AFRICA South Africa – Journalist considers ex-gay therapy and realizes his mistake. [SOURCE] ASIA AND MIDDLE EAST Beijing, China – AIDS rampant among Beijing gays. [SOURCE 1][SOURCE 2] EUROPE Britain, United Kingdom – British Army to host LGBT conference. [SOURCE] Cardiff, United Kingdom – Cardiff Pride park event canceled after heavy rain. [SOURCE] Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom – Archbishop accused of marginalising homosexuals. [SOURCE] Croydon, Greater London, England – Former London Mayor candidate Brian Paddick to speak at gay society meeting. [SOURCE] London, England – Scientists say Roman Empire made Europeans more susceptible to HIV. [SOURCE] London, England – Entertainer Sir Cliff Richard calls on church to bless gay marriage. [SOURCE] Merseyside, England – City awaits murder trial as gay teen memorial fund established. [SOURCE] Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina – Posters call for execution of gays as tensions mount over Sarajevo queer festival. [SOURCE] OCEANIA Melbourne, Australia – Melbourne named Australia’s second gay city. [SOURCE] NORTH AMERICA Blacklick, Ohio – Church sign promises hell for folks who, like pop-star Katy Perry, kiss girls. [SOURCE] California – Gay marriage opponents spread misinformation about consequences of pro-gay vote. [SOURCE] Canada – Straight guy to wed woman born as a man. [SOURCE] Chicago, Illinois – Study says gene may hold key to neutralizing HIV. [SOURCE] Chicago, Illinois – Gay high school proposed. [SOURCE] Missoula, Montana – Police launch campaign against anti-gay violence. [SOURCE] Ottawa, Ontario, Canada – Gay prostitute turned priest Member of Parliament will not seek reelection. [SOURCE] Salt Lake City, Utah – Cops hunt attacker in gay bashing. [SOURCE] Trenton, New Jersey – Former Governor James McGreevey’s ex-wife offers to drop gay fraud suit for cash. [SOURCE] Tuscon, Arizona – State Catholics & Jews told to support anti-gay amendment [SOURCE] Windsor Locks, Connecticut – Transgender singer files complaint over karaoke snub. [SOURCE]
AFRICA Cape Town, South Africa – Study shows homosexuality still illegal in most countries. [SOURCE] Nairobi, Kenya – Hatua, a cutting edge talk show on Kenya’s Citizen Channel, discusses homosexuality for the first time. [SOURCE] ASIA & MIDDLE EAST Hong Kong, China – Gay pirate radio show interferes with Hong Kong air traffic control. [SOURCE] EUROPE Bangor, Wales – Welsh Anglicans unlikely to appoint gay man as bishop. [SOURCE] Bristol, United Kingdom – Gay and Transgender victims of bullying get new online reporting facility. [SOURCE] France – France to ask UN for universal decriminalization of homosexuality. [SOURCE] Gateshead, United Kingdom – Christian attempts private prosecution over erect Jesus statue. [SOURCE] London, England – Gay man stabbed seven times in homophobic knife attack. [SOURCE] Northern Ireland – First recognized gay friendly rugby team. [SOURCE] NORTH AMERICA Larimer County, Colorado – Officer who threw punch in anti-gay bar fight fired. [SOURCE] Lawrence, Kansas – Violence against gay, lesbian residents sparks Project Resistance. [SOURCE] New York City, New York – Straight Pride attracts zero participants. [SOURCE] Salt Lake City, Utah – Police looking for assailant in beating of gay man. [SOURCE] St. George, Utah – Gay pride festival goes on against the odds in southern Utah. [SOURCE] United States – Former gay ambassador launches new rights group. [SOURCE] OCEANIA Australia – Gay rights bill promotes polygamy, claims opposition. [SOURCE] Canberra, Australia – Government moves to give limited rights to gay couples. [SOURCE]
Out & Equal, a U.S. organization devoted to the LGBT community in the workplace, conducted an online survey of 2,637 adults (343 who self-identified as gay) that shows a majority of American workers agree job performance trumps sexuality and gender identity as the standard for judging an employee. The survey found that nearly eight out of ten (79%) heterosexual adults strongly or somewhat agree that how an employee does his or her job should be the standard for judging an employee, not their sexual orientation. And, seven out ten (71%) believe that also extends to gender identity. A strong majority (90%) of heterosexual workers say they would feel indifferent or positively upon learning that a co-worker is gay or lesbian. However, these findings may be at odds with gays and lesbians experience of workplace discrimination. A majority of gay adults (65%) report they faced some sort of discrimination. Nearly half (47%) of gays and lesbians say they have overheard anti-gay comments on the job. And, more than one-third (36%) of gay adults claim they remain closeted at work.
