Nations allowing gays to serve openly in military

(New York) Nations that allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in their armed forces, as compiled by the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara:

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Britain

Canada

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Slovenia

South Africa

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Uruguay

Gay footballers battle for world domination

One year before the FIFA World Cup kicks off, 26 teams of gay and lesbian footballers are battling for global supremacy in the Gay Soccer World Championships

Co-ordinated by the International Gay & Lesbian Football Association (IGLFA), the tournament, which began on Sunday, is being hosted by the Federal Triangles club in Washington D.C., and supported by the local Major League Soccer (MLS) side D.C. United.

IGLFA spokesman Michael Pranikoff told CNN that the competition has been running annually since 1992.

“We started very small. There were just a few clubs from around the world. But we have gone from strength to strength. Last year the tournament was in London and sanctioned by the Football Association.”

Pranikoff said there are no professional players involved, but the standard of play is strong and the teams in the top divisions are very competitive.

Although the tournament involves club sides — rather than national teams, there is still a strong international feel with players from the U.S., United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, Argentina, Italy, and Norway all taking part.

The London Stonewall Lions are the reigning champions in the men’s division and expected to figure in Sunday’s final at Trinity Washington University, he said.

Despite the competitive nature of the event, Pranikoff said there are also less serious divisions where there is a more important message.

See Gay footballers battle for world domination

CNN International -

* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual

Published by

Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/07/gay-footballe…

Six States To Consider Same-Sex Marriage This Year S

Bills to legalize same-sex marriage are expected to see action this year in Maine, New Jersey, New York and Vermont. In addition, the Iowa Supreme Court will decide a case that could legalize same-sex marriage there.

In California, the state Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling in June on whether Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Same-sex marriage currently is legal in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Internationally, it is legal in Belgium, Canada, Nepal, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa and Spain.

Three other U.S. states — Hawaii, New Mexico and Washington — are expected to consider passing civil-union laws this year that extend all or nearly all of the rights and obligations of marriage.e.

Such laws already are in place in California, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Oregon and Vermont.

The District of Columbia, Maine, Hawaii and Washington presently have laws that extend limited spousal rights to same-sex couples.

See Six States To Consider Same-Sex Marriage This Year San Francisco Bay Times

Published by

Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/02/six-states-to…

World On Verge Of Getting First Openly Gay Prime Minister

Icelandic Social Affairs Minister Johanna Sigurðardottir would be the world’s first openly gay leader if she becomes Prime Minister of Iceland, as is widely expected. Although Per-Kristian Foss served as acting Prime Minister in Norway very briefly in 2002, this represents the first time that a gay leader would assume the reins of a modern state.

As has been extensively reported, Iceland is in the midst of an economic and political crisis that has brought down the ruling coalition of Geir Haarde. Although elections have been called for in May, Mr. Haarde has announced that he will step down because of the discovery of a malignant tumor on his esophagus earlier this week. See World On Verge Of Getting First Openly Gay Prime Minister