A bill due to arrive at Malta’s parliament which was designed to give cohabiting couples legal rights will include provisions for gay civil partnerships, an official has said.
Having been announced fourteen years ago, questions had been asked about whether the cohabitation bill would include specific provisions allowing gay couples to have legal recognition of their relationship or treat them in the same way as cohabiting siblings.
According to the Times of Malta, a spokesman for the Justice Ministry spokesman said: “The government’s stand is that the relationship between gay couples should be regulated through the law on cohabitation, including the institute of civil partnership.”
A backbencher in Malta’s parliament, Dr Pullicino Orlando, had written an opinion piece in the broadly Catholic country’s Times newspaper yesterday calling for equal marriage rights.
He wrote: “The Catholic Church, locally, has had a profound, positive impact on our society. It has been contributing in areas which range from education to the care of the elderly and the disabled for centuries, often stepping in to fill the gaps left open by the government.
“However, the policies of our political parties should not be adapted in such a way as to ensure that the metaphorical feathers of the Catholic hierarchy in Malta, which leans towards the conservative when compared with the rest of the Universal Church, are left unruffled.”
He added that “the only reason many are averse to the idea of gay marriage is simply a misguided one based on religious beliefs”.
Asked about the timing, he said: “When would it be the right time? Why should gay couples today be denied rights that gay couples in 10 years’ time are likely to enjoy?”
While Malta’s government has made no representation supporting gay marriages, the cohabitation bill is a first for the Mediterranean islands.
Couples, gay and straight, cohabiting outside marriage will be given greater legal protection than before in a special class of relationship below that of marriage but above that of individuals cohabiting outside a relationship.
Πηγή:www.pinknews.co.uk
Πέμπτη 8 Μαρτίου 2012
‘Milestone’ LGBT discussion at UN Human Rights Council welcomed despite walkout.
The UN Human Rights Council’s panel discussion on ending discrimination and violence against people on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity has been welcomed despite a walkout by some Islamic states.
The discussion was opened yesterday by UN’s Secretary General Ban-ki Moon who said attacks against gay and trans people were a “stain on our collective conscience”.
While the Council’s first panel on discrimination against gay and trans people was heralded as a “milestone”, it was also opposed by the 57-country Organisation of Islamic Cooperation who said it had “nothing to do with fundamental human rights”.
Members of the OIC walked out before the 47-member Council began its discussion.
Pakistani Ambassador to the UN Zamir Akram had written on behalf of the OIC that it was “deeply concerned by the introduction in the Human Rights Council of controversial notions like ‘sexual orientation and gender identity’. The OIC countries have been consistent in their opposition to the consideration of these controversial notions in the context of human right at international fora.”
The UN’s Human Rights Commissioner, Navi Pillay, said that while some states may say there is a “conflict with local cultural or traditional values, or with religious teachings, or run counter to public opinion”, the “balance between tradition and culture, on the one hand, and universal human rights on the other, must be struck in favour of rights”.
Roy Brown, in a statement to the Council on behalf of the International Humanist and Ethical Union said: “These states are either unaware of the genetic and biological basis for differences in sexual orientation or are prepared to ignore such evidence for religious reasons. No doubt they also wish to shield their own appalling human rights records from too much scrutiny.
“The opposition to the discussion expressed by the OIC is a timely reminder that, for them, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights do not apply universally.
“Many States have much to do in improving public policy regarding sexual orientation, and there is evidently a huge gap in knowledge and understanding of homosexuality and the transgendered among both the public and governments. Statements such as that recently heard here that homosexuals threaten the future of the human race do no credit whatsoever to a member state of this Council.”
Libya’s representative reportedly told the Council last month that gay issues “affect religion and the continuation and reproduction of the human race”.
Despite opposition, the panel discussion affirmed the Council’s commitment to fighting human rights infringements against LGBT people globally.
Ms Pillay called on countries to decriminalise homosexuality, abolish the death penalty for offences involving consensual sexual relations, harmonize ages of consent for heterosexual and homosexual conduct, and introduce anti-discrimination laws.
