World
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27 April 2007Lesbian polygamist on the run + A Nigerian woman has gone into hiding after holding a sumptuous wedding ceremony.Aunty Maiduguri, 45, reportedly married four women at a ceremony in the city of Kano.The multiple marriage was witnessed by 2,000 guests and was followed by two days of feasting. -
26 April 2007New Hampshire gets same-sex unions + The New Hampshire Senate has approved a civil unions bill, which has now been sent to the state's Governor.Last week he indicated that he will sign the bill into law and it is set to come into force on January 1st 2008.The state will become the fourth in the USA to allow such unions. -
26 April 2007Notre Dame lesbian wedding protesters fined one euro 1 Gay activists in France who staged a mock wedding in the country's most famous church have been fined one euro (68p) by a court.In June 2005 a lesbian couple in wedding dresses walked up the aisle of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris and an activist dressed as a priest conducted a mock ceremony.In front of shocked tourists, the lesbian couple exchanged rings and kissed. -
26 April 2007Gay bishop’s election “a great blessing” 1 The head of the Anglican church in the United States has praised the ordination of an openly gay man as Bishop of New Hampshire.While acknowledging that it may take many years to bring the worldwide Anglican communion to a common position on the issue of gay clergy, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori compared the struggle for gay acceptance to slavery and female ordination. -
26 April 2007MEPs walk out of homophobia debate 1 A European Parliament debate on homophobia yesterday went ahead despite a mass walk-out of MEPs led by Polish delegates.Konrad Szymanski, who leads the Justice and Law party in the parliament, said the debate should be abandoned as it was attempting to discuss legislation that was not on the Polish government's official agenda. -
26 April 2007European mayors asked to sign gay rights pledge + An international gay rights organisation is appealing to mayors of cities across Europe to show their support for the right to freedom of assembly and expression for LGBT people.ILGA-Europe's campaign, which will continue until September, is also asking cultural, sporting and political celebrities in Europe to speak out.The first signatories will be announced on 17 May, the International Day Against Homophobia. -
26 April 2007Wife of trans dentist worried about new birth certificate + Counsel for a mother of two whose husband is seeking a new birth certificate after transitioning into a woman has told the Irish High Court that such a ruling would create "enormous uncertainty."Anne Foy is legally separated from Dr Lydia Foy.Dr Foy is asking the court to order that the 2002 decision not to issue her with a new birth certificate breaches the European Convention on Human Rights. -
25 April 2007Cashman: Poland reminds me of Thatcher era 3 Michael Cashman, one of only two out gay members of the European Parliament, has said that pressure from other countries can help gay and lesbians in Poland.He compared the actions of the current Polish government to those of the Conservative administration of Margaret Thatcher.Mr Cashman, who represents the West Midlands, heads the European Parliament's inter-party group on gay and lesbian rights -
25 April 2007Prom king nomination a victory for trans people + Seventeen-year-old Cinthia Covarrubias has made history.The transmale student from California's Fresno High School ran against six other students for the title of prom king on Saturday April 21, making it the first time any openly transgendered student in America has done so.Though he lost to student Dan Abril, the fact that Covarrubias ran at all is seen as a major event. -
25 April 2007Work protection act comes before Congress + The United States House of Representatives is to consider new legislation that would make it illegal to fire, refuse to hire or promote a person based on sexual orientation or gender identity.This is the first time since 1994 that legislation that protects LGB people at work has been brought to the House, and for the first time trans people are to be protected as well.The Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007 (ENDA) was introduced by the two openly gay members of Congress. -
25 April 2007Gay beauty salon opens in Kathmandu + For people visiting Nepal, finding and supporting gay-owned businesses can be a bit of a challenge.That may soon change, however, if more businesses follow in the groundbreaking footsteps of The Cutey Beauty Salon, which recently opened in Kathmandu's Lazimpat area.According to a report from the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), the salon is run by gay and transgender people. -
24 April 2007Moldovan gay activists call for protest at London embassy + For the third year in a row, Moldovan authorities have banned the gay Pride march in the capital of Chisinau.Now activists in the country are asking for a show of support for the gay community here to protest outside the London embassy this Friday as a show of solidarity.LGBT activist group GenderDoc-M has decided to take to the streets of Chisinau in defiance of the ban. -
24 April 2007Cancer doctors consider Pap smears for gay men + Cases of anal cancer in the US have risen 37% in the last 10 years and San Francisco doctors are promoting Pap tests for gay men to reduce those rising rates.The goal is to push back rising rates of anal cancer, which is a preventable disease that has been on a dramatic increase in the United States since a decade ago.Compared to the increase of just 1 percent in cancer cases over all the quickly climbing rate of anal cancer is very serious. -
24 April 2007New York moves towards gay marriage + The Governor of New York is expected to introduce a bill to legalise gay marriage in the next few weeks.Gov. -
24 April 2007Australian state to register same-sex partners + The Premier of Victoria has announced that his government will institute a register for gay and lesbian couples by the end of 2007.The proposed register will also be used by unmarried heterosexual couples and two people in a long-term "care-giving" relationship.Steve Bracks announced that the state government will introduce legislation similar to that already in place in Tasmania.
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24 April 2007Vatican official launches another anti-gay rant + A senior Roman Catholic official has launched a wide-ranging attack on modern life in what many see as yet another attempt by the church to influence Italian domestic politics.Speaking to an audience of priests, Archbishop Angelo Amato said that the media are responsible for presenting abortion and gay rights are signs of progress in human society.The church is planning a rally in Rome next month. -
23 April 2007Russian gays pay tribute to Boris Yeltsin + The first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, has died aged 76. -
23 April 2007Gay gun enthusiasts go to queer prom armed 1 A planned gay and lesbian Queer Prom on was the unlikely thread that unravelled a little known weapons ban at the Salt Palace Convention Centre in Utah, USA.Planners promoted the event as having a "zero tolerance policy for... -
23 April 2007Call for gay tolerance may cost teacher her job + A school teacher is fighting for her job after being suspended for allowing a column promoting acceptance of homosexuals to run in the student newspaper.Student Megan Chase's pro-gay comments appeared a January edition of The Tomahawk, the newspaper at Woodlan Junior-Senior High School in the American state of Indiana.At issue is whether Chase's opinion column advocating tolerance of homosexuals was suitable for a student newspaper. -
23 April 2007Gay-friendly candidate in final vote for French President 5 The first round of the elections for President of France has narrowed the field down to gay-friendly Segolene Royal and frontrunner Nicolas Sarkozy.Sunday's vote saw a massive 85% turnout, the highest since 1965.Mr Sarkozy took 31.2% of the 37.6 million votes cast and Ms Royal took 25.9%.