You can read about the study in full here.
EUROPE Berlin, Germany – Nudist vows to hike on after jail. [SOURCE] Paris, France – Gay groups under surveillance ahead of papal visit. [SOURCE] Scotland – Bishops call gay adoption “gravely wrong.” [SOURCE] NORTH AMERICA Boston, Massachusetts – Alleged gay-basher released on $10,000 bail with 10pm curfew and banishment from gay district. [SOURCE] Chicago, Illinois – Deb Mell running to be Illinois’ first lesbian legislator. [SOURCE] Hawaii – Expression! Magazine debuts as first magazine to connect island’s LGBTs to larger community. [SOURCE] Los Angeles, California – Gay rights activist slams singer-songwriter Katy Perry for “schoolyard homophobia” in her song UR SO GAY. [SOURCE] New York City, New York – Mayor Bloomberg to announce anti-gay bullying initiatives for NYC Schools. [SOURCE] United States – Companies with top ratings for fair treatment of LBGT Workers jumps by one-third. [SOURCE] OCEANIA Auckland, New Zealand – HIV conference told of sexual abuse of youths in Papua New Guinea. [SOURCE]
AFRICA Pretoria, South Africa – Gay men refused by hotel service staff. [SOURCE] Senegal – Belgian jailed two years for “homosexual marriage and acts against nature.” [SOURCE] ASIA / MIDDLE EAST Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India – New website tries to link gay natives with same-sex marriage partners.[SOURCE] Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Lesbians jailed for ‘indecent acts’ on beach. [SOURCE] EUROPE Bologna, Italy – Security forces to launch association for openly gay officers. [SOURCE] Britain – New rules allow religious schools to discriminate. [SOURCE] Brussels, Belgium – Members of European Parliament debate anti-discrimination proposals. [SOURCE] Cambridge, England – Pink Festival attracts 12,000 revelers. [SOURCE] Scotland, United Kingdom – Member of Scottish Parliament confident that hate crimes bill will be law next year. [SOURCE] United Kingdom – Lesbian rapper nominated for community award. [SOURCE] Wales, United Kingdom – Gay priest could become a bishop. [SOURCE] NORTH AMERICA Boston, Massachusetts – Suspect in South End anti-gay attack pleads not guilty. [SOURCE] Mexico City, Mexico – Mexico City approves name changes for transsexuals. [SOURCE] Minneapolis, Minnesota – Federal Court says school discriminated against gay students. [SOURCE] Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota – Log Cabin Republicans Endorse McCain for President. [SOURCE] New York – Suit against gay marriage recognition tossed out. [SOURCE] New York City, New York – Man confesses to killing 19-year-old gay student. [SOURCE] Vancouver, British Columbia – Transsexual says Vancouver political party nixed Parks Board candidacy. [SOURCE]
AFRICA Pretoria, South Africa – Christian church worries pro-gay ruling trumps right to express religious freedom. [SOURCE] ASIA/MIDDLE EAST Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Jail for two women in Emirates’ first lesbian indecency case. [SOURCE] Iran – Film raises veil on Iranian transsexuals. [SOURCE] Taipei, Taiwan – Gay “priest” accused of fraud and sexual assault. [SOURCE] EUROPE Bosnia – First gay festival criticized as “provocative” to Muslims. [SOURCE] London, England – Stonewall Lions FC win International Gay and Lesbian Football Association (IGLFA) World Championship on Saturday. [SOURCE] London, England – Violence against gays preached in British mosques claims new documentary. [SOURCE] Manchester, England – Village Business Association accuses Manchester Pride organizers of greedy “dictators.” [SOURCE] Scotland – Scottish minister fights back against rural homophobia. [SOURCE] Wales, United Kingdom – Two fathers find love together as transgender lesbians. [SOURCE] Wales, United Kingdom – Gay man may be selected as Anglican bishop. [SOURCE] NORTH AMERICA Baltimore, Maryland – Governor supports civil unions and transgender rights. [SOURCE] Boston, Massachusetts – One of four suspects arrested in Boston gay bashing. [SOURCE] Pennsylvania – Accused killers gay porn and escort pasts may undermine character in trial. [SOURCE] Federal District, Mexico City – Mexican pro-gay politician Rincon Gallardo, dies at age 69. [SOURCE] Honolulu, Hawaii – Gay couple settles housing lawsuit against state university. [SOURCE] Little Rock, Arkansas – Groups move to ban LGBTs from fostering and adopting. [SOURCE] New Orleans, Louisiana – Hurricane Gustav dampens gay Southern Decadence party. [SOURCE] New York City, New York – Landmark OutWeek 80’s and 90’s magazines now available online. [SOURCE] OCEANIA Auckland, New Zealand – 120 Pacific HIV+ people gather to discuss discrimination and treatment issues. [SOURCE] Sydney – Amidst violence and controversy, Sydney tries to enforce “homophobia-free zones.” [SOURCE]
Paper or plastic? It’s a lose-lose situation. Go with paper and you’re tearing down trees and rainforests and killing Bambi. Go with plastic, and it’ll be in a landfill for at least 10 to 20 years. Mother Nature is a harsh and unforgiving mistress. Fuck with her now and she’ll fuck your children later.
Thankfully, you can sidestep this ecological conundrum by using Furoshiki, the Japanese tradition of using cloth to wrap and carry things. This instructional video above presents the perfect, eco-minded, and stylish solution for gift wrapping and grocery shopping.
AFRICA Pretoria, South Africa – Church to apologise to homosexual music teacher. [SOURCE] Dakar, Senegal – Belgian married gay couple jailed for “acts against nature.” [SOURCE] AUSTRALIA New Zealand – Gay students made to sign “gay contract” to take same-sex partners to school balls. [SOURCE] ASIA Jerusalem, Israel – Mayoral candidate allowing gay parades “over my dead body” losing in 3-way race. [SOURCE] Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Anwar returns to Malaysia Parliament, walks out amid political drama. [SOURCE] EUROPE Italy – Italian employer’s federation, Confindustria, open to possibility of gay organizational president. [SOURCE] Norway – Islamic Council says imams should listen to homosexuals. [SOURCE] Brighton, England – Brighton to play host to Euro gay sailing regatta. [SOURCE] Manchester, England – Manchester Pride a “purely commercial operation” claims gay business leader. [SOURCE] London, England – Competition and friendship at gay soccer world cup in London. [SOURCE] Northern Ireland – Gay fund in place before Democratic Unionist Party took office. [SOURCE] Bosnia, Sarajevo – Muslims demand gay pride cancellation. [SOURCE] NORTH AMERICA Ottawa, Canada – Canadian opposition MPs cite censorship, abuse of power in arts cuts. [SOURCE] Orlando, Florida – State constitution anti-gay amendment faces trouble. [SOURCE] San Diego, California – Four San Diego firefighters forced to ride in gay-pride parade claim sexual harassment. [SOURCE] California – Gay inmates soon able to marry non-incarcerated partners. [SOURCE] New Orleans, Louisiana – Near Katrina’s 3rd Anniversary, Hurricane Gustav threatens to end “Southern Decadence” gay celebration. [SOURCE] Birmingham, Alabama – Mayor who disallowed gay pride banners now involved in related lawsuit. [SOURCE]
AFRICA Capetown, South Africa – 9 men accused of murder of 19-year-old lesbian want new lawyer. [SOURCE] ASIA Cambodia – Women discover beauty use for condom lubricant. [SOURCE] AUSTRALIA Canberra – Labor’s new gay senator Louise Pratt calls for same-sex marriage. [SOURCE] Sydney – Sydney’s ‘homophobia free zones’ denounced as a publicity stunt. [SOURCE] EUROPE United Kingdom – Same-sex partners of police officers to get survivor benefits. [SOURCE] Manchester, England – Queer youth group lodges complaint against pride organizers who tried to censor “Pride Not Profit” sign. [SOURCE] Romania – Romania launches gay-friendly website. [SOURCE] Paris, France – Gay Paris mayor bids for Socialist party leadership. [SOURCE] Northern