She also called on countries to recognise that persecution on the grounds of sexual orientation could be a valid reason to seek asylum.
Lance Price, Director of the Kaleidoscope Trust, said: “This is a milestone development. The UN Commissioner for Human Rights has made it clear that there can be no ifs and no buts. The rights of LGBT people are not special rights. They are the same basic human rights to which everybody is entitled. The debate starts here.
“The powerful recommendations set out today set a clear agenda for action and mark a major step forward in a global campaign for justice that gathers momentum every day.
“There are huge challenges to be faced and we call on the Commonwealth to show the same level of commitment.
“We believe that changing the legal situation isn’t enough and public opinion is just as important. That’s why Kaleidoscope Trust works with local groups and activists on the ground to build their capacity and offer support in fighting stigmatisation and promoting diversity and equal rights globally.”
Πηγή:www.pinknews.co.uk
The discussion was opened yesterday by UN’s Secretary General Ban-ki Moon who said attacks against gay and trans people were a “stain on our collective conscience”.
While the Council’s first panel on discrimination against gay and trans people was heralded as a “milestone”, it was also opposed by the 57-country Organisation of Islamic Cooperation who said it had “nothing to do with fundamental human rights”.
Members of the OIC walked out before the 47-member Council began its discussion.
Pakistani Ambassador to the UN Zamir Akram had written on behalf of the OIC that it was “deeply concerned by the introduction in the Human Rights Council of controversial notions like ‘sexual orientation and gender identity’. The OIC countries have been consistent in their opposition to the consideration of these controversial notions in the context of human right at international fora.”
The UN’s Human Rights Commissioner, Navi Pillay, said that while some states may say there is a “conflict with local cultural or traditional values, or with religious teachings, or run counter to public opinion”, the “balance between tradition and culture, on the one hand, and universal human rights on the other, must be struck in favour of rights”.
Roy Brown, in a statement to the Council on behalf of the International Humanist and Ethical Union said: “These states are either unaware of the genetic and biological basis for differences in sexual orientation or are prepared to ignore such evidence for religious reasons. No doubt they also wish to shield their own appalling human rights records from too much scrutiny.
“The opposition to the discussion expressed by the OIC is a timely reminder that, for them, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights do not apply universally.
“Many States have much to do in improving public policy regarding sexual orientation, and there is evidently a huge gap in knowledge and understanding of homosexuality and the transgendered among both the public and governments. Statements such as that recently heard here that homosexuals threaten the future of the human race do no credit whatsoever to a member state of this Council.”
Libya’s representative reportedly told the Council last month that gay issues “affect religion and the continuation and reproduction of the human race”.
Despite opposition, the panel discussion affirmed the Council’s commitment to fighting human rights infringements against LGBT people globally.
Ms Pillay called on countries to decriminalise homosexuality, abolish the death penalty for offences involving consensual sexual relations, harmonize ages of consent for heterosexual and homosexual conduct, and introduce anti-discrimination laws.
She also called on countries to recognise that persecution on the grounds of sexual orientation could be a valid reason to seek asylum.
Lance Price, Director of the Kaleidoscope Trust, said: “This is a milestone development. The UN Commissioner for Human Rights has made it clear that there can be no ifs and no buts. The rights of LGBT people are not special rights. They are the same basic human rights to which everybody is entitled. The debate starts here.
“The powerful recommendations set out today set a clear agenda for action and mark a major step forward in a global campaign for justice that gathers momentum every day.
“There are huge challenges to be faced and we call on the Commonwealth to show the same level of commitment.
“We believe that changing the legal situation isn’t enough and public opinion is just as important. That’s why Kaleidoscope Trust works with local groups and activists on the ground to build their capacity and offer support in fighting stigmatisation and promoting diversity and equal rights globally.”
Πηγή:www.pinknews.co.uk
International Women's Day celebrated.
LGBT activists join celebrities, politicians and women around the world in a day of female 'empowerment'.
