Law
- Law
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3 January 2007Canadian boy has two mommies – and a dad + A ruling by a court in Ontario has for the first time given the full legal status of parent to three people. -
3 January 2007US general says “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy should go 5 An Army general who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the US military has called for a change in attitude towards gay and lesbian soldiers.John Shalikashvili was chairman from 1993 - 1997, and it was during his tenure that the controversial policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was introduced.At the time he argued that had argued that openly gay and lesbian personnel would hurt troop morale and undermine the cohesion of combat units. -
2 January 2007Belgian “Bad Girls” tie the knot + Two female prisoners in Flanders have made history by becoming the first lesbian couple to get married while imprisoned.Linda Couvreur, 44, a mother of three, who was convicted of murdering her husband in 2003, and Theresa 'Terry' Van Heyst, 43, a convicted arsonist, were married on the 29th of December in Bruges prison.The newly weds met last April in prison and fell in love. -
29 December 2006Chat room teenager stabs 43-year-old lover 3 An intergenerational relationship that started on the internet ended with a near-fatal stabbing, Carlisle Crown Court has heard.19-year-old Artan Fana was sentenced to two years in jail for stabbing 43-year-old Mark Holden in February this year.The Essex teenager had met Holden in an internet chat room and they spent many hours getting to know each other online. -
29 December 2006“Home” HIV testing kits less reliable + A UK company has launched a new HIV testing service, but AIDS charities have warned customers that they are not as reliable as going to a clinic.For £25, DrThom will analyse a sample of saliva for HIV antibodies. -
27 December 2006Mystery gay reveller emerges in Barrymore pool death case 1 A new name has emerged as the possible key to what went on at gay star Michael Barrymore's home after an inquiry into the death of Stuart Lubbock was reopened.Lubbock, 31, was found dead in the swimming pool of the openly gay television personality in March 2001 after a drug fuelled party.During the inquest that followed, an open verdict was reached and to date no-one has been charged in connection with Mr Lubbock's death. -
23 December 2006Couple awarded for homophobia 5 A retired couple have won out of court damages after being questioned by police regarding their views on homosexuality.Devout Christians, Joe Roberts 73, and his wife Helen, 68, of Fleetwood, Lancashire, wrote to Wyre Borough Council accusing them of "pandering" to minority groups by distributing leaflets about homosexuality in their buildings. -
21 December 2006Irish lesbian couple appeal marriage ruling 2 A lesbian couple are to appeal a High Court decision which said their Canadian marriage could not be recognised in Ireland.Last week, Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne dismissed the case of Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan claiming that marriage could only be defined between members of the opposite sex, but the couple will now take their case to Ireland's Supreme Court. -
20 December 2006Gay legal group settle over Subway HIV suit + Gay law group Lambda Legal has today announced that it has settled a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, Las Vegas division, on behalf of a man who was fired by a Subway restaurant owner because he has HIV.Among other things included in the settlement, the company agrees that its written policies will explicitly state that it does not discriminate against any qualified individuals with HIV. -
19 December 2006Gay blogger faces $7.6 million lawsuit + Gay blogger Perez Hilton is being sued by paparazzi after using their photos on his celebratory gossip website PerezHilton.com.The site owner Mario Lavandeira is accused of copyright infringement for using the pictures, which he marks with his own comments, without permission. -
19 December 2006Court rejects gay banker’s discrimination appeal 1 A gay banker who claims he was sacked because of his sexual orientation has had his appeal rejected at an employment appeals tribunal.Peter Lewis, who earned in the region of £1 million a year at HSBC, was seeking £5 million in damages from the bank in what was seen as one of the biggest gay discrimination cases in the UK. -
19 December 2006Trans woman seeks damages after losing job offer + Gay law group Lambda Legal has filed papers in federal court in the Southern District of Texas on behalf of a transgender woman whose employment offer was allegedly rescinded because she is transgender."When the HR Director found out the company offered a job to a transgender person, the offer was rescinded," said Cole Thaler, Transgender Rights Attorney at Lambda Legal. -
19 December 2006Campaigners oppose HIV transmission ruling + An AIDS charity has expressed shock at the death sentence handed to five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor for infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV.The case has been going on since 1999, but many medical experts believe the judgement is wrong, and the National AIDS Trust (NAT) claim the defendants have been turned into "scapegoats."
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18 December 2006Transsexual wins damages over ferry discrimination case 2 A transsexual has been awarded £64,962 in damages after a tribunal concluded that Drusilla Philippa Marland was "forced to endure at work an atmosphere of intimidation and hostility."Ms Marland, a P O Ferries crew member claims she was forced out of her job after the company did not protect her from discrimination.
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14 December 2006Homophobia illegal in Faeroe Islands + The Faeroe Islands parliament has passed a law banning discrimination against the gay community.It comes after a petition from campaigners expressed discontent that homophobia is made "perfectly legal" because the government does nothing against it, but yesterday a new law was passed by 17 votes to 13. -
13 December 2006Debate rages over councillor’s gay slur ruling 14 PinkNews.co.uk ExclusiveDebate is raging in Brighton and amongst the wider gay community regarding yesterday's conviction of Tory Councillor Peter Willows over remarks he made linking gay people with paedophilia.Willows, a member of Brighton and Hove City Council for 12 years, was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £250 in court costs by Brighton Magistrates yesterday in a ruling welcomed by some councillors and members of the gay community, but seen as an attack on freedom of speech by others. -
13 December 2006Anti-gay church fined for funeral protests + Westboro Baptist Church has been ordered to pay $3000 of compensation in court costs and fines after a soldier's father complained about the group protesting outside his son's funeral.The Kansas church, led by Reverend Fred Phelps, is known for its protests at military funerals where its members attribute America's problems to its liberal stance towards homosexuality. -
12 December 2006ACT awakens gay union debate 1 The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has proposed a new gay unions law after the Federal Government overruled legislation it introduced earlier this year.The ACT Attorney General Simon Corbell presented the Civil Partnerships Bill 2006 into the Legislative Assembly this week. -
12 December 2006Tory councillor gay slur trial begins 14 A Tory councillor is to go on trial today after pleading not guilty at Brighton Magistrates to public order charges after allegedly making homophobic remarks.Cllr Peter Willows, 75, of Brighton and Hove City Council allegedly likened homosexuals to paedophiles. -
12 December 2006Tory Councillor: ‘I said guys not gays’ 14 A Conservative Councillor has gone on trial for allegedly calling gay people paedophiles.Peter Willows, a member of Brighton and Hove City Council for 12 years , is charged with Public Order Offences, after making the comments at a civil reception at Brighton Pavilion held in honour of the new Mayor.
