[Onthebarricades] Protests - gender, gay rights, disability - October 2008

[global resistance roundup]

Gender and women

* US: Fort Bragg protest over army killings of women
* US: New Haven - Sounds of Hope protests domestic violence
* UK: Filipino protest over maid sketch
* INDIA: Girls protest violence against women
* IRAQ: Women protest against polygamy in Arbil

Gay rights / LGBT

* US: Mormons face protests over anti-gay ballot
* US: Tampa - Protest against gay marriage ban
* US: Gay marriage protest roundup
* TAIWAN: Protest at change in transgender ID policy
* UGANDA - UK: Protest against gay ban
* RUSSIA: Gay rights protest banned

Disability
* UK: Haemophilia grant protest
* US: Autistic rights group protests comedian







http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/260955

Fort Bragg Sacked With Protests Against Violence
Published Oct 9, 2008, by ■ Paul Bright

Fort Bragg Sacked With Protests Against Violence
by Paul Bright.
It's not too much of a stretch to find protesters in front of a military 
base, especially when our country is in controversial conflict. This is 
a different kind of protest.
Buy an ad on DigitalJournal.com

Fort Bragg, North Carolina was greeted by an army of protesters not 
happy with the Army's dealings against domestic violence. Led by a 
former Army Colonel, protesters are specifically upset that in the last 
week, four female military members have died because of fellow male 
military. Three of those deaths were on Fort Bragg.
“It’s military killing other military,” retired Army Colonel Ann Wright 
said. “Why are these men feeling like they can kill these women? ... The 
military has to address this.”

The protesters believe that the Army tries to cover up or minimize 
publicity around domestic and violent crimes of this nature because they 
don't want to hurt morale. Instead, some believe, that perpetuates the 
violence because there isn't enough awareness.

A Fort Bragg spokesman, Tom McCollum, says otherwise.

“Nothing could be further from the truth that we don’t attempt to be 
proactive in reducing domestic violence...They can go to our chaplains, 
Womack Army hospital and to the Army Community Services. We are 
sometimes baffled — why would someone do that and especially with all 
the help that is available? A divorce is so much easier.”

Yet military members say that although the resources are there, 
sometimes getting access to them isn't easy.

This is horrible to me because I grew up in Fayetteville during my 
junior high/high school years. Yes, Fort Bragg encompasses 10,000 
soldiers at any given time, all going through training and deployments. 
I truly don't believe that the Army has supported any sort of transition 
from war zone to home in terms of mental health. Even before these 
conflicts there were problems. These guys were all trained up to be 
killers but had nothing to kill and no way to separate home life from 
work life other than more running and lifting weights. I believe that 
putting a better spotlight on the Army will force them to do the right 
thing and not only offer support but follow through. You can't stop 
every situation, but you have to be responsible at some level, 
especially when there is a trend and women are dying.






http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2008/10/sound_of_hope_e.php

Sound of Hope Event Protests Domestic Violence
by Staff | October 6, 2008 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Susan L. Hartt Photos
By Josiah Brown
At the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Sound of Hope 
event is held each October by Domestic Violence Services of Greater New 
Haven to remember all those who lost their lives to this problem 
statewide over the prior year, as well as others harmed by its reach. 
The occasion aims to raise public consciousness about domestic abuse and 
to galvanize support for public, private, and nonprofit measures to halt 
this sadly common injustice. Concerned citizens gather by the harbor of 
Long Island Sound to hear the names of those who died and to cast 
flowers into the water in their memory, as solemn bagpipe music honors 
them and the cause of ensuring that their deaths help drive corrective 
action.
Yale University Chaplain Sharon Kugler gave the invocation at this 
year’s event, which took place Oct. 2., and Rev. Bonita Grubbs of 
Christian Community Action the benediction. In between, the following 
speakers each made brief remarks:
* April Capone Almon, Mayor of East Haven;
* Agnes Maldonado, of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence;
* Burton Weinstein, Esq., the attorney for Tracey Thurman, whose 
landmark legal suit in the 1980s helped propel the movement against 
domestic violence across Connecticut and the nation through the Family 
Violence Prevention and Response Act of 1986 ;
* Sandra Koorejian, Executive Director of DVSGNH; and
* Erika Tindill, Co-President of DVSGNH and Deputy Director of the New 
Haven Legal Assistance Association.

