Oreo posts photo of pride Oreo on Facebook, causes controversy
Oreo posted this image to their official Facebook Page in support of pride weekend, which caused some of their Facebook fans to speak up — both for and against it.
Mormon group shows its support in Salt Lake City gay parade
Erika Munson, 52, a devout Mormon and mother of five, founded the group Mormons Building Bridges and led it in the annual Utah Pride Parade in support of the gay community. She had grown uncomfortable with the image of their church as anti-gay.
“I feel like this is the time to speak up. I’ve always felt like I was supportive in my own way of the LGBT community but I’ve had to keep that and my commitment for the church separate,” she said, using a common term for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people…
The Mormon group in Sunday’s parade waved signs saying “LDS (loves) LGBT” and drew cheers from bystanders lining the route, just blocks from the Mormon Church headquarters. They marched in suits and conservative dresses and were in stark contrast to the thousands of other participants.
The revelers ranged from supporters of Planned Parenthood to members of the Queer Utah Aquatic Club who danced along the street wearing only swimming suits, bow ties and top hats. A man who went by the name of Penelope Pap Smear marched in a pink dress.
Sharon Griffiths, 58, a lesbian and former Mormon who recently lost a gay nephew to suicide, said she was grateful for the Mormon representation in the parade.
“My heart is absolutely full in gratefulness that this Christ-like love they talk about in church, I see here in action today,” said Griffiths, who came out in the 1970s after years of being active in the church.
Transsexual artist Titica takes Angola by storm
She is bold, she is bright, she is beautiful and she is taking Angola by storm. Not bad for a transsexual in a Catholic African country where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by hard labour.
Respect gay rights, UN's Ban tells African leaders
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in an unusually outspoken declaration on Sunday, told African leaders they must respect gay rights, an issue that is controversial in many African states.
“One form of discrimination ignored or even sanctioned by many states for too long has been discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity,” Ban said at an African Union summit in the Ethiopian capital.
“It prompted governments to treat people as second-class citizens or even criminals,” he added.
Homosexuality is outlawed in most African countries and discrimination against gays and lesbians is rife on the continent, with South Africa being the only country that recognises gay rights and same-sex marriage, at least on paper.
However, previous external criticism of restrictions imposed on homosexuals has attracted angry responses from African leaders, who claim it is alien to their culture.
With all due respect, I think the various LGBTQI communities in Turkey can handle this themselves. All of these petitions asking people in the west to meddle in the affairs of other countries are extremely problematic, and show that there are still plenty of people around that think that those poor, helpless people in third world or developing countries could never possibly succeed in demanding their rights on their terms without our help and guidance. Somebody please correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t remember seeing a plea for help coming from Turkey asking others to interfere. It’s one thing to support, it’s another to directly intervene. Orientalism and imperialism at its finest.
We just helped legalize gay marriage in New York, why don’t we continue focus our attention on other issues THAT ARE STILL AFFECTING US OVER HERE?
It isn’t about meddling in the affairs of other countries, it’s an attempt to urge governments to ensure that their citizens are adequately protected. Given Turkey’s poor human rights record when it comes to protecting LGBT citizens, I don’t think it’s unreasonable that concerned citizens from other countries would feel the need to speak out in support of LGBT rights and welfare.
This petition expresses support for an anti-discrimination law that was drawn up within the Turkish parliament. A proposed Turkish law. It does not attempt to push the laws of any Western country on the people of Turkey, it simply states that human rights activists around the world (as Amnesty International is an organization active in every region of the globe) support this proposed law and hope that the Turkish parliament passes it so that LGBT citizens will be more thoroughly protected.
And yes, Turkish activists are doing quite a bit to protect themselves and push their government to improve the human rights record. But given that human rights activists within Turkey have been prosecuted for their work by the government and freedom of speech has often been stifled, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the international community expressing support for increased rights.
Also: human rights violators throughout the world constantly rely on these arguments of “meddling” to deflect criticism. And if a country isn’t to be held accountable for their human rights record, perhaps they shouldn’t commit themselves to international human rights laws as Turkey has.
The threat of violence is real. My father once pulled a gun and pointed it at my face during a fight about my homosexuality. Eight years later, my relationship with my family is still strained; I have been living on my own since I was 17, and I’m monitored by my father during any conversation with my siblings to make sure I don’t spread the gayness around. The fictional Amina’s fictional father, who was so supportive of her lesbianism, is something I long for. It is something I dream of…
Listen to the sounds of the real struggle from real people. But don’t lose your trust with those trying to create a real movement in Syria’s LGBT community — we need your help now more than ever. Don’t let some dude pecking away at a keyboard in the dark in the comfort of his house in Scotland take your attention away from the real story.” The Dark Closet: Don’t let the Amina hoax distract attention from the plight of the real gay community in Syria
Court fines S. African envoy over hate speech
South Africa’s High Commissioner to Uganda Jon Qwelane was yesterday convicted by Johannesburg Equality Court for hate speech and fined $14,450 (Shs34.5m), according to media reports.
Mr Qwelane, posted to Kampala last year, was ordered to apologise unconditionally to the gay and lesbian community over his July 20, 2008 article in the Sunday Sun, where he was a columnist, bullishly titled: “Call me names, but gay is NOT okay.”
The court found the article and accompanying cartoon amounted to hate speech, propagating hatred and harm as a result of which homosexuals experienced “emotional pain and suffering”, The Mail & Guardian reported online.
A top South African High Commission official in Kampala last night said only envoy Qwelane, whom we were unable to reach by press time, could comment on the “personal” matter. “He wrote the (Sunday Sun) article before he was appointed a high commissioner,” the official, who asked not be named for protocol reasons, said, unsure about the likely career ramification of yesterday’s verdict.
