Stories about LGBTQ+ from May, 2006
South Africa: Anthology of lesbian writings
Acoustic Motorbike reviews a newly released Anthology of writings from South African lesbians entitled. “Sometimes X, Sometimes Y” which she describes as “It is a beautiful, moving anthology of personal stories of South African lesbians. There is poetry, stories, letters and autobiography. The anthology deals with issues of coming out,...
Latvia: Second Gay Pride Parade
All About Latvia writes about the politics of this year's gay pride parade (to be held in Riga on July 22): “For political parties who objected the march last year, this will be a chance to win over the hearts of the skeptical public for the fall parliamentary elections by...
Russia: “Moscow Has Lost Its Pride”
Vilhelm Konnander and Ufa Blog discuss the failure to hold the first gay pride parade in Moscow.
Russia: “And You Call It A Gay [Pride] Parade?”
This past Saturday marked the 13th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in Russia, and a number of people attempted to take part in a gay pride parade in Moscow – despite the ban by a city court and mayor Yuri Luzhkov's words from the day before: “As long as...
China: Homosexuality remains illegal
Although having been delisted as a mental disorder in 1997, homosexuality, says law intern-Chinablawger Kevin Fisher posting on a police crackdown in Beijing last year, remains illegal in China. “Is it my right to believe homosexuality is wrong?” Fisher asks. “Certainly. But, so long as homosexual acts do not demonstratably...
Russia: Pogrom Instead of Gay Pride
LJ user greenmih posts photos from the pogrom that took place in Moscow on Saturday instead of the gay pride parade, which had been banned by Moscow's mayor (RUS). Riot police, Orthodox Christians, skinheads and radical nationalists prevented those who did gather despite the ban to proceed and assaulted them....
Costa Rica, Peru: Same-Sex Marriage Ban and Anti-Homophobia Vigil
Rounding up LGBT news in Latin America, Andrés Duque writes that Costa Rica's Constitutional Court ratified a same-sex marriage ban. An anti-homophobia candlelight vigil will take place in Lima, Peru on May 30th.
Bermuda: Breaking news: gay rights amendment defeated
Bermudan MP Renee Webb's private member's bill proposing the amendment of the Human Rights Code to include sexual orientation has just been defeated in the House of Assembly, reports Christian S. Dunleavy. “The Bill was defeated in committee, therefore there was no formal vote in the House and therefore —...
Bermuda: Drag queen defies parade ban
“Local drag artist Mark Anderson joined Bermuda's Heritage Day parade [on Wednesday 24 May] despite a Government prohibition,” reports A Limey in Bermuda. “Good for him…. Mr. Anderson is a gay Bermudian and homosexuals are as much a part of Bermudian society as majorettes and the Bermuda Regiment.” Christian S....
South Asia: Homosexuality and Islam
How does one place sexuality within the larger framework of faith? Morofilm points to a film ‘Name of Allah’ which “With unprecedented access and depth, gay Muslim filmmaker Parvez Sharma brings to light the hidden lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Muslims and goes where the silence has been...
Cayman Islands: Gay cruise song
With another gay-themed cruise ship about to berth at Grand Cayman, Cayman Bobby is amused by the lyrics of a new song by local artist Barefoot Man recounting Caymanians’ attitudes to the last gay cruise to land on the island and points to some local double standards. Cayblogger disagrees, however,...
China: Gays have it better
Laowiseass‘ Lalaoshi looks back on his former life as a columnist for China's English-language weekly 21st Century and being banned then from mentioning homosexuality. “Over the past year,” he writes, “other columns in the same paper have mentioned the topic. It looks like the letter writers and the columnists can...
Guyana: Report on International Day Against Homophobia
Wednesday 17 May was International Day Against Homophobia. Guyana's Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) reports on its programme of commemorative activities: a film screening, a radio discussion, and an interactive forum at the National Library.
Nicaragua: Protesting Sodomy Laws
Dani Santo Domingo, writing