Ireland – Husband of anti-gay Iris Robinson’s donates £80,000 to gay groups. [SOURCE] NORTH AMERICA New York City, New York – NYC’s HIV infection rate is triple that of national rate. [SOURCE] San Francisco, California – Public figures give tribute to deceased LGBT activist, Del Martin. [SOURCE] Sacramento, California – Poll reveals that majority of Californians against gay-marriage ban. [SOURCE] Canada & America – 94% of Fortune 500 companies now include sexual orientation in employment discrimination protections. [SOURCE] Brampton, Ontario – New hotline for LGBT hate crimes is first of its kind in North America. [SOURCE]
Well, surprise surprise… it’s easier to love if you’re not surrounded by hate. Amidst the international struggle for gay rights, a new study backs up at least one benefit of legally-recognized same-sex unions— longevity. According to a new study published in Developmental Psychology, same-sex couples in legally bound relationships appear to stay in their relationships longer than those who are not legally recognized suggesting that civil union status itself may help preserve relationships. “There are many ways that a legal couple status may support a relationship — more family understanding, acceptance by friends and coworkers, greater commitment that results from a public declaration, and enhanced legal protections in the form of health care benefits and community property,” says Robert-Jay Green, executive director of LGBT research organization Rockway Institute. While the study’s conclusion is hardly startling, the data may help dispel the conception that gays want nothing more than non-stop, promiscuous butt-sex. We do want non-stop butt-sex, but health insurance and legal rights would sure make it a lot better. You can read more about the study here.
The E! Network’s hilarious end-of-the-week talk show recap, The Soup features a clip from The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet in which teenagers discussed binge drinking when, out of nowhere, this picture of a surprised cat sitting in front a plate of spaghetti came onscreen. They never explained the picture or mentioned it for the rest of the show!
It later came out that they placed the funny picture as a visual “bleep” because one of Mike and Juliet’s guests said the word “retarded.” It turns out that a woman named Faye Murrell and her spaghetti eating cat, Tessa, appeared some time before on Animal Planet’s “Pet Star.” Though we’re hard pressed to find another spaghetti-eating feline, Tessa is undoubtedly not the same cat from The Morning Show, making the aformentioned shot, even weirder. But even better, Tessa’s owner Faye, is undeniably, cat-lady crazy. Teaching a cat to eat with a plastic utensil tied to its arm because your husband’s dinnertime company isn’t enough is one thing. But serving it shrimp and ice cream, taking it on diplomatic visits to Korea, and saying that the cat wants to meet Oprah Winfrey and Tiger Woods are quite another. Next thing you know, the cat will start commanding her to kill.
A Tufts University study backs up the existence of gaydar— the intuitive ability to assess another person’s sexuality as homo or hetero. 15 undergrad students, male and female, saw 90 photos of men’s faces taken from Facebook and internet personal ads. Within 50 milliseconds— one-twentieth of a second— they could accurately determine if the man was were say or straight 55 to 70 percent of the time. The subjects did no better looking for 10 seconds and did significantly worse with only 33 milliseconds. Researchers conclude that gaydar may be a sort of evolutionary intuition for finding a mate— knowing who you could actually get a date with helps a lot in assessing your mating opportunities. The study’s lead author, graduate student Nicholas Rule says he’d like to further explore this idea with another study using women’s faces. Wanna test your gaydar? You can also read the full article here.
