Scotland: no decision on gay marriage.

Scottish government will announce its desicion by the end of the month. LGBT campaigners criticise the delay.

The Scottish government has not announced a decision on same-sex marriage following a cabinet meeting to discuss the issue.

Cabinet members of the Scottish National Party (SNP) government met at the First Minister's official residence at Bute House in Edinburgh to discuss same-sex marriage.

A Scottish government spokesperson said: 'This is an important issue and it is right that cabinet takes the time to get both the principle and the detail of the decision right.'

However they have ruled out holding a referendum on the issue - something demanded by Catholic leader Cardinal Keith O'Brien only yesterday.

According to the Equality Network, a Scottish LGBT campaign charity, a desicion about how to carry the marriage equality legislation forward was expected to be announced at 4pm today (17 July).

But according to the Scottish government it 'remains committed to publishing the consultation responses and our clear decision on the way forward before the end of this month.'

The alleged delay was criticised by LGBT rights campaigners and organisations.  

Speaking with Gay Star News, Colin Macfarlane, director of gay campaign group Stonewall Scotland, said: ‘While we are disappointed that no decision was made today we are pleased that the Scottish government has confirmed that a referendum has been ruled out.

'Ministers have stated that a final decision on a way forward will be at the end of this month, we look forward to that and urge them to stick to their guns and say I do to equal marriage.

Tom French, policy coordinator for the Equality Network, stated: ’We welcome the announcement that same-sex marriage will not be the subject of a referendum – that would have been completely inappropriate.

'LGBT people across Scotland will be very disappointed tonight that no further announcement has been made.

'It is now vital to the government’s credibility that a clear and positive decision is announced before the end of the month.’

Opinion polls have shown consistent public support for same-sex marriage in Scotland.

The SNP government is thought to be in favour allowing faith based orgnisations to conduct marriage ceremonies if they choose to do so.

Same-sex marriage is particularly opposed by Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Britain’s most senior Catholic, who yesterday (16 July) demanded a referendum on same-sex marriage in a last-ditch effort to delay the decision.

According the Scottish government spokesperson the cabinet rejected the Cardinal's call for a referendum on same-sex marriage.

But a sub-committee led by deputy leader of the SNP, Nicola Sturgeon will 'further examine some particular issues of detail before a final decision is reached' on lesbian and gay marriage equality.

According to Alan Roden, political editor of the Daily Record in Scotland, these 'issues of detail' include protection for 'freedom of religion' and 'freedom of speech'. This may be a strategy by the government to engage some critics from the Catholic church while going ahead with marriage equality.

The Catholic Church says it will spend an additional £100,000 ($155,000 €127,000) on an advertizing campaign against the plans, on top of the £50,000 ($78,000 €64,000) it has already spent against marriage equality in Scotland.

But some faith groups favor the same-sex marriage, in April a Faith in Marriage coalition was formed and urged politicians to lift the ban on religious same-sex marriages in Scotland.

Faith in Marriage includes members of the United Reformed Church, the Quakers, the Unitarians, Liberal Judaism, the Humanists, the Iona Community, Buddhists, the Open Episcopal Church, the Metropolitan Community Church and the Pagan Federation. In addition, it has the support of ministers from the Church of Scotland and the Scottish Episcopal Church.

Πηγή:www.gaystarnews.com

Letter calls on Olympic bosses to stand up for gay rights.

Activist Peter Tatchell calls on nations to sign 'equality pledge' for LGBT rights or be banned from London 2012.

Activist Peter Tatchell has written an open letter to Olympic bosses urging them to make a stand for gay rights by banning homophobic countries from competing in the games.

In an open letter to Olympic chiefs Jacques Rogge and Lord Coe, Tatchell calls on participating countries which are known to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to sign a pledge supporting equal rights or be disqualified from the sporting event.

He also urges the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) to make a public statement welcoming LGBT athletes and that anti-gay participating nations must not discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Tatchell claims over 150 nations have anti-LGBT policies and their involvement in the games goes against the Olympic Charter which states that any discrimination is 'incompatible' with the Olympic spirit.

'The Olympics should be open to everyone, based solely on merit and without discrimination,' Tatchell wrote.

'Sport should have no boundaries or exclusions. There should be a level-playing field for all competitors, regardless of their background.

'Any country that discriminates against women or ethnic, religious or sexual minorities should be disqualified from the 2012 Olympics.'

In the letter, the renowned gay rights campaigner singles out participating countries which he claims clearly 'violate the Olympic spirit of equality', including Saudi Arabia, Iran and India.

'Despite this laudable commitment, many nations deny equal opportunities to women and to ethnic, religious and sexual minorities,' he wrote.