Gathering%20in.JPG
Especially moving were the comments of two survivors of domestic 
violence, Augustina Chima and Louise Hebert, who spoke with passion 
about what they and their children have overcome through courage and the 
support of family, friends, counseling, advocates, and law enforcement 
professionals. Ms. Chima and Ms. Hebert, separately and stirringly, 
offered the “hope” promised by this event’s title, on a gorgeous day by 
the water.
Also acknowledged was the City of New Haven’s interest in provision of 
domestic violence services, particularly in light of the recent passing 
of Police Sergeant Dario Aponte and the critical injury to Officer Diane 
Gonzalez, both of whom were rushing to respond to a report of a domestic 
incident. Mayor JohnDeStefano and members of his administration, 
including Robert Smuts and Kica Matos, are working with community 
providers on related challenges in a climate of tight budgets, lean 
staffing, and heightened socio-economic pressures that can add to caseloads.
With public funding from federal, state, and local sources under strain, 
the role of private philanthropic support is ever important.
DVSGNH offers free, confidential services including a shelter for women 
and children, emergency hotline, court-based advocacy, counseling, 
transitional housing, and preventive public awareness. Connecticut’s 
24-hour toll-free DV hotline is 888-774-2900.
Josiah Brown is Volunteer Co-President (with Erika Tindill) Domestic 
Violence Services of Greater New Haven






http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/uk_national_entertainment/3769859.Sketch_spark_protest_outside_BBC/

Sketch spark protest outside BBC
9:29pm Friday 17th October 2008
© Press Association 2008

Members of the Filipino community staged a silent vigil outside the BBC 
in an attempt to force the broadcaster to apologise over a "sexist, 
racist and immoral" Harry Enfield sketch.
The group gathered outside the BBC media village in White City, west 
London, in response to the comedy skit in which a character's "pet 
Northerner" is urged to "mount" a neighbour's Filipina maid.
Those present at the protest held banners stating: "Sexual abuse and 
exploitation is no joke," and "Comedy is not an excuse for prejudice."
The sketch that caused the offence was part of the Harry And Paul show 
aired on BBC1 on September 26 and repeated on BBC2 three days later.
During a segment of the show a man can be seen urging his lethargic pet 
Northerner to have sex with a Filipina maid who is wriggling provocatively.
Enfield's character tells a passing postman: "Our chums up the road want 
to see if we could mate their Filipina maid with our Northerner, but 
he's not having any of it."
He encourages the Northerner, saying: "Come on Clyde, mount her."
And he shouts at the maid, wearing a grey uniform and apron: "You, you, 
present your rear."
The sketch ends with Enfield's character shooing the neighbour's maid 
away having failed to get the pair to mate. It was part of a running gag 
in the programme in which a Southern family treat a Northern man who 
lives with them like a dog.
The BBC have said the producers of the programme did not intend to cause 
any offence.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/20/stories/2008102057890200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

They join hands to protest crime against women
Staff Reporter
— Photo: R. Ravindran

United they stand: Students form a human chain on the Marina Beach to 
protest crime against women on Saturday.
Chennai: About 600 girls, mostly students of city colleges, joined hands 
to protest crime against women on Saturday.
The human chain was organised along the Marina Beach by the Rotaract 
Club of Women’s Christian College. Students from Rotaract Clubs in other 
colleges also participated.
Rose, who hosts the TV talk show ‘Ipadikku Rose,’ encouraged the 
students to continue their efforts to bring out such social problems 
into the open.
The human chain is part of a project titled ‘Stree Suraksha’ for the 
empowerment of women.
Lawyer Geetha Ramaseshan launched the project on Friday and told 
students how to get legal help when faced with sexual harassment. Vidya 
Reddy, founder, Tulir, a centre for the prevention and healing of child 
sexual abuse, was also present. The project is supported by Rotary Club 
of Madras Metro. Cassandra Sundaraja, project chairperson, said that a 
campus survey done in Women’s Christian College showed that many 
students were not clear what constituted sexual harassment.
About 88 per cent of the students knew that sexual harassment was 
punishable by law but 70 per cent did not know that eve teasing could be 
called sexual harassment, the survey found.