ASIA New Delhi, India – Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss reiterates desire to decriminalize homosexuality. [SOURCE] Beijing, China – Despite the decriminalization of homosexuality, institutionalized homophobia still a problem in Beijing. [SOURCE] EUROPE United Kingdom – EU considers campaign plans to have UK civil partnerships recognised throughout Europe. [SOURCE] Manchester, England – 10-day Manchester Pride 2008 kicks off this weekend. [SOURCE] Doncaster, UK – Anger as veterans parade canceled while gay pride march goes ahead. [SOURCE] Cornwall, England – Double gay suicide in Cornwall shocks local residents. [SOURCE] France – Study reveals the curious reproductive organs and sexual behaviors of hermaphroditic melons. [SOURCE] NORTH AMERICA Montreal, Quebec – Canadian AIDS researcher given France’s highest honor. [SOURCE] Oregon, US – Native American tribe legalize same-sex marriage challenging US Defense of Marriage Act. [SOURCE] Little Rock, Arkansas – Groups planning court fight over Arkansas anti-gay adoption measure. [SOURCE] Santa Barbara, California – 1/3 of transgender military veterans have experienced discrimination because of their gender identity. [SOURCE] Lorain, Ohio – Furor over atheist student group “Jesus Had a Homosexual Lover?” poster. [SOURCE] Ohio – Gay groups mourn loss of Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Ohio’s first African-American congresswoman and LGBT advocate. [SOURCE] CENTRAL AMERICA Mexico City, Mexico – High HIV prevalence among sexually active homosexuals discussed at International AIDS conference. [SOURCE]
Some people think that Barack Obama and John McCain are indistinguishable when it comes to their stance on gay issues. Here we compare the two gents to let you decide and discuss: GAY RIGHTS Obama: Supported gay rights during his Illinois Senate tenure. He sponsored legislation in Illinois that would ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. McCain: Regarding the Federal Marriage Amendment, he said, “The constitutional amendment we’re debating today strikes me as antithetical in every way to the core philosophy of Republicans.” However, he has supported an Amendment to Arizona’s Constitution that would ban gay marriages and deny government benefits to unmarried couples. HATE CRIMES Obama: Co-sponsored legislation to expand federal hate crimes laws to include crimes perpetrated because of sexual orientation and gender identity. McCain: John McCain did not support the Local Law Enforcement Act of 2005 which had hate crimes legislation attached. EMPLOYMENT NON-DISCRIMINATION Obama: Supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and believes it should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. McCain: Does not support a federal non-discrimination law that would outlaw job discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. DON’T ASK DON’T TELL – GAYS IN THE MILITARY Obama: Believes we need to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. His campaign literature says, “The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve.” McCain: According to an April 16 letter to Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, McCain says “[Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell] unambiguously maintains that open homosexuality within the military services presents an intolerable risk to morale, cohesion and discipline.” He also stated on Meet the Press in November 2007, “I do believe the don’t ask, don’t tell policy has been very effective. We’ve got the best military we’ve ever had…I think it’s logical to leave this issue alone.” ADOPTION Obama: Believes gays and lesbians should have the same rights to adopt children as heterosexuals. McCain: Has said, “I think that we’ve proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no I don’t believe in gay adoption.” GAY MARRIAGE AND CIVIL UNIONS Obama: He supports civil unions, but is against gay marriage. In an interview with the Chicago Daily Tribune, Obama said, “I’m a Christian. And so, although I try not to have my religious beliefs dominate or determine my political views on this issue, I do believe that tradition, and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman.” Barack Obama did vote against a Federal Marriage Amendment and opposed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. He said he would support civil unions between gay and lesbian couples, as well as letting individual states determine if same-sex marriages should be legalized. McCain: Does not support same-sex marriage. From his website, “The family represents the foundation of Western Civilization and civil society and John McCain believes the institution of marriage is a union between one man and one woman. It is only this definition that sufficiently recognizes the vital and unique role played by mothers and fathers in the raising of children, and the role of the family in shaping, stabilizing, and strengthening communities and our nation.” However, he opposes a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. We’d like to hear your thoughts…
Sources: Chicago Daily Tribune, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Earth Times, On the issues, JohnMcCain.com, and the Arizona Republic.
