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Wockner

Wockner - by Rex Wockner
Amsterdam issues warning to Gay tourists The Amsterdam Tourist Board has issued a warning to Gay visitors following the high-profile Gay-bashing of Washington Blade/Window Media Executive Editor Chris Crain. Early on April 30, Crain was called a faggot and severely beaten by five Moroccan men as he and his boyfriend walked hand-in-hand through central Amsterdam. It seemed like every direction I turned, I got another punch to the face, and when they kicked me to the ground, time seemed to stop, Crain said. On May 13, the Tourist Boards Herman Terbalkt announced: Gay visitors should be careful and alert. Some people in Amsterdam are not tolerant of other people. It is a social problem. A spokesperson for the main Dutch Gay rights group, COC, agreed. The feeling of insecurity in Amsterdam is rising, Rene Soeren told The Times of London. Gays and Lesbians are less willing to walk hand-in-hand because they might be beaten up. The group that causes the problem is more dominant in the center of town than 20 years ago there is a struggle for public space, Soeren said. The Gay middle class is leaving Amsterdam and living in smaller towns. WorldPride postponed Following an allegedly premature report in the Jerusalem Post and a subsequent denial from organizers, Jerusalem WorldPride 2005 is, in fact, being postponed until 2006. The events, planned for Aug. 18-28, are being rescheduled due to concerns that police could not simultaneously protect the pride celebrations and the planned Aug. 16 evacuation of Jews from Gaza. Tolerance, pluralism and equality are WorldPrides guiding principles, said organizer Noa Sattath, chairperson of the Jerusalem Open House Gay center. Holding WorldPride during the Gaza pullout would do injustice to those values. We have taken this decision out of consideration to the most difficult political climate expected in Israel this August. As a community we are deeply engaged in the complex reality surrounding us. Local Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders have strongly denounced WorldPride and called on the authorities to ban it. The celebration which was last held in Rome in 2000 is licensed by InterPride, the International Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Coordinators. Chilean Supremes rule against Lesbian mom again Chiles Supreme Court May 12 refused for the second time to give Lesbian Karen Atalas three children back to her. After the first ruling, Atala appealed to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The commission accepted the case and instructed Chiles government to justify the decision. The Supreme Court then reaffirmed its ruling, saying due process had been followed, and sent the affirmation to the government so it can reply to the commission. In its original decision, the court found that the childrens development could be harmed by Atalas Lesbian relationship, resulting in their being confused about sex roles. Atala was stripped of custody and sees her kids only one weekend a month. Hong Kong Gays march About 350 people from 16 Gay and Gay friendly groups paraded through Hong Kong May 16 to mark the International Day Against Homophobia. Some marchers wore masks to symbolize the fear that leads many Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual people to keep their sexuality a secret. Activist groups called for passage of a proposed law to ban anti-Gay discrimination. The Equal Opportunities Commission has received more than 10,000 letters opposing the proposal and only one supporting it, according to the South China Morning Post. Rainbow flag raised in Caracas With the support of Caracas Mayor Juan Barreto, activists raised the rainbow flag in Venezuelas Plaza Bolívar May 17 to mark the International Day Against Homophobia. Barreto declared Caracas to be a homophobia-free territory and announced creation of a GLBT-issues division within his office. Activist groups said they are hopeful Barreto also will support passage of a municipal law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Brit Gays protest at Saudi Embassy Twenty-five Gay activists protested outside Saudi Arabias embassy in London May 17 against the recent jailing and flogging of 105 men accused of attending a Gay wedding party. The men were arrested in March in the city of Jiddah and were variously sentenced to six months to a year in jail, six months to a year in jail plus 200 lashes, or two years in jail and 2,000 lashes. The London protest was one of hundreds of varied events that took place around the world to mark the International Day Against Homophobia. Saudi Arabia is one of the worlds most homophobic countries, said protester Brett Lock of the Gay direct-action group OutRage!. Gay people are routinely arrested, jailed, tortured, flogged and sometimes executed. We want European Union and United Nations sanctions against the Saudi dictatorship. King Fahd should be arrested, taken to the International Criminal Court, and tried on charges of torture and murder. The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association also took part in the demonstration. Chinese province offers Gays free HIV tests Chinas Guangdong province is offering Gay men free, confidential HIV tests from May 10 to June 10, China Daily reported May 18. Officials plan to repeat the program annually. Gays can mail a blood sample to the AIDS Prevention and Treatment Institute of the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and receive the test result by mail or Internet. They also can get tested in person. Free testing also is being offered for hepatitis, syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases. Guangdong province has the fourth-highest number of HIV-positive residents in China. Yunnan province has the highest number, followed by the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, according to China Daily.