[Onthebarricades] Gay rights protests, Apr-Aug 2008
Andy
ldxar1 at tesco.net
Thu Aug 28 18:10:48 PDT 2008
ON THE BARRICADES: Global Resistance Roundup, April-August 2008
https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onthebarricades
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance/
* UK: Refugee rights group among Gay Pride protesters
* US: Day of Silence pits gay rights activists against bigots
* GERMANY: Protesters target Christian event over homophobia, abortion
* US: Methodists protest homophobia in church
* TURKEY: Gay rights protest
* RUSSIA: Gay rights event suppressed
* UGANDA: Gay activists arrested in protest at AIDS conference
* LATVIA: Gay rights activists square off with bigots
* US: Army policy on gay men protested
* ITALY: Gay pride march targets church, state
* FRANCE: Pride march targets discrimination in schools
* AUSTRALIA: Gay rights activists, condom supporters protest at Pope event
* US: Law school bans army recruiters over homophobia
* US: Protest over cancellation of prayer event for gays
* HUNGARY: Pride march attacked by neo-Nazis
* SOUTH AFRICA: Protest over murders of lesbians
* US: Protesters call for boycott of hotel over owner's anti-gay donation
* SOUTH AFRICA: Protesters target homophobic columnist
* US: Anti-gay speaker protested on two campuses
* US: Protests at anti-gay fundraiser
* INDIA: Gay pride event calls for repeal of sodomy law
http://news.uk.msn.com/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=8801265
Gay refugee protest at Pride parade
Gay and lesbian revellers plan to protest against the treatment of gay
people from other countries by governments including Britain's at a
colourful Pride parade.
The theme of this year's event in London is Fairy Tales, Myths And Legends,
and organisers promise "a colourful procession of beaux and beauty, princes
and prancers, debutantes and dancers." They expect a turnout of more than
half a million.
Campaigners will use the event to voice their anger about what they see as
the Government's failure to give refugee status to the gay victims of
persecution in other countries.
Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, will be among the
politicians speaking on the main stage in Trafalgar Square at 3pm. But gay
rights campaigner Peter Tatchell warned that she was likely to be in for a
rough ride.
He said: "One of the biggest issues will be the Government's mistreatment of
lesbian and gay asylum seekers."
But the Home Office defended its record on the issue.
A UK Border Agency spokesman said: "We consider each case on its individual
merits and will continue to provide refuge for those asylum seekers with a
genuine need for protection."
Festival-goers will also draw attention to the persecution of gay people in
countries such as Iran, Jamaica, Nigeria and Uganda.
Mr Tatchell himself plans to carry a placard mocking Iran's President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in protest against the country's treatment of its gay
population.
His placard will depict a doctored photo of the Iranian leader wagging his
finger while wearing make-up and jewellery, accompanied by a caption
accusing him of being a murderer and homophobe.
http://www.nwcn.com/topstories/stories/NW_042508WAB_day_silence_protest_LJ.9b00a40a.html
Protesters face off outside Snoqualmie, WA high school
10:50 PM PDT on Friday, April 25, 2008
By TRICIA MANNING SMITH / KING 5 News and Associated Press
Video: Gay, anti-gay demonstrators face off outside Snoqualmie school
Larger screen E-mail this clip
SNOQUALMIE, Wash. - Supporters and opponents of a Day of Silence for gay and
lesbian students faced off Friday outside Mount Si High School in Snoqualmie
and exchanged angry words.
Inside the school, students wore t-shirts and arm bands expressing their
views about the National Day of Silence in support of gay and lesbian
students, but outside, this day of silence was anything but quiet.
On one side were supporters of students inside the school expressing their
support of gays and lesbians. On the other side were those protesting the
school district for allowing the student-lead observance. Police kept both
sides apart and tried to control the crowd with yellow tape.
"They want to have the day of silence? Be like other clubs. Do it before or
after school, not messing up the classroom," said Rev. Ken Hutcherson of
Antioch Bible Church in Redmond. "For anyone to say that the Day of Silence
does not interrupt the school, they're dead, blind or just plain prejudice."
A protest organized by Hutcherson, who has a daughter at the school, drew
about 100 followers protesting the student demonstration. Hutcherson made
his own t-shirt which expresses his outrage. His also ran an ad in the
Snoqualmie Valley Record newspaper inviting a protest of the demonstration.
Student organizers say the Day of Silence supports students who fear
retaliation because of their sexual orientation.
"Once we enter the building we will no longer be speaking," said Austin
Anderson, student.
Anderson said his silence is in support of gays and lesbians who face
discrimination and cannot speak out themselves.
The school principal estimated roughly 10 percent of the student population
may be gay. He reports no serious harassment issues in the last several
months and calls the demonstration a form of expression which does not
violate school policy against protests.
But many students against the Day of Silence also felt compelled to show
their views.
Concerns over protests at their school compelled about 500 students - about
one-third of the student body - to stay away from Mount Si High School.
In response to Hutcherson's ad, the Tolt United Church of Christ advertised
its support of the demonstrating students.
Students participating in the demonstration were given strict guidelines
about how to handle themselves and to report any kind of harassment. If
they're asked a question in class, they are required to answer. Teachers
are not allowed to take part in the day of silence.
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/279699.html
Students' silent protest to highlight harassment
By MERRILL BALASSONE
mbalassone at modbee.com
last updated: April 25, 2008 02:47:17 AM
Area middle and high school students will help kick off a national protest
against harassment of gay and lesbian students today.
During the National Day of Silence, students take a vow of silence to bring
attention to the name-calling and bullying experienced by many gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender students and their supporters.
At Enochs High School, students will wear black armbands during the day and
set up a "Silent Space" during lunchtime. Students at 6,000 middle and high
schools across the nation, including Oakdale and Enochs high schools, have
signed up to participate, according to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight
Education Network.
Debbie Adair, Enochs High's Gay-Straight Alliance Club leader, said some
parents have threatened to pull their kids from school as a result of the
students' silent protest.
The day will end with a "Make Some Noise Rally" at 6:30 p.m. at the
King-Kennedy Memorial Center, 601 N. Martin Luther King Drive in Modesto.
This year's events are held in memory of Lawrence King, an Oxnard
eighth-grader who was killed Feb. 12 by a classmate, allegedly targeted
because of his sexual orientation. The events are sponsored by the
King-Kennedy Board of Directors, the Stanislaus PRIDE Center and local GSA
groups.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/203105,christian-congress-in-germany-ends-after-violent-protests.html
Christian congress in Germany ends after violent protests
Posted : Sun, 04 May 2008 12:56:07 GMT
Author : DPA
Category : Europe (World)
Bremen, Germany - A congress of devout young Protestant Christians ended in
Bremen, Germany on Sunday after being twice invaded by violent pro-gay and
pro-abortion protesters. Bremen police said they detained 34 persons who
tried to cross police lines on Saturday and break up a panel discussion at
which Christians criticized abortion, which has effectively been legalized
in Germany.
The seminar had the title, "Sex is God's idea, but is abortion God's idea
too?"
Organizers said about 20,000 people attended the religious service that
ended the five-day event for young people from all over Germany on Sunday.
Germany has about 25 million Protestants, but fewer than 10 per cent are
active church-goers.
Earlier, the organizers of the Christival meeting had cancelled a seminar
with a Christian perspective, "Understanding Homosexuality," saying they
preferred to de-escalate amid rising tension in the city.
On the opening day, 500 people from a "No Christival" committee vented their
opposition to Christians and one policeman was hurt as they pushed past a
crowd barrier and invaded the venue.
