Friday June 1, 2007 SGN.org |
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Volume 35 Issue 22 |
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Tuesday, Jul 08, 2008
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Rex Wockner |
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| International News | |
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LITHUANIAN PRIDE RALLY BANNED, CANCELED The centerpiece of the first-ever Gay pride celebrations in Vilnius, Lithuania, was canceled May 23 after city officials refused to authorize it. Organizers had planned to display a 30-meter rainbow flag in Savivaldybes Square, accompanied by the European Union's traveling "anti-discrimination truck." But Mayor Juozas Imbrasas banned the truck from entering the city, and the City Council refused to issue a permit for the rally, saying it was likely to provoke anti-Gay riots. "We will not do the rainbow flag display in the central square, since we haven't got a permit and we have to respect the decision," Virginija Prasmickaite of the Lithuanian Gay League said in an e-mail. "Also, due to security reasons, we will encourage everyone not to make any [public] actions. The city is full of anti-Gay leaflets calling upon [people] to demonstrate against Gay propaganda." The blocking of the EU's anti-discrimination truck, which has been roaming 19 nations for four years, was a first for the vehicle. "This is an appalling act of disrespect ... toward the entire European Union and its basic principles," said Patricia Prendiville, head of the European branch of the International Lesbian and Gay Association. Sophie in 't Veld, vice president of the European Parliament's Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights, called on the European Commission to take decisive action. "The commission does not hesitate to charge in with the cavalry to fight cartels or anti-competitive practices," she said. "In the 'European Year of Equal Opportunities,' the commission must demonstrate that it enforces all European laws, not just the economic ones. Banning a peaceful demonstration [has been] ruled illegal by the European Court of Human Rights." Mayor Imbrasas also prohibited Gay pride ads from appearing on the city's public-transportation vehicles. The large ads, designed to fill the side or back of a city trolley bus, read: "A Lesbian can work at school," "A Gay man can serve in the police force" and "Homosexual employees have a right to be open and safe." Imbrasas declared, "With priority for the traditional family and seeking to promote family values, we disapprove the public display of homosexualists' ideas in the city of Vilnius." The ads -- produced and placed with around $8,000 in EU and Lithuanian government funding -- also never saw the light of day in the city of Kaunas. After the ads were installed on trolley buses there, drivers refused to leave the trolley barn, saying they feared they would be mocked by friends and that the vehicles would be vandalized. Other pride events in Vilnius went ahead as planned, organizers said. They included a cultural exhibition, film screenings, a seminar and a dance party. WARSAW PRIDE A SUCCESS Warsaw's Gay pride parade went relatively smoothly this year as a record 20,000 people marched through downtown under heavy police protection May 19. A few dozen members of a far-right youth group protested the parade and five of them were arrested, police said. In some previous years, the parade has been banned by city officials and violently attacked by anti-Gay protesters. Activists from around the continent joined the march, including Sweden's European Affairs Minister Cecilia Malmström, German MPs Claudia Roth and Volker Beck, and Madrid City Councilor Pedro Zerolo. The parade took place 16 days after the European Court of Human Rights ruled unanimously that then-Mayor Lech Kaczynski violated the European Convention on Human Rights when he banned the 2005 march. Kaczynski, who is now Poland's president, had said he opposed "propagating Gay orientation." Current Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, who defeated Kaczynski's right-wing Law and Justice party in the November 2006 mayoral election, is more Gay-friendly. One day after the parade, conservative groups staged a march of their own in support of families and in opposition to abortion and Gay rights. One of the 800 marchers, Deputy Prime Minister Roman Giertych, told reporters: "One has to oppose what happened here yesterday. Revolting pederasts came here from many countries and tried to impose their propaganda on us." KOREAN TRANSGENDER CELEBRITY MARRIES Famous South Korean Transgender singer and actress Harisu married her boyfriend, rap singer Micky Chung, May 19 in Seoul. Harisu, 32, had a sex-change operation in the late 1990s and was legally recognized as female in a 2002 district court ruling. She and Chung, 27, met on the Internet in 2005. "I'll become a housewife who cooks well and is sexy and caring," she told journalists before the wedding. In 2006, the Supreme Court ruled definitively that postoperative transsexuals can change their gender designation in the government's all-important family registry. "A person's mental and social gender, which he or she did not recognize at birth, can be found during his or her social life," the court said. Before changing a record, bureaucrats must confirm that the person felt he or she belonged to the other sex throughout adulthood, has undergone counseling and surgery, is living biologically and socially as a member of the new gender, and is recognized as such by family and friends. AMNESTY CALLS FOR RELEASE OF IRANIAN CROSSDRESSERS Amnesty International has called for the release of 17 men jailed in Iran on charges of "homosexual conduct" and drinking alcohol. The men, who reportedly were dressed in women's clothing at the time of their arrests, were among 87 people detained in a May 10 raid on a private party in Esfahán. All 87 were severely beaten by police and Basiji