Lesbian, bisexual and trans women join people around the world who are celebrating International Women's Day.
Activities will take place around the world today (8 March) under the theme of 'connecting girls, inspiring futures' for the annual event that has been observed since the early 1900s and is now celebrating its 101st day.
The International Women's Day website listed more than 1,000 events around the world, including film showings, lectures and public meetings.
As well as celebrity endorsements from singer Annie Lennox, actress Reese Witherspoon and model Helena Christensen, InternationalWomensDay.com now has 10,000 followers on Twitter sharing videos, information and news as it happens.
And the LGBT community is also joining in the celebrations.
Celebrated lesbian activist Clare B Dimyon says International Women's Day is 'our Stonewall moment'.
Dimyon, who was honored with an MBE by the Queen for her campaign work, said: 'I stand proud on the shoulders of all the women who have gone before, who didnt seek to get their name in lights but simply did what needed to be done.
'And just as at Pride when I am no less of a woman, on International Women's Day I am no less of a lesbian and lesbian women have some very tall shoulders to stand upon.'
She adds that lesbians have been at the forefront of human rights campaigns, even when the issues at hands, she claims, didn't affect them directly.
Dimyon said: 'As gay men started to get ill and die for reasons we didnt understand, who flocked to them to nurse them? Gay men but also lesbians who realized we were not affected. But who else could understand the profoundly homophobic response of society to the "gay plague". How could we not respond to our gay/bisexual brothers?
'When women were beaten by their husbands, beaten sometimes to death when their children witnessed this and were subjected to this violence, who was there? Lesbians were there - lesbian women at the forefront of the refuges for heterosexual women battered by their husbands. How could we not respond to our sisters?
'When women were and are subjected to rape and sexual violence who is there, who was there at the forefront of founding of rape crisis centres? Lesbians.
'I am a lesbian, all lesbian and all woman, I will not be submerged into the LGBT acronym, but I am part of a wonderfully diverse set of LGBT communities, which sometimes seems to forget the word associated with "L" over which there can never be any doubt.
'I am not struggling for equality in order to take second place. My dear gay brothers, I cannot do that with any integrity or self-respect or pride.'
In a video message on YouTube, the UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet said more work needs to be done to improving women's rights around the world, especially in rural communities.
Πηγή:www.gaystarnews.com
As well as celebrity endorsements from singer Annie Lennox, actress Reese Witherspoon and model Helena Christensen, InternationalWomensDay.com now has 10,000 followers on Twitter sharing videos, information and news as it happens.
And the LGBT community is also joining in the celebrations.
Celebrated lesbian activist Clare B Dimyon says International Women's Day is 'our Stonewall moment'.
Dimyon, who was honored with an MBE by the Queen for her campaign work, said: 'I stand proud on the shoulders of all the women who have gone before, who didnt seek to get their name in lights but simply did what needed to be done.
'And just as at Pride when I am no less of a woman, on International Women's Day I am no less of a lesbian and lesbian women have some very tall shoulders to stand upon.'
She adds that lesbians have been at the forefront of human rights campaigns, even when the issues at hands, she claims, didn't affect them directly.
Dimyon said: 'As gay men started to get ill and die for reasons we didnt understand, who flocked to them to nurse them? Gay men but also lesbians who realized we were not affected. But who else could understand the profoundly homophobic response of society to the "gay plague". How could we not respond to our gay/bisexual brothers?
'When women were beaten by their husbands, beaten sometimes to death when their children witnessed this and were subjected to this violence, who was there? Lesbians were there - lesbian women at the forefront of the refuges for heterosexual women battered by their husbands. How could we not respond to our sisters?
'When women were and are subjected to rape and sexual violence who is there, who was there at the forefront of founding of rape crisis centres? Lesbians.
'I am a lesbian, all lesbian and all woman, I will not be submerged into the LGBT acronym, but I am part of a wonderfully diverse set of LGBT communities, which sometimes seems to forget the word associated with "L" over which there can never be any doubt.
