by Cathy Kristofferson, June 28, 2013 Today 5 same-gender couples applied for marriage licenses in the registry office in the Admiralty Side, a district of St. Petersburg, Russia. Officials at the registry explained that the licenses are only intended for couples of opposite gender and sent them on their way. This is a bold move in […]
Poland Pride’s success dampened by first openly gay PM assault
By Cathy Kristofferson, June 17, 2013 Saturday about 8 thousand marched in Poland’s annual Equality Parade, Parada Równości 2013, under the slogan ‘Fully-fledged Diversity’. Since Poland has become more accepting these days, the organizers decided to march for Russia and Eastern Europe where the LGBT communities are currently under attack. Prior to the parade bout […]
Idaho GOP resolves to reverse gay rights
By Cathy Kristofferson, June 16,2013 Idaho, like other states, has gained some protections for its LGBT community through municipal ordinances banning discrimination in housing and employment. It seems the Idaho State GOP just can’t stand that fact! Yesterday at their annual Central Committee summer meeting the Republican Party leaders of Idaho passed a non-binding resolution […]
Julian Bond gives powerful statement opposing ENDA’s religious exemptions
“Religious liberty, contrary to what opponents of racial equality argued then and LGBT equality argue now, is not a license to use religion to discriminate.” By Cathy Kristofferson, June 14, 2013 Back in April when the 2013 version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) was introduced into Congress we posted here and here on OBLOGDEE […]
Taksim Gezi Park LGBT activists beaten arrested delivering food and medicine
“What is wrong to be humankind?” By Cathy Kristofferson, June 12, 2013 This morning I saw a post in my Facebook news feed from Istanbul LGBT Onur Haftası/ Istanbul LGBT Pride Week requesting desperately needed motorcycle helmets for the LGBT BLOCK at Taksim Gezi Park. I was really trying to figure how to beam them my helmet […]
Guyana: Challenge to colonial era cross-dressing ban after 7 convicted
1893 law that makes it a criminal offense for men to wear female attire and for women to wear male attire “in any public way or public place, for any improper purpose.” By Cathy Kristofferson, June 06, 2013 Queue up another constitutional challenge outcome to await, this time from Guyana. On May 10th and June 4th […]
Outrage while Google still deciding if to close the Door of Hope ex-gay cure App
“Despite what you may have heard elsewhere, you do not have a ’homosexual gene,’ nor were you born this way with no hope of freedom.” Gay Community where is the ourtage – This app being available is not new news, but Google REFUSING to take it down even after Apple has ought to be big […]
Turkey’s ruling party says LGBTs ‘immoral’
“Isn’t there a place in Turkey for LGBT’s?” By Cathy Kristofferson, June 1, 2013 Just before Turkey exploded onto the international news scene with the current uprising in Taskim Square now labeled #OccupyGezi , we received a request to publicize the police suppression of this year’s Istanbul Gay Pride March which we did here. While […]
ZERO LGBT protections with $44.9 BILLION in profits
Now it is our turn to be heard – read on… By Cathy Kristofferson, May 29, 2013 Once again today, as they have done for the past 14 consecutive years, ExxonMobil shareholders voted down non-discrimination protections for the company’s LGBT employees. This year the vote was 81-19%, the lowest vote for non-discrimination in all those […]
DEAD WRONG LGBT Publisher Refuses to Tell Binational Story
We as a community cannot reject the most vulnerable amongst us | Binational same-sex couples have already paid the heaviest price By Melanie Nathan, May 28, 2013. I started my advocacy work and writing the stories about the horrendous plight of same-sex binational couples back in 2009, when faced with the possible deportation of my […]
Moscow Gay Rights Rally ends in violence and arrests
By Cathy Kristofferson, May 25, 2013 Update May 26 – Video add down below We reported earlier here on OBLOGDEE about Ukraine’s 1st ever Gay Pride March happily occurring despite multiple political attempts to derail it. The folks in Moscow were not so lucky. Today in the Russian capital of Moscow, activists and opponents clashed in an unsanctioned […]
Boy Scouts resolution for vote tomorrow only perpetuates homophobia
No youth may be denied membership, but what about the adults… By Cathy Kristofferson, May 22, 2013 Since 1910, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have sought to “train youth in responsible citizenship, character development, and self-reliance through participation in a wide range of outdoor activities, educational programs, and, at older age levels, career-oriented programs in partnership […]
A lesson in Human Rights for us all
By Melanie Nathan, May 20, 2013. What are human rights? Can you answer that question? See what people from around the world answered when asked and then learn the basics in this 10 minute video. Your comments are most valued whether in public or private. No one has ever tackled the USA for breaching the […]
First Pride ever in Moldova | Huge Scott Lively Fail
On 19 May, the first Pride March was held in Chisinau, Moldova. By Cathy Kristofferson, May 19, 2013 I just saw this on twitter and cheered out loud: First Pride March held in Moldova http://t.co/NGwq6Bepbr%5B@Eastbook_en%5D EurAlmanac16:15 I cheered not only because I was thrilled for the Moldovan LGBT community, but also for the bitter defeat […]
9 years of Marriage Equality for Massachusetts and no Apocalypse yet
Happy Anniversary Massachusetts By Cathy Kristofferson, May 17, 2013 We here in Massachusetts are waiting. Waiting for the sky to fall, the apocalypse to occur, the locusts to swarm. We have been waiting 9 long years now. Nine years and over 19,000 same-gender couples’ marriages later and none of the promised catastrophes have occurred! We remember May […]
Belize: Final thoughts from the Caleb Orozco v. The Attorney General Case
By Cathy Kristofferson, May 14, 2013 The dust has now settled a bit in Belize after last week’s whirlwind 4 day trial of the Caleb Orozco v. The Attorney General. The case challenged the constitutionality of Section 53, a law inherited from the colonial legal system, that criminalizes same gender sexual conduct in Belize. The case brought […]
Belize anti-sodomy penal code trial wraps-up its final day
By Cathy Kristofferson, May 10, 2013 Court opened for the fourth day in the Caleb Orozco v. The Attorney General of Belize trial challenging the constitutionality of the Section 53 anti-sodomy penal code trial. The Churches continued their claim that social issues such as public morality and health do not belong before the court. Once again […]
Belize Attorney General argues to maintain anti-sodomy penal code
By Cathy Kristofferson, May 09, 2013 Day Three of the Caleb Orozco v. The Attorney General of Belize trial challenging the constitutionality of the Section 53 anti-sodomy penal code started with chatter in the courtroom about the Claimant Caleb Orosco’s home being vandalized: This came on top of new reports last night on Belize Channel 5 […]
Belize Court hears Closing argument in Penal code anti-Sodomy case
By Cathy Kristofferson, May 08, 2013. Today, on Day Two of Caleb Orozco and the United Belize Advocacy Movement’s (UBIBAM) constitutional challenge of Belize’s Section 53 anti-sodomy law, lead attorney Christopher Smith‐Hamel SC, made his closing arguments. During his closing, he quoted Bishop Desmond Tutu, the Anglican humanitarian leader from South Africa: “’Our lesbian and gay brothers and sisters […]
Opening Arguments in Belize Urge Supreme Court to Uphold the Constitution
By Cathy Kristofferson, May 07, 2013 Today began the four day constitutionality challenge trial of Belize’s Section 53 anti-sodomy law in their Supreme Court. I have been watching the #UNIBAM twitter feed all afternoon (Belize = CST) for wonderful live-tweeting from Asa DeMatteo and now have been emailed (thank you!) the Press Release for Day One. […]
Re-introduction of the Every Child Deserves a Family Act
By Cathy Kristofferson, May 07, 2013. Tomorrow, the Every Child Deserves a Family Act (ECDF) will be re-introduced in Congress. The Act would ban discrimination in adoption or foster care placement based on the marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity of the potential parent, or the sexual orientation or gender identity of the child. […]
Belize Government and Christian right fight Supreme Court Challenge to decriminalize homosexuality
Getting rid of the old British Colonial penal code criminalizing homosexuality in Central America… By Cathy Kristofferson, May 05, 2013 The nation of Belize, bordered by Mexico and Guatemala, is the last country in Central America where homosexual acts are still illegal and punishable by long prison terms. But that could change for Belize and set […]
The Special Rights Battleground of ENDA and Immigration Reform
Seems to be exactly where the Religious Right is digging in these days. By Cathy Kristofferson, May 02, 2013. Two legislative initiatives now underway on Capital Hill greatly underscore the fact that it is the Religious Right who is seeking ‘special rights’ not the LGBT community, as we are so often accused. The Comprehensive Immigration […]
Understanding those very grave concerns about ENDA’s religious exemption
By Cathy Kristofferson, April 29, 2013 Here on this BLOG Thursday, we reported that directly preceding the introduction of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) of 2013, a press release came out expressing “very grave concerns” about the religious exemption clause contained in the Bill. The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, the National Center for […]
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 will be introduced with problems
Employment protections bill introduced for the 20th time… but will expanded religious exemptions doom ENDA before it’s even reintroduced? By Cathy Kristofferson, April 25, 2013 The 2013 version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) will be introduced into Congress today by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in the Senate and Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) in the […]
NOM’s new “Right to Refuse Service” campaign harkens to pre-Civil Rights days
And you thought refusal of service ended in 1964 with the Civil Rights Act… By Cathy Kristofferson, April 23, 2013 In Massachusetts one of the legislative campaigns we are working on is the Act Relative to Equal Access in Hospitals, Public Transportation, Nursing Homes, Supermarkets, Retail Establishments, and all other places open to the public. […]
Boy Scouts Apartheid is bigotry not evolutionary
Apartheid in the Boy Scouts Movement is not the way to evolve By Cathy Kristofferson, April 21, 2013 I keep seeing articles and posts about how great it is that the Boy Scouts are now, once again, considering allowing gay scouts (an idea that was proposed and went down in flames not that long ago) […]
Dutch Pride flags at half mast, thousands set to protest Putin visit
Putin’s proposed ban on homosexual ‘promotion’ just as Scott Lively drew it up… By Cathy Kristofferson, April 08, 2013 Update from Amsterdam press conference: When asked today about whether gay rights are violated in Russia, in true bigot form Putin responded with a comparison to pedophilia: “Can you imagine an organization promoting pedophilia in Russia? […]
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