United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says he knows that the Government of Zambia has formed a principled position in promoting and respecting the human rights of all, regardless of age, religion or sexual orientation, in line with the fundamental principles of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights to which Zambia is a signatory.… More Zambia to Welcome Gay Rights
Pillay said it was too soon to say with certainty that Senekal was murdered because he was gay. “We are busy with the investigation, but we obviously can’t rule out any possibility – what about a serial killer in Gauteng, Pretoria, Johannesburg… More Another Gay Man Murdered in Johannesburg
Allegedly tested for HIV without consent, found positive and subsequently dismissed, detained and deported, a South African journalist is attempting to take his case against Qatar to the International Labour Organization (ILO) to change the country’s HIV travel and employment laws.… More South Africans Outraged as Journalist Deported by QATAR because HIV-Positive
Today, lawmakers in St. Petersburg adopted a bill that would impose fines of up to $16,700 for the “promotion of homosexuality.” The bill, if signed in to law by the City Governor in the next 14 days, will criminalize reading, writing, speaking or reporting on anything related to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.… More Anti-Homosexuality Law in St. Petersburg Mobilizes International Gay Lesbian Community
Speech at UN Human Rights Council in Geneva By Melanie Nathan, 02/29/2012 The Human Rights Council in Geneva has heard it from Kamalesh Sharma, the Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations who reiterated this week that homophobia is incompatible with Commonwealth values. This sends a signal from the top that persecution based on sexuality… More Commonwealth Secretary General Condemns Homophobia
By Melanie Nathan, 02/28/2012, JOHANNESBURG -Great excitement hit the gay community in South Africa Monday, when the first ever gay Billboard went up in South Africa, near Melrose Arch on M1 South in Johannesburg. Much to the awe of the empowered LGBTI community in South Africa, the tone is set to ready the country for… More Historic Mr Gay World Billboard Erected in Central Johannesburg
According to IRIN Plus News, Mothers, babies and newly diagnosed HIV patients are receiving more of the services they need but progress comes at a cost, as published in a new report that predicts a funding shortfall for HIV treatment in South Africa. … More SOUTH AFRICA |New Report Progress and costs in HIV AIDS fight
“You see, the mere mention of benefits for same-sex couples on a website, or the mere mention of inclusion of LGBT people in corporate diversity hiring policies, are tantamount to the “promotion” of homosexuality in Uganda, under the AHB!” Melanie Nathan, 02/27/2012, Last week I received a phone call from the folks at Change.org asking… More Barclays Citibank 160,000 People Sign Petition to Speak out Against Kill the Gays in Uganda
My Response to the Ugandan President’s London Interview as noted in Ugandan Daily Monitor. By Melanie Nathan, 02/26/2012 The President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni says Uganda “does not persecute gays, but resents promotion of gay activities.” According to the Uganda Monitor, this is the first time the President, who was in London for a one-day… More Ugandan President Museveni Warns Obama and Cameron on Promotion of Homosexuality
Calling Leaders who believe in Justice and Equality Weak is direct insult to Mandela! Melanie Nathan, 02/26/2012 Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe ended his 88th birthday celebrations with a message for the youth of his country and the rest of Africa, asking them to shun Western values, homosexuality and greed. All this in the context of… More Insulting Mandela While Zimbabwe President Mugabe Tells West to go to Hell
Johannesburg, South Africa – The Mr. Gay World Organization has announced that Taurai Zhanje, the delegate from Zimbabwe has withdrawn from the competition due to .… More Mr Gay Zimbabwe withdraws from Gay World Competition
What would Madiba have said and done about the Anti-homosexuality Bills in Uganda and Liberia? Melanie Nathan , February 25, 2012 While Liberia and Uganda are forging their anti-homosexuality agendas, former South African President Nelson Mandela, 93, who has not been available for some time to advise on ANC policy, was rushed to hospital with… More While Nelson Mandela’s Health an Issue Uganda and Liberia forge Apartheid
U.S. Attorney Kerry B. Harvey has issued an alert to those who intend to commit hate crimes in Central and Eastern Kentucky, with a simple message: “Don’t.” To those who might consider attacking people because of their race or sexual orientation, “They need to understand that they’re playing with fire, that it won’t be tolerated,”… More Kentucky | Feds step up Enforcement of Hate Crimes
By Melanie Nathan, February 25, 2012, In an article by Jim Warren posted on Kentucky.com, Lexington’s Central Baptist Church withdrew from the Elkhorn Baptist Association after its minister’s supportive position on gay and lesbian issues was questioned by a pastor in another association church. The article goes on to note that Rev. Mark Johnson, pastor… More Kentucky Pastor’s Affirming Gays and Lesbians Splits from Baptist Association
By Melanie Nathan, 02/24/2012 I recently read a report fro Gaywheels site that Hyundai, Kia, Porsche, and Suzuki offer no protections or benefits for their LGBT employees. Of the 37 car companies Gaywheels has surveyed, 33 are gay-friendly (at least to some degree). While only four are lagging behind, it is unconscionable considering that every single… More Gaywheels talk KIA, Porsche, as LGBT Americans may be Driving Unfriendly Vehicles
By Melanie Nathan, February, 23, 2012 The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has warned that the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009, if enacted into law in its current state, would institutionalize discrimination against those ‘who are, or thought to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender’ and have noted that it would be contrary to human rights. The Bill… More Ugandan Law Society Speaks out Against The Bahati Anti-Homosexuality Bill