'I am not struggling for equality in order to take second place. My dear gay brothers, I cannot do that with any integrity or self-respect or pride.'
In a video message on YouTube, the UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet said more work needs to be done to improving women's rights around the world, especially in rural communities.
United Nations divided in gay rights debate.
UN responds to report showing homophobia and transphobia across the globe.
The United Nations were divided in today’s first landmark global conversation over gay rights.
Representatives of countries from across the globe including the USA, Brazil, Thailand and Pakistan met to discuss gender identity and sexual orientation for the first time.
A report from the High Commissioner from the council showed the enormity of the situation facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
It states although there are scarce official statistics, in all regions, there is widespread bias in jobs, schools and hospitals. People have suffered sexual assault, been imprisoned, tortured and killed.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has called the situation a 'monumental tragedy' for those affected and 'a stain on our collective conscience.’
Opening the panel, he said: 'To those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, let me say, you are not alone.
'Your struggle for an end to violence and discrimination is a shared struggle. Any attack on you is an attack on the universal values, the United Nations and I have sworn to defend and uphold.’
The summit was met with difficulties, as the Islamic states refused to take part.
In a letter from the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to the President of the Human Rights Council, Pakistan's UN Ambassador Zamir Akram stated they were concerned the UN was attempting to create ‘new standards’ to discuss ‘controversial new notions’ such as sexuality.
Pakistan spoke for the OIC on the panel, saying: ‘We request that this will be the last time that the Human Rights Council discusses LGBT rights.’
Countries were divided in their responses to the report, with France and the US both praising the High Commissioner and agreeing more had to be done.
Thailand informed the council their country was progressing in gay rights, while the United Arab Group stated they were against the concept of sexual orientation and gender identity completely.
Panelist Hans Ytterberg from Sweden criticized the ‘separate but equal’ gay rights argument some nations were making, comparing it to apartheid.
Global gay rights group Kaleidoscope’s Africa representative, Adebisi Alimi, yesterday told Gay Star News he hoped the panel discussion will help further gay rights in the continent, where homosexuality is still illegal in 38 countries, with gay men and women facing imprisonment or in some states, the death penalty.
Kasha Jaqueline from the Coalition of African Lesbians delivered a statement, noting that 'We as African LGBTI activists are not asking for any new or special rights, we are simply asking that our African governments live up to their obligations under international and regional instruments and their own national constitutions; all of which recognize equality and non-discrimination for all citizens.'
The panel also included activists from the Philippines and even Mongolia.
Otgonbaatar Tsedendemberel, from the LGBT Centre of Mongolia, said the Asian country's gay community is 'silently suffering' under family and social pressures.
Tsedendemberel also said they face threats from ultra-nationalists and a lack of knowledge on sexual orientation and gender identity among the general public.
'It is member states’ job to represent every single citizen of their countries in the Human Rights Council and they must not let the sexual minorities suffer silently any longer than we have been,' Tsedendemberel.
Ambassador Abdul Minty from the Permanent Mission of South Africa concluded the historic event by picking up on comments from the African NGO statement affirming the African philosophy of 'ubuntu', saying, 'I am because you are.'
Πηγή:www.gaystarnews.com
Representatives of countries from across the globe including the USA, Brazil, Thailand and Pakistan met to discuss gender identity and sexual orientation for the first time.
A report from the High Commissioner from the council showed the enormity of the situation facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
It states although there are scarce official statistics, in all regions, there is widespread bias in jobs, schools and hospitals. People have suffered sexual assault, been imprisoned, tortured and killed.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has called the situation a 'monumental tragedy' for those affected and 'a stain on our collective conscience.’
Opening the panel, he said: 'To those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, let me say, you are not alone.
'Your struggle for an end to violence and discrimination is a shared struggle. Any attack on you is an attack on the universal values, the United Nations and I have sworn to defend and uphold.’
The summit was met with difficulties, as the Islamic states refused to take part.