Bishop Wolfgang Huber, head of Germany's EKD council of Evangelic Churches,
defended the fifth Christival since 1976, saying it was unfair to judge a
congress with 300 discussions, concerts and workshops on the basis of just
two items on its schedule.
http://pageoneq.com/news/2008/Methodists_attend_gay_ceremony_in_protest_of_chu_0503.html
Methodists attend gay ceremony in protest of church policy
by AP News
Methodists attend gay union ceremony near church convention
Methodists attend gay commitment ceremony to protest church policy
unaccepting of couples
ANGELA K. BROWN
AP News
May 02, 2008 18:28 EST
More than 200 Methodists attended a lesbian couple's commitment ceremony
Friday in defiance of a vote to uphold a church law that says gay
relationships are "incompatible with Christian teaching."
The ceremony was at a park across from the Fort Worth Convention Center,
where some 3,000 people are meeting for the United Methodist Church's
general conference. It is held every four years to set church policy.
Methodists this week rejected replacing a sentence in its Book of
Discipline — which says the church "does not condone the practice of
homosexuality" — with other phrases, including one saying Christians differ
on the issue. The measure to change the language also was rejected at the
last conference in 2004.
Methodists this week also voted against a proposal to change a policy
allowing pastors to keep gays and lesbians from joining the denomination's
churches.
"There was a lot of robust debate as there has been for 36 years,
particularly over the phrase that refers to 'incompatible,'" said the Rev.
Gregory V. Palmer, president of the church's Council of Bishops. He also
called for finding common ground.
At the ceremony, some said that acceptance of gays in some churches
encouraged them but that the denomination as a whole had a long way to go.
No clergy member presided over the commitment ceremony of Julie Bruno and
Sue Laurie of Chicago, a couple for 25 years, although about three dozen
ministers attended.
Officiating at a same-sex union ceremony violates church rules for clergy
and would leave them vulnerable to being charged in Methodist church courts.
In 1999, a senior pastor in Omaha, Neb., was defrocked after a church trial
for performing a same-sex union.
"The United Methodist Church has been and continues to be both blessing and
burden to us," said Julie Bruno, one of the women getting married. "When the
church turns her back on us, withholds blessing from us, does God withhold
blessing? Does God stop loving us? We continue to be the church to and for
each other. We continue to be the instruments of God's light and love."
The Rev. Julie Todd spoke during the Friday ceremony and led the communion.
Afterward, she said she doubted her role would subject her to any church
disciplinary action, but if so she was prepared.
"I believe so strongly that this is the role of the church and of the
ordained clergy in blessing loving relationships that I am not concerned
about the consequences," Todd said.
After the service, Laurie and Bruno said they turned down many ministers'
offers to officiate.
"The message was less about upsetting people and more about being role
models and for people to know that these ceremonies are going on," Laurie
said.
Source: AP News
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-7676.html
Gay protest in Turkey makes the news in Iran
By Tony Grew • May 19, 2008 - 18:34
Iran is one of a handful of countries that executes people for consenting
homosexual acts
The state broadcaster of the Islamic Republic of Iran has reported on an
International Day Against Homophobia event in Turkey.
As reported by PinkNews.co.uk last week, Michael Cashman MEP joined authors,
journalists and human rights defenders on a march against homophobia and
transphobia in Ankara on Saturday.
Mr Cashman is one of only two out gay MEPs in the 785-member European
Parliament.
The march started at the Human Rights Monument in the Turkish capital and
ended at the National Assembly.
It was the first International Day Against Homophobia march in Ankara.
"Until recent years, due to cultural and social norms of the Turkish society
which opposes sexual deviation, homosexuals used to keep a low profile in
the country," said a report on official website of the Islamic Republic of
Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).
"However, in the past two years, members of this group are trying to
organise and establish themselves through gatherings and publications.
"Meanwhile, some Turkish media have helped the social acceptance of
homosexuals by trying to portray the sexual deviation as a normal
behaviour."
Iran is one of a handful of countries that executes people, including
minors, for consenting homosexual acts.
Human rights groups claim that as many as 4,000 gay men and lesbians have
been executed as a result of their sexual orientation since the Islamic
revolution in 1979.
Gay groups in Turkey, a secular Islamic state, have faced court action in
recent years as the country, which is a candidate for European Union
membership, grapples with LGBT rights.
Last month police officers in Turkey raided the offices of a leading LGBT
organisation on the pretence that "frequent visits by transgender people"
were grounds to issue a search warrant.
Lawyers for the Lambda Istanbul Cultural Centre later discovered that an
accusation had been lodged against the association for "participating in
illegal prostitution activities, procuring transgender sex workers and
sharing their earnings."
More than a dozen plainclothes officers spent two hours at the centre.
Government officials have made similar legal moves to shut down lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender organisations in Turkey but failed.
Kaos GL faced a demand for closure from Ankara's deputy governor, Selahattin
Ekmenoglu, in 2005. The closure petition was dismissed by prosecutors.
Turkey is a candidate country for EU membership, but concerns about human
rights are one factor frustrating negotiations.
The chairman of Netherlands gay rights group COC, Frank van Dalen, has
called on the Dutch government to not support their application for EU
membership until "basic human rights are fully respected by Turkey."
The UK is a vocal supporter of Turkish membership.
http://ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/08/May/1502.htm
Moscow Authorities Ban Gay Picket In Support of Criminal Prosecution of
Moscow Mayor
Pride organizers to conduct a press conference on Friday to coincide with
IDAHO day
Nikolai Alekseev: “The ban of Saturday’s event is just more evidence that
gays and lesbians are not allowed to conduct any public events in the
capital, in any place and with any number of participants”.
MOSCOW, May 15, 2008 (GayRussia.ru) – The Prefecture of the Central
Administrative Area of Moscow has refused permission to stage a small
demonstration by gay men and women in front of the General Prosecution
office in downtown Moscow on Saturday May 17 to coincide with the fourth
International Day Against Homophobia.
Organisers and participants had planned to demand the starting of criminal
investigation against Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov on the basis of Article 149
of Russian Criminal Code for systematic preventing of the conduct of public
actions by representatives of the gay community.
The organisers had intentionally decreased the number of participants to a
maximum of ten hoping to get authorization for the picket with the main
slogan “Article 149 has not been repealed!” The picket was supposed to take
place at 1 pm on Saturday.
The prefecture of the Central Administrative area of Moscow was notified of
the planned event by the organisers in full accordance with the law on May
13. Yesterday, they were informed that their public event was banned – and
no alternative place was offered, in breach of the legislation.
Nikolai Alekseev, chief organiser of Moscow Gay Pride, said this morning
that the “lawlessness” of Moscow authorities continues.
“The ban of Saturday’s event is just more evidence that gays and lesbians
are not allowed to conduct any public events in the capital, in any place
and with any number of participants.”
“On Saturday, many countries in the world will celebrate the International
Day Against Homophobia. We wanted to express our civil position and raise
the issue of systematic breaches of our rights by Moscow authorities, but we
were again denied to right to do it.”
“The decision concerning this action is currently being discussed. It is
possible that it will be conducted in the form of one-man pickets which do
not need authorisation according to the current Russian legislation”.
Mr. Alekseev vowed that “the ban of Saturday’s picket will be soon appealed
to Taganskiy district court of Moscow. We are ready to take this case up to
the European Court of Human Rights”.
Article 149 of Russian Criminal Code implies criminal penalties for
officials who prevent public demonstrations by using their official
position. The maximum penalty is up to 3 years in prison.
