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IDAHOT Around the World | The good, the bad, and the ugly

By Cathy Kristofferson, May 18, 2013 The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia – IDAHO, IDAHOT, IDAHOBIT or however you like it – annually celebrated on May 17, was conceived in 2004 to commemorate the World Health Organization’s decision to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in 1990. This year over 100 […]

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USAID announces LGBT Global Development Partnership

$11 million, four-year initiative to further LGBT equality worldwide By Cathy Kristofferson, April 08, 2013 Following the United Nations’ historic resolution endorsing LGBT human rights in 2011, President Obama issued a mandate to all agencies involved with foreign aid and development to “enhance their ongoing efforts with governments, citizens, civil society, and the private sector […]

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On Holocaust Memorial Day ‘Never Again’ Applies to Gays Persecuted Around the World

“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”  Elie Wiesel By Melanie Nathan, January 27, 2013. Holocaust Memorial Day  is commemorated throughout different parts of the world, each year on Jan. 27, the day of liberation from Auschwitz. It is […]

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Israeli Politicians Vow Equality

Israel’s politicians give an unprecedented pledge to legislate pro gay laws  Representative of Israeli political parties promise more action on LGBT rights during a panel debating the upcoming elections and gay rights 06 January 2013 | By Dan Littauer, Shabi Gatenio During a political panel organized by the Aguda, Israel’s largest LGBT rights group, representatives […]

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New Israeli Gay Film Follows Yossi and Jagger

Yossi revisited with Israeli director Eytan Fox Israeli director Eytan Fox’s Yossi & Jagger (2002) was one of the most memorable of gay films, a tale of truly star-crossed lovers—soldiers in the Israeli army. It ended heartbreakingly with the death of Jagger, and for anyone who has ever wondered what became of his partner, Fox’s […]

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Israel MP performs gay marriages as protest

To protest claims same-sex marriage will destroy the Jewish people Mock gay weddings preformed outside Tel Aviv’s Rabbinical court in protest of a ring-wing religious candidate stating that they would destroy the Jewish people 04 January 2013 | By Dan Littauer, Andrew Potts, VIA GAYSTAR News Following a statement by a religious right-wing electoral candidate […]

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Publisher issues apology to Peter Tatchell for Scott Long distortions

By Melanie Nathan, NOVEMBER 27, 2012. This Post has been provided by well known UK based activist Peter Tatchell.  One of the reasons I am posting it here is to make my own statement as follows:- While I cannot speak to the intricacies and facts of this particular post, I feel I must note that […]

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Who is Hamas

Posted by Melanie Nathan, November 22, 2012. Hamas is a Palestinian fundamentalist Islamic terror organization and is considered such by the governments of the U.S., Israel, the U.K., and the European Union. During the last 10 days, over half of Israel’s population, about 5 million people, suffered from rockets launched from Gaza into Israel. Gaza is ruled by Hamas. Hamas Terrorists Firing Rockets […]

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Israel bombarded by rockets and mortars assassinates Hamas leader

Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest Advisory: Since the beginning of the year, more than 800 rockets and mortar shells have been fired at Israel, a record amount since the end of Operation Cast Lead (January 2009). This peak is similar to the attacks that occurred in 2007-8. More than 125 missiles and […]

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Kuwait Police Target Transgender People with Eleven Jailed

Eleven transgender people arrested in Kuwait morality campaign  -and counting, as even private parties are not safe. On 10 December 2007, the Kuwaiti parliament passed a bill proposed by Islamic MPs that amended article 198 of penal code so that anyone ‘imitating the appearance of a member of the opposite sex’ could be jailed for […]

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My Jewish Daughters

Why Jews Should NOT Vote for Mitt Romney

Protecting Medicare and Social Security, fighting for good jobs and a clean environment, standing up for women’s rights and equality are Jewish values. By Melanie Nathan, October 21, 2012. When Anne Romney had the audacity to tout her husband’s religious escapade as ‘The Mission,’ as if akin to serving in the U.S. military, she gave […]

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Seattle to Screen Film about Palestinian Gays Fleeing to Israel

Posted by Melanie Nathan, Oct 06, 2012. A Wider Bridge and Hillel UW will host a screening of “The Invisible Men” and a discussion with its director, Israeli filmmaker Yariv Mozer. The film won the Special Jury Award at Tel Aviv’s international documentary film festival “ Doc Aviv 2012” in and the Outstanding Documentary Feature […]

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AIDS 2012 to Discuss HIV and World Travel Bans

Dr Paul de Lay, Deputy Executive Director of the UNAIDS Programme said “Every individual should have the right to freedom of movement, regardless of their HIV status. UNAIDS is opposed to any restriction imposed on people living with HIV and restricting movement only on the basis of their HIV status. These restrictions are discriminatory.”

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World Refugee Day Highlights Failure to Protect LGBTI Refugees

First survey of international refugee assistance organizations finds widespread failures to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex refugees. Posted by Melanie Nathan, June 18, 2012. San Francisco – As increasing numbers of refugees flee persecution because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, the Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration (ORAM) and Indiana University […]

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United Kingdom Publishes New Human Rights Report

By Melanie Nathan, April 30, 2012. While the United States has yet to publish its annual (2011)  Human Rights Report, the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office issued its  392 page report on human rights today and  the LGBT section can be found at page 68 as follows:- Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights The Government is […]

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ORAM Releases New Publication to help LGBT Refugees and Asylees

By Melanie Nathan, April 19, 2012 The Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration (ORAM) released its latest publication entitled ‘Rainbow Bridges: A Community Guide to Rebuilding the Lives of LGBTI Refugees and Asylum Seekers. ‘ This is the first guide of its kind directed at the United States lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender and affirming […]

