Chinese Gay Bar Tackles HIV
A Chinese city government has funded the development and opening of a gay bar to address HIV infection rates and try and reduce spending on AIDS treatment. The Dali City Health Director Jiang Anmin told Beijing News: ‘Each year, the Dali city government spends 20,000 yuan on treatment drugs for AIDS. So if our bar succeeds in reducing transmission, our 120,000 yuan will be well-spent.’ The city has one of the highest infection rates in China and one third of transmissions are believed to occur between men. The bar’s founder Zhang Jianbo told the newspaper that the bar will be aimed at attracting men who live in rural villages, who will be offered free condoms and sex education.
Trans Recognition Before Dail
Trans people in Ireland are hoping their parliament, Dail, will give the green light to new laws to recognise their chosen identity. The laws, proposed by the Green Party, will go before Dail next year. Currently Irish Trans people can have their passport and name changed but not their birth certificate. Transgender Equality Network Ireland spokesperson Cat McIlroy told the Irish Examiner: ‘Many trans people cannot legally marry their partner. It’s also important if you are arrested for a crime in relation to how you are charged and where you are detained.’ Ireland’s governing party Fianna Fail has raised concerns about the law’s impact on financial payments.
Marriage Bill Fails in New York
The New York Senate has rejected a bill guaranteeing equal marriage rights to same-sex couples on a vote of 24 to 38. The bill would have made New York the sixth state to provide equal marriage rights to gay couples. A number of African-American and Jewish senators spoke in favour of the bill. ‘This is not just for the gay and lesbian community,’ said Senator Suzi Oppenheimer, a Jewish Democrat from Mamaroneck. ‘It is for all of us, a measure of our humanity.’ New York residents who get married in another state or country can still have their same-sex marriages recognised in New York.
Top Gear Revs Gay Discrimination?
Popular BBC TV series Top Gear has been accused of discrimination after a gay couple was prevented from attending a recording of the show. The Daily Mail reported that Simon Reeves, 26, of Surrey and his partner had their ticket application turned down because of a rule that bookings had to be made for two men and two women. Reeves told the newspaper: ‘Top Gear is the blokiest show on telly but we weren’t allowed unless we took a couple of female friends.’ However a BBC spokeswoman told the newspaper that gay couples were welcome and the split was designed ‘to avoid the entire audience being made up of men’.
‘Lesbian Lovers’ Given the Boot
Two players for the Netherlands female soccer team have allegedly been given the boot because they were lovers, Dutch newspapers have reported. Netherlands coach Vera Pauw allegedly removed players Dyanne Bito and Claudia van den Heiligenberg for ‘personal reasons’. Pauw told Dutch newspaper AD the duo’s behaviour ‘was not having a positive influence on the performances’ and she told a news website, ‘even if Claudia had been performing perfectly I still would have had to remove her from the squad together with Dyanne’. The pair has refused to comment saying it was ‘private’.
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