militia members during the raid and there have been reports the 17 are being tortured in jail. They are not believed to have had access to lawyers or family since their arrests. The other detainees were released but, according to Amnesty, are likely to face prosecution in the future. Amnesty described the raid as part of a mounting security operation to enforce Islamic dress codes during an annual crackdown on "immoral behavior." "Homosexual conduct" is punishable with flogging or death. The Basiji force is composed of volunteer paramilitary units attached to the Revolutionary Guard Corps. POPE, BUSH TOP HRW 'HALL OF SHAME' President George W. Bush and Pope Benedict XVI topped Human Rights Watch's International Day Against Homophobia "Hall of Shame" list issued May 16. Also making the cut were Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Polish Deputy Prime Minister Roman Giertych, and Bienvenido Abante, who chairs the Philippine House of Representatives' Committee on Civil, Political and Human Rights. The Pope, HRW said, "has intervened in politics in many other countries to condemn and threaten figures who support equal rights or any form of recognition for Lesbian and Gay families." Bush, the organization said, is a threat to public health because his Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief "requires that one-third of HIV-prevention spending go to so-called 'abstinence-until-marriage' programs [which] threaten the health of LGBT people by sending a message that there is no safe way for them to have sex." Iran's Ahmadinejad "has overseen a widening campaign to 'counter public immorality,' arbitrarily arresting thousands of Iranians for dressing or behaving differently. [He] uses religious vigilantes to raid homes and other private places in search of 'deviant' behavior -- including homosexual conduct." Giertych, "part of a right-wing government that has made homophobia a centerpiece of policy," is a threat to children, HRW said, because the education ministry, which he heads, "has proposed a law to fine or imprison teachers, school officials, or student human rights defenders who even mention homosexuality." Abante made the list "for trying to force his sexual orientation on others [by urging] that homosexuals be 'cured' and turned into heterosexuals. He has repeatedly blocked a landmark bill that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. ... He has also suggested that [LGBT] people are excluded from the 'definition' of human rights." SOUTH AFRICAN CHURCHES REFUSE TO MARRY GAYS Several South African church denominations are refusing to conduct same-sex marriages, which were legalized via government-sponsored legislation passed late last year. According to Cape Town's Cape Argus newspaper, the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches have bowed out nationally, and Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian churches have done so on the provincial level. Religious institutions that don't want to perform same-sex marriages must write to the Ministry of Home Affairs and explain their refusal, the report said. Bishop David Beetge, head of the Anglican Church of the Province of Southern Africa, commented, "We have informed the government that we are not in a position to bless civil unions and have made it open and clear to the government and our congregation about our policy." |
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| by Rex Wockner "When we try to have an honest debate about the crises we face, whether it's on the Senate floor or a Sunday talk show, the conversation isn't about finding common ground, it's about finding someone to blame. We're divided into red states and blue states, and told to always point the finger at somebody else -- the other party, or gay people, or immigrants." --Presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., addressing the California Democratic State Convention, April 28 in San Diego. "Are you ready for a president again who actually respects science and believes we ought to listen to scientists on -- oh, let's say, global climate change and stem cell research? Are you ready for a government that treats all Americans with dignity and equality no matter who you are and who you love? Are you ready to replace cronyism with competence again?" --Presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., addressing the California Democratic State Convention, April 28 in San Diego. "I think that is left up to the individual business. I really sincerely believe that that is an issue that business people have got to make their own determination as to whether or not they should be." --Presidential candidate Tommy Thompson, former governor of Wisconsin, when asked during the May 3 Republican candidates' debate, "If a private employer finds homosexuality immoral, should he be allowed to fire a gay worker?" After he answered, Thompson was then asked, "So the answer is yes?" and he replied, "Yes." (Video: http://tinyurl.com/257krv) "I made a mistake. I misinterpreted the question. I didn't hear, I didn't hear the question properly and I apologize." --Gov. Thompson a day later, to the Associated Press. "The sex was good." --Dina Matos McGreevey, wife of now-gay former New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey, in her new book, Silent Partner. "It just hit me like a ton of bricks [when he came out to me]. I wasn't absorbing it. I just started to cry. ... I felt like my world had crumbled and my life was over. In the course of the three days of his explanation and confession to me, it was clear to me that he never loved me. ... No one ever said to me that he was gay. It's a cliché that the wife is always the last to know, and it's true. ... I'm not in denial, but I don't think he's simply gay. I think he's bisexual. I mean, he was married twice. He has two children. And, you know, I never saw him checking out men, but I certainly saw him checking out women. ... I want [other people in a similar situation] to know ... you