World
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10 August 2006Philadelphia drops HIV ads amid gay concerns + Health officials in Philadelphia this week yanked public service advertisements urging HIV testing after a gay advocacy group expressed concerns about images depicting young black men in a gun's cross hairs."Putting the face of a black man in the cross hairs of a gun paints a damaging message about violence and black men," Lee Carson, chairman of the Black Gay Men's Leadership Council, wrote in a letter to the city's interim health commissioner last month. -
10 August 2006Quiet protest replaces gay Jerusalem march 23 A protest against the anti-gay incitement and the hate campaign targeting lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered (LGBT) people will be held in front of the Bell Park in Jerusalem, on the time and date originally scheduled for the WorldPride march this evening.The march, which was originally scheduled to take place on August 10 in Jerusalem, is postponed because of the current situation in the region. -
10 August 2006Arnie terminates gay experiences from California school textbooks + Legislation that would have required California's public school curriculum to include the contributions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people has been watered down to a simple prohibition of teaching or textbooks that negatively portray persons based on their sexual orientation.California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vowed in May to veto the bill if it reached his desk. -
10 August 2006AIDS and TB responsible for a ‘double plague’ + More people are getting tuberculosis because of AIDS and more die of AIDS because of TB, yet doctors fail to recognise the respiratory disease in AIDS patients, according to a report released on Tuesday.Together, TB and AIDS are causing a "double plague," Stephen Lewis, the United Nations Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa told Reuters. -
9 August 2006Gay Iranians praise world support + An underground gay Iranian magazine has expressed thanks for the "solidarity" shown by other lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups in highlighting their cause.MAHA, an e-magazine for LGBT Iranians, called for "support at every level" and particularly highlighted the importance of lobbying the United Nations, the European Union and national governments. -
9 August 2006Synchronised swimming not for gays + A gay synchronised swimming team has been banned from performing at an international meet, as the International Olympic Committee continues to insist that the sport is for females only.The ten men and four women squad from the San Francisco Tsunami Swim Club had been invited to perform a routine at the FINA Masters in Stamford, California this week. -
9 August 2006Gay campaigners ignore protest ban 23 Jerusalem police are facing criticism after attempting to block a WorldPride protest scheduled for tomorrow evening.Organisers of the international gay event, Jerusalem Open House (JOH), had arranged to hold a quiet demonstration in Liberty Bell Park in replacement of a pride parade which was cancelled by the group due to the security situation in Israel. -
9 August 2006Latvia faces EU censure over attacks on gay activists 57 Latvian Interior Minister Dzintars Jaundzeikars has been accused of violating European Union principles by a leading member of the European Green Party.Speaking after a visit to the Latvian capital Riga at the weekend, Green spokeswoman Ulrike Lunacek has called on the EU to consider suspending Latvian voting rights on the European Council in response to attacks on gay activists last month. -
8 August 2006Connecticut denies conservative group’s gay marriage intervention + Connecticut's Supreme Court has denied a conservative group's request to intervene in a lawsuit over whether gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to marry in the North Eastern state.According to The Associated Press, the court decision upholds a lower court's ruling denying the Family Institute of Connecticut's motion to intervene in the case. -
8 August 2006Colorado gay marriage advocates devise new plan + Advocates for gay marriage in Colorado have devised a new approach to winning legal recognition for same-sex couples, creating an alternative model for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender organisations.According to The San Francisco Chronicle, at least one constitutional amendment to ban marriage for same-sex couples is expected to be submitted for Colorado's November ballot. -
8 August 2006Norway rejects gay sperm + One of Norway's national sperm banks is turning away donors despite no official ban and a shortage of people coming forward.Oslo's Sperm Bank is seeking 30-40 new donors but has admitted turning away homosexuals claiming they are not psychologically suitable.
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8 August 2006WorldPride holds first gay multi-faith conference 23 WorldPride today played host to Israel's first lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) multi-faith convention.Participants of all religions converged in Jerusalem for the conference titled Reclaiming Our Faith and Our Heritage to discuss issues of homophobia and bigotry. -
8 August 2006Outgames hailed a success for gay community 1 The organisers of the Outgames in Montreal have hailed the event a success after it closed last weekend.Mark Tewksbury, the co president of the 1st World Outgames announced that participation and attendance targets were reached despite reports of a lack of interest in the event. -
8 August 2006Nigerian gay Anglicans mark year of progress 1 The Nigerian branch of a gay Anglican group is celebrating its first anniversary this month.Changing Attitude Nigeria (CAN) is commemorating a year of confronting prejudices and working for lesbian and gay affirmation in the country's Anglican Communion. -
8 August 2006Germany grants asylum to Iranian lesbian 1 A German court ruled on Monday that an Iranian lesbian cannot be deported because she faces a death sentence if returned to Iran because of her sexuality.According to the Associated Press, the 27-year-old woman, whose name was not released, travelled to Germany in September 2003 and applied for asylum. -
7 August 2006Vermont claims jurisdiction over lesbians’ custody battle + The Vermont Supreme Court ruled on Friday that its courts, and not those in Virginia, have exclusive jurisdiction over a case involving two lesbians battling for custody of a child they had while they were in a relationship.The Associated Press reports that the unanimous ruling conflicts with a series of decisions in Virginia, where courts ruled the state's anti-gay-marriage laws controlled the case.
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7 August 2006Gay Swimmer breaks world record at Outgames 1 A world record in swimming was broken last week at the 1st World Outgames in Montréal's Olympic Pool, when openly gay American swimmer Daniel Veatch set a new record time in the 200 m backstroke in the 40-44 age category.Veatch, who lives in San Francisco, logged in a time of 2:14.83, edging out the previous record of 2:15.49 set in 1999 by another American swimmer, William Speicht.
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7 August 2006Pennsylvania Senator endorses anti-homophobia law + Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum on Wednesday became the 170th member of Congress to affirm that they do not discriminate in their own employment practices based on an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity and expression."We welcome Senator Santorum's signature affirming the need for basic equality in his own hiring practices," said Riki Wilchins, executive director of the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition. -
7 August 2006Gays and lesbians targeted in Iraq + A television documentary will tonight highlight the plight of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Iraq.As already featured on PinkNews.co.uk, an Observer investigation to be broadcast tonight on More4, will show how the "honour killings" of homosexuals in Iraq is being justified by laws in the country which call it immoral. -
7 August 2006International gay community snub WorldPride opposition 23 Jerusalem Open House (JOH), the organisers of WorldPride Jerusalem, ridiculed anti-gay protesters who tried to sabotage a youth conference at the Israeli Parliament today, as the international gay event overcame violence in the region to proceed with events and conferences.Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth were invited by Member of the Knesset Sheli Yehimovitch, Chair of the Knesset Committee for Children, to inform her of the problems and challenges that LGBT youth confront on a daily basis.