International Day Against Homophobia is celebrated around the world each
year on May 17, the day in 1990 the General Assembly of World Health
Organization removed homosexuality from the list of psychiatric illnesses.
In 1999 Russia adopted the international rules.
Tomorrow, organisers of Moscow Pride will give a press conference in Moscow
dedicated to the International Day Against Homophobia, 15th Anniversary
since decriminalization of homosexuality in Russia and events of third
Moscow Pride. It will start at 1 pm at the Independent Press Centre.
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2334587,00.html
Gay protesters held in Uganda
04/06/2008 12:42 - (SA)
Kampala - Ugandan police arrested a group of gay activists demanding the
right to HIV/Aids treatment at an international Aids conference in Kampala
on Wednesday.
Hundreds of activists disrupted the morning plenary session of the
conference, calling for rights, recognition and access to services and funds
extended to groups involved in the fight against the spread of HIV/Aids.
"We came to demonstrate because there is a need to include gay Ugandans in
HIV programmes," the group's leader, Julian Onziema, 28, said shortly before
he was arrested.
The number of Ugandan homosexuals was not known, but membership of gay
groups was believed to be increasing as activists stepped up their attempts
to secure gay rights.
Two Spanish tourists held
Uganda did not recognise gay rights and people found guilty of homosexual
acts could be sentenced to life imprisonment. However, nobody had ever been
convicted of the crime.
Homosexuality was frowned upon in many African nations.
Gambian President Yahya Gammeh recently threatened to "cut off the head" of
any homosexual caught in the West African nation.
Two Spanish tourists were arrested on Tuesday for making homosexual advances
to Gambian taxi drivers, but were believed to have been released.
Homosexuality carried a sentence of up to 14 years in Gambia. More than 1
700 delegates were attending the five-day conference that began in Kampala
on Tuesday.
They were examining the challenges faced by governments, non- governmental
organisations and United Nations agencies in the fight against the spread of
HIV/Aids.
Sapa-dpa
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/31/europe/EU-GEN-Latvia-Gay-Parade.php
Gay rights activists, angry protesters square off in downtown Riga
The Associated Press
Published: May 31, 2008
RIGA, Latvia: Gay rights activists and their opponents have squared off
during a parade in downtown Riga.
City officials shut a wide boulevard for several hours Saturday to allow a
march by about 300 people. Security forces protected the marchers from about
400 anti-gay demonstrators shouting slogans and waving banners.
A police spokeswoman said five people were detained including one person on
the parade and four protesters.
Latvia, as well as its Baltic neighbors Estonia and Lithuania, has been
criticized by human rights organizations for intolerance toward sexual
minorities.
No Latvian politicians showed up to support the marchers but on Friday
President Valdis Zatlers called on society to be tolerant toward sexual
minorities.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/30/students-protest-dont-ask-dont-tell-policy/?hp
May 30, 2008, 2:19 pm
Students Protest ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Policy
By Jennifer 8. Lee
Jacob Reitan, right, a gay student from the Harvard Divinity School, was one
of two men arrested for trespassing on Friday at the Armed Forces recruiting
station in Times Square. (Photo: Annie Tritt for The New York Times)
Two students were arrested for trespassing at the Armed Forces recruiting
station in Times Square today as part of a series of sit-in protests in the
Northeast against the Pentagon’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. About 20
people took part in the protest, organized by the Harvard Right to Serve
Campaign; most left the scene when the police arrived.
The two students arrested were Jacob Reitan, a Harvard Divinity School
student, and another man, Shelby Condray, a Boston University graduate
student. Fellow protesters and passers-by cheered in their support. They
were each given a criminal summons to appear before a judge at a later date,
then released. The police said the two spent five minutes in the precinct
office.
The students staged their protest (video can be seen at YouTube) after Mr.
Reitan walked into the recruitment center, surrounded by other protesters
holding signs, and tried to enlist while declaring that he was gay. He was
arrested for not leaving after the military recruiters told him to, he said.
Later, in a phone interview, when a reporter asked why he did not simply
enlist without mentioning that he is gay — as many gays and lesbians serving
in the military have done — Mr. Reitan replied: “I know what the road ahead
is for someone who doesn’t tell. It’s lies and deceit and stress.”
The protesters said they only asked students who sincerely wanted to serve
to attempt to enlist. “I can tell you with all honesty: If they took me, I
would go,” said Mr. Reitan, 26, whose grandfathers both served in World War
II. “I want to serve because I believe in my country. I want to serve
because I believe in public service. I believe it’s a tradition within my
family that I honor and greatly respect. I also want to serve because I
think it’s every American’s right.”
But part of the motivation of wanting to serve was to protest, he explained.
“Did John Lewis really want to have a cup of coffee or a hamburger at the
white-only lunch counter — or did he really want to make a statement?” said
Mr. Reitan, referring to the Freedom Rides of the 1960s. “Part of the human
experience is that when humans are told they can’t do something because of
who they are, they invariably seek that right — a woman who can’t vote, an
African-American who can’t sit at the lunch counter, a gay person who can’t
serve.”
He added: “I feel that in seeking my right to serve. I am trying to seek to
win justice for an oppressed group.”
The group is trying to pressure United States senators who serve on the
Armed Services Committee to introduce a version of the Military Readiness
Enhancement Act, which was introduced in the House in 2007 and has more than
140 co-sponsors. The act would forbid discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation.
The protest in New York was intended to pressure Senator Hillary Rodham
Clinton. The campaign has previously aimed protests at Senator Susan
Collins, a Republican, in Portland, Me. (where four people, including Mr.
Reitan, were arrested); at Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, an independent, in
Hartford (where four people were arrested); and at Senator Edward M.
Kennedy, a Democrat, in Boston (where two people were arrested). Mr. Kennedy
has been generally sympathetic to the House legislation.
The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was introduced as a compromise measure in
1993 and approved by President Bill Clinton. Since then, an average of about
one or two people a day have been discharged for violating the policy,
according to a 2004 study by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a
group that advocates on behalf of gay military personnel affected by the
policy. The group estimates that currently around 12,000 people have been
expelled.
The policy has been the subject of much litigation and retired generals, who
have acknowledged that they are gay, have criticized the policy as
ineffective and undermining the military’s core values.
In an interview with the Pentagon Channel last year, Defense Secretary
Robert M. Gates was asked about his views and responded, “Personal opinion
really doesn’t have a place here. What’s important is that we have a law, a
statute that governs, ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell,’ that’s the policy of this
department, and it’s my responsibility to execute that policy as effectively
as we can. As long as the law is what it is, that’s what we’ll do.” (Read
the text of the law in pdf format.)
A Pentagon spokesman, Les Melnyk, further elaborated the Pentagon’s position
by saying, “We don’t discharge because of sexual orientation, but because of
sexual conduct.” (This is similar to a distinction that the Roman Catholic
Church made until it issued a decree in 2005 that banned gay priests.)
But that is a vague (and still discriminatory) line, the protesters said.
“It’s not a very well-reasoned argument,” said Andrew Fine, a junior at
Harvard College and a spokesman for the Harvard Right-to-Serve campaign. The
military regulations [pdf] state “an applicant shall be rejected for entry
if he or she makes a statement that he or she is a homosexual or bisexual.”