[NOTE: “Eve teasing is a euphemism used in India, Bangladesh and 
Pakistan for sexual harassment or molestation of women by men. 
Considered a growing problem throughout the subcontinent, eve teasing 
ranges in severity from sexually suggestive remarks to outright 
groping.” (Wikipedia)]






http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/38837

Women protest against polygamy in Arbil
Arbil, 27 October 2008 ( Voices of Iraq )
Nearly 200 women from 40 women’s organizations staged a demonstration in 
front of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) building in Arbil 
calling to amend a Personal Status Law article allowing polygamy.
“We demand equality between men and women in the Personal Status Law, on 
which the parliamentary legal committee is currently working,” one of 
the organizers of the demonstration, Siran Abdullah, told Aswat al-Iraq.
“We are particularly against men’s polygamy. Law no. 62 of the year 2001 
banned polygamy with the exception of certain cases,” Siran, who is also 
a member of Kurdistan’s Women Union, added.
Arbil, also written Erbil or Irbil, is believed to be one of the oldest 
continuously inhabited in the world and is one of the largest cities in 
Iraq. The city lies eighty kilometers (fifty miles) east of Mosul. In 
2005, its estimated population was 990,000 inhabitants. The city is the 
capital of the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region and the Kurdistan 
Regional Government (KRG). It hosts the headquarters of the Kurdistan 
region ministers and parliament.
Since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, only isolated, sporadic violence 
has hit Arbil, unlike many other areas of Iraq. Parallel bomb attacks 
against the Eid celebrations arranged by the Iraqi President Jalal 
Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and KRG President Massoud 
Barazani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) killed 109 people on 
February 1, 2004. Responsibility was claimed by the Islamist group Ansar 
al-Sunnah, and stated to be in solidarity with the Kurdish Islamist 
faction Ansar al-Islam. Another bombing on May 4, 2005 killed 60 
civilians. Despite these bombings the population generally feels safe.






http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/26/BAP113OIRD.DTL

Mormons face flak for backing Prop. 8
Matthai Kuruvila, Chronicle Religion Writer
Monday, October 27, 2008

• (10-26) 14:40 PDT OAKLAND -- Christine Alonso's body trembled and her 
lips quivered as she walked up and spoke to a few of the 50 protesters 
in front of the Mormon Temple in Oakland on Sunday. 
________________________________________
"Don't think they're all against you," said Alonso, 27, explaining that 
she was Mormon and that despite her religious leaders' support of a 
ballot measure banning same-sex marriage, she was actively opposed.
As she walked away, she said, "I'm afraid that a gay or lesbian friend 
might hear that I'm Mormon and think that I want to tear their marriage 
apart."
Alonso's solitary act came as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day 
Saints and its members are increasingly under fire for their support of 
Proposition 8, which would take away the right of gays and lesbians to 
marry. In addition to increased protests, online campaigns seek to 
identify and embarrass Mormons who support the ballot measure.
<< Database: Look up Prop. 8 contributors >>
The church largely stays out of politics. But in this case, the Salt 
Lake City-based church has sent letters, held video conferences and in 
church meetings asked for volunteers to support the campaign. In 
response, some church members have poured in their savings and 
undertaken what may be an unprecedented grassroots mobilization for the 
effort.
Prop. 8 is on pace to be the costliest race in the nation, except for 
the billion-dollar presidential election. The Yes on 8 campaign 
estimates that up to 40 percent of its donations come from Mormons. Some 
others estimate that Mormons account for over 70 percent of donations 
from individuals.
All of California's Catholic bishops have all come out in favor of the 
measure. So have many evangelical Christians and Orthodox Jews. Yet it 
is Mormons, who account for 2 percent of the state population, who are 
catching the most heat.
"We seem to be the symbol of the Yes on 8 campaign," said Rand King, 60, 
a Walnut Creek resident who is Mormon and who was watching Sunday's 
protest from inside the temple's gates.
Prop. 8 opponents are increasingly narrowing their focus on Mormons, 
harnessing technology and open-records laws in their efforts. One Web 
site run by a Prop. 8 opponent, Mormonsfor8.com, identifies the name and 
hometown of every Mormon donor. On the Daily Kos, the nation's most 
popular liberal blog, there is a campaign to use that information to 
look into the lives of Mormons who financially support Prop. 8.
It has led some Mormons to question why other religious groups in the 
coalition aren't being targeted.
"I don't think it's politically expedient to point the finger at the 
Catholic Church," said Dave Christensen, 52, a Mormon and an Alamo 
resident who donated $30,000 to the Yes on 8 campaign. "You don't get 
the mileage criticizing a church that has more clout."
Nadine Hansen, who runs Mormonsfor8.com, said the church decided to 
enter politics and can't excuse itself for the ramifications.
"Any group that gets involved in the political arena has to be treated 
like a political action committee," said Hansen, 61, a Mormon who lives 
in Cedar City, Utah, and has stopped going to church. "You can't get 
involved in politics and say, 'Treat me as a church.' "Hansen said she 
focused on Mormons because she is one. She said Mormons have contacted 
her to shut the site, saying it was being used by the Daily Kos campaign 
in a "witch hunt."
"I didn't think there were any witches on the list, so I wasn't 
worried," said Hansen, whose site is "neutral" on its views, though she 
is opposed because she views it as "divisive."
The person who initiated the Daily Kos campaign to look into the lives 
of Mormon donors is Dante Atkins, an elected delegate to the state 
Democratic convention who said he's the vice president of the Los 
Angeles County Young Democrats.
Atkins said his goal was to "embarrass the opposition by pointing out 
and publicizing any contributors they may have." He said focusing on 
Mormons made sense. "If one religious group is putting close to the 
majority of the money and the effort into passing this proposition, it 
is fair to single them out."
The Mormon church hasn't taken the same level of interest in Arizona or 
Florida, which also have constitutional amendments banning same-sex 
marriage.
But California is a bellwether, said LDS spokesman Mike Otterson. "If 
same-gender marriage is approved in California... other states will 
follow suit."
Several Bay Area Mormons said they would support the right of gay and 
lesbian unions to have all the rights of married couples. But the word 
marriage was sacred, pivotal to their concept of families, who can be 
"eternally united" in the afterlife. A key church document - "The 
Family: A Proclamation to the World" - says that "marriage between man 
and a woman is essential to His eternal plan." They also believe that 
children are entitled to be raised by a father and a mother.
Those words speak for Michele Sundstrom, 47, of San Jose, who has been 
married for 18 years and has five children.
She and her husband gave $30,000 to the Yes on 8 campaign and put a sign 
on their home. But in response, two women parked an SUV in front of 
their home, with the words "Bigots live here" painted on the windshield.
Sundstrom believes such responses must come from deep places of pain - 
and that gays and lesbians are entitled to the same rights as 
heterosexuals, just not the word marriage. Any animosity toward gays or 
lesbians is wrong, she said.
"There must be such deep, deep, deep hurt; otherwise there couldn't be 
so much opposition," she said. "They've lived with this. I guess we're 
getting a taste of where they live."





