AFRICA
Uganda – A small group of lobbyist from LGBT groups risked punishment and held a press conference to publicly demand basic civil rights. Most of the seven representatives wore masks to disguise their identity, as homosexuality is outlawed in the country and can be punished by life imprisonment. Days later more than a thousand people turned out to demonstrate against LGBT civil rights in a protest organized by the Interfaith Rainbow Coalition Against Homosexuality. Human Rights Watch has sent a letter to Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni urging the government to repeal its harsh laws against homosexuality and to end the long standing history of violence against LGBT people.
South Africa – In a set-back for HIV/AIDS activists, President Thabo Mbeki has fired his deputy health minister, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge. Ms Madlala-Routledge is widely credited for waging an aggressive assault on the nation’s devastating AIDS epidemic and for ending more than five years of government denial and indecision on HIV/AIDS.
Nigeria – Eighteen men have been convicted of homosexuality in the Muslim state of Bauchi. They were allegedly arrested wearing women’s clothing at a hotel where they had gathered for the ‘wedding’ of two men. More than a dozen men have been sentenced to death in recent years for alleged homosexuality (which the government denies). However, a prosecutor told the court that the government will not seek the death penalty for the 18.
ASIA
China – Henan province in central China has barred AIDS activists from meeting to discuss ways of educating the public about the virus. At first the government agreed to allow the meeting so long as foreigners and the media were excluded from the conference, but the government later changed its mind and canceled the event all together.
Thailand – The National Legislative Assembly will consider a proposal which would allow transgender men and women to officially change their title to or from Mr, Mrs or Ms. Thailand is widely tolerant of gays, transvestites and transsexuals, with one college in the northern province of Chiang Mai designating a bathroom for the exclusive use of the school’s 15 transitioning students.
Malaysia – Openly gay Christian pastor, Ouyang Wen Feng has conducted a controversial service that called on mainstream churches not to discriminate against gays and lesbians. Although homosexuality is not specifically a crime in the country, laws against sodomy still carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and whipping.
Singapore – A ban on gay events held in public parks is the latest in a series of pride events to be cancelled by the Singaporean government. Officials have said politics are not welcome in green spaces.
SOUTH AMERICA
Brazil – Gay activists have applauded the decision by Brazil’s public health system to provide free gender reassignment surgery to patients who fit the evaluation criteria. To be eligible, patients must be at least 21 years old, diagnosed as transsexuals, have no other personality disorders and must undergo psychological evaluation for at least two years. So far the decision has not met with any opposition.
Brazil – A judge has caused outrage after he said gays don’t belong in Brazilian soccer. The comment came after a player sued the director of a prominent soccer club for insinuating on television that he was gay. Judge Manoel Maximiano Junqueira Filho issued a ruling that suggested the player leave the game if he was a homosexual and if he wasn’t to defend himself on the same TV show on which the allegations were made. The government body that oversees judicial ethics in Brazil has demanded an explanation from the judge; however, he has taken a leave of absence with no date for return.
EUROPE
Italy – Hundreds of protestors outside Treviso’s city hall have called for the resignation of deputy mayor, Giancarlo Gentilini over a series of homophobic remarks. 365gay.com reported that the rightwing politician told a local TV station gay cruising was out of control and he would ‘immediately give orders to my forces so that they can carry out ethnic cleansing of faggots.’
Italy – An Iranian lesbian woman has been granted asylum in Italy because going back to Iran may lead to her execution. Pegah Emambakhsh had sought, but was not granted, asylum in the UK in 2005 when she escaped her home country after her partner was arrested, tortured and sentenced to death by stoning.
Poland – Amid increasing criticism from the European Union for its government’s treatment of gays and lesbians, Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski is trying to pass a bill making it a criminal offence to ‘promote homosexual propaganda’ in schools. If passed the bill would essentially censor all discussion of homosexuality in schools and other academic institutions.