Tatchell added: 'This discrimination takes the form of a lack of equal access to sports facilities, competitions and the Olympic selection process.'

The Olympic charter states that 'the practice of sport is a human right'.

It adds: 'Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.'

The charter also says that any form of discrimination, including on the grounds of 'gender or otherwise' is 'incompatible' with the Olympics.

The opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games will be held on 27 July.

Πηγή:www.gaystarnews.com

America approves HIV prevention drug.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Truvada to reduce HIV transmission in uninfected, high-risk individuals.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a pill to help prevent HIV transmission.

The US agency had previously endorsed Gilead Sciences' pill Truvada for use by HIV-negative individuals who are at high-risk of contracting the disease.

These groups include gay and straight people who practice unsafe sex, as well as serodiscrodant couples (couples where only one partner is HIV-positive).

'Truvada alone should not be used to prevent HIV infection,' Dr. Debra Birnkrant, director of antiviral products at the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a news conference.

'The FDA is approving Truvada, in combination with safe sex practices, to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV infection in at-risk adults.

These safe sex practices include HIV testing every three months, using condoms during sex and adhering to daily recommended dosing.

Birnkrant said that the extra prescribing of Truvada could help achieve the government's National HIV/AIDS Strategy goal of reducing the number of new HIV infections in the US by 25% by 2015.

Some AIDS advocacy groups, however, are opposed to Truvada being made available for PReP saying it could give patients a false sense of security.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) President Michael Weinstein said: 'The FDA's approval of Gilead's Truvada as a form of HIV prevention today without any requirement for HIV testing is completely reckless and a move that will ultimately set back years of HIV prevention efforts'.

Weinstein also pointed to the drug's high cost and potential side effects.

AHF said that Truvada could lead to complications in healthy people, saying the antiretroviral is associated with kidney problems and people could develop a resistance to the drug.

AHF also estimates the cost of Truvada at $14,000 (€11,402) a year.

Truvada, available since 2004 to treat people already living with HIV, can now be prescribed by health professionals as a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PReP) treatment that may reduce the risk of HIV transmission by up to 42% in healthy gay and bisexual men.

An estimated 1.2 million Americans and 83,000 people in the UK have HIV.

Earlier this month, the FDA also approved an at-home HIV test.

The OraQuick test, by OraSure Technologies, should be available in 30,000 pharmacies, grocery stores and online retailers by October 2012.

The at-home test, considered by the FDA since 2005, uses a mouth swab and gives results in 20 to 40 minutes. 

Πηγή:www.gaystarnews.com

Sherlock Holmes has gay affair with Watson.

Classic novels from the 19th century, including Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, will have 'missing' sexy scenes added.

Sherlock Holmes will have a gay affair with his crime busting sidekick Dr Watson in a new erotic version of the classic tale.

Fans of the super sleuth have long speculated as to whether the relationship between the world famous detectives was more than just a beautiful bromance.

Now publishers Total-E-Bound are planning to solve this mystery with a raunchy edition of Sir Author Conan Doyle's best-selling story.

But Holmes is just one of a number of 19-century literary classics to get a sexy e-book makeover, with Jayne Eyre set to have 'explosive sex with Mr Rochester' and Wuthering Heights heroine Catherine Earnshaw to 'enjoy bondage sessions' with Heathcliff.

The publishers say the raunchy reads will attract a 'younger generation' to the novels, but assured fans of the originals that they are not re-writing the classics and the original prose will not be changed.

'We want to enhance the novels by adding the "missing" scenes for readers to enjoy,' Claire Siemaszkiewicz, founder of Total-E-Bound Publishing, told the Coventry Telegraph.

She added: 'I've often wondered whether the Bronte sisters, if they were alive today, would have gone down the erotic romance route. There's a lot of underlying sexual tension in their stories.

'Charlotte Bronte was a bold, forward-thinking lady for her time. There's so much sexual tension and eroticism there.'

The racy new versions will be available to download from 30 July.

Πηγή:www.gaystarnews.com

France outlaws transgender bigotry.

The French Senate has unanimously passed a legal amendment to outlaw transphobia.

The French senate has unanimously voted to prohibit discrimination against transgender people.

During a session of the Senate to adopt of a bill against sexual harassment, discrimination against transgender people was added to the French penal code.

Before the vote Michelle Miller, Socialist Party Senator pleaded: ‘Transgender people have alerted us to high frequency of harassment and assaults they experience, particularly during the transition period that can last several years. It seems necessary to me to complete the law on discrimination and to add recognition of transphobia’.

