Politics
-
20 October 2006Gay priest denies Foley abuse allegations + A 72-year-old Roman Catholic priest has admitted to a series of sexual encounters with a teenage Mark Foley, but denied the relationship was abusive.The Daily Telegraph reports that Fr Anthony Mercieca became close to Foley while he was working as a priest at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Lake Worth, Florida, in the late 1960s. -
20 October 2006Kelly faces Commons questions on gay rights + Two MPs have challenged Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly about the delay in implementing new guidelines protecting gay people from discrimination.At Communities questions yesterday, the Conservative MP for Buckingham, John Bercow, demanded that the government set out when the new rules would be laid before Parliament.Kelly replied that the new regulations would be presented to the House of Commons in good time for them to be introduced by April 2007. -
20 October 2006Maverick Clare Short resigns from Labour + Former cabinet minister Clare Short has announced that she has resigned as a Labour MP. -
20 October 2006Presidential hopeful confused over gay marriage 1 With the mid-term elections only weeks away, a leading contender for the Republican nomination for President has spoken out in favour of gay marriages - and against them.Senator John McCain, seen by many gay and lesbians as the most acceptable Republican candidate for President in 2008, was answering questions at Iowa State University on Wednesday, as part of a tour of universities for MSNBC. -
19 October 2006Netherlands grants asylum to gay Iranians + Gay Iranian asylum seekers in the Netherlands will not be sent back to their home country.Reacting to pressure from human rights groups, Dutch Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk has granted gays and lesbians from Iran special asylum rights. -
19 October 2006Gay AIDS head gets Christians talking + With the swearing-in of Mark Dybul, an out gay man, as the head of the US federal AIDS programme, some Christian organisations are wondering how far acceptance of homosexuality has gone in the Bush Administration.Mr Dybul was sworn in this week as the United States' Global AIDS Coordinator, a position that carries the rank of ambassador by Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. -
19 October 2006Potential Prime Minister criticises gay equality delay 18 A potential candidate for Prime Minister has criticised government ministers for delaying new equality legislation.John McDonnell, who earlier this year declared his intention to stand for the Labour party leadership when Tony Blair relinquishes the post, expressed alarm at reports that government figures such as the Prime Minister and Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly were caving into pressure from Christian groups to allow exemptions in the new Sexual Orientation Regulations. -
19 October 2006Deceased gay Congressman’s partner refused benefits + Dean Hara, 48, the spouse of deceased former Representative Gerry Studds has been told he will not get any share of Studds' annual $114,337 pension.The couple got married when same-sex marriage became legal in Massachusetts but, according to All Headline News, the marriage was not recognised by federal law. -
19 October 2006Gay equality delay bad for healthcare 18 Care workers have expressed concern at the delay of the Sexual Orientation Regulations after it was announced that the new laws will not come into force until April 2007 because of the huge number of responses to the legislation.The Liberal Democrat's Women and Equality spokesperson Lorely Burt has been leading calls for the minister to step down after reports that the new Equality Act may be amended to allay fears of Christian groups, her demands were echoed by the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association. -
19 October 2006Comment: Israeli ‘gay bashing’ bad for the country 23 When Israel argues its case as the "only democracy in the Middle East" its attitude to gay rights in often quoted in contrast to the plight of gays and lesbians in Arabic cultures such as in nearby Iran, but Israeli gay campaigner Yoav Sivan says growing political opposition to the upcoming WorldPride march suggests the country still has a way to go.Writing for Ynet News the LGBT Coordinator of the International Union of Socialist Youth and Young Meretz calls for gay rights to be embraced in all parts of Israel. -
18 October 2006Study calls for gay partner health benefits + Researchers are calling on US employers to provide health insurance to all partners after a study revealed that unmarried couples are less likely to have medical support and therefore more likely to suffer illness.The study by the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy released today documents unequal access to employment-based health insurance for same-sex and unmarried heterosexual couples. -
18 October 2006Gay voters given election guidance 3 As the US population prepares for the Congressional elections, a gay rights group has prepared a document helping the LGBT community decide who to vote for.The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has compiled a scorecard that outlines how they have voted on GLBT issues during the 109th Congress. -
18 October 2006European Commission funding gay family support + The European Commission is aiming to stamp out homophobic violence by helping families of gays and lesbians support their relatives.The Commission has funded a two year project entitled "Family Matters Supporting families to prevent violence against gay and lesbian youth" the aim of which is to prevent violence against lesbian and gay youth by supporting their families. -
18 October 2006Ex-Chief Rabbi attacks gay pride march 24 A controversial ultra-orthodox Israeli Rabbi has joined protests against the WorldPride march in Jerusalem.Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, spiritual leader of the Shas political party and former Sephardic Chief Rabbi, has given his backing to the rally against the parade describing it as "filth." -
18 October 2006Academics criticise Kelly over gay equality delay 18 Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly must resign if she continues to obstruct equal rights for gays and lesbians, says the University and College Union (UCU).The union, which represents 110,000 lecturers and academic related staff, today added its voice to others criticising the delay of legislation which would make it illegal for organisations and businesses to deny services to gays and lesbians. -
17 October 2006City Council blocks gay masseuse 1 An application by a gay massage therapist for a home-business permit in Manassas, Virginia. -
17 October 2006Massachusetts Governor rallies against gay marriage 2 Governor Mitt Romney is facing criticism after calling upon evangelicals to condemn gay marriage and to fight what they see as a threat to Christian values in a nationwide broadcast last weekend.In a cavernous, gilded room festooned with American flags, Romney and a slew of leading conservative speakers described how a "homosexual agenda" was interfering with the constitutional rights of same-sex marriage opponents to express their dissent and religious freedom. -
17 October 2006Gay group promotes family life + Over 200 European delegates are expected to gather in Bulgaria next week to promote the diversity of families.The meeting being held in Sofia is entitle "We are Family - Our families in Europe and the European family," it is organised by the European branch of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) and Bulgarian gay group Gemini. -
17 October 2006Texas rounding up gay families + Gay and looking for a good place to raise your kids? You might want to consider Texas.It may sound crazy, but a study in The Gay and Lesbian Atlas concludes that San Antonio, a major Texas city, has the largest amount of queer couples with kids in America. -
17 October 2006Gay rights concern for Nepal talks + Gay rights in Nepal may become isolated as talks between the Seven Party Alliance (SPA - government) and the Maoists in Nepal continue, a local LGBT group has warned.The Blue Diamond Society has expressed concern that gay rights will be forgotten while the country discusses more controversial issues of the future of the monarchy and arms management.
