Law
- Law
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18 July 2007EXCLUSIVE: The man who took a bishop to a tribunal and won 8 Landmark is one of those words that inevitably loses its value due to over-use, but there is no other way to describe today's ruling by an employment tribunal against the Bishop of Hereford.The tribunal agreed with youth worker John Reaney that he had been discriminated against on the grounds of his sexual orientation.The 2003 law that protects gay, bisexual and lesbian people in employment contains an exemption for religious organisations. -
18 July 2007Woman sues tax authorities over reassignment surgery 3 A trans person is suing the Internal Revenue Service in the US for not allowing her to write off her gender reassignment operation as a legitimate medical expense.Trans activists are watching the case closely, as a defeat for the IRS would open the way for thousands of people to avoid paying tax on reassignment surgeries.The IRS contend that such surgery is not "essential" and therefore cannot be claimed against. -
18 July 2007Hong Kong court ruling a victory for gay rights 1 The highest court in Hong Kong decriminalised gay public sodomy on Tuesday in a ruling that advocates are calling a victory for China's gay rights movement.A panel of five top judges unanimously ruled that two men, who acknowledged engaging in anal sex in a parked car, should not be subject to the country's maximum penalty of five years in prison.According to AP, Chief Justice Andrew Li said in the ruling that the law targets homosexuals. -
18 July 2007Porn actors face murder charges + Two gay porn actors are facing murder charges over the killing of Cobra Video producer Bryan Charles Kocis in January.Harlow Cuadra, 25, and Joseph Kerekes, 33, are being processed at a Pennsylvania State Police barracks.CourtTVnews.com reports that Cuadra and Kerekes arve believed to have gone to Kocis' Dallas, Pennsylvania home on January 24th and slashed his throat. -
18 July 2007Bishop guilty of gay discrimination 8 An employment tribunal has ruled in favour of John Reaney, the gay man who brought a claim of discrimination claim against the Bishop of Hereford.The case was supported and funded by Stonewall.John Reaney was interviewed by a panel of eight people for the post of Youth Officer in the Diocese of Hereford last summer. -
17 July 2007TUC report analyses cases of orientation discrimination + A government-funded report into cases brought to employment tribunals under the sexual orientation and religion or belief protections introduced December 2003 has highlighted the need for employers to apply equal opportunities policies.The TUC was funded by the now abolished DTI to carry out a project studying all cases concerning the regulations, and to prepare a report of the conclusions of that study.The work involved analysing published employment tribunal decisions. -
16 July 2007Trans youths beaten for carrying condoms 1 Four transgender youths in Nepal have become the latest victims of institutionalised hate directed against sexual minorities in the country.Five Nepalese transgender youths, known as meti, were brutally beaten, sexually abused and insulted by police in Kathmandu on the night of July 14th.Their crime is said to be carrying condoms for their own use. -
16 July 2007Hate crime charge over petrol bombs at Pride + One man has been charged with a hate crime after the attacks on a Pride march in Zagreb earlier this month.The 25-year-old, identified only as Josip S, is the first person accused of a hate crime in Croatia since they became an offence under the country's Penal Code in 2006.Police spotted him at the Pride event on 7th July with petrol bombs but he fled the scene.
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16 July 2007Court rules Dykes on Bikes are not offensive + A US federal appeals court has ruled that the name "Dykes on Bikes" is inoffensive and a legitimate trademark, tossing out a lawsuit from a man who claimed the name was "scandalous and immoral."According to the Associated Press, the Dykes on Bikes motorcycle club, which leads San Francisco's annual gay pride parade, had spent years sparring with the U.S. -
12 July 2007Lesbians take Gibraltar to court 24 A lesbian couple are taking legal action against Gibraltar's government for denying them joint control of their rented apartment.Nadine Rodriguez has applied to the High Court for a judicial review to reconsider the non-inclusion of her partner in the tenancy agreement.As things stand, should Ms Rodriguez die, her partner has no legal right to the apartment and could be forced onto the street. -
12 July 2007Police’s bad attitude towards Pride in Estonia + A year after violent homophobic attacks against Tallinn Pride, organisers prepare for its return amid problems with uncooperative police officials.Last year LGBT marchers were attacked with sticks and stones by a group of young Estonian nationalists while celebrating the country's gay third pride event.Event organisers will be on alert to ensure that paraders will not disturb public order in the old town. -
12 July 2007Homeless lesbian settles shelter dispute + A Chicago lesbian who was denied access to a City-funded homeless shelter agreed to resolve the dispute with Good News Partners (GNP).The organisation agreed to take a number of steps to ensure that its facilities are free from all discrimination.Michelle Wang filed charges of discrimination in April 2007 after she was denied shelter at the New Life Shelter, owned and operated by GNP, on November 1, 2006.
