the assets of the now-defunct Washington Blade for $15,000, including trademark rights, name usage,
and a 40-year archive.
South Florida Gay News - USA:
God Save The Queen. By Joey Amato.
You may know or remember Ray Fetcho as ‘Tiny Tina.’ He is a proud gay 61 year old man who has been a licensed practical nurse for the past
forty years; four decades of service to people who are ill. Unfortunately, in 1976, while hosting a ‘Wet Jockey Shorts Night’ at the Copa, he was
busted for promoting a lewd act. Today, that incident has come back to haunt him. The state has told him he can no longer be a nurse
because of the conviction.
The Advocate - USA:
View From Washington: Whither DADT Repeal? Commentary by Kerry Eleveld.
The White House let us know last week where it stands on pushing to pass a full repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” this year — which is nowhere.
The openly gay television presenter and director Kristian Digby has been found dead in his flat in East London. He presented That Gay Show on BBC Choice in 2001,
but is best remembered as the host of To Buy or Not to Buy on BBC One ". Kristian Digby was also an award-winng short film-maker, winning a Junior BAFTA in 1997 for
Words of Deception . See BBC News
|
Western Morning News. (Photo:
BBC)
Radio France International - France:
Ugandan Activists Call for Withdrawal of Anti-Gay Bill. Hundreds of religious leaders and Aids activists petitioned the parliament of Uganda on Monday
for the withdrawal of a proposed anti-homosexuality bill. The group, led by a self-declared HIV-positive Anglican priest, called on legislators to
reject the bill that would criminalise homosexuality, saying it is in violation of the freedoms set out in Uganda's constitution. This page includes
audio report from correspondent Patricia Okoed in Kampala.
UK Gay News - UK:
UK Scouts: Ugandan Anti Gay Bill Is “Discriminatory” and “Incompatible With Scouting Values”.
Opposition to the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda has been expressed by the chief executive of the Scout Association UK, Derek Twine, who
describes the proposed legislation now going through the Ugandan Parliament as “discriminatory” and “incompatible” with scouting values.
Cyprus Mail - Cyprus:
Government to Look at Legalising Gay Marriage. By Charles Charalambous.
will soon examine the issue of making same-sex marriages legal in Cyprus, Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Lazaros Savvides has told the Sunday Mail.
Pink Paper - UK:
University Scolded for Hosting Anti-Gay Hate Cleric. By James Pickering.
London's leading academic institution, King’s College, hosted a talk by Islamic cleric, Sheikh Abdullah Hakim Quick, last Thursday - despite calls
for it to have been cancelled.
UK Gay News - UK:
Lithuanian ‘Anti Gay’ Law on the Protection of Minors Enters Statute Book Today. The controversial Lithuanian Law on the Protection of Minors
against the Detrimental Effects of Public Information comes into force today. The law, in its earlier drafts, was seen as one of the most
‘anti gay’ pieces of legislation to have been passed by a member state of the European Union.
Gay Russia - Russia:
Moldovan Gay Pride Case Delayed at the European Court. The Fourth Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights has asked the Moldovan authorities
to provide further clarifications on the complaint of the LGBT organization GenderDoc-M on the ban of a peaceful demonstration in support of laws
designed to protect sexual minorities from discrimination. The demonstration was supposed to take place in front of the Moldovan parliament on May 27, 2005 during the fourth gay pride in Chisinau.
Dutch News - Netherlands: Gay Communion Protests to Continue. Gay rights activists have vowed to continue attending mass in protest at the refusal by some Catholic
priests to to let them take communion. On Sunday, dozens of gay men and women attended mass at the St Jan cathedral in Den Bosch to protest
at the local bishop's decision to exclude homosexuals from the ceremony, which is central to the Catholic belief system.
Nassau Guardian - Bahamas:
Pastors Speak Out Against Gay Cruise. By Jasmin Bonimy.
A group of local pastors is speaking out against a cruise ship carrying homosexual passengers that is expected to call on Bahamian ports.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution - USA:
City Council to Subpoena Police Officers on Gay Bar Raid. By Rhonda Cook.
An Atlanta City Council committee on Monday said it would subpoena 18 city police officers to testify before the police Citizen Review Board about a September 2009 raid at the
Atlanta Eagle, a gay bar on Ponce de Leon Avenue.
AUSTRALASIA
The Age - Australia:
Thousands Strip for Nude Spencer Tunick Photo in Sydney. By Georgian Robinson.
More than 5000 people have gathered in front of the Sydney Opera House to be photographed nude in the name of art and diversity today.
The Advocate - USA:
