World
-
9 February 2007Drug-resistant HIV strain worries doctors + A strain of HIV that is resistant to two types of treatment has been discovered in America.Four men in Washington state were diagnosed with strains of highly-resistant HIV (HR HIV) between 2005 and 2006.Researchers now say that these strains are very similar, indicating that the four men may have had sex or shared injection equipment with common partners. -
9 February 2007IKEA’s gay family ad upsets conservatives 5 A TV advert that shows two gay men and their daughter relaxing on a sofa has annoyed an American conservative group.The American Family Association (AFA) has accused the Swedish furniture retailer of trying to force a liberal, "homosexuality-affirming" world view on US consumers, reports OneNewsNow.comThe association, who claim to promote "traditional family values," say IKEA routinely promote gay lifestyles. -
9 February 2007Kids Pride supporter gets email death threats 2 An academic who supported the rights of kids under 16 to take part in Amsterdam's Gay Pride parade has received a flood of death threats.Gert Hekma, Professor of Gay Lesbian Studies at the University of Amsterdam, was not involved in the plan to allow gay kids to take part in the annual boat parade."I had only expressed my opinion as an academic that it seemed to me to be crazy that the legal age of consent is 16 years when children so much younger are now coming out the closet," he said. -
9 February 2007Italian government approves same-sex couple recognition 4 The Italian government yesterday agreed to bring forward legislation that will grant legal recognition for gay and lesbian couples for the first time.The decision was criticised on all sides. -
9 February 2007Gay children to participate in Amsterdam Pride 1 The mayor of the Dutch city of Amsterdam has changed his mind about letting under 16s take part in the Gay Pride festival.A 14-year-old boy, Danny Hoekzema, devised the plan to include a boat for LGBT teens in the parade along the city's famous canals.Last month mayor Job Cohen blocked the idea, as he thought it was "too risky," reports Agencie France Presse. -
8 February 2007Christians attack Obama’s record on gay rights 2 Before he has even officially declared his intention to run for President, Barack Obama is under attack for his pro-gay views.The junior Senator from Illinois is expected to announce on Saturday that he intends to run for the highest office in the land.Obama is the only African-American in the Senate, and his candidacy is already being compared to that of President John F Kennedy. -
8 February 2007Pakistan’s tolerance for a funny drag act + Has Pakistan, one of the world's most conservative countries, found the unlikeliest TV star in the form of a drag queen?The idea might seem far-fetched, except it's a very real possibility.Indeed, such is the power of curiosity and critical acclaim that millions have been tuning in to the The Late Night Show With Begum Nawazish Ali to witness the drag performer's latest shenanigans. -
8 February 2007Italy gay marriage vote too close to call 4 The fragile unity of Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi's government will be severely tested when proposals to offer legal recognition for same-sex unions are to be unveiled in the next few days.Some are already seeing this as a referendum on Mr Prodi's vulnerable nine-party centre-left coalition.The situation has been made worse by intense lobbying from opposition MPs and the Catholic Church, with Pope Benedict XVI chastising the proposals as "anti-church and anti-family." -
8 February 2007Colombian court recognises same-sex rights + For the first time, the Constitutional Court in the South American state of Colombia has acknowledged the rights of same sex partners.Although homosexual relationships were decriminalised in the 1980s, serious human rights violations against LGBT people are commonplace.The country has been the scene of social unrest for decades, with powerful drug cartels challenging the authority of the government. -
8 February 2007US Army scared of lesbians, says Congressman 1 A member of the House of Representatives has said that the American military is more scared of lesbians than terrorists.Gary Ackerman, from New York, was questioning Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at a Congressional committee into 2008 State Department budget.The Congressman was questioning the current military policy of "Don't Ask Don't Tell." -
7 February 2007Gay activist push “no kids no marriage” law 1 Same-sex marriage advocates in the American state of Washington are proposing a state ballot measure that would limit marriage to couples who prove they can bear children within three years.Proponents say the proposal was aimed at "social conservatives who have long screamed that marriage exists for the sole purpose of procreation."The Washington Defence of Marriage Alliance acknowledged on its website that the initiative was "absurd." -
7 February 2007Disgraced preacher “discovers” he is straight 1 Ted Haggard, the former pastor of an evangelical super church who was forced to resign after revelations of a three-year affair with a male prostitute, has said he was "acting out" and is still a heterosexual.The revelation came in an interview in the Denver Post with one of the four pastors who have been giving Haggard an intensive course of counselling. -
7 February 2007Mandela’s prison island to host gay marriage 1 This year's St Valentine's Day mass marriage ceremony on Cape Town's historic Robben Island will be the first in the event's history to accommodate a same-sex couple.Since the initiative's inauguration in 2000, the Robben Island Museum has played cupid to over 120 couples wishing to tie the knot on Valentine's Day.Marriage officers will wed a same-sex couple for the first time this year. -
7 February 2007Man denied asylum for not having teenage sex 2 A refugee from Nicaragua has been denied asylum in Canada because he could not prove he is gay.The Immigration and Refugee Board said that as Alvaro Antonio Orozco was not sexually active as a teenager, it was impossible to verify his sexuality.Mr Oroxco's lawyer accused the IRB of stereotyping gay teenagers as more sexually active than their heterosexual counterparts. -
7 February 2007Gay marriage banned again by Australian government 4 The attorney-general of Australia has confirmed that the federal government will block plans by one of the country's territories to legalise same-sex civil partnerships.Philip Ruddock said that the traditional marriage ceremony would be threatened by granting marital rights to gay people, an argument used repeatedly by Liberal party politicians.He also said that the Australian Capital Territory law would be a threat to minors. -
6 February 2007Mars pulls homophobic ad campaign 1 An advertising campaign that featured American football stars showing disgust at the idea of two men kissing has been abandoned by Mars Inc.An advert for Snickers was aired during CBS television's coverage of the Super Bowl on Sunday.It showed two mechanics eating from opposite ends of a Snickers bar and, after their mouths touch, ripping out their chest hair in an attempt to "do something manly." -
6 February 2007Matthew Shepard’s mum upset by Snickers advert 1 The Matthew Shepard Foundation today strongly condemned an ad campaign by Snickers.The campaign was launched during CBS television's Super Bowl programming on Sunday and was watched by tens of millions of Americans.It shows two mechanics eating from opposite ends of a Snickers bar and, after their mouths touch, ripping out their chest hair in an attempt to "do something manly." -
6 February 2007Russian politician backs Pride ban 4 A senior figure in Russian President Vladimir Putin's government has openly backed the Moscow mayor's recent decision to ban the gay parade in the capital city for the second year in a row.Alexander Chuyev, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee for Public Associations and Religious Organisations, made his remarks on a television show, insisting that he could see nothing wrong in banning a parade which he regarded as "propaganda" and "dangerous". -
6 February 2007Gay bloggers denounce Snickers stunt 1 A Snickers bar so scrumptious is brings two men into a full blown lip lock: A step forward for the gay community on television, until you see the reaction that follows.Fans of the peanut-based confectionery are encouraged to go to the Snickers website and vote on alternative endings to a commercial.The scenario finds two car mechanics munching through opposite ends of a Snickers bar until they meet in a passionate kiss.
-
6 February 2007Clerk’s Valentines protest at gay inequality + A county clerk-recorder in California is to hand out "certificates of inequality" to gay couples on Valentine's Day.United Press International reports that Freddie Oakley designed the certificates herself.She said she believes she should be able to give gay couples marriage licences.
