World
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11 September 2006Brad Pitt seeks gay marriage 1 Fielding the latest in a string of queries from journalists wanting to know when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie plan to tie the knot, Pitt, long an advocate for social change, announced he and Jolie won't be marrying until restrictions on who can tie the knot are dropped."Angie and I will consider tying the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able," the 42-year-old actor and new father tells Esquire Magazine in the October issue, out this week. -
11 September 2006Ugandan tabloid outs alleged lesbians 3 Thirteen alleged lesbians have been outed by the Ugandan tabloid newspaper RedPepper.They include two boutique owners, a basketball player and the daughters of a former MP and a prominent Sheikh.Under the headline, "Kampala's notorious lesbians unearthed", the tabloid published a photo of two very beautiful unnamed women embracing at a party. -
11 September 2006Israeli gays petition court for march date 23 World Pride organiser the Jerusalem Open House has submitted a petition to the Supreme Court today, against the Israel Police and the Jerusalem Municipality.The petition demands that permission be granted to hold the Jerusalem March for Pride and Tolerance without delay, and that it be held before the upcoming Jewish holidays. -
11 September 2006Lesbian tennis legend retires 1 Tennis ace Martina Navratilova ended her professional playing career for the second time yesterday with a mixed doubles victory at the US Open.The lesbian legend made the accolade her 59th major title which has included 18 singles trophies, 31 women's doubles and 10 medals for mixed doubles. -
11 September 2006Lesbian star to host Oscars + Ellen DeGeneres has been chosen to host next year's Oscars.The lesbian comedian will become the first out performer to host the 79th Annual Academy Awards, scheduled to take place in February 2007.It will even be the first time she attends the awards ceremony, although she has hosted the Emmys and the Grammys twice. -
11 September 2006Gay groups unsure of South African marriage law + It was hailed as a sign that the continent was becoming more tolerant towards homosexuality, but now campaigners are claiming South Africa's gay union legislation falls short of what they were promised by the country's highest court last year.Last December the Constitutional Court of South Africa ruled that same-sex marriages should enjoy the same legal status as those between men and women, thereby giving the parliament a year to amend the 1961 marriage law. -
8 September 2006US synagogues preparing for gay rabbis 3 US synagogues are preparing for a policy shift of biblical proportions after a Conservative Jewish leader this week accepted that the movement may lift its ban on openly gay rabbis.Rabbi Jerome Epstein, executive vice president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, is reported to be visiting synagogues to sound out opinions on ordaining openly gay clergy. -
8 September 2006Latvia avoids gay media ban 2 Latvia's gay community has narrowly avoided a law which would have banned all mention of homosexuality in the mass media.The Latvian Parliament yesterday rejected a bill proposed by the Latvia First Party aiming to protect the "family institution."A party statement said the law should ensure the media do "not weaken the role of the family institution, do not split society, and do not create a misconception about a group of individuals claiming special treatment due to their beliefs." -
8 September 2006Gay Christians granted approval 1 The controversial divide between religion and sexuality may shrink, but certainly not the dreams of students who have launched a major campaign supporting gay Christian youth and young adults in Canada.The Student Christian Movement of Canada (SCM), a national ecumenical network of campus groups, is launching a "Queer and Christian Without Contradiction" campaign after winning a major grant this summer. -
8 September 2006Pope calls gay rights an “ephemeral social trend” 6 On the eve of his homecoming visit to Germany, Pope Benedict XVI has launched a full-frontal attack on the rights of gay people.Speaking to a delegation of visiting Canadian bishops, Benedict once again showed his determination to interfere in the secular political process.The Pope castigated the Canadian government for legalising gay marriage and abortion, saying that they are ignoring the "Creator's divine plan." -
8 September 2006Germany asks gays to tolerate the Pope 4 Germany's gay community has been urged to show "tolerance" to the Pope as he begins a tour of his country of birth tomorrow.Pope Benedict XVI, referred to as Papa Ratzi in Germany, begins a six day tour of his native Bavaria on Saturday where he will visit the state capital of Munich and the village of Marktl am Inn where he was born in 1927. -
8 September 2006Rights organisations condemn outing of gays 3 Human rights activists have criticised a newspaper in Uganda for publishing a list of men they claim are gay. -
7 September 2006Schwarzenegger vetoes gay school bill + Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday vetoed a bill prohibiting Californian public schools from portraying gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people negatively."I am vetoing Senate Bill 1437 because this bill attempts to offer vague protection when current law already provides clear protection against discrimination in our schools based on sexual orientation," the governor wrote in his veto letter to the Senate. -
7 September 2006Ghanaian gay leader attacks media + The President of the Gay and Lesbian Association Ghana (GLAG) has claimed that the media has made up its coverage of an event that was due to be held in Accra.Patrick McDonalds told The Crusading Guide newspaper that GLAG members were unaware of any international conference that was due to take place, and that the media had aggravated public hatred towards those with a same sex preference. -
7 September 2006French presidential hopeful rules out gay marriage 1 Same sex couples should not be able to marry or adopt, the French interior minister and presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarzoky has announced.Mr Sarzoky outlined his policies and campaigning strategy in a French magazine interview this month gearing up for the country's 2007 presidential elections. -
6 September 2006Anti gay groups courting minority churches + Conservative groups pushing for the passage of a constitutional ban on gay marriage in Virginia are asking leaders of the state's minority churches for their support."African-American churches and social conservatives have more in common in our belief system than anyone could imagine," Chris Freund, of the Family Foundation, told a group of mostly black and Latino ministers last month at Pat Robertson's Regent University, reports The Associated Press. -
6 September 2006US military gay policy deteriorating female presence 5 Women continue to be discharged at twice the rate of their presence in the armed forces under the federal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law banning openly lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members, according to new data obtained by Servicemembers Legal Defence Network.While women account for approximately 15 percent of the armed forces, they totalled 30 percent of those dismissed under the gay ban in fiscal year 2005. -
6 September 2006Transsexual recognition increasing in South Korea + South Korea has seen an increasing amount of transsexuals applying for gender reassignment since a landmark case allowed a transgender male to be legally recognised earlier this year.The Supreme Court announced that 17 transsexuals have applied to have their gender registered on legal records since the ruling last June. -
5 September 2006Ghanaian Muslims back anti-gay government + The Ghana Office of the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society is supporting the Ghanaian governments decision to stop an international conference for gays and lesbians.In an open letter to Ghana's President John Agyekum Kufuor the society praised the governments stance saying "we do not have to re-enact the iniquities that led to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah."
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5 September 2006Family Pride to host US conference + Family Pride in the United States is attempting to buck the trend towards anti-gay and anti-homosexual family legislation.American gay group Family Pride will be hosting Act OUT: the National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Family Conference in Dallas this October to help LGBT-headed families and their allies.