http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article873075.ece

Hundreds in Tampa rally against gay marriage ban
By Chandra Broadwater, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Monday, October 27, 2008

TAMPA — For Bobbie Hernandez, it's about knowing that her children would 
be taken care of if something were to happen to her.
It's knowing that the home the 35-year-old has with her partner, Shar 
Ishee, would still be there for the family.
"And if I were in the hospital or something like that, I'd want to know 
that she and the kids could come and visit me," Hernandez said.
But if Amendment 2, the proposed gay marriage ban, passes, the couple 
think their rights will be denied.
Along with about 200 Tampa Bay area residents, Hernandez and Ishee 
attended a Sunday afternoon rally against the ban at Lowry Park. 
Organized by more than a dozen interfaith leaders, the event also 
included civic, local and state government leaders.
Those who attended the rally sat on benches, at picnic tables or on 
blankets in the grass, enjoying the pleasant afternoon.
"Despite all of our differences, we are all united in our opposition to 
Amendment 2," said Abhi Janamanchi, minister of Unitarian Universalists 
of Clearwater, at the start of the rally. "It promotes division and 
fear, not equality and love."
The amendment would define marriage as the union of one man and one 
woman, and would not recognize any other legal pairing.
Though Florida already has such a state law, supporters say the law 
could be overturned, as it was recently in Connecticut, or the 
Legislature could change it.
People against the constitutional change contend that the proposal will 
ban legal recognition and benefits for all unmarried couples, whether 
straight or gay. It could also adversely affect the state's large senior 
population, many of whom form domestic partnerships rather than remarry 
and risk losing benefits from previous marriages.
Those at Sunday's event also pointed to 2000 Census figures. They said 
Amendment 2 could affect 360,000 Florida residents, about 90 percent of 
whom are heterosexual.
Largo Mayor Pat Gerard told the crowd that it was time to stand up for 
"real family values" in the Tampa Bay community. She called the proposal 
an "intrusion" on her life and on the lives of everyone else who lives 
in the state.
When he spoke, state Rep. Bill Heller reminded residents that a ban on 
gay marriage already exists. The Democrat, running for re-election in 
District 52, said that the constitutional change would deny rights to 
many Florida citizens and allow "big government" to interfere.
"It says that it protects marriage, but it also denies the rights of 
people to make decisions important to them," Heller said. "We need to 
say no, emphatically, to Amendment 2."
As she sat and listened at a picnic table with her 11-year-old daughter, 
Ana, Ishee said the amendment won't change the structure of their family 
if it passes.
"It's not like it's going to destroy our family," Ishee said. "We love 
each other and will be together no matter what. We just don't think our 
rights should be denied."
Chandra Broadwater can be reached at cbroadwater at sptimes.com, or 661-2454.