“If a public declaration of your sexuality is conduct, then the distinction
between conduct and sexual orientation is meaningless,” Mr. Fine said.
http://pageoneq.com/news/2008/Italian_revelers_march_for_gay_pride_protest_church_and_gov_0607.html
VIDEO: Italian revelers march for gay pride, protest church and government
by Reuters North American News Service
Italy Gay pride march protests government, Church
REUTERS
Reuters North American News Service
Jun 07, 2008 11:45 EST
ROME, June 7 (Reuters) - Some 10,000 dancing and singing homosexuals and
gay-rights supporters marched through Rome on Saturday, many of them
chanting slogans against the Vatican and Italy's conservative new
government.
The yearly Gay Pride march took on added political significance because city
officials denied a request for the march to end with a rally near the
Basilica of St John's in Lateran, the pope's cathedral in his capacity as
bishop of Rome.
City officials said the march would disturb a concert that had been planned
for inside the basilica. The new conservative city administration also
refused to give its patronage to the march.
"The denial of St John's Square and the patronage of this demonstration were
grave decisions that were steps backwards," said Vittoria Franco, equal
opportunities minister in the leftist shadow government.
The new conservative government of Prime Minister Silivo Berlusconi has made
it clear it has no intention of passing legislation that would give gay
couples some sort of legal recognition.
That promise had been made by the previous centre-left government of Prime
Minister Romano Prodi but was blocked by opposition from the Vatican and the
Italian Catholic Church.
Berlusconi and the Vatican see eye-to-eye on many issues and his
government's relationship with Church is much more cordial than that of the
previous government.
"Berlusconi kisses the pope's slipper and says 'yes' to everything. We risk
a theocracy and clerical dictatorship," said Franco Grillini, a homosexual
who was a parliamentarian in the previous government.
Mock marriages were performed on some of the floats drawn through the city
as scantily clad homosexual men danced on other floats.
Some of the demonstrators carried placards accusing conservative politicians
of being "hypocritical slaves" of the Vatican. Several of the gay men were
dressed in papal masks or bishops' garb. (Reporting by Philip Pullella,
editing by Mary Gabriel)
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/28/europe/EU-GEN-France-Gay-Pride.php
Decked in flags and feathers, French gay pride marchers protest
discrimination in schools
The Associated Press
Published: June 28, 2008
PARIS: Gay soccer players, police officers and bus drivers have joined
masses of people waving rainbow flags as they march through Paris and
protest anti-gay discrimination in schools.
The marchers were dancing along the parade route to a soundtrack of disco
mixes, choral music and accordion tunes.
The annual event is one of Europe's biggest gay pride parades with hundreds
of thousands usually joining in.
This year's event is focused on fighting discrimination against gay teachers
and students. Organizers say they are protesting racism, sexism and
xenophobia in schools, too.
Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe along with Arab, Jewish and Asian gay groups
are also among those participating in Saturday's procession.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/australia/2008/07/20/166313/Protesters%2Dpelt.htm
Protesters pelt pilgrims with condoms
By Chris McCall, AFP
Sunday, July 20, 2008
SYDNEY -- Protesters pelted Catholic pilgrims with condoms Saturday as they
made the most of a court ruling allowing them to "annoy" participants at the
church's World Youth Day festival in Sydney.
A pilgrimage walk organized for the festival took thousands of worshippers
through the city's gay district, where about 500 people demonstrated against
Pope Benedict XVI's opposition to homosexuality and contraception.
The confrontation was mainly good natured with the only arrest being that of
a pilgrim who allegedly lunged at and punched a protester wearing a T-shirt
with the slogan "Pope Go Homo."
The pilgrim was not charged and was released shortly afterwards, police
said.
At the protest, pictures depicted Pope Benedict as the devil and as the evil
emperor from "Star Wars", while a sign called for people to "debaptize."
A loose alliance of groups opposed to the papal visit spoke, including gays,
advocates of contraception, victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and
the Raelian cult, which believes Jesus was sent by extraterrestrials.
Chanting "Pope go homo, gay is great" and singing "Pope is wrong, put a
condom on," the protesters threw condoms at the pilgrims, who were making
their way to Randwick race course for an overnight prayer vigil. Among the
protesters was a drag queen dressed in pink and going under the moniker of
"Pope Alice," while others wore T-shirts with slogans such as "Thank God I'm
an atheist" and "Bless me father for I am a homo."
There was a heavy police presence at the protest, including officers on
horses, and demonstrators were cordoned off from the bulk of the
worshippers.
But the police actions were limited after a court last week struck down a
law aimed at stopping anyone from "annoying" pilgrims. A police officer told
AFP the protest had been largely good-natured.
The Australian federal court said the law passed by the New South Wales
government for the six-day youth celebration undermined free speech because
annoyance was such a subjective term.
Activists had complained that the law could lead to arrests and fines of up
to A$5,500 (US$5,335) for simply wearing a T-shirt with a slogan which could
be deemed annoying to those at the festivities.
Some protesters said police had still attempted to restrict what could be
distributed, however.
"I was handing out leaflets of the alternative 10 commandments and he took
that away," said Colin Charlton, sporting a T-shirt saying "Pontifex Me
Vexat" or 'The pope annoys me' in Latin.
The pilgrims, who were attending the prayer vigil ahead of a papal mass
Sunday involving an estimated 500,000 people, appeared unfazed by the
protest, with some making peace signs as they passed by.
Margaret Leatuafi from New Zealand said pilgrims had been advised by World
Youth Day organizers not to retaliate if the protesters challenged their
faith.
"They are allowed to have their say too about what they believe but maybe
they need to do a bit more study (about the church)," the 55-year-old said.
As the queue of thousands of pilgrims heading towards Randwick petered out,
the protesters headed away under close police surveillance, singing the
Christian hymn 'Kum-Ba-Ya' to the words 'Put a condom on'.
Before dispersing they held an impromptu "Hunky Jesus" competition, led by
Australian drag star Tobin Saunders, told pope jokes and held a largely
same-sex kiss-in.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2008/07/20/2003417983
Sydney protesters do their best to ‘annoy’ Catholics
‘Pope go homo’: About 500 people protested a procession of Catholic pilgrims
in Sydney for World Youth Day events, ‘annoying’ religious devotees by
throwing condoms at them
AFP, SYDNEY
Sunday, Jul 20, 2008, Page 5
Protesters rally in support of sexual freedom and the use of condoms in
Sydney, Australia, yesterday. Hundreds of thousands of Catholic pilgrims are
gathered in Sydney for World Youth Day, the largest Christian celebration on
earth aimed at battling religious indifference in modern society and shoring
up flagging church support.
PHOTO: AFP
Protesters pelted Catholic pilgrims with condoms yesterday as they made the
most of a court ruling allowing them to “annoy” participants at the church’s
World Youth Day festival in Sydney.
A pilgrimage walk organized for the festival took many young worshippers
through the city’s gay district, where about 500 people demonstrated against
Pope Benedict XVI’s opposition to homosexuality and contraception.
On the sidelines of the protest, pictures depicted Pope Benedict as the
devil and as the evil emperor from Star Wars, while a sign called for people
to “debaptize.”
A loose alliance of groups opposed to the papal visit spoke, including gays,
advocates of contraception, victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and
the Raelian cult, which believes Jesus was sent by extraterrestrials.
Chanting “Pope go homo, gay is great” and singing “Pope is wrong, put a
condom on,” the protesters threw condoms at the pilgrims, who were making
their way to Randwick racecourse for an overnight prayer vigil.
Among the protesters was a drag queen dressed in pink and going under the
moniker of “Pope Alice,” while others wore T-shirts with slogans such as
“Thank God I’m an atheist” and “Bless me father for I am a homo.”