have nothing to be ashamed of. You've done nothing wrong. Most of them, just like me, probably married their spouse because they fell in love with them." --Dina Matos McGreevey, wife of now-gay former New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey, in an appearance on Oprah Winfrey's TV show, May 1. In divorce papers, the ex-governor has claimed his wife "knew of my sexual orientation before our marriage" and "chose to either ignore it or block it out of her mind, even when questioned by her friends." "I think that arguments against gay marriage are just ridiculous! Who cares? People want to get married for the same reason I wanted to get married. They want to do it in front of their friends and family. They want it to be a legally binding thing. They want to have that commitment. The idea that there's some moral issue about it is so ridiculous." --Wonder Woman actress Lynda Carter writing in Instinct magazine, May issue. "This legislation would create equal legal protection and responsibilities for all individuals who seek to marry or have their marriage protected in the state of New York. Strong, stable families are the cornerstones of our society. The responsibilities inherent in the institution of marriage benefit those individuals and society as a whole." --New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer as he and Lt. Gov. David Paterson submitted legislation to legalize full marriage for same-sex couples, April 27. "This bill guarantees that the inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness will be protected equally for all individuals in the state of New York. This is an important step in the fight for civil rights for all people." --New York Lt. Gov. David Paterson as he and Gov. Eliot Spitzer submitted legislation to legalize full marriage for same-sex couples, April 27. "I feel that if I had been more mysterious about my own sexuality and played it a little more ambiguous, I probably would have sold more records and had more supporters, and sometimes I do bemoan the fact that I didn't go that route." --Out singer Rufus Wainwright to AfterElton.com, April 22. "I'm aware that I was representing, in certain ways, a minority, and my greatest wish was to make [Kevin] -- not just believable and not a cliché -- but an entertaining character as well. Which is what any actor's job is. I hope I don't sound like a complete asshole at the moment." --British actor Matthew Rhys, who plays the gay character Kevin Walker on the ABC-TV series Brothers & Sisters, to Instinct magazine, May issue. "When gay fans approach me, after they say how much they love Kevin, the next question inevitably is about Sally Field and what she's like to work with and how much they adore her work from Steel Magnolias and Soapdish, so I realize the magnitude of Sally's standing as a gay icon." --British actor Matthew Rhys, who plays the gay character Kevin Walker on the ABC-TV series Brothers & Sisters, to Instinct magazine, May issue. "I am the first openly gay congressional committee chairman, which means I am the first openly gay or lesbian person in American history to have significant governmental powers. A lot of very important people in the country and in the world are going to have to deal with me on equal terms, which will be very helpful in dealing with the prejudice against gay people. This is a big deal because this chairmanship oversees legislation on banking, securities, the Federal Reserve, the World Bank, the New York Stock Exchange -- hard-edged bastions of conservatism." --Openly gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., who became chairman of the House of Representatives' Financial Services Committee in January, to Out magazine, May issue. "There are probably five or seven [closet cases] in the [U.S.] House and at least three senators." --Openly gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., to Out magazine, May issue. "I wish to acknowledge that I did formerly have a four-year relationship with Jeff Chevalier. ... My initial witness statements [in a behind-the-scenes court case attempting to keep this news story from being published] contained an untruthful account about how I first met Jeff. ... These allegations will result inevitably in considerable media attention for both myself and BP. ... I have therefore informed the board of BP that I intend to stand down as group chief executive with immediate effect." --BP (formerly called British Petroleum) chief executive John Browne, 59, quitting his job May 1 after he was outed by London media as having been in a relationship with a 27-year-old man he met through an escort service. "On Monday 23 April we lost the first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, a man who, risking his life, gave freedom to us -- a man who underpinned the democratic values of contemporary Russia. The Russian gay community will always remember Boris Nikolaevich Yeltsin as a man who put an end to almost sixty years of criminal prosecution for male homosexual relations. The law that he signed in April 1993 came into force on 27 May 1993. This day entered into the Russian history of the LGBT movement. 27 May was chosen as the date for the conduct of the first-ever gay pride march in Moscow last year." --Gay activist and journalist Nikolai Alekseev writing at GayRussia.ru, April 23. "Sero-sorting -- condom-free sex between people of the same HIV status -- is a big reason why [San Francisco has seen a marked decrease in new HIV cases]." --Gay writer Andrew Sullivan on his blog, April 28. "At the same time that sero-sorting has been widely adopted in SF, HIV-infection rates are dropping. And who deserves credit for this 'prevention success'? Average, rank-and-file, commonsensical gay men that adopted the practice without any 'institutional support.' Credit shouldn't go to AIDS prevention orgs." --Gay writer Dan Savage on his blog, April 30. |
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copyright Seattle Gay News - DigitalTeamWorks 2007