http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2008/10/bakersfield-gay-marriage-ban-supporter.html

October 25, 2008
Bakersfield gay marriage ban supporter punches protestor
The leader Kern County's campaign in support of a ballot measure that 
would ban same-sex marriage in California was videotaped at a pro-gay 
marriage rally kicking and punching a protester.
Ken Mettler, a school board member and head of the county's Yes on 
Proposition 8 campaign, appeared at a raucous event that featured 
pro-and-anti gay marriage protesters.
A video posted on The Bakersfield Californian Web site shows Mettler in 
front of gay marriage supporters holding Yes on Prop. 8 signs that had 
been altered to read No on Prop. 8.
Mettler was confronted by a protester who tried to grab the signs from him.
The video shows Mettler swinging and kicking the protester.






http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/California_Teachers_Association_Donates_to_the_No_on_8_Campaign.html

Parents Protest Prop. 8 Donations California Teachers Association says 
schools, teachers hurt by protest
Updated 5:09 PM PST, Mon, Oct 27, 2008
Related Topics: California Teachers Association

KNSD
Two students work from home after their parents decide to protest a 
donation to the No on Prop. 8 campaign.

Tensions have been running high lately over one proposition in 
particular --Proposition 8 -- which would amend the state constitution 
and ban gay marriage.
Watch Video

Some North County students didn't go to school Monday after their 
parents stage a protest over the teachers union's donations to the "No 
on Prop. 8" c...
Parents Protest Prop. 8 Donations

On Monday, upset parents in Carlsbad took a stand by keeping their kids 
home from school in opposition to the $1.25 million donation given by 
the California Teachers Association to the "No on Prop. 8" campaign. The 
parents are upset because they say the union should be fighting for 
legislation that will actually affect schools -- legislation like the 
budget and class size -- not gay marriage.
Anita Kelley's family is one of many who received e-mails about the 
protest and said she believes the teachers union has no business 
supporting a social issue that doesn't affect schools.
"It's nothing that will benefit students or teachers. It was just 
wasteful spending," said Kelley. "I think the money could be better used 
and spent in areas that would have benefited more kids."
One member of the CTA board of directors, Jim Goth, says for years the 
union has supported legislation's fighting rights and civil rights 
including, for example, rights for pregnant teachers in the classroom. 
He says the students and teachers are the ones hurt by the protest.
"If parents are keeping their students away they're missing education 
and they'll also be hurting school districts because financially, they 
would lose average daily attendance," said Goth.
The "Yes on Prop. 8" discouraged the protest and some parents who were 
going to keep their children home said they changed their minds. As for 
Kelley, she said she hopes her one-day protest made the point and 
brought awareness to the CTA's donation.






http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-10-17-2957109465_x.htm

Mormon group protests church's gay marriage stance
Posted 10/17/2008 10:42 PM | Comment | Recommend
by Trent Nelson, AP


Linda Stay, left, and her husband Steve Stay (behind her) and Yvonne 
Tavares, right, deliver signed petitions to a representative of The 
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Friday Oct. 17, 2008 in Salt 
Lake City. Mormons who support gay marriage delivered ribbon-tied 
packets of protest letters and bundles of carnations to church 
headquarters Friday in an appeal to end the faith's support of a 
California ballot proposition that would ban same-sex marriage. (AP 
Photo/The Salt Lake Tribune, Trent Nelson)