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11 July 2007Homophobic bus driver brought to book by gay motorist 3 Former Grenadier Guardsmen Lee Wardle caused traffic mayhem in south London last month after being subject to a bus driver's homophobic abuse."Is it because you are a dirty, f***ing batty boy," the irate driver of the No 200 bus screamed at him during a road rage incident.Mr Wardle called the police after blocking in the bus driver with his car when the driver refused to repeat his homophobic comments on June 26th. -
11 July 2007Birmingham towpath rapists might get life + A judge at Birmingham Crown Court told two man convicted of robbing and then raping his male victim that they could be given a life sentence.Daniel Myers,20, of Barry Jackson Tower in Aston, was found guilty alongside Nikos Johnson, 26, of Rawling Street, Ladywood, of one charge of robbery and two of rape.The Birmingham Post reports that during the trial Myers revealed under cross-examination that he is HIV+ -
11 July 2007UPS accused of discrimination against gay employees + Gay rights groups have criticised the delivery company UPS for depriving employees in same-sex partnership of health insurance benefits.According to New Jersey law, same-sex couples in civil unions have equal entitlement to employment benefits, yet UPS makes a difference between married couples and those in civil-unions in terms of health insurance.This means the company is defying a court ruling which required equality regardless of sexual orientation. -
10 July 2007Vienna court acquits gay rights activists of libel 1 Two activists from a gay rights organisation based in Vienna were fully acquitted in their appeal against a court ruling yesterday.The chairman of the Homosexual Initiative (HOSI), Christian Högl, and general-secretary Kurt Krickler, had been accused of libel by a Member of Parliament from the Christian-Conservative Party, Walter Tancsits.The accused had lost a previous trial and were ordered to reimburse the MP an April court ruling.
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9 July 2007Gay divorce becomes a reality in South Africa + A South African gay couple divorced last week in the Praetoria High Court following just five months of marriage.IT support consultant Ignatius Kloppers van Zyl, 47, set in motion divorce proceedings against Jacques Liebenberg, 36.They were one of many homosexual couples who took advantage of legislation passed by the South African National Council in December 2006 permitting same-sex marriage. -
9 July 2007Married woman pleads guilty to civil partnership charges 2 A married woman admitted to a court this morning that she made a false statement to a registrar, after she illegally entered into a civil partnership.Suzanne Mitchell appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court before Judge Robin Onions, who chastised her for giving a press interview about her story.The 29-year-old lives in Wingfield Gardens in Shrewsbury.
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9 July 2007Law student challenges gay marriage exam question 1 A man who flunked Massachusetts' bar exam is claiming in federal court that he failed the test because he refused to answer a question related to gay marriage.According to the Associated Press, a question came up concerning the rights of two married lesbians, their children and their property.Stephen Dunne says the question itself was "morally repugnant," because it legitimises same-sex marriage and parenting, which he opposes.
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6 July 2007Pub owner pleads not guilty plea over ‘gay’ sign + The landlord of a Wiltshire pub who allegedly placed a homophobic sign outside his premises has pleaded not guilty to a public order offence at Chippenham Magistrates Court.The pub's former landlords John Williams, and his 26-year-old partner Lee, believe the sign, which read 'faggots and mince not on the menu', refers to them.Gay equality group Stonewall said the sign could breach new equality laws which came into force on April 30.