There was a heavy police presence at the protest, including officers on
horses, and demonstrators were cordoned off from the bulk of the
worshippers.
Police said they arrested one man after a clash between protesters and
pilgrims, but released him without charge. No formal complaint had been
lodged.
But the police actions were limited after a court last week struck down a
law aimed at stopping anyone from “annoying” pilgrims. A police officer said
the protest had been largely good-natured.
The Australian federal court said the law passed by the New South Wales
government for the six-day youth celebration undermined free speech because
annoyance was such a subjective term.
Activists had complained that the law could lead to arrests and fines of up
to A$5,500 (US$5,335) for simply wearing a T-shirt with a slogan that could
be deemed annoying to those at the festivities.
Some protesters said police had still attempted to restrict what could be
distributed, however.
“I was handing out leaflets of the alternative 10 commandments and he took
that away,” said Colin Charlton, sporting a T-shirt saying “Pontifex Me
Vexat” or “The pope annoys me” in Latin.
The pilgrims, who were attending the prayer vigil ahead of a papal mass
today involving an estimated 500,000 people, appeared unfazed by the
protest, with some making peace signs as they passed by.
Margaret Leatuafi from New Zealand said pilgrims had been advised by World
Youth day organizers not to retaliate if the protesters challenged their
faith.
“They are allowed to have their say too about what they believe but maybe
they need to do a bit more study [about the church],” the 55-year-old said.
As the line of thousands of pilgrims heading towards Randwick petered out,
the protesters headed away under close police surveillance, singing the
Christian hymn Kum-Ba-Ya to the words “Put a condom on.”
Before dispersing the protesters held an impromptu “Hunky Jesus”
competition, led by Australian drag star Tobin Saunders, told pope jokes and
held a largely same-sex kiss-in.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/19/asia/AS-Australia-Pope-Protest.php
Anti-pope activists urge safe sex, toss condoms at Catholic pilgrims in
Australia
The Associated Press
Published: July 19, 2008
SYDNEY, Australia: More than 500 anti-pope activists faced off against happy
pilgrims Saturday, shouting their distaste at papal policies as thousands of
Catholic youth streamed past on their way to an evening address by Pope
Benedict XVI.
The NoToPope coalition — some costumed as nuns, devils and priests — lined
the edge of a park on the route of the pilgrims' march, tightly ringed by
police on foot, bicycles and horseback.
"The pope is wrong, put a condom on!" they shouted through megaphones. Some
threw red-packaged condoms at the passing pilgrims.
But the young Catholics were at first merely curious, then smiled and waved
and began their own singsong chant that carried down the ranks: "Benedicto!
We love you!"
The two crowds became testy at one point, and police grabbed and led away
one protester who had been throwing condoms toward pilgrims.
The activists — fresh from a court win this week that overturned a temporary
state regulation against "annoying" the pilgrims — followed a mock
popemobile to the park after an hourlong rally.
"We want to make it clear that we are not anti-religious, and we welcome the
Catholic youth to our country," said Rachel Evans, a leader of the
coalition. "Our gripe is with Pope Benedict and the hierarchy of the
church."
The coalition condemns the pope's policies against homosexuality,
contraception and abortion. At the rally, costumed activists gave
impassioned speeches on safe sex and held a contest for the T-shirt slogan
most likely to annoy Roman Catholics.
The winner — judged by crowd applause — was a crude reference to Mary,
Christ's mother. The runner-up: "So many right-wing Christians, so few
lions."
The burlesque, boisterous protest in central Sydney included wigged drag
queens and others draped in rainbow flags, and was in sharp contrast to the
solemn papal Mass held earlier at a nearby cathedral.
"Jesus loves us all the same," pilgrim Mark Choi shouted at the protesters
at one point.
"I totally understand why they are here and I'm not going to take it
personally," said Choi, 18, from Silver Spring, Maryland. "But they don't
understand that we love everyone, homosexual or whatever. Arguing is not the
way."
The demonstrators waved inflated condoms and hoisted signs reading: "Would
Jesus discriminate?" and "Bless me Father, for I am a homo."
"It's their right to say these things, and in most of them they are right,"
said Austrian pilgrim Lukas Nebel, 22. "I also do not agree with the pope on
the question of condoms and sex before marriage. They are also right to be
concerned about sex abuse."
The protest drew attention before it was even held after state officials
passed regulations earlier this month that banned anyone from causing
"annoyance or inconvenience" to participants in the Catholic festival.
Offenders faced fines of up to 5,500 Australian dollars (US$5,300).
NoToPope activists argued in court that the regulations infringed on their
free speech rights, and the regulation was struck down when they won the
case.
Tens of thousands of World Youth Day pilgrims marched Saturday through
Sydney, where the landmark harbor bridge and other key roadways were closed
so they could trek to a horse racetrack in the city where they will camp out
for the night.
Benedict was due to join them Saturday evening for a few of hours, then
return to the track Sunday morning to lead a Mass before an estimated crowd
of some 250,000.
http://www.projecteye.org/Members/katenic/protestor-attacked-by-pilgrims/view
Protestor attacked by pilgrims
by Anthony Macdonald
A protestor from Queensland was set upon by a group of pilgrims when she
held up a sign as the Pope’s convoy passed Dawes Point.
The woman, Mary Adams, waited hours for the Pontiff to pass in the
boat-a-cade, before holding up her handmade sign that said ‘Ratzinger
condones paedophilia’.
Adams was yelled at by a group of pilgrims as soon as she held up the sign,
and was forced to flee the area as the group continued to yell while trying
to rip the sign out of her hands and shove her.
“I’ve worked on a sexual abuse hotline and I’ve seen suicides because of the
cover-ups Ratzinger has been involved in,” Adams said after fleeing the
local area.
“He [Ratizinger] is responsible for this cover up.”
A nearby police officer had to step in to separate the pilgrims from Adams,
and allow her to get away.
“If there was a God now, he would be crying,” she said.
“If it happened to them [the pilgrims] it would be a different issue. They
would understand where I am coming from.”
The pilgrims’ leader – a middle-aged man from Lismore in NSW who did not
want to be named - said Adams had no right to show her sign in front of the
children.
“Get that sign down in front of these kids,” he yelled, before attacking
Adams.
Adams said she had done nothing wrong and was simply exercising her
democratic right to protest.
As 150 000 thousand pilgrim headed to Barangaroo for the Pope’s first
address, thousands more joined Sydneysiders along the Harbour foreshore to
catch a glimpse of the Church leader.
Catholics and non-Catholics gathered for the event. The Opera House precinct
was packed to capacity, while the western side of Circular Quay and Dawes
Point were also crowded.
Security was high throughout the city with literally buses of policemen, as
well as water police, divers, helicopters and lifesavers.
Married couple Elizabeth and John Ritson travelled from Campbelltown to see
the Pope, and they said they were typical of many other NSW residents who
had come into the Sydney for the day.
“We wanted to see what it was all about,” John Ritson said.
“We are not Catholics, but this is a hugely influential and well respected
man who holds great influence and position in our society.”
After a long wait, the crowd was not disappointed, as the boat carrying the
Pope turned and did a lap of Circular Quay.
Thousands of people waved vigorously and took photos of Pope Benedict’s
boat, while the Pontiff appeared comfortable on board the Captain Cook
Cruises' ship.