In a letter from the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to the President of the Human Rights Council, Pakistan's UN Ambassador Zamir Akram stated they were concerned the UN was attempting to create ‘new standards’ to discuss ‘controversial new notions’ such as sexuality.
Pakistan spoke for the OIC on the panel, saying: ‘We request that this will be the last time that the Human Rights Council discusses LGBT rights.’
Countries were divided in their responses to the report, with France and the US both praising the High Commissioner and agreeing more had to be done.
Thailand informed the council their country was progressing in gay rights, while the United Arab Group stated they were against the concept of sexual orientation and gender identity completely.
Panelist Hans Ytterberg from Sweden criticized the ‘separate but equal’ gay rights argument some nations were making, comparing it to apartheid.
Global gay rights group Kaleidoscope’s Africa representative, Adebisi Alimi, yesterday told Gay Star News he hoped the panel discussion will help further gay rights in the continent, where homosexuality is still illegal in 38 countries, with gay men and women facing imprisonment or in some states, the death penalty.
Kasha Jaqueline from the Coalition of African Lesbians delivered a statement, noting that 'We as African LGBTI activists are not asking for any new or special rights, we are simply asking that our African governments live up to their obligations under international and regional instruments and their own national constitutions; all of which recognize equality and non-discrimination for all citizens.'
The panel also included activists from the Philippines and even Mongolia.
Otgonbaatar Tsedendemberel, from the LGBT Centre of Mongolia, said the Asian country's gay community is 'silently suffering' under family and social pressures.
Tsedendemberel also said they face threats from ultra-nationalists and a lack of knowledge on sexual orientation and gender identity among the general public.
'It is member states’ job to represent every single citizen of their countries in the Human Rights Council and they must not let the sexual minorities suffer silently any longer than we have been,' Tsedendemberel.
Ambassador Abdul Minty from the Permanent Mission of South Africa concluded the historic event by picking up on comments from the African NGO statement affirming the African philosophy of 'ubuntu', saying, 'I am because you are.'
Πηγή:www.gaystarnews.com
New wave of attacks on ‘gays and lesbians’ in Iraq.
Militia accused of kidnapping, beating and killing 40 Iraqis perceived as ‘gay’ or ‘too masculine or feminine’.
Photo by Bradley Secker and Gay Middle East.
Militia have launched a new wave of attacks against Iraqis perceived to be gay, lesbian or 'too masculine or feminine', according to he International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC).
The organization says it has been told by Iraqi human rights activists that the renewed targeting started in early February this year.
An unidentified group posted death threats against ‘the adulterous individuals’ in the predominantly Shiite neighborhoods of Baghdad and Basra. The threats gave the individuals, whose names and ages were listed, four days to stop their behavior or else face the ‘wrath of god’.
Iraq observers say attackers are targeting men who are seen as ‘too feminine’ and women who are perceived as ‘masculine’ rather than focusing solely on people’s sexuality.
Sources inside Iraq say this new surge of anti-gay violence has seen close to 40 people kidnapped, brutally tortured and murdered.
IGLHCR say the Iraqi authorities have neither responded to this targeted violence nor have they publicly denounced it. It is widely believed that these atrocities are being committed by a group of the Shiite militia.
According to Iraqi LGBT, a London and Iraq based activist group, since the US invasion of 2003 over 750 LGBT people were reported murdered in Iraq, many of them due to so called ‘honor killings’.
Speaking with Gay Star News, Bissam, an independent Iraqi LGBT activist, who was forced himself to flee the country and now lives in exile said: 'This is happening all the time.
‘I had a confirmed report in October 2011 from a gay young man who lives in Baghdad, his name is Haider, that Almehdi militia are threatening that they are coming back and they will kill gays. For some reason some of the militia men knew about him being gay because he was told they came looking for him, so he fled his home and was hiding.
‘Last I heard from him was in late November but don’t know what happened to him. Many men get kidnapped and go missing all the time. He also reported that this has been happening to many of his friends.’