Immigration Equality Seeks to blame Obama Administration for its own ineffectiveness and fainting mission By Melanie Nathan, February 23, 2012 Andrew Harmon at the Advocate reports that The Obama Administration held talks with LGBT groups on January 30, and the “big ask” was rejected. “While the administration has taken affirmative steps in recent months to… More Immigration Equality Fails Binational Same-Sex Couples Again
By Melanie Nathan, February 22, 2012. San Francisco – Speaker Boehner had made an attempt to fight the Karen Golinski’s case in her quest to seek health care benefits from the court when her Federal employer had declined to provide them, citing the Defense of Marriage Act as reason for its denial. The speaker lost… More Speaker Boehner Wastes Taxpayers Money as he Loses to Lesbian in Ruling
Or stop being hypocrites by displaying diversity programs on your websites…. LGBT people who work for Barclays worldwide should be asking their employers to speak out against criminalization of homosexuality before it is too late! This applies to all doing business in Africa! By Melanie Nathan, February 21, 2012, (I first wrote this piece on… More Barclays Bank Must Speak out Against Criminalization of Homosexuality in Uganda and Africa
CA Senator Mark Leno Introduces Bill Reaffirming Religious Freedom . SB 1140 reinforces that no clergy member will be required to perform any marriage that is against his or her belief system. So maybe the religious right can stop whining about lesbian and gay civil rights to marriage equality. by Mel Nathan, February 21st, 2012… More California Senator Mark Leno’s BIll Should Help Thwart Religious Freedom Fears
First viewing of proposed text of bill. By Melanie Nathan, 2/21/2012 Expressed many times on my blog, is the fear that David Bahati’s Kill the Gays Bill, currently before the Ugandan Parliament, could well spread to other parts of Africa , as it is accompanied by the promotion of much anti-gay rhetoric and myth. It… More Liberia New Anti-Homosexuality Bill Text | Death for Gays and Lesbians
Historic participation as Africa continues draconian criminalization of homosexuality by Melanie Nathan, February 21, 2012 For the first time black Africans will participate in the Mr. Gay World contest being held in Johannesburg, South Africa, sending a powerful message of hope to LGBTI people in Africa and the rest of the World. The delegates representing… More Mr Gay World Includes Finalists from Criminalizing African Countries
by Melanie Nathan, February, 19, 2012 Imagine waking up in hospital, after being transported by paramedics to ICU Emergency, in a metropolis such as San Francisco, unconscious, with broken bones and not a single policing authority has any record or clue what happened to you? That is what happened this weekend to Patrick Shortle and… More AIDS Ride Cyclist injured in Hit and Run on Golden Gate Bridge | Authorities Fail to Report
Do Western Activists have a role? This Article explores that question only in part, intending to set up the discussion. By Melanie Nathan, Feb 19, 2012 It seems as if the Ugandan Minister Lokodo thinks he has the right to autocratically order arrests of gays and lesbians before the new (anti-gay) law in Uganda that… More Uganda Persecution of Gays Starts before the Kill the Gays Bill Passage
By Melanie Nathan, February 18, 2012. After an exhilarating morning at the historic signing of WA State’s Marriage Equality Bill by Governor Christine Gregoire, Kristina Lapinski of GAY USA the Movie, and I attended the Rick Santorum rally held in Tacoma, at the Washington Historical Museum’s outdoor amphitheater. Little did we know that we would… More Rick Santorum Stands by as Violence Erupts at Rally – Marriage Equality Filmmakers Attacked
The minister has had the audacity to overtly act out one very reason the impending Anti-Homosexuality Act should not be passed in that country…. by Melanie Nathan, February 14, 2012 Ethics Minister Fr. Simon Lokodo, who recently said nobody would block the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, has today Tuesday blocked n LGBT conference on the shores of… More See Video Update | Ugandan Minister Illegally Kicks Gays out of Luxury Resort in Entebbe
Stephen Tashobya, chair of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of the Ugandan Parliament, declines to promise to return the bill to Parliament within the 45 day period required by Parliament rule and he declined to comment about any pressure from the Executive branch to stall the bill. Stephen Tashobya, chair of the Legal and Parliamentary… More Ugandans May be Back Peddling on Anti-Gay Bill
By Melanie Nathan, February 10, 2012. Proposition 8, the 2008 measure that stripped same-sex couples of the right to marry in California, has now been found by two Federal Courts to be unconstitutional! Prop 8 discriminates against same-sex couples in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. This week a majority from… More AFER VIDEO | Prop 8 Unconstitutional AFER Press Conference Highlights
“If you are Lesbian, when you come to Uganda to entice our young people to join you in the immoral vice of homosexuality, we shall arrest you….” Y. Bihande by Melanie Nathan, 02/10/2012 This week the Ugandan Parliament got one step closer to legalizing persecution in its country. David Bahati, the MP from Nordwa province… More Uganda’s Homophobic Parliament vs Concerned Spiritual leaders | Return of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill |
Ugandan Parliament erupts in applause as Government pretends to distance itself from the kill the Gays Bill by Melanie Nathan, February 09, 2012 We have been reporting for the past ten days about Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality bill of 2009 which has been reintroduced in its original form into the Ugandan 9th Parliament. This Bill includes… More Video Ugandan Parliament Erupts into Applause as Anti-Homosexuality Bill Introduced