The Church leader sailed under the harbour bridge and into a rock-star
welcome at Barangaroo.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/215840,gay-catholics-to-protest-against-pope-on-sydneys-world-youth.html
Gay Catholics to protest against pope on Sydney's World Youth Day
Posted : Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:40:01 GMT
Author : DPA
Category : Religion (General)
Sydney - Gay and lesbian Catholics will demonstrate against Pope Benedict
XVI when he visits Sydney next month for the World Youth Day celebrations,
an advocacy group said Monday. The NoToPope Coalition said it hoped to
organize 15,000 people to protest the "homophobic and antiquated ideas" of
the pontiff, who will be on his first visit to Australia.
The protesters plan to distribute condoms as they march to the racecourse
venue where the pope will hold a Mass for up to 500,000 pilgrims.
"He has said same-sex marriage, abortion and birth control are threats to
world peace, yet without birth control and condoms we have a situation in
South Africa with up to 1,000 people dying every day from AIDS," coalition
spokeswoman Rachel Evans told Australia's AAP news agency. "We think the
Catholic youth will be very interested in what we have to say."
Police permission for the march has been sought.
"We are going to save some lives and stop someone getting STI (sexually
transmitted infections) by handing out condoms," Evans said. "It will be a
very fun event as well, a lot of performances. We are looking at hopefully
10,000 to 15,000 involved, but it's very difficult to say at this stage."
Pope Benedict will be in Australia July 13-21.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/condom-protest-for-pilgrim-march/2008/06/24/1214073246965.html
Condom protest for pilgrim march
Rallying … NoToPope members at St Mary's Cathedral.
Photo: Jon Reid
Advertisement
Joel Gibson
June 25, 2008
PILGRIMS will be handed condoms en route to the papal Mass at Randwick
racecourse for World Youth Day as part of a protest against the Pope's views
on homosexuality, contraception and abortion.
NoToPope, a coalition of religious, atheist, gay and lesbian groups will
hold a rally in Taylor Square from midday on Saturday, July 19. Protest
organisers expect between 1000 and 5000 people.
The Mass will be on July 20, after an overnight vigil.
While the groups want the protest to be peaceful, they say they cannot
guarantee there will be no confrontations with police or pilgrims. "We will
say to them, 'take up the campaign within the Catholic Church to promote
condoms'," said Rachel Evans, from Community Action Against Homophobia.
"We're not planning to get into any trouble, we don't want to condemn
Catholic youth for being Catholics. We want to condemn the Pope for being
homophobic and 'anti-condom'.
"We think Catholic youth are social justice-minded, we think they are taking
up issues against poverty and world debt and we want to engage with them on
the key question for the day for people in Third World countries, the health
issue, which is HIV/AIDS."
Ms Evans, 33, whose father was a Uniting Church minister, said the coalition
would notify police of its route but she feared the NSW Government would be
heavy-handed with protesters.
Karl Hand, the pastor of the 200-strong Metropolitan Community Church, said
he hoped Sydney's gay and lesbian community would show only love to pilgrims
and police but he would not be surprised if confrontations occurred. He said
the Catholic Church misrepresented Christianity and was "uncompassionate
towards people who need condoms, abortions, recognition of their
relationship".
Other groups in the NoToPope Coalition include the Socialist Alliance,
Resistance and Atheists Sydney.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/06/29/9974/
Published on Sunday, June 29, 2008 by the New York Times
Law School Pays the Price in ‘Don’t Ask’ Rule Protest
by Katie Zezima
SOUTH ROYALTON, Vt. - A renewed fight over the military’s “don’t ask, don’t
tell” policy is being watched closely here on the campus of the Vermont Law
School, a 600-student institution on the banks of the White River.
The Vermont Law School is one of two law schools in the nation that bar
military recruiters, as a protest against the 15-year-old rule that prevents
openly gay men and lesbians from serving in the military. As a result, the
school is denied some federal research money - $300,000 to $500,000 a year
by one outside analyst’s estimate.
“Every once in a while an issue comes to a community and, despite a cost, it
comes to the conclusion that it has to stand up for its principles,” said
Jeff Shields, president and dean of the law school. “It has to do with
speaking truth to power, and it’s one of those roles that those of us lucky
enough to be trained as lawyers hopefully take from time to time.”
Last week, an advocacy group urging the repeal of the policy released a
report saying the Army and Air Force had discharged a disproportionate
number of women in 2007 because of the rule. And in May, a California
appeals court reinstated a lawsuit challenging the policy, while a federal
appeals court in Boston upheld it a month later.
In 2006, the Supreme Court, in a unanimous ruling, upheld a law that
withholds some federal money from law schools and universities that do not
give military recruiters the same access to campus as other employers.
“If the Department of Defense finds a school is doing this, it notifies
other federal agencies and funding gets cut off,” said Lt. Col. Les Melnyk,
a department spokesman.
The law, the Solomon Amendment, was challenged by a consortium of law
schools and professors.
Here in Vermont, the prospect of losing federal grants mattered to the
small, independent law school, which has an endowment of $14 million.
The fact that the school is not affiliated with a university, however, made
the decision to forgo the money easier, because other programs are not
affected.
At most universities, federal grants help finance dozens of scientific and
other research programs.
The William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul also bars recruiters from
its campus. The school is not losing any federal money, however, because its
research is not financed out of four spending bills affected by the Solomon
Amendment.
“It was a pretty simple application of our nondiscrimination policy,” said
Eric S. Janus, president and dean of William Mitchell. “It really arises out
of our desire to make sure that all of our students have equal access to all
opportunities, including the opportunity to serve in the military.”
Paula C. Johnson, a professor at the Syracuse University College of Law and
a co-president of the Society of American Law Teachers, one of the
plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case, said the two institutions were keeping
alive the issue of “don’t ask, don’t tell” and its impact on law schools.
“They are the only institutions that have taken as dramatic and as
principled a stance as they have, so it’s certainly put in the category of
profiles in courage,” Professor Johnson said. “They have done things that
other schools have not done.”
On campus here, the policy is often a topic of conversation. The college
also sends students to Washington each year for lobby day, when they protest
“don’t ask, don’t tell.”
Richard Eckley, a former marine and a second-year student, does not agree
with the school’s decision to bar military recruiters, saying it is not
constructive.
But Kathy Stickel, a student who served in the Army and who is also a
lesbian, does not think the school should change its policy.
“There’s great value in doing something right when there’s a cost attached
to it,” Ms. Stickel said. “You shouldn’t change because someone is waving
money in front of you.”
Alison Share, who graduated this year, said even though the school had not
made a big splash with the decision, it had taught her a valuable lesson.
“It’s important to stand up, even when no one is watching,” Ms. Share said.
