World
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15 June 2006Rice calls for gay marriage “respect” 4 The US Secretary of State has urged "respect" and "sensitivity" in the debate over gay marriage.Condoleeza Rice's statement comes after the US Senate rejected a proposal to ban gay marriage in the constitution last week.She told The News Record, "This is an issue that can be debated and can be discussed in our country with respect for every human being. -
15 June 2006Canadian gay marriage campaigns begin 1 Protest groups have today begun their campaigns on the issue of gay marriage.Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a free vote on the law last week scheduled for this Autumn.Anti gay marriage group Man and Woman Union gathered today to raise awareness of the vote, Warren Booth, organiser of the organisation, told the CanWest news agency, "I know MPs make their break soon for a couple of months, but we want to leave them with a thought before they take off for their vacation." -
15 June 2006Australian Senate rejects gay unions 1 Australian Capital Territory (ACT)leader John Stanhope has accused coalition senators of "shamefully and explicitly" endorsing second-class citizenship after failing to protect the Civil Unions Bill in the Senate, the remaining hope for the legislation to be passed.The ACT's local assembly approved the bill last month giving same sex couple's the right to a civil union after watering down the law to ensure it did not represent marriage, but the Federal Government quashed the law last week. -
15 June 2006Gay bishop addresses hostile church conference 7 Attention was turned to homosexuality at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church yesterday as delegates considered resolutions on the election of gay bishops, same sex blessings and an apology for the appointment of gay clergy.Comments made by over 70 speakers at the Standing Committee showed how much of a rift the issue has caused since the appointment of gay bishop Gene Robinson in 2003. -
15 June 2006EU votes to combat homophobia 1 The European Union has passed a resolution to combat homophobia on the continent which would see sentences handed down for homophobic, anti Semitic, and Islamophobic offences.The European Parliament debated the increase in racist and homophobic incidents yesterday, with many MEPs pointing to the increase of violence in some member states such as Poland and Latvia. -
15 June 2006University professor dismissed over gay marriage support 2 A professor has been sacked from a Christian University after publicly supporting gay marriage.Jeffrey Nielsen, part time philosophy lecturer at Brigham Young University, voiced opposition to the US Senate vote on banning gay marriage, before it was rejected. -
14 June 2006Gay Cameroonians jailed on “sodomy” charges + Seven gay Cameroonians who were on trial for "sodomy" have been jailed for 10 months, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) claims.Since the men have already been detained in a Kondegui Prison in Yaoundé for more than one year, they are expected to be released shortly for time served. -
14 June 2006Gay groups push for UN recognition + A campaign by the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) to encourage lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups to apply for recognition a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) at the United Nations (UN) has been backed positively by organisations across the world.The groups that applied by the May 31 2006 deadline include the Associação Brasileira de Gays, Lésbicas e Transgêneros (ABGLT), COC Nederlands, the Federación Estatal de Lesbianas, Gays, Transexuales y Bisexuales (FELGT) of Spain, Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ), Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC), and the Riksförbundet för sexuellt likaberättigande (RFSL) of Sweden. -
14 June 2006EU resolution to condemn homophobia 1 European politicians will vote on a joint draft resolution addressing an increase in racist and homophobic violence on the continent.The House will call on the members to reinforce criminal law measures aimed at the approximation of the penalties for such offences throughout the EU.
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14 June 2006Legal group defend gay school club + Trial was held on Monday in an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) federal lawsuit asking for a permanent injunction requiring officials at White County High School in Cleveland, Georgia to recognise a gay-straight alliance club (GSA).Administrators at White County High School in Cleveland, Georgia have been blocking the GSA from meeting since the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year while allowing other clubs to meet, a clear violation of the Federal Equal Access Act. -
14 June 2006Australian gay couples waiting on Senate vote 1 Same sex couples are awaiting action from the Australian Senate which may be the last area where supporters of the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) Civil Unions Bill can ensure it passes.The ACT's local assembly approved the bill last month giving same sex couple's the right to a civil union after watering down the law to ensure it did not represent marriage.
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14 June 2006Caribbean homophobic attack suspect gives himself up 5 A man thought to be the main attacker in a homophobic assault in St Marteen has been arrested.The man, known only as Duracell, is reported to have given himself up to police in relation to an attack on CBS news producer Dick Jefferson and his friend Ryan Smith, also a producer, who were beaten unconscious by a homophobic gang on the Caribbean Island at the beginning of April outside a bar. -
14 June 2006Mobster who inspired gay Sopranos’ star is jailed 2 The real-life mobster who ordered a hit on a gay mob boss, and whose story inspired an entire season of suspense surrounding gay mobster Vito Spatafore (Joe Gannascoli) in TV series' The Sopranos, has been sentenced to life in prison.Stefano Vitabile, 71, was sentenced to life in prison for ordering the 1992 slaying of acting DeCavalcante crime boss John (Johnny Boy) D'Amato, who was killed when he was outed by his fellow mobsters, according to New York's Daily News. -
14 June 2006Polish education minister bans gay rights book + The head of teacher training in Poland has been sacked after distributing a human rights manual which describes the types of discrimination lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people may face.Polish Education Minister Roman Giertych said the publication titled Compass: a manual on human rights education with young people, is a "contradiction to the core curriculum for general education" and against his idea of "patriotic education" in schools. -
14 June 2006Straight Americans welcome gay advertising + A majority of American adults are not put off by gay advertising or affiliations with gay causes, according to a new national survey.The results contradict campaigns by organisations such as the American Family Association who have attempted to create a boycott of the Ford Motor Company because of its advertisements in gay publications and sponsorship of pride events. -
13 June 2006Australia overrules gay unions 1 Australia's Federal government has been labelled as homophobic after officially overturning a law in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) which had created civil unions for same sex couples, killing any hopes for gay couples looking to register their partnerships before the legislation was annulled.The ACT's local assembly approved the bill last month giving same sex couple's the right to a civil union after watering down the law to ensure it did not represent marriage.
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13 June 2006California court approves lesbian parental access 1 The California Court of Appeal has ruled that Charisma R, a non-biological mother represented by the National Centre for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), may seek visitation with the child born to her former female partner through alternative insemination.The case, Charisma R v Kristina S, is the first appellate decision to apply the California Supreme Court's groundbreaking trio of 2005 decisions involving lesbian parents.
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13 June 2006Florida gay church publicises gay marriage support + The Christ Church of Peace, a non-denominational Christian congregation in Jacksonville, has launched "Know Thy Neighbour Florida," an outreach ministry directed at Floridians who believe in equal marriage rights.The church will include on their site the names of those who signed the petition in favour of the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment.
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13 June 2006Episcopal conference dominated by gay row 7 Bishops, priests and laymen from over 100 dioceses will gather in Ohio this week to decide on policy regarding governance and worship, with homosexuality remaining a top issue amid reports that ministers plan to apologise for the appointment of openly gay New Hampshire bishop Gene Robinson.The Episcopal Church's 75th General Convention, which starts today, is scheduled to debate "Human rights for homosexual persons." -
12 June 2006Warsaw gay activists march with pride + Thousands of people marched in the polish capital of Warsaw last weekend in an Equality Parade to protest against increased homophobia in the country.A counter parade by far-right groups was cancelled after pressure from politicians, meaning compared to the neighbouring cities of Moscow and Bucharest, activists marched relatively peacefully.
