AAG Coakley slaps civil rights injunction on homophobic neighbor from hell

Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office obtained a civil rights injunction Jan. 6 against a Norwood woman for repeated anti-gay harassment of a gay neighbor who lives in the same apartment complex.

“Bias-motivated conduct, such as the harassment and intimidation we allege in this case, are devastating to victims not only because of the immediate physical and emotional harm they cause, but because feelings of fear, anxiety and profound loss of personal security often last far longer than the incident,” said Coakley in a statement. “Beyond their impact on individual victims, hate crimes and other forms of bias-motivated activity are very detrimental to communities, and this type of behavior will not be tolerated.”

In a press release announcing the injunction Coakley’s office details a persistent pattern of harassment by May. In November 2007 May allegedly began spreading rumors that her gay neighbor was a pedophile and sexual predator. Six months later May complained to her landlord after the victim hung a gay pride flag outside his window, and the landlord forced him to remove the flag. May also allegedly shouted anti-gay epithets at the victim on multiple locations within the presence of fellow tenants, and she physically confronted him in the yard of his home. Last August May allegedly made a baseless complaint to Norwood police claiming that the victim had exposed himself to her.

Coakley’s office alleged that as a result of the harassment the victim has feared for his safety and has been forced to alter his routine to avoid having contact with May.
See AG Coakley slaps homophobic neighbor from hell with civil rights … Bay Windows

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Eid pardon for Kurdish journalist imprisoned for writing about gay sex

A doctor sentenced to six months by a Kurdish judge for writing an medical article about sodomy has been pardoned and released.

Adel Hussein was convicted under the 1969 penal code of offending “public customs” with his article in newspaper Hawlati and sentenced on November 24th in the city of Arbil, the capital of Kurdish-controlled Iraq.

Massoud Barzani, President of the Autonomous Kurdish Government in Iraq, granted the pardon on Sunday, one day before the Muslim celebration of Eid, according to The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

See Eid pardon for Kurdish journalist imprisoned for writing about gay sex
PinkNews.co.uk, UK

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Experts recommend advance planning for gay parents

While there is no law in Georgia limiting adoptions by lesbians and gays, prospective parents still face legal and financial challenges that require significant advance planning, according to speakers at a recent panel sponsored by Southern Voice and One Georgia Bank.

Jeffrey Cleghorn, a partner in the Atlanta law firm of Kitchens New, described adoptions options for gays and lesbians. The Georgia standard for legal adoption requires any adult to be at least 25 years old, a state resident for at least six months and financially, physically and mentally able to have custody, although married adults under 25 can adopt if living with their spouse.See Experts recommend advance planning for gay parents
Sovo.com, GA

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IV cases among gay men up

THE number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in the gay community has hit a record high this year.

The surge is driven by MSM (men who have sex with men) who engage in high-risk behaviour such as unprotected sex with multiple partners. It is attributed to several reasons, including a reduced fear of the virus, drug use and rebellion.

Based on numbers released by the Ministry of Health last week, homosexual transmissions accounted for 32 per cent, and bisexual transmissions 5 per cent, of the 153 new HIV cases detected in the first six months of this year. Last year, MSM cases made up 34 per cent of total HIV infections, and in 2001, just 16 per cent.

See IV cases among gay men up
Straits Times, Singapore -