According to Bissam this most frequently happening in central Iraq ‘but happens everywhere there, I don't know about north of Iraq, but when I was in Sulaimania, one of the three big cities in north Iraq, I saw young men who looked very feminine being harassed and the arrested.’
The situation is getting increasingly worse reports Bissam who claims the prime minister, Nouri Al-Maliki, ‘supported by the USA and Iran,’ knows about the incidents.
He claims Al-Maliki has actively campaigned for countries to repatriate Iraqi refugees fleeing such violence who ‘were detained at the airport and beaten and god knows what happens to them later’.
Bissam recently started to blog to publicize how desperate the situation is.
He said: ‘We all want to speak, put some pressure on Al-Maliki government. But the question is how? Because he knows and supports all these actions against the Iraqi LGBT, in particular and Sunna in general. Working against these people needs lots of support and real plan.’
Cary Alan Johnson, the executive director of IGLHRC said the Iraqi government must rise to its obligations as a sovereign democratic country.
‘As such, it must protect all of its citizens including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from hate-filled violence and death at the hands of armed militias,’ he said.
‘Vigilantes who perpetuate the targeted killing of those perceived to be gay or lesbian must not be tolerated in a new Iraq. We have seen these atrocities before.
‘In 2009 vigilantes murdered hundreds of Iraqi individuals for their perceived sexual orientation. There are no excuses for such heinous human rights violations. We demand that the Iraqi government put a stop to the wanton persecution and killing of gay people, and that the perpetrators punished.'
Πηγή:www.gaystarnews.com
The organization says it has been told by Iraqi human rights activists that the renewed targeting started in early February this year.
An unidentified group posted death threats against ‘the adulterous individuals’ in the predominantly Shiite neighborhoods of Baghdad and Basra. The threats gave the individuals, whose names and ages were listed, four days to stop their behavior or else face the ‘wrath of god’.
Iraq observers say attackers are targeting men who are seen as ‘too feminine’ and women who are perceived as ‘masculine’ rather than focusing solely on people’s sexuality.
Sources inside Iraq say this new surge of anti-gay violence has seen close to 40 people kidnapped, brutally tortured and murdered.
IGLHCR say the Iraqi authorities have neither responded to this targeted violence nor have they publicly denounced it. It is widely believed that these atrocities are being committed by a group of the Shiite militia.
According to Iraqi LGBT, a London and Iraq based activist group, since the US invasion of 2003 over 750 LGBT people were reported murdered in Iraq, many of them due to so called ‘honor killings’.
Speaking with Gay Star News, Bissam, an independent Iraqi LGBT activist, who was forced himself to flee the country and now lives in exile said: 'This is happening all the time.
‘I had a confirmed report in October 2011 from a gay young man who lives in Baghdad, his name is Haider, that Almehdi militia are threatening that they are coming back and they will kill gays. For some reason some of the militia men knew about him being gay because he was told they came looking for him, so he fled his home and was hiding.
‘Last I heard from him was in late November but don’t know what happened to him. Many men get kidnapped and go missing all the time. He also reported that this has been happening to many of his friends.’
According to Bissam this most frequently happening in central Iraq ‘but happens everywhere there, I don't know about north of Iraq, but when I was in Sulaimania, one of the three big cities in north Iraq, I saw young men who looked very feminine being harassed and the arrested.’
The situation is getting increasingly worse reports Bissam who claims the prime minister, Nouri Al-Maliki, ‘supported by the USA and Iran,’ knows about the incidents.
He claims Al-Maliki has actively campaigned for countries to repatriate Iraqi refugees fleeing such violence who ‘were detained at the airport and beaten and god knows what happens to them later’.
Bissam recently started to blog to publicize how desperate the situation is.
He said: ‘We all want to speak, put some pressure on Al-Maliki government. But the question is how? Because he knows and supports all these actions against the Iraqi LGBT, in particular and Sunna in general. Working against these people needs lots of support and real plan.’
Cary Alan Johnson, the executive director of IGLHRC said the Iraqi government must rise to its obligations as a sovereign democratic country.