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/faith/20740299.html?location_refer=Local%20+%20Metro:highlightModules:1Uproar over prayer service for gays growsJoey McLeister, Star TribuneMichael Bayly is planning a lay service and a rally tonight outside St. Joanof Arc Catholic Church because the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapoliswon’t allow a prayer service to be focused on gays and lesbians. “Thearchdiocese is now dictating to people who they can and cannot pray for,”Bayly said.By HERÓN MÁRQUEZ ESTRADA, Star TribuneLast update: June 25, 2008 - 6:18 AMFeatured commentStraight thinking“The archdiocese is now dictating to people who they can and cannot prayfor,†Bayly said. Bayly is grandtsanding. People can pray … read moreanything they want. The Church says you can hold a prayer service on Churchproperty that is focused on LGBT, clearly understood as sanctioning what theChurch holds is disordered behavior. Let's tell the truth. The Church is notdictating. "Archbishop Nienstedt's reign of homophobic hatred," DavidMcCaffrey ... said. again, political grandstanding. To believe other thanLGBT is to be homophobic (sic). How is that straight thinking? Were is theargument for LGBT beliefs? Dictums galore, but no reason, no logic.And ifone examines many other statements in the article, one sees easily thefailure of reason to carry the day for LGBT ideas.As he has done for a number of years, Michael Bayly will arrive tonight atSt. Joan of Arc Church ready to celebrate his God, his faith and hishomosexuality.But this year, Bayly and other Catholic gays and lesbians will not beallowed to celebrate their lifestyle in the church sanctuary following anedict handed down by Archbishop John Nienstedt, who has barred the annualgay pride prayer service at the south Minneapolis church.In protest, Bayly and others have decided to hold their own lay serviceoutside the church tonight. They are also calling for a mass rally at thechurch tonight to condemn the archdiocese.The annual gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender service, designed tocoincide with gay pride week celebrations, instead will be characterized asa "peace" service, said Dennis McGrath, a spokesman for Nienstedt and theArchdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis."Celebrating the GLBT lifestyle is contrary to the teachings of ourchurch -- plain and simple," McGrath said.The ban has caused an uproar inside and outside the church, which for yearshas been known as a liberal bastion supporting GLBT people.Most of the anger has been focused on Nienstedt, who took over as archbishoprecently and almost immediately angered local gays.This is "yet another volley of dehumanizing spiritual violence directed atGLBT persons and their families under Archbishop Nienstedt's reign ofhomophobic hatred," David McCaffrey, a board member of the Catholic PastoralCommittee on Sexual Minorities (CPCSM), said in an e-mail Monday to members."The archdiocese is now dictating to people who they can and cannot prayfor, and that deeply concerns me," said Bayly, executive director of theCPCSM. "This certainly does not celebrate the presence of God in the livesof gay people. They are dictating to gay people how to have a good life."http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/06/europe/gays.phpNationalist protesters disrupt gay march in BudapestThe Associated PressPublished: July 6, 2008BUDAPEST: Dozens of protesters clashed with police officers escorting amarch by gays and lesbians through the center of Budapest.At least 45 protesters were detained and two police officers injured in theclashes on Saturday, said Eva Tafferner, a police spokeswoman.The protesters pelted the marchers with eggs, bottles and rocks, and threwcobblestones and gasoline bombs at the police, setting fire to a police van.Police officers used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the protestersat several points along Andrassy Avenue, a boulevard in central Budapest.Katalin Levai, a member of the European Parliament for the HungarianSocialist Party, told the Hungarian state news agency MTI that protestersbroke the window of a police car in which she was riding in with GaborSzetey, a former state secretary in Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany'scabinet, who last year became the first government official to announce hewas gay.Levai and Szetey took part in the gay march and were leaving the area nearHeroes' Square, a large open space at the edge of City Park, in the policecar when it was attacked.There were no reports of anyone in the car being injured.The "Dignity March," which was organized by gay groups, began at one end ofAndrassy Avenue, while the protesters gathered at the opposite end and atother intersections.The police tried to protect the march by setting up high metal barriers onboth sides of the avenue and by restricting access to the areas where themarch took place.Most of the clashes took place at Heroes' Square, where a monument tohistoric Hungarian leaders is flanked by two arts museums.Skirmishes between the protesters and the police lasted at least three hoursbefore appearing to wind down by about 7 p.m.Gay groups had said that they were marching in part to repudiate severalrecent attacks against them.A gay bar and a massage parlor were attacked with Molotov cocktails, but noone was injured and little damage was done to the buildings.The protesters, many of them from ultra-nationalist groups, said the gaymarch was "disgusting" and "shameful," and they vowed to "clean up thefilth."Starting in January, all Hungarians involved in long-term relationships willbe allowed to register their partnerships and enjoy some of the benefits ofmarried couples, such as inheriting from each other. This will apply toheterosexuals and gays.http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_South%20Africa&set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20080708055915348C466768Protest against lesbian killings July 08 2008 at 07:41AMBy Mziwandile NkosiA year ago their bodies were found dumped in the veld. They had both beenshot.But today the families of lesbians Sizakele Sigasa and Salome Maoosa arestill no closer to finding their children's killers.Instead they spent the day taking part in the 07-07-07 Campaign march to endhate, which was organised in commemoration of the deaths.Sigasa and Maoosa were allegedly raped and then shot dead before theirbodies were dumped in Zone 1 Meadowlands, Soweto.To date police have not arrested anyone for the murders, promptingyesterday's march, which formed part of the organisation's campaign againstthe slowness of the police in investigating crimes committed against gaysand lesbians in South Africa.The year-long investigation into the deaths of the two women suffered a blowwhen the main suspect allegedly shot himself before the police could takehim in for questioning.Meadowlands police Director Vuyokazi Ndebele said an inquest docket had beenopened into the man's death.He added that they were were awaiting DNA results which could possibly linkthe man to the murders."This has been a year of horror for us, knowing that a year has passed andno one has been convicted of the crimes," said Mpumi Mathabela, of the Forumfor Empowerment of Women.Sigasa and Maoosa are not the only homosexuals to have been killed.Among many others, former Banyana Banyana soccer player Eudy Simelane wasgang-raped and murdered in April this year at KwaThema in Ekurhuleni.Dorcas Lynch, spokesperson for the Masooa family, said: "It was terrible towake up this morning knowing that the murderers are still at large."And by coming out here today we are exposing ourselves to unknown attacks.It is difficult for families to stand up for their gay children in thecommunity."http://www.cbs8.com/story.php?id=134946Protesters Encourage Boycott of Manchester Grand HyattWatch VideoLast Updated:07-19-08 at 12:20PMOpposing groups of protesters gathered outside the Manchester Grand Hyattdowntown Friday, as the gay marriage debate focused on the hotel owner'spolitical activity.At issue was Doug Manchester's $125,000 donation to back a measure banningsame-sex marriage on the November ballot.Those in favor of the proposition showed their support for Manchester, whilegay and lesbian activists carried signs across the street and encouraged aboycott against the Manchester Grand Hyatt.Despite Manchester's donation, a spokesperson for the hotel says it isgay-friendly.http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2364274,00.htmlProtest over gay comments25/07/2008 15:33 - (SA)Tasneem SolomonsCape Town - Cape Town Pride held a protest outside the Media24 building inCape Town on Friday in response to the comments by Sunday Sun columnist JonQwelane.Qwelane angered the gay community by writing that he could only praypoliticians would one day have "the balls" to scrap the sections in theConstitution that sanctioned gay and lesbian marriages.He also predicted that soon people would start demanding the right to marryanimals.Protesters, sporting pink cowboy hats, shouted slogans like: "Fire Qwelane","We are wild, but we are not animals", "Down with hate speech" and "We arenot Zimbabwe".Organiser of the peaceful protest and chairperson of Cape Town Pride, IanMcMahon, handed a petition to the CEO of Media24's newspaper publishingdivision Abraham van Zyl, calling for an apology and for the media house tosuspend ties with Qwelane.McMahon also urged editors to be more sensitised to homophobia.When asked what action will be taken if their demands are not met, McMahonresponded by saying that "no battle plan had been set yet," as the decisionto protest happened so quickly.Glenn De Swardt, director of Cape Town Pride, added that "freedom of speechshouldn't infringe on human rights".De Swardt said that editors should take responsibility for what is publishedand, if they don't, then it should become the responsibility of thepublishing houses.Media24 statementVan Zyl issued a statement to McMahon, which reads:Media24 acknowledges the protest arising from Jon Qwelane's column in SundaySun dated 20 July 2008 and does not associate itself with the contents ofthe article.We respect the rights of complainants to express themselves freely in thismatter and the recourse they may have.Media24 also respects the editorial integrity of its titles and therefore itmust be the prerogative of the editor of the Sunday Sun to respond to thecomplaints.http://membracid.