World
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16 June 2006Muslim cleric backs gay burnings 5 Homosexuals should be thrown off buildings or burnt to death, a Muslim cleric has proclaimed.Yusuf Qaradawi described gay people as "perverts" who should be "punished," in an interview with Al Jazeera last week.He said homosexuals should be treated the same as any other "sexual pervert." -
16 June 2006EU gay group condemn Latvia 1 Latvia must protect its gay community or face legal sanctions, the president of the European Parliament's Intergroup for Gay and Lesbian Rights warned today.Michael Cashman reacted angrily after Latvia defied its EU obligations by rejecting including sexual orientation in a new anti discrimination law. -
16 June 2006New York considers opposition to army gay policy + The Servicemembers Legal Defence Network (SLDN) is applauding the recent New York state resolution calling for the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on openly lesbian, gay and bisexual personnel.The resolution, introduced by New York State Senator Thomas Duane, calls on New York's Congressional Delegation to support the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, a bill that would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." -
16 June 2006Latvia rejects gay protection 1 The Latvian Parliament has defied European Union laws after refusing to implement anti discrimination policies regarding sexual orientation.The legislation, stipulated as a basis for the country's membership of the political body, was rejected by Mps, after some described homosexuality as a sin. -
16 June 2006Indianapolis church starts pro-gay campaign + First there were full-page ads in the Indianapolis Star asking, "Would Jesus Discriminate?"Then yard signs with the same message began appearing all over Indianapolis, followed by 25,000 door hangers were distributed with invitations to a Town Hall Meeting, one of which led to a lesbian's Indianapolis home being defaced with a swastika.Now major billboards across the city are also asking the question, "Would Jesus Discriminate?" -
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.
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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. -
15 June 2006Ronaldo named top World Cup gay icon 6 Portuguese midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo has been voted the top World Cup pin up by a Dutch gay magazine.The Manchester United star topped the Gay Krant poll for the second year in a row.He was selected in a vote of 3000 readers as "the most beautiful, the most attractive and the sexiest' player at the showpiece event." -
15 June 2006Ford defends gay advertising 2 Ford Motor Company's Vice President has defended the carmakers' advertising policy.Al Giombetti reacted to calls from the American Family Association for a boycott because the manufacturer advertised in gay publications.He said in an email to dealers that the organisation advertises to all groups including gay, religious and ethnic communities, "We buy advertising to put Ford's message in front of as many customers as possible." -
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." -
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. -
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.