‘As such, it must protect all of its citizens including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from hate-filled violence and death at the hands of armed militias,’ he said.
‘Vigilantes who perpetuate the targeted killing of those perceived to be gay or lesbian must not be tolerated in a new Iraq. We have seen these atrocities before.
‘In 2009 vigilantes murdered hundreds of Iraqi individuals for their perceived sexual orientation. There are no excuses for such heinous human rights violations. We demand that the Iraqi government put a stop to the wanton persecution and killing of gay people, and that the perpetrators punished.'
Πηγή:www.gaystarnews.com
Shanghai Pride gets a place in the sun.
China’s only Pride will be celebrated in June, not October this year.
Due to popular demand Shanghai Pride, now in its fourth year, will be celebrated in June, not the usual October this year. The organizers announced the week-long festival, China’s only Pride celebration, will run from 16 to 23 June, to take advantage of the warmer weather.
There’s no parade at Shanghai Pride, any public gathering of more than 50 people without state approval is illegal in China, but there’s a family-orientated pink picnic, parties, film nights and a panel discussion.
‘We don’t know who will be on the panel discussion this year,’ one of the organizers, Charlene Liu, told Gay Star News. ‘But definitely it’s going to be about LGBT issues in China. I think that’s important, because we are in China.’
In previous years there have been complaints that Shanghai Pride is run by ex-pats for ex-pats (Liu is from Malaysia), but more local gay and lesbian groups are involved in the organization this year.
During 2009’s Shanghai Pride some of the venues received intimidating visits from the police threatening to close them down if they hosted LGBT events, leading to many pulling out of their commitments at the last minute. To get around this, venues were not announced until just be for the events at last year’s Pride and there were no problems with venues pulling out. The Shanghai Pride website was blocked, however.
Shanghai’s Spanish, German and French consulates have lent valuable support for the festival by hosting film screenings, and this year the organizers hope the British and Dutch consulates will also endorse Pride.
New events for 2012 include a poolside party, open mic night, trivia night and a barbecue. Profits raised from Shanghai Pride 2012 will go towards setting up an LGBT center for the city.
Πηγή:www.gaystarnews.com
There’s no parade at Shanghai Pride, any public gathering of more than 50 people without state approval is illegal in China, but there’s a family-orientated pink picnic, parties, film nights and a panel discussion.
‘We don’t know who will be on the panel discussion this year,’ one of the organizers, Charlene Liu, told Gay Star News. ‘But definitely it’s going to be about LGBT issues in China. I think that’s important, because we are in China.’
In previous years there have been complaints that Shanghai Pride is run by ex-pats for ex-pats (Liu is from Malaysia), but more local gay and lesbian groups are involved in the organization this year.
During 2009’s Shanghai Pride some of the venues received intimidating visits from the police threatening to close them down if they hosted LGBT events, leading to many pulling out of their commitments at the last minute. To get around this, venues were not announced until just be for the events at last year’s Pride and there were no problems with venues pulling out. The Shanghai Pride website was blocked, however.
Shanghai’s Spanish, German and French consulates have lent valuable support for the festival by hosting film screenings, and this year the organizers hope the British and Dutch consulates will also endorse Pride.
New events for 2012 include a poolside party, open mic night, trivia night and a barbecue. Profits raised from Shanghai Pride 2012 will go towards setting up an LGBT center for the city.
Πηγή:www.gaystarnews.com
Τρίτη 6 Μαρτίου 2012
Manchester to urge anti-gay law veto on St Petersburg trip.
Manchester’s Lord Mayor and Deputy Leader, currently in St Petersburg, will meet the city’s governor to urge him not to sign an anti-gay bill into law.
The Manchester delegation is in Russia to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the two cities being twinned.
But the trip has coincided with the passage of a bill which would fine the promotion of gay, bi or trans identities among minors and which threatens to silence the gay and trans community in the eyes of many around the world.
The British officials will meet LGBT groups and St Petersburg’s Governor Poltavchenko, whom they will urge not to sign the bill into law.