South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation tasked Mr Qwelane to sort out himself. Spokesman Clayson Monyela was quoted as saying: “The ruling is a personal matter he will have to deal with. We have taken notes of the decision of the court. We respect the decision. The South African Constitution is very clear on the rights of gays and lesbians … we will defend their rights in this country.”
Unlike much of Africa where same-sex relation or marriage is proscribed, the Rainbow Nation’s liberal laws permit homosexuality, explaining why the article was criticised by activists as “inflammatory”.
LGBT Organizations Urge Orbitz To Drop Fox News
LGBT organizations Courage Campaign, GLAAD and Equality Matters join DropFox in asking Orbitz to cease sponsoring Fox News due to Fox’s long history of anti-LGBT bigotry.
You can sign the letter to Orbitz and add your voice to future DropFox campaigns here.
A Dad Testifies for His Transgender Teen Daughter
In Maine, proposed bill LD 1046 would allow the operator of a restroom or shower facility in that state to decide who can use which gender’s restroom based upon “biological sex.” One father of a transgender daughter spoke before the Maine Judiciary Committee about this bill:
My name is Wayne Maines, I live in Old Town. I have a 13-year-old transgender daughter. In the beginning, I was not onboard with this reality. Like many of you I doubted transgender children could exist, I doubted my wife and I doubted our counselors and doctors. However I never doubted my love for my child. It was only through observing her pain and her suffering and examining my lack of knowledge about these issues did I begin to question my behavior and my conservative values. I learned that the medical standard of care requires parents seek assistance from a panel of experts. We did this and our team of doctors recommended my daughter to live fully as a girl. We cannot turn back now.
When my daughter lost her privileges at school and both children and adults targeted her, I knew I had to change and I have never looked back.
When we moved to Maine, it was clear my daughter was transitioning from male to female with us or without us. She used the girl’s bathroom with no fanfare; she was confident and very social. Her strong personality helped the entire school transition right along side of her. She was proud and secure with herself and when people asked at the young age of six she openly stated that she was a girl trapped in a boy’s body.
The transformation was amazing, but her happiness would not last. Unfortunately the fears of others would destroy everything that our team of doctors, teachers, school counselors, friends and classmates had work so hard to establish.
I know that it is difficult for some of you to understand the needs of transgender children. You only need to spend some time with these kids to see that they are struggling and suffering beyond your imagination only because they are singled out and misunderstood. They are just like your children and grandchildren; they have the same hopes and the same dreams.
In the fifth grade because of significant negative exposure we had to take drastic measures to protect her from harm, including splitting our family up to go in hiding and we are not the only family that has had to do so. When she was told she could no longer use the appropriate bathroom her confidence and self-esteem took a major hit. Prior to this my daughter often said, “Dad being transgender is no big deal, my friends and I have it under control.” I was very proud of her. It was only when adults became involved with their unfounded fears that her world would be turned upside down. “She came to me crying and asked, “Daddy what did I do wrong? Daddy please fix this?” That is what dads do — we fix things. I had to break her heart and say, “You have not done anything wrong sweetie, but Mommy and I do not know how to fix this, but we will try.”
Continuing to single these kids out is not necessary. Having the opportunity to use the bathrooms of their true gender is essential for these kids’ well being. This bill places transgender children in a position of doom and hopelessness. This bill tells my daughter that she does not have the same rights as her classmates and reinforces her opinion that she has no future. Help me give her the future she deserves. Do not pass this bill.
“Getting Out,” a 60 minute documentary produced by the Refugee Law Project in collaboration with the Ugandan Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights & Constitutional Law, explores the reality that for many LGBTI Africans coming out to family and friends at home is not even an option. Before they can come out, they first have to get out. This means not only finding means to escape the political forces promoting homophobia at home, but also dealing with the hypocrisies and failings of asylum systems around the world. Filmed in Uganda, South Africa, Geneva, and London, with supporting footage from Malawi and Zimbabwe, “Getting Out” depicts the true stories of five individuals navigating their way through this complex issue.
ifonlyyouknewwhatyouwantedtosay:
Arson burns down lesbians’ home.
Carol Ann and Laura Stutte are a same-sex couple who have been together for more than 16 years. They celebrated an anniversary weekend, only to return to find that their dream home has been burned to the ground in an anti- gay hate crime. Their insurance company definitely delayed payment on the damages.
In September, an arsonist destroyed their home to mere ashes, leaving only a garage standing. On the side of the garage, the arsonists spray-painted the word “QUEERS” in big, black letters. A month before the arson, Carol Ann and Laura received several homophobic threats, including being told by a neighbor:
“Do you know what is better than one dead queer? Two dead queers.”
Five months after their house was torched to the ground, Carol Ann and Laura have not received a single penny from their home insurance company — American National Property and Casualty (ANPAC). Facing financial disaster, the Stuttes have been forced to make mortgage payments and insurance payments — or else be dropped by the company.
Carol Ann and Laura need your support right now.
Sign the Petition to tell ANPAC to honor their policy and help the Stuttes rebuild their lives.
REBLOG TO SPREAD THE WORD.
Stop exporting hate in the name of religion!
A Ugandan gay rights advocate was bludgeoned to death in his home this week. His name had been among those listed in an anti-gay magazine, under the headline “Hang them!” Right-wing U.S. extremists have fueled a climate of hatred in Uganda – and it’s got to stop. Stoking fires of hostility isn’t religion – it’s blasphemy. Tell Lou Engle, Scott Lively, and Carl Ellis Jenkins to stop exporting hate in the name of religion.