Several other senators from both right and left of the political spectrum made similarly impassioned appeals.

The criteria ‘sexual identity’ was inserted into the legislation that prohibits discrimination yesterday (12 July). Sexual orientation is already covered.

Inter-LGBT, France’s largest LGBT rights group welcomed the vote as the step in the right direction, although stating that legislation is ‘imperfect'.

In an interview with the French daily Liberation, Nicolas Gougain, spokesperson of Inter-LGBT said: 'This is a very important decision.

'Until now, Article 225-1 of the penal code, which defines the contexts of discrimination, did not include discrimination based on gender identity - a term used in European legislation.

'The Senate amended the code using the term “sexual identity”, a term which is less satisfactory, but it is a first step.’

In a press release the French Transgender National Association protested against the use of term ‘sexual identity’ which it claims will leave the determination of discrimination entirely to the judge’s discretion as the concept is not defined by law.

This was echoed in the discussion during the Senate’s session where Senator Annie David (Communist Party) stated: ‘The debate needs to be opened.

'Gender identity is not sexual identity: one can be born into male or female without a corresponding gender identity.’

In 2010 France became the first country in the world to delist transsexualism from the category of mental illness.

A recent poll of young transgender people in France found that 34% said they have attempted suicide, while 19% have been disowned by their family.

According to the US National Transgender Discrimination Survey of 2011, 26% of transgender people lose their jobs following an announcement of their transition. And 52% reported incidents of discrimination with 19% finding themselves homeless as a result.

Πηγή:www.gaystarnews.com

Cameroon to celebrate national anti-gay day.

Cameroon association to mark the 21 August as a national anti-gay, promising a homophobic parade through the streets of the capital.

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The Rassemblement de la Jeunesse Camerounaise association (Cameroonian Youth Rally, or RJC) announced that it will ‘celebrate’ a gay hate day.

The association doesn’t want to hear about gay pride, instead it announced on Thursday (12 July) that 21 August will be ‘celebrated’ as the national anti-gay day of Cameroon.

According to Afrik.com, the chosen date marks thesavage murder and alleged rape of Narcisse Olivier Djomo Pokam by, a 31 year old student, by what the association labelled ‘gay mafia’.

The myth of a ‘gay mafia’ was widely disseminated by the Cameroonian press at the time, alleging a conspiracy of ‘homosexual predators’ within the highest echelons of the state.

The existence and combat of the alleged ‘gay mafia’ is one of the principal concerns of the RJC which proudly announces its homophobia publicly.

The association promises that 21 August, will be celebrated yearly, stating it aims to glorify homophobia with a parade to take place through the Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital city.

During a recent televised debate, Sismondi Barlev Bidjocka, spokesperson for the RJC, stated that ‘homosexuality is a crime against humanity.’

There are no official association to help LGBT people in Cameroon, which has one of Africa’s most severe anti-gay laws.

Being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender carries huge risks in Cameroon; same-sex sexual acts are illegal under section 347 of the penal code with a penalty of five years imprisonment and a fine of 20,000 to 200,000 (about €300 $375) Cameroon Francs. If the offender is under the age of 21 a more severe punishment is likely.

In 2010 four NGOs published a detailed report outlining the legal and social dangers that LGBT people face in Cameroon, including arrest, rape, loss of their children, social stigma and discrimination based on both sexuality and HIV status. The report and the level of homophobic campaigns launched by the church and media indicate that Cameroon is one of the most hostile countries in Africa for LGBT people.

Recently an evangelical rector based in Cameroon called for his country to be more tolerant and defend LGBT rights.

Πηγή:www.gaystarnews.com

HIV treatment ‘hindered by anti-gay laws’.

Treatment for HIV around the world is being hindered by anti-gay laws, an independent report says.

The Global Commission on HIV and the Law said that countries were wasting valuable resources by pursuing “archaic” laws against gay people.

The commission’s chair, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who is the former president of Brazil, said: “Too many countries waste vital resources by enforcing archaic laws that ignore science and perpetuate stigma.

“We have a chance to free future generations from the threat of HIV. We cannot allow injustice and intolerance to undercut this progress.”

More than 70 countries around the world still criminalise homosexuality. A handful punish gay sex with the death penalty.

The commission also pointed to more than 60 countries which have laws criminalising HIV. According to the commission, these laws deter people from coming forward for HIV testing. In the US, 34 states retain such laws.

Other concerns included a lack of help for injecting drug users, female genital mutilation and laws against prostitution and sex education.

The commission includes former heads of state and HIV experts. More than 30 million people worldwide are thought to be living with HIV.

Πηγή:www.pinknews.co.uk