Councillor Sue Murphy, deputy leader of Manchester City Council, said it was an “honour” to be twinned with St Petersburg and “the friendship has stood the test of time”.
She said: “When you have been friends for so long – whether it be a person or a city – it gives you the right to point out when your friend is doing something wrong. This bill is simply wrong.
“It is bad for LGBT people living in the city, and it is bad for St Petersburg’s reputation across the globe. This trip gives us the opportunity to make this point clearly at the highest level in St Petersburg – before it is too late. We will urge the governor to veto this ill-conceived piece of legislation.
Saying Manchester was one of the most “tolerant and open” cities in the world, she added the delegation was “rightly proud of our gay rights record and hope the governor will listen to us and reject this dreadful piece of legislation.
“Our message is simple – equality is not something anyone should fear.
“During this visit we will also meet with LGBT leaders in the city, presenting a letter of solidarity from the Lesbian and Gay Foundation and giving them the strong message that the people of Manchester – gay and straight – stand shoulder to shoulder with them.”
The Lesbian & Gay Foundation’s Chief Executive Paul Martin OBE said: “The Lesbian & Gay Foundation would like to offer our solidarity with all LGB&T people in St.Petersburg who are struggling with the situation they find themselves in.
“We share the concerns of our LGBT friends in St.Petersburg as in our own recent history we have faced similar experiences where we have been denied our basic human rights, our voices have not been heard and our young people have not had positive role models to help them realise their full potential.
“However we are fortunate to be supported by our own city council who we know share the interests of LGB&T residents in St. Petersburg and will do whatever they can to support their progress in challenging the prejudice and injustice that they currently face. It is important for all of us that they succeed.”
In January, Edinburgh’s Lord Provost was called on by a number of groups to intervene before the law was passed by the city legislature but declined to comment.
Πηγή:www.pinknews.co.uk
The Manchester delegation is in Russia to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the two cities being twinned.
But the trip has coincided with the passage of a bill which would fine the promotion of gay, bi or trans identities among minors and which threatens to silence the gay and trans community in the eyes of many around the world.
The British officials will meet LGBT groups and St Petersburg’s Governor Poltavchenko, whom they will urge not to sign the bill into law.
Councillor Sue Murphy, deputy leader of Manchester City Council, said it was an “honour” to be twinned with St Petersburg and “the friendship has stood the test of time”.
She said: “When you have been friends for so long – whether it be a person or a city – it gives you the right to point out when your friend is doing something wrong. This bill is simply wrong.
“It is bad for LGBT people living in the city, and it is bad for St Petersburg’s reputation across the globe. This trip gives us the opportunity to make this point clearly at the highest level in St Petersburg – before it is too late. We will urge the governor to veto this ill-conceived piece of legislation.
Saying Manchester was one of the most “tolerant and open” cities in the world, she added the delegation was “rightly proud of our gay rights record and hope the governor will listen to us and reject this dreadful piece of legislation.
“Our message is simple – equality is not something anyone should fear.
“During this visit we will also meet with LGBT leaders in the city, presenting a letter of solidarity from the Lesbian and Gay Foundation and giving them the strong message that the people of Manchester – gay and straight – stand shoulder to shoulder with them.”
The Lesbian & Gay Foundation’s Chief Executive Paul Martin OBE said: “The Lesbian & Gay Foundation would like to offer our solidarity with all LGB&T people in St.Petersburg who are struggling with the situation they find themselves in.
“We share the concerns of our LGBT friends in St.Petersburg as in our own recent history we have faced similar experiences where we have been denied our basic human rights, our voices have not been heard and our young people have not had positive role models to help them realise their full potential.
“However we are fortunate to be supported by our own city council who we know share the interests of LGB&T residents in St. Petersburg and will do whatever they can to support their progress in challenging the prejudice and injustice that they currently face. It is important for all of us that they succeed.”
In January, Edinburgh’s Lord Provost was called on by a number of groups to intervene before the law was passed by the city legislature but declined to comment.
Πηγή:www.pinknews.co.uk
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