By Jennifer Dobner, Associated Press Writer
SALT LAKE CITY — A group of Mormons who support gay marriage delivered 
protest letters and bundles of carnations to church headquarters Friday 
in an appeal to end the church's support of a ballot initiative to ban 
same-sex marriage in California.
The group, called Sign for Something, disagrees with The Church of Jesus 
Christ of Latter-day Saints' opposition to gay marriage and its efforts 
to boost Mormon involvement before the Nov. 4 election.
The church is part of a coalition of conservative groups backing 
Proposition 8, which would amend the state constitution to limit 
marriage to a man and a woman and thereby overturn the California 
Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage.
More than 40 people sang hymns as they made the delivery, which was 
accepted by a church spokeswoman.
Included in the packet is a petition signed by more than 400 people, 
including church members from around the world. It asks the church to 
"stop political organizing efforts and financial support of attempts to 
use government to restrict the secular and religious rights of gay and 
lesbian individuals."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Internet | San Francisco | God | Utah | Church of 
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Proposition | California Supreme 
Court | Mormons | Hastings | Kim Farah | Stays
Andrew Callahan, of Hastings, Neb., helped lead Friday's delivery. He 
said many Mormons with gay and lesbian loved ones are torn over the gay 
marriage issue and want very much to be heard by leadership.
"They feel like (the loved ones) should be treated fairly and evenly and 
equally, just like you and me, but their church tells them 'no, they 
can't be,'" he said before handing over the letters.
Steve and Linda Stay drove more than 300 miles from southern Utah to be 
among the protesters. Two of the nine children in the Stays' blended 
family are gay. Their son, Tyler Barrick, married his partner, Spencer 
Jones, in San Francisco, Linda Stay said.
"This is a huge issue for us. For us, it's a civil rights issue, not 
just a religious issue," said Linda Stay. "It's taking away their right 
to have the same benefits that I do."
Church spokeswoman Kim Farah said the church understands that some 
members disagree with its stance.
"It also understands that this issue affects people in very private, 
individual ways," Farah said. "However, the church does have a moral 
obligation to speak out on issues that affect the moral fabric of 
society as it has in this case."
Officially, the Mormon church is politically neutral and does not 
endorse individual candidates or political parties. The church does, 
however, weigh in on issues it considers morally important. The church 
holds traditional marriage as a sacred institution ordained by God.
Church members are taught that gay sex is a sin. Gays can continue to 
hold church callings if they remain celibate, however. Those who act on 
what the church calls "same-gender attraction" have sometimes been 
excommunicated.
Mormons have given $8.4 million to the Proposition 8 campaign, according 
to the Web site mormonsfor8.com.








http://news.pacificnews.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=fb3ee484632ed515a751d0865ced2b30

Transgenders Protest New Policy in Taiwan
Chinanews.com, News Report, Staff, Translated by Jun Wang, Posted: Oct 
06, 2008
TAIPEI, Taiwan – A government policy in Taiwan has made it more 
difficult for transgenders to get an ID, creating panic in the 
community. The policy, which went into effect last year, stipulates that 
female-to-male transgenders cannot get an ID card that identifies them 
as male unless they have undergone all three parts of gender 
reassignment surgery.

Transgender rights organizations in Taiwan have asked the government to 
withdraw the policy.

Xukuan Gao, spokesperson for the transgender organization Taiwan TG 
Butterfly Garden, pointed out that in the past, a female-born Taiwanese 
person who had had her breasts, womb and ovaries removed – the first 
stage of a three-part surgery, was recognized as a “he” and received a 
new male ID from the government. But since last October, Taiwan’s 
government decided not to issue a male ID until the transgender 
completes all three stages of the surgery, including the last step in 
which the person gets a surgical penis. There is no similar barrier 
added for male-born Taiwanese who have surgery to become women, reports 
Taiwan’s United Daily News.

Gao says the policy has created panic in the transgender community.

Many Taiwanese who were born female and are preparing for gender 
reassignment surgery don’t know what to do, says Gao. After the first 
two stages of the surgery, they will still be unable to get a male ID 
card, which could lead to harassment in the work place, at school or in 
public restrooms.

The third stage of gender reassignment surgery, in which the person gets 
a surgical penis, is expensive, time consuming and very risky, according 
to one transgender who recently completed the first stage of surgery. As 
a result, many transgenders choose to skip the last stage of surgery. 
“People have to take half a year off, and the surgery costs at least 
800,000 Taiwan dollars ($25,000 U.S. dollars), which is not something 
everyone can afford,” he said.