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Israel Passing Law Against Skinny Models

By Melanie Nathan, April 06, 2012. A new Israeli law is trying to fight the spread of eating disorders by banning underweight models from local advertising and requiring publications to disclose when they use altered images to make women and men appear thinner. The law, passed late Monday, appears to be the first attempt by […]

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Video Seattle City Council Meeting LGBT Commission Regarding their Discrimination Against Israeli LGBT Guests

Incompetency of the Seattle LGBT Commission highlighted by the Council member questions at the end of the discussion in Video By Melanie Nathan Watch the apology and the dramatic and emotional testimony given by leaders from the Seattle LGBT and Jewish community to the Seattle City Council ( Public Safety, Civil Rights and Technology Committee […]

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Seattle LGBT Commission Issues Apology to Israeli Guests But Should Still Resign

The Seattle City LGBT Commissions has issued a formal apology, by posting it on Facebook, to the LGBT public and the Israeli AILO group, as can be seen below, for its actions in cancelling an event that in essence served to boycott and silence the visiting group from Israel.

It admits the “pain, offense

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FireShot Screen Capture #363 - 'Greater Seattle Business Association' - www_thegsba_org

Greater Seattle Business Association Outraged by Seattle LGBT Commission

Reacting to last week’s cancellation of a meeting with Israeli equality delegates,the Greater Seattle Business Association, the largest LGBT chamber of commerce in the United States with over 1000 members, wrote a letter to the City of Seattle LGBT Commission, to express their outrage at the commission’s decision to “silence LGBT voices by cancelling the City Hall event with a delegation of Israeli LGBT civil rights leaders.”

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Muslim Lesbian Couple Fight Deportation in Canada in Fear of Honor Killing

An Arab-Israeli lesbian couple, who fled to Canada from Israel in fear of death at the hands of their Muslim family have been told they can remain in Canada for another chance at receiving asylum, according to the  Toronto Sun newspaper. Iman Musa and Majida Mugrabi, living in Toronto, filed unsuccessful refugee claims that were […]

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US LGBT Academic Delegation Guilty of Pro-Palestinian Pinkwashing

Or who is Pinkwashing the Projected Projectiled Pinkwashers By Melanie Nathan, 03/17/2012 There has been a recent spate of targeted attacks on Israeli LGBT community and leadership visits in the USA.  The attempts to squash the meetings of all and any Israeli LGBT visitors, regardless of purpose and commonality has been helmed by a group […]

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United Arab Emirates LGBT Reports possible Gay Arrests

Dan Littauer, Editor GME, 16.3.2012 The United Arab Emirates Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender group has received reports that 30 people who are believed may be gay were arrested in private ‘after’ party last at 5am, last Friday (9 March) in the Shangri La Hotel, Dubai. It was said the party was ambushed and all present were […]

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seattle

Seattle LGBT Commission’s Boycott of Israeli LGBTI Guests Opens Wounds

By Melanie Nathan and Scott Rose, 03/16/2012 Caving to protests by a small anti-Israel and anti-Jewish contingency, using the guise of so called pinkwashing,  the  Seattle City LGBT Commission has silenced the voices of its Israeli LGBT guests  from the coalition Group AILO,  by cancelling, with less than 24 hours notice,  a dialogue event which […]

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Seattle LGBT Commission Shuts Down Israel’s LGBT Voice

The unconscionable shutting down of gay, lesbian and transgender voices by our own community cannot be tolerated, for any reason whatsoever – I take blogger’s license – I am sad and disgusted! By Melanie Nathan 03/15/2012 Reports have come in from the Seattle commission’s meeting tonight that in an act of unprecedented cowardice the Seattle […]

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Seattle University Assistant Law Professor Attempts to Silence Visiting Israeli LGBT Voices

Denying dialogue is a means to foster hate … By Melanie Nathan, 03/14/2012 In the midst of a visit to the West Coast by a delegation of Israeli LGBT leaders, is a small group of  US anti-Israel proponents determined to silence the visitors. Leading this effort to silence the equality activists from Israel is  an […]

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Iraqi Gay and Emo Murders San Francisco Castro to Hold Vigils Protesting

 No genocide in Iraq, Never Again! The World must scream – Americans have a great responsibility By Melanie Nathan, 03/12/2012 Up to a 100 gay and ‘Emo’ youth have been massacred in Iraq, some reports indicate it has been ordered and supported by police and state officials.”  The Government itself seems complicit and that has […]

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Horrific Reports of Emo and Gay Massacres in IRAQ and Bush Legacy

Is this the Free Iraq the U.S. Bush War Anticipated, noting his Administration’s participation in Sharia law included in IRAQI Constitution. See Petition – By Melanie Nathan, 03/10/2012, I never understood the Bush Iraq war. It never made sense to me. I always knew we were there under false pretenses, that George W. Bush had […]

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Muslim Groups Oppose United Nations stand on Human Right To Sexuality

Tomorrow the UN debates Human Rights for LGBT people By Melanie Nathan, 03/06/2012, For us in the USA, “gay rights” is associated with the debate over equality and is about whether LGBTI people should be allowed to marry, adopt, serve in the military, be subject to baseless firing from jobs. Yet others in the World […]

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Last US Military Convoy Departs Iraq

Reports of Iraqi Gays Kidnapped, Tortured and Murdered

The threats gave the individuals, whose names and ages were listed, four days to stop their behavior or else face the wrath of God, and were to be carried out by the Mujahedin.
According to sources inside Iraq,as reported apparently by IGHLRC, as the result of this new surge of anti-gay violence close to 40 people have been kidnapped, brutally tortured and murdered.

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