WA Wins At NZ Outgames.
Perth residents walked away with a swathe of medals from last month’s AsiaPacific Outgames held in Wellington, New Zealand last month. Fremantle resident Wendy Smith took out a number of places for the Swimming. Perth Ten Pin Bowlers Laurie Rayner and Dion Leslie stole the silver for the Men’s A Grade Doubles while Adrian Iley notched up three silvers and a bronze for the Masters. Iley said the experience was ‘amazing’ and it was the first time he had bowled in a Master’s tournament like that. ‘It was my first time over there… I look forward to the next one’. Perth Ten Pin Bowler Ray Currell said the Outgames couldn’t have been more accommodating.
Peru Debates Civil Unions
In the lead up to Peru’s presidential elections, civil unions have taken centre stage, drawing heated opposition from social conservatives and the Catholic Church. In a recent poll, nearly 70 percent of Peruvians said they opposed gay civil unions, while some 74.4 percent said they were against gay marriage.
But according to AFP, a number of president elects’ have publicly supported civil unions for Peru’s gay population in the run up to the April 10 election. Presidential front-runner Alejandro Toledo spurred the debate last month when he declared if elected he would move to change current laws to allow spousal rights to same-sex attracted couples.
Portugal Leads The Way
New transgender laws in Portugal have streamlined the country’s gender reassignment process, removing the need for surgery or hormonal treatment. The new legislation was passed on March 16 and aligns the country with the internationally recognised Yogyakarta Principles, a set of human rights principles for sexual orientation and gender diversity. Member of the European Parliament for Portugal Rui Tavares said transgender people could benefit from one of the most progressive laws in the world. ‘I am proud that colleagues in Lisbon ended the legal uncertainty surrounding gender reassignment procedures … transgender citizens can now benefit from one of the most progressive laws in the world,’ Tavares said.
EU React To Transphobic Laws
Meanwhile, Lithuania’s government has come under fire over a proposed bill that would outlaw gender reassignment surgery. The bill was tabled early last month the Chairman of the Committee on Health Affairs, Antanas Matulas MP. The European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT Rights vice-president Raül Romeva i Rueda reacted to the news with this statement: ‘Some Lithuanian Members of Parliament make it sound as if they are under siege by transgender people, when all they need is accessing essential healthcare to protect their human dignity. How the European Union can intervene is currently unclear, but we will use of our mandate to the greatest possible extent to stop this ban from becoming law.’
New Research Highlights Violence In Haiti
Violence and discrimination against Haiti’s LGBT population has increased since the January 2010 earthquake that claimed over 250,000 lives. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) found conservative religious leaders in Haiti blamed LGBT people for the tragedy, leading to further stigma and violence. IGLHRC executive director Cary Johnson said while the needs of some marginalized groups are at least acknowledged LGBT people are completely ignored. The IGLHRC urged the government of Haiti and other governments facing such disasters, as well as donors and aid agencies, to base relief and reconstruction efforts on the respect and promotion of all human rights, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Gaga Hits Back At Censors
Lady Gaga has called on young Malaysians to peacefully protest against the country’s socially conservative culture after her new LGBT anthem Born This Way was altered on Malaysian radio stations, according to the Telegraph. Stations throughout the country have muffle the line ‘No matter gay, straight or bi, lesbian, transgendered life, I’m on the right track, baby,’ apparently beyond understanding. Gaga said people must protest against the ban if they wanted to be free in their own society, the Telegraph reported. Channel V in the Philippines has also censored the track, removing the same line although the channel head said all feeds including ‘Born This Way’ came from Hong Kong.
Finish Rehabilitation
The Lutheran Evangelical Association of Finland launched a campaign last month encouraging teens questioning their sexuality not to give into their demons. Queerty.com has since reported that as a result to the ‘Älä alistu’ or ‘don’t acquiesce’ campaign, large numbers of Lutherans have left the church. The campaign began following a story by magazine, Nuotta, who interviewed a young bisexual woman who apparently returned to heterosexuality through religion. She told the magazine, ‘If murderers can be rehabilitated, then why not gays?’ The Christian Democrats of Finland distanced themselves shortly after the campaign finished.
Gates Pulls HIV Funding in India
Philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates has pulled funding from an HIV initiative in India following the dramatic decrease of new HIV incidences. According to IBN News, Gates said India’s HIV infection rate had decreased dramatically. Despite the withdrawal of financial support, the Indian Government was expected to contribute the bulk of HIV/AIDS funding. HIV Magazine reported the Avahan program which helped some 80,000 people would cease from 2012. ‘The Avahan initiative has been a phenomenal success,’ Gates said. The philanthropist also noted that the program and the Indian government had worked together on this every step of the way.
