Politics
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16 March 2007Tories attempt to delay Sexual Orientation Regulations 4 PinkNews.co.uk exclusive New rules outlawing discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation have been approved by MPs, despite attempts by some Tory members to disrupt proceedings.Yesterday morning a meeting of the Commons Committee on Delegated Legislation saw all three political parties pledge their support for the regulations -
16 March 2007Analysis: Beginning of the end for “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” 1 Marine General Peter Pace, the US military's chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called homosexuality "immoral" on Tuesday and likened it to adultery.Now military analysts said his comments suggest the armed forces have run out of rationales for banning known gays from service.The policy of "Don't Ask Don't Tell," introduced in the United States Armed Forces in 1993 by then-President Bill Clinton. -
15 March 2007Hillary and Obama avoid answering homosexuality question + US Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has come under fire for saying on Tuesday that said she believed it is for "others to conclude" if homosexuality is morally wrong.Her comments were in response to the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the American armed forces, Marine General Peter Pace, who said in an interview on Monday that he thought homosexuality was immoral.Yesterday she issued a statement saying: "I disagree with what he said and do not share his view, plain and simple." -
15 March 2007Drop in number of gay dimissals from US military + The number of troops dismissed last year is less than half the total number of discharges in the year preceding the Sept. -
14 March 2007Gay ex-Governor launches custody battle 1 A former Governor of New Jersey is launching a custody battle for his daughter.The legal move follows the breakdown of divorce settlement talks with his estranged wife.Jim McGreevey became the first openly gay state governor in American history following his dramatic public confession of an affair with his former homeland security advisor, Golan Cipel. -
14 March 2007Ghana’s gays in human rights plea 1 Gay pressure group OutRage! has sent a letter to Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor demanding he repeal laws criminalising homosexuality in his home country.The President is visiting London this week to mark 50 years of Ghana's independence from Britain.Prince MacDonald, President of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Ghana, called for protests during the official visit. -
14 March 2007Polish government plan own version of Section 28 4 The Polish Minister of Education is proposing a law that would bar the "promotion" of homosexuality in schools.Gay rights activists in the country have spoken out against the EU, saying the organisation is not responding robustly enough to attacks on human rights in the new member states.Roman Giertych, is deputy Prime Minister of Poland as well as Education Minister. -
13 March 2007US general half-apologises for “gays are immoral” comment 3 The most senior miltary office in the US Armed Forces has admitted he should not have expressed his personal view that homosexuality is immoral.His admission came after his boss, Defence Secretary Robert Gates, and leading Republican and Democratic politicians condemned his remarks.Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Chicago Tribune on Monday that homosexual acts are immoral.
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13 March 2007Gay war hero calls on homophobic general to apologise 3 General Peter Pace has come under heavy fire from gay advocacy groups and the first serviceman wounded in Iraq, after he made homophobic remarks in a newspaper interview.Eric Alva, the first soldier to be wounded in the current Iraq conflict, who came out as gay last month, slammed the General's comments."Certain leaders' bigotry should not be a rational basis for discrimination," he said. -
13 March 2007Pope instructs politicians to vote against gay marriage 6 The leader of the Roman Catholic church has said that politicians have a moral duty to vote against gay marriage or partnership legislation.In a 140-page document covering a range of moral issues, Pope Benedict has reiterated his hard-line attitude towards gay people.The Apostolic Exhortation, published today, calls on all Catholics to uphold what the Pontiff refers to as fundamental values. -
13 March 2007Comment: Are we too quick to scream homophobia? 2 Ben Leung, himself a member of an ethnic minority, considers the seriousness of last week's racist and homophobic outbursts from prominent right-wingers in Britain and the US. -
13 March 2007General in favour of gay military ban 3 One of America's most senior army generals has come out in support of a total ban on gay men and women serving in the military.Marine General Peter Pace described homosexual acts as "immoral" in the Chicago Tribune newspaper, likening them to adultery.Gen Pace is the chairman of the US military Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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12 March 2007Latvian conservatives begin Pride backlash 2 Christian groups in Latvia have welcomed fundamentalist US preachers and to the country and talked tactics about opposing gay rights.A meeting organised by Janis Vanags, Archbishop of the LatvianEvangelical Lutheran Church, was attended by Janis Pujats, the Latvian Roman Catholic Cardinal, and representatives of the Orthodox, Penecostals and other Christian sects. -
12 March 2007Gay rights activists rally in Rome 4 Thousands of Italians marched on Rome on Saturday to demand legal rights for unmarried same sex couples.50,000 activists, including leftists from Prime Minister Romano Prodi's coalition, took to a Roman piazza and rallied in support for a bill that would offer greater legal protection to unmarried couples.Some demonstrators wore bishop's mitres with slogans that attacked the Vatican. -
9 March 2007Gains for anti-gay party in Northern Ireland elections 1 The results of the elections for the Northern Ireland Assembly show big gains for Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party.The DUP tried to overturn the Sexual Orientation Regulations, which outlaw discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation when accessing goods and services.The regulations came into force in the province in January. -
9 March 2007Gays to march for their rights in Rome + Up to 50,000 Italian gay activists will campaign this weekend in Rome in support for same-sex unions.The campaigners will gather in the Piazza Farnese to voice their enthusiasm for the Dico Bill, which will grant gay and lesbian couples the right to make their relationships official, as well as to mutual assistance and inheritance.The bill is strongly opposed by the Catholic and right wing parties.
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9 March 2007Republican activist defends porn career 1 An ex gay porn performer seems to have repented his wicked ways - with a vengeance.Marine Corporal Matt Sanchez, formerly known as 'Rod Majors' and 'Pierre LaBranche,' has expressed conservative views about his eventful past."I don't like porn, it reduces the mind, flattens the soul," Sanchez wrote on his blog and on Salon.com. -
9 March 2007Quebec DJ sacked for “club of fags” comment + A Canadian shock jock has been pulled from the airwaves for making homophobic comments about the Parti Quebecois and its local candidates during an election campaign.Saguenay radio host Louis Champagne fell foul of the authorities at popular radio station CKRS when he described the Parti Quebecois as a "club of fags."Champagne also said that local factory workers would not vote for gay candidates. -
8 March 2007Rapper’s documentary prompts MPs on bullying 1 The Channel 4 Schools documentary Coming Out To Class has generated interest at Westminster.The programme, presented by gay rapper QBoy, talked to young people who had come out of the closet while still at school.Lib Dem education spokesman Stephen Williams was inspired to table an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons after the documentary. -
8 March 2007Analysis: Nigeria attacks the heart of human rights + Legislation proposed by the Nigerian government last year designed to ban and criminalise same sex marriages and those who assist with it, is expected to be enacted by the National Assembly before the April 2007 elections.The Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act 2007 in its current form provides that persons of the same sex and those who marry them or is a witness thereto will be committing a crime with a mandatory sentence of five years imprisonment.
