Moscow mayor bans pride parade, calls it “Satanic”

Gay activists in Russia are not curbing plans for a Moscow gay pride event in May despite comments made by the city’s mayor. The ban the mayor imposed is not stopping them either.

“We haven’t permitted such a parade and we won’t permit it in the future,” said Moscow mayor Yuri …

New Study Finds Gap in LGBT Health Services

With all the media coverage lately around Gay Pride events, as well as around marriage equality, it is ironic that so little is really known about the lives and health needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. This lack of specific information on the LGBT community is not just an academic problem; policymakers, especially those in government, demand real numbers to document the existence of problems. This is particularly true in these tough economic times, as funders, government officials and state agencies rightly demand efficient programs that are targeted like laser beams on specific, documented problems. In this context as with so many things, knowledge equals power: the power to allocate resources and work to fix these problems.

At the national level, researchers have estimated that LGBT people lag behind on seven of the ten targets set by the U.S. government to improve health nationally, called Healthy People 2010. In New York City, we know that LGBT lag behind on at least six of NYC’s health goals, called Take Care New York. However, most states do not measure sexual orientation on their health surveys, and none have consistently measured gender identity.

As researchers and advocates, we are working to change that. In our recent work funded by the New York State Department of Health interviewing 60 experts in health and human services and surveying 3,500 LGBT New Yorkers about their health and human service needs, we have found some striking disparities between their experiences and those of non-LGBT people. Empire State Pride Agenda has just this week published these findings in a report entitled “LGBT Health and Human Service Needs in New York State.”

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Thousands turn out for Jerusalem’s Gay Pride parade

About 2,000 participants in a gay pride parade have marched peacefully through Jerusalem.

In past years, the gay pride event in the holy city provoked violent protests, even stabbings, by ultra-Orthodox Jews and extremists. But this year, except for one egg-throwing incident, there were no clashes.

Police said they arrested the egg-tossing protester. Others put up signs and demonstrated in an ultra-Orthodox section of Jerusalem, far away from the parade See Thousands turn out for Jerusalem’s Gay Pride parade Ha’aretz

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Fed judge allows ministry to leaflet at St. Louis gay pride

(St. Louis) A federal judge has issued a permanent order allowing a ministry to leaflet at a gay pride event in St. Louis later this month.

A lawyer representing Apple of His Eye Inc. said Monday that the ministry will resume religious leafleting at St. Louis’ PrideFest on June 27-28, following …

Gay Pride event in Des Moines draws biggest turnout

Sunday’s PrideFest festival in Des Moines had its biggest turnout in its 30 years following the April ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court that allowed same-sex marriage.For Jack Barnhart and Bob Schanke, who were married June 6 after waiting 25 years, the day was the perfect opportunity to celebrate their marriage.The Pleasant Hill couple, decked out in rainbow flags, carried yellow-and-red signs reading “Just Married.” They strolled down the PrideFest parade to the sound of cheers, congratulations and the clicks of cameras. See Gay Pride event in Des Moines draws biggest turnout DesMoinesRegister.com

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mayor makes Gay Pride U-turn BBC News

A newly-elected mayor who threatened to cut funding to a South Yorkshire town’s Gay Pride festival has said the money will now go to the event.

Peter Davies, of the English Democrats, previously argued that public money should not be spent on the annual event in Doncaster.

But he has now said the council will honour the £3,000 commitment it made to the event before he was elected.

The decision was welcomed by the Doncaster Gay Pride Committee.

In a statement issued through Doncaster Council, Mr Davies said: “The Gay Pride event has been planned for some time and the funding already committed.

“In the circumstances, I believe I should honour this commitment and the event will go ahead.

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China’s first Gay Pride event

China’s first Gay Pride event, organised by Shanghai’s English-speaking expatriates, has been quietly celebrating homosexuality this week with no hint of a parade or advertising hype.

In a country where acceptance of homosexuality is still low, organisers — foreigners living in China — have been reluctant to draw official attention.

So “Shanghai Pride” does not include the colourful parade that typifies Gay Pride events in Europe and the US, but is centred around events held in private venues to avoid the need for government permission.

As a result, few Chinese appear to be taking part — or even to know about the events — and attendees have been mostly expatriate.

“Even though we have talked about (Shanghai Pride) for a long time, the news published in Chinese about this is only very recent,” said Xing Zhao, a gay man in his thirties.

Homosexuality has long been a taboo subject in China with gay sex decriminalised only in 1997, while homosexual behaviour was officially viewed as a mental disorder until 2001.

Those behind Shanghai Pride hope it will help change prevailing attitudes, no matter how incrementally.

See China’s first Gay Pride event AFP
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Economy Leads To Cancellation Of Tampa Gay Pride Event

The Winter Pride Tampa Bay Festival has been canceled.

The gay pride event, which has been held since 2006 and was scheduled for Feb. 28 at the Al Lopez Park, was nixed because organizers were unable to cover the costs, according to published reports on at least three gay rights Web sites.

A statement from the festival’s executive board of directors published on those sites said that, “With the country’s economy being what it is, this has adversely impacted our local economy as well. Our expo vendors, businesses, sponsors and supporters, whom WPTB has relied on in the past, found it difficult to support our cause this year.”

The event drew about 5,000 people in its inaugural year and an estimated 10,000 the next year.

Organizers hope to continue the festival in 2010.

“We apologize for the delay in making this announcement,” the statement said, “However, the last minute miracle we hoped would present itself, did not appear.”

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