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/how-to-constructively-protest-hate-speech/How to Constructively Protest Hate SpeechMichigan, unfortunately, has become a home to many neo-nazi types recently.So I’ve had to deal with not only noose incidents, but an actual, bona fide,student hate group. Ugh.The student hate group invited Ryan Sorba, author of a (unpublished) bookcalled “The Born Gay Hoax”, to Michigan State University. (The talk wasadvertised with flyers proclaiming “Gays Spread AIDS“, by the way.)Sorba repeatedly makes a connection between homosexuality and childmolestation, and uses some very distorted readings of some very speciouspapers to try to prove that homosexuality is an unnatural choice. He’d alsolike to recriminalize sodomy.He’s obviously full of BS, so I won’t go into debunking that here. Shortversion: He’s nasty and hateful.Sorba also recently visited Smith College, and the two visits couldn’t bemore different.At Smith College: (Via Pam’s House Blend)“After about twenty minutes he was forced to abandon his speech afterprotesters forced their way into the room and drowned him out.”From MSU: (Via HateWatch)“About 100 MSU students made it to the talk. At least two-thirds wereanti-YAF demonstrators who silently protested Sorba’s message by wearingbrightly colored “I Have a Story” T-shirts and holding signs aloftthroughout Sorba’s 90-minute presentation.”There also was a “Seven Nights for Equal Rights” series of programs thatfocused on bringing positive speakers, and a showing of the film “For theBible Tells me So.” And a fundraiser where people pledged a penny for eachWord of Hate uttered by Sorba to the Michigan Equality Campaign.Same hate speech; two very different treatments. Which is better?Discusshttp://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=5225http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=A322700D69FD357E7DADC06B6E1CBCFD?diaryId=5225Smith College students give 'Born Gay Hoax' author a piece of their mindsby: Pam SpauldingWed Apr 30, 2008 at 10:00:00 AM EDT(UPDATE (5/1): I haven't been in this thread since I posted it, and it'sinteresting to see the steelcage match going on in here. I personally thinkthat shouting down someone like Sorba isn't particularly useful; I'd ratherhear the speech and rip on it after the fact, simply because you'll get theex-gay crowd making statements about free speech and suppression of theirbeliefs. After all, we wouldn't have that completely unhinged speech ofSorba's from Cali if he had been shouted down. And to the emailer whoaccused me of "shutting down the comments", that's absurd. I don't seeanyone having difficulty commenting.)From a reader up at Smith College, Annie R., who passed along this video ofa protest against a recloseted homosexual author of an anti-gay :The Smith College Republicans sponsored a speaking event featuring RyanSorba, author of the upcoming book The Born Gay Hoax. After about twentyminutes he was forced to abandon his speech after protesters forced theirway into the room and drowned him out. I'll send videos and articles whenthey are available, but I thought I'd give you a heads up and ask you toplease cover this action. I couldn't be more proud to be a Smithie rightnow, after I saw so many amazing young feminists come together to stand upagainst this asshat and his hate.http://www.sandiego6.com/political/story.aspx?content_id=603d6965-bb44-4137-b999-7f45fcf422a8Anti-Gay Marriage Fundraiser in Rancho Santa Fe Attracts ProtestersReported by: San Diego 6 News TeamEmail: newstips at sandiego6.comLast Update: 8/20 5:23 pmProtesters gathered outside a Rancho Sante Fe home Saturday afternoon wherethe Republican Party of San Diego sponsored a fundraiser for supporters of aconstitutional amendment to end gay marriage in California.About 25 protesters held up signs at people driving into the event at theSouth Pointe Farms development, said protest organizer Fred Karger from thegroup Californians Against Hate.The event was held at the home of Charles and Barbara LiMandri. CharlesLiMandri is an attorney who is active in Catholic and GOP circles, and aleader in the battle to save the Mount Soledad Cross. LiMandri is also thegeneral counsel for the National Organization for Marriage California.Among the speakers were Salvatore Cordileone, auxiliary bishop of theCatholic Diocese of San Diego; Brian Brown, executive director of theNational Organization for Marriage; and Ron Prentice, the chairman ofProtectMarriage.com.Protesters tried to give attendees a fact sheet with quotes on civil rightsfrom such Republicans as Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater, Gov. ArnoldSchwarzenegger and San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, said protest organizerFred Karger.About half the attendees took the fact sheet and everyone was polite, hesaid."I gave one to (KOGO radio talk show host) Roger Hedgecock personally, whois the emcee,'' Karger said. "He kind of smiled.''Recently the state Supreme Court ruled an earlier ballot measure thatoutlawed same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, prompting the effort tochange the constitution to make it illegal again.The fundraiser also and featured congressional candidates Duncan D. Hunterand Michael Crimmins and San Diego City Council candidate Phil Thalheimer."This is truly the fringe element of the Republican Party,” saidCalifornians Against Hate Founder Fred Karger. “These people are out ofstep with the Republican Party.""We hope to inform those attending about the rich history and philosophiesof so many Republican leaders who fought for equality and againstdiscrimination and hate," said Karger.An invitation to the "Yes on Prop. 8" fundraiser asked participants to "joinus in the battle to save marriage."Congressional candidate Hunter stated his opposition to gay marriage whenthe California Supreme Court made it legal."The Court brazenly disregarded the will of the people and sent Californiadown a road that will destroy traditional family values," said Hunter inMay. "I am committed to working to make sure this decision is overturned andthat these liberal judges understand the gravity of what they have done."The Californians Against Hate group has also mounted a boycott of theManchester Grand Hyatt in downtown San Diego and two other hotels owned byProposition 8 financial backer Doug Manchester.http://www.365gay.com/news/081808-india-gay-protest/India gays protest for sodomy law repeal08.18.2008 12:44pm EDT(Mumbai, India) More than 600 people - three times the number organizersexpected - marched through Mumbai on the weekend in the city’s first gaypride parade.Send / ShareAdd Comment"LGBT rights groups have been campaigning for repeal of the sodomy law fornearly a decade."While the parade had the marking of most Western pride celebrations,marchers also carried a strong message to the government - repeal the lawsagainst sodomy.Homosexuality is illegal in India, punishable by up to 10 yearsimprisonment. People living with HIV/AIDS are frequently shunned by theirfamilies.The sodomy law was enacted during British rule over India. Ater independencein 1947, the law remained on the books and police regularly enforce it.LGBT rights groups have been campaigning for repeal of the law for nearly adecade. A legal challenge to the law is expected to be heard later thisyear by the Supreme Court.Among the marchers were several high profile Indian film and televisioncelebrities and a handful of lawmakers.Prior to the parade, there were concerns police would deny a permit for themarch. The form was signed and delivered to organizers just hours before itwas scheduled to begin.“Closets are for clothes,” marchers chanted. Many of them were wearingmasks.Organizers of the parade also called on Britain to officially apologize forintroducing the sodomy law in the first place.“We call on the British government to apologize for the immense sufferingthat has resulted from their imposition of Section 377. And we call on theIndian government to abandon this abhorrent alien legacy of the Raj thatshould have left our shores when the British did,” said a statement releasedto the media by parade organizers.
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