Comments on: Israeli ambassador first to be accompanied by gay spouse

By: Felipe

Felipe — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 23:16:31 +0000

“It probably bothers some of the conservative Muslim countries but then they don’t speak to Israelis anyway”.

Hahahaha, OWNED THEM !!!

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:51:58 +0000

Robert; I couldn’t agree more! This Rahman has the nerve to call me a Nazi on this site? See his so called comment to my response to homophobic crime in Liverpool.

By: Robert, ex pat Brit

Robert, ex pat Brit — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:43:26 +0000

Rahman,you probably maintain that your islamic cult is a peaceful one, yet throughout the islamic world, they don’t care when their gay citizens are put to death, tortured, imprisoned for being who they are, all justified by the equally barbaric uncivilised religious sharia law. Name one islamic leader in the world who publicly condemns the execution of gay men? Yours is one of the most uncivilised, backward cults on the face of the planet followed closely by the roman cult. You cult issues fatwas (death threats) to anyone opposing islamic beliefs, and you have the nerve to imply that you’re civilised and want only to have dialogue with civilised gays? Get back to the cave from whence you came.

By: Robert, ex pat Brit

Robert, ex pat Brit — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:37:47 +0000

Simon, exactly right. There is no such thing as civil marriage (for straights or gays) in Israel, the religous ceremony is the only one that takes place. Israelis who want a civil marriage have to leave their country to do that.

Also, orthodox judaism is NOT tolerant of gays or gay rights, in fact its extremely homophobic. So its wrong to imply that judaism is more progressive than others. What about Spain, a fiercely catholic country, yet it managed to get full marriage equality through, unlike our own country.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:15:26 +0000

Can we see the pattern here guys and gals? You have no rights or even worse in the following places if you are LGBT! Algeria,Egypt, Libya,Morocco, Sudan,Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Gambia
Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mauritania ,Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Sierra Leone, Angola, Cameroon, São Tomé and Príncipe, Burundi
Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius,
Seychelles, Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana
Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland, Belize,
Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados Dominica Grenada
Jamaica Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Turks and Caicos Islands Trinidad and Tobago Guyana
Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Bahrain
Kuwait Lebanon Palestinian territories (Gaza)
Qatar Oman Saudi Arabia Syria United Arab Emirates Yemen afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan Iran Maldives Pakistan Sri Lanka
North Korea Brunei Malaysia Myanmar Singapore Fiji Papua New Guinea Solomon Islands Kiribati Nauru Northern Mariana Islands
Palau Cook Islands Samoa Tonga Tuvalu

By: JohnK

JohnK — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:21:32 +0000

Brian . . . ignore him . . . another Troll Wacko who has generated 450 threads of homophobic bile on the Islamic University Soceity thread.

By: Brian Burton

Brian Burton — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:30:52 +0000

Rahman,
Are you a Islamic Homosexual? If you are Gay then for goodness sake use the word Gay. People on the Pink News think you are an Islamic Homophob, Respectfully, is this True?

By: Brian Burton

Brian Burton — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:37:31 +0000

There is ‘NO RACISM’ in Isreal but Isrealies do discriminate against Isrealis, now Boys’n Girls, did any of you realise that? So, to say that Isreal is this or that is a load of cobblers! Isreal began in 1948 and had to invent a new Jewish State, the Arab States surrounding them were not much help. The Arabs have been trying to eliminate Isreal since 1948. Gays are just beginning to assert themselves in Telavive, all they have to worry about is the Fundamentalists and their repressive Religion. So, life goes faster than realism but romanticism is always in front of life!

By: Harkowz

Harkowz — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:18:48 +0000

Angelica refuses to answer my question, instead preferring to blithely mutter apartheid and racist and Tutu, all the while supporting the murder and destruction of the only democracy in the Middle East. No country’s perfect but no one supports the dismantling of America or Britain because of Iraq.

What shrill nonsense.

By: Angelica

Angelica — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:03:30 +0000

Drew – what do you mean? I see no post under my name. What I argue is that Israel is an apartheid country, Bishop Tutu says that Israeli aparthied is even worse than the South African version. I respect your right to support racism, and that of Brian Bluster, but you should accept that decent people oppose you and do not support racism, you may have secured votes for UKIP and BNP but decent people will not allow you to prevail. I have no idea why PinkNews would support racism, perhaps you know?????

By: Brian Burton

Brian Burton — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:01:55 +0000

Simon Murphy,
‘Fundamentalist atheists’ like you will have to learn to be patient Simon. You are never willing to give an iota of praise for something positive even if it furthers Gay Rights. Everything for you must be roundly condemed! I know being ‘atheist Pope’ cannot be easy and indeed why the hell should it be?

By: Simon Murphy

Simon Murphy — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:40:48 +0000

ut at the current moment it is impossible to get a civil marriage in Israel. Religion has to be involved. Gay or straight (although let’s be honest, if you are gay then you are not getting married). A straight couple in Israel is not allowed to get a non-religious marriage.

What the hell?

What a disgrace.

Religion should never be part of state policy if it discriminates against non-religious people.

By: Jonny Roland

Jonny Roland — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:49:37 +0000

Just a couple of factual things to clear up here.

First, all embassies are sovereign territory of the represented nation. Therefore, as homosexuality is perfectly legal in Israel, the Ambassador and his husband will not be committing any offence by consumating their relationship in Embassy grounds. If the Ambassador’s residence is not in the compound, they will be on shakier legal grounds, and if they were to experience any trouble would probably just claim diplomatic immunity

Second, a bill allowing gay marriage outside of religion is currently going through the Israeli parliament. It is also worth pointing out that the Israeli state is perfectly happy to recognise gay marriages (it recognises those from all other nations where it is legal) it is simply not currently possible to have the ceremony in Israel as no religion there (including Christianity and Islam) allows it.

By: drew

drew — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:01:55 +0000

I thought it wouldn’t take long for antisemites like angelica to crawl out of the woodwork, spouting their ignorant claptrap and perverted prejudice.

By: Harkowz

Harkowz — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:39:06 +0000

Angelica, I’d be interested to hear what you believe Zionism to be.

Instead of a place Jews can call their home, do you think it means killing Arabs?

Why must people like you infect everything to do with Israel?

Would you like the destruction of the state of Israel?

By: Lucius Malfoy

Lucius Malfoy — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:04:39 +0000

Luanda is hardly an important post. Hopefully they can put their time in there and move on up the ranks and get posted somewhere more fun.

By: Simon Murphy

Simon Murphy — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:44:18 +0000

I google ‘Homosexuality in Angola’ and discovered the following:

“LGBT rights in Angola are very limited. Homosexuality has been against the law in Angola since colonial times under Portuguese law. Homosexuality is according to the law “an offence against the public moral” and therefore prohibited.”

Best of luck to the couple. They’d best be discreet.

By: Simon Murphy

Simon Murphy — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:40:36 +0000

Angola? Is homosexuality legal there?

The Dutch ambassador to Estonia brought his husband to Estonia when he was appointed some years ago (husband – not civil partner as gay couples can marry in Holland) but had to leave his post shortly afterwards because of the homophobic abuse they suffered.

I wonder if Angola is more accepting than Estonia.

Judaism may be generally more accepting of homosexuality than other religions but bear in mind that civil marriage is banned in Israel – for both gay and straight couples. All marriages performed in Israel are required to be religious ceremonies.

Which is pretty shocking in my view.

By: Harvey

Harvey — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:27:34 +0000

What an excellent story. Judiasm is one the most excepting religions and prove how being gay and religious does work. More should follow this example treat all gay people as equals!!