Youmei Lai, president of Taiwan’s Gender Equality Education Association, 
says the government’s regulation violates peoples’ rights, and was not 
publicly discussed before being approved. The association wrote a letter 
to the government arguing that it should consider the issue from the 
transgenders’ point of view.

Cosmetic surgeon Maoshan Wang says a doctor’s letter should be enough 
for transgenders to obtain a new ID after their breasts and other female 
organs have been removed. From a human rights perspective, he says, 
“transgenders’ feelings must be considered.”

Two-thirds of the gender reassignment surgeries that Wang has done are 
from female to male, which is about the same ratio as transgender 
surgeries in Japan. This could be a result of the fact that men still 
rule in many Asian countries, says Wang, and being perceived as a man 
allows for greater privileges in society.

Taiwan government official Hangui Zen says the government consulted with 
a hospital before putting the new rule into effect. He acknowledged that 
the onslaught of complains has been “a major headache,” but added that 
the government’s rule must be enforced.






http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/10/410411.html

Demonstration Against Ugandan Human Rights Abuse, London 9 Oct, 2008
Peter Marshall | 11.10.2008 19:17 | Anti-racism | Gender | Social 
Struggles | London | World
October 9 is Uganda Independence Day, but for gay Nigerians in 
particular there is little to celebrate. Around 50 people met in a 
demonstration sponsored by the NUS outside the Ugandan Embassy in 
Trafalgar Square at noon on Ugandan Independence Day, Oct 9, to protest 
against human rights abuses in Uganda.

Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda and the penalty can be imprisonment 
for life, and gay rights campaigners have been imprisoned and subjected 
to torture. The Ugandan Anglican church is a leading force in anti-gay 
campaigns.

Organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty have documented the 
government's use of torture and intimidation, and the LGBT community is 
excluded from healthcare.

British arms sold to Uganda include armoured vehicles from companies 
owned by BAE Systems which have been used against civilians, killing at 
least three demonstrators. Because of these abuses, many Ugandans seek 
asylum in the UK.

One of the more disturbing speeches at the event was by Emma Ginn of 
Medical Justice. A report by Birnberg Peirce & Partners, Medical Justice 
and NCADC ( http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/content/view/411/88/) 
published in July 2008 catalogued the appalling abuses against people 
being forcibly deported by the private "escorts" employed by the Home 
Office. From the report it is obvious that our the Home Office 
deliberately turns a blind eye to the shocking and inhuman treatment, 
refusing to make proper investigations into well-substantiated cases of 
extreme abuse.

Ugandan asylum seekers are also the most frequently assaulted by police 
and immigration escorts when they come here and are detained at Heathrow 
and taken to immigration removal centres such as Harmondsworth. Many of 
asylum seekers are then "fast-tracked", resulting in 99% being turned 
down without real investigation or proper consideration. Six 
Harmondsworth detainees have committed suicide rather than be deported.

During the protest the 2008 Sappho in Paradise book prize, awarded by 
the International Lesbian and Gay Cultural Network was presented to 
Kizza Musinguzi, editor of the gayrightsuganda.org web site for their 
work in supplying information within Uganda and about the human rights 
situation there to the world. He was was jailed by the Ugandan 
government for his work in 2004, and subjected to four months of forced 
labour, water torture, beatings and rape. In 2005 he fled to the UK and 
claimed asylum - and was detained at Harmondsworth. The Home Office 
claimed that his treatment in Uganda was not persecution and that he was 
not a legitimate asylum seeker and wanted to deport him back to Uganda.

Whilst in detention at Harmondsworth he was racially and homophobically 
abused by staff and denied medical treatment that he needed. His asylum 
papers were confiscated and he was fast-tracked for deportation. He 
appealed to Peter Tatchell of Outrage! for help, appointing him as his 
legal representative. The authorities at Harmondsworth refused to accept 
Tatchell as his representative or his claim for asylum. Tatchell wrote a 
long and detailed letter about the case to Home Office minister Tony 
McNulty MP, sending a copy to Harmondsworth Labour MP John McDonnell. 
McDonnell's intervention stopped the deportation as Musinguze was being 
put on a plane at Heathrow in September 2005. It was the start of a 
three year fight to gain refugee status.

Other speakers at the protest included Peter Tatchell of Outrage!, Lucy 
Brookes of the National Union of Students, and Davis Makyala of Changing 
Attitudes.

More pictures on My London Diary http://mylondondiary.co.uk shortly when 
I catch up with things.
Peter Marshall
e-mail: petermarshall at cix.co.uk
Homepage: http://mylondondiary.co.uk






http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/2192649

Officials ban gay rights demonstrations
Published: 12:10PM Friday October 10, 2008
Source: Reuters
• Read
Russian officials have banned two gay rights demonstrations in the city 
of Tambov, thwarting the efforts of local activists to protest at what 
they call officially sanctioned homophobia, the events' organiser said.
Local officials said they had received numerous letters and phone calls 
from townspeople, urging them to forbid the demonstrations as an offense 
to the city's traditions, Interfax news agency reported.
Gay pride parades, unheard of in the days of the Soviet Union, have been 
allowed in some cities in recent years but are generally met with public 
and political derision.
The mayor of Moscow, Yury Luzhkov, famously called such events "satanic" 
after banning a gay pride parade in 2006 and saying that he would never 
allow them in the capital.
Nikolai Alexeyev, the Moscow-based activist who was organising the 
events in Tambov, said he would appeal to the European court of human 
rights in Strasbourg if local courts refused to reverse the ban in the 
central Russian city.
"The bureaucrats who made this decision are just following the official 
line set by the mayor of Moscow," Alexeyev said. "It is officially 
forbidden to discuss homosexuality in public."
He added that about 25 demonstrators were to picket the offices of the 
Tambov administration, and another 200 people were to rally in the city 
on October 18.
Activists who have ignored similar bans have often faced violent clashes 
with counter-protesters, arrest and prosecution.
The Russian Orthodox Church, resurgent since the fall of the Soviet 
Union, has helped turn public sentiment against gay pride events, which 
the head of the church, Patriarch Alexey II, has called "propaganda for 
homosexuality".







http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/health/haemophilia+grant+protest+at+lords/2493022

Haemophilia grant protest at Lords
Print this page
Last Modified: 09 Oct 2008
Source: PA News
A protest is to be made in the House of Lords about the Government's 
decision to reduce its annual grant to the Haemophilia Society from 
£100,000 to £30,000.
Labour peer Lord Morris of Manchester, who is president of the Society, 
is to ask what prior study the Government made of the deprivation to the 
haemophilia community by the decision to cut the grant.
Lord Morris, who was Britain's first minister for the disabled, said: 
"This is one of the most stricken communities in the country. Over the 
past 20 years, some 4,000 haemophiliacs have been infected with HIV or 
hepatitis C from contaminated National Health Service blood products."
He said: "A total of 1,757 have died and two-thirds of the remainder are 
incapable of work. What is more they are uninsurable except at 
prohibitive premiums.
"The Society which helps the next-of-kin of those who have died as well 
as those surviving is now in dire financial straits."
Christopher James, chief executive of the Society, said: "We depended 
very greatly on that income and the decision to cut it has made a huge 
impact on us. We have had to make redundancies in our staff.
"The Government have told us that the £100,000 core grant was never 
meant to be an unending grant. We have made protests about this, and our 
cries have become louder."
When the explanation for these infections first came to light, Lord 
Winston described it as "the worst treatment disaster in the history of 
the National Health Service".








http://newsblaze.com/story/20081018064749zzzz.nb/topstory.html

October 18,2008
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Nationwide Autism Protest Against Dennis Leary By NYC Group

Evelyn Ain President of Autism United , a National Advocacy Group 
Representing Over 5,000 Parents With Children Effected With Autism is 
Calling for a Rally and Protest Against Dennis Leary. When He Appears At 
Comics Come Home 14, in Boston At The Agganis Arena. The Group Plans to 
Have Hundreds of Parents and Children Picketing The Concert. It is One 
of The Largest Comedy Events in The Usa.
The Protest is in Response to Upcoming Book "We Suck"" Which Describes 
Kids With Autism Both Stupid and Lazy. The Group is Calling for a Book 
Boycott and Asking Companies Likes Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Any 
Other Store Not to Carry It as Its Hurtful to Families Nationwide. One 
Out of 150 Children Nationwide are Diagnosed With Autism.
According to Ms. Ain '' The Autism Community is Not Taking This as a 
Joke, If Dennis Leary Feels By Putting These Shockley Comments in Book 
is Going to Create Hype, Were Going to Have Autism Families From Coast 
to Coast Protesting His Appearances, Showing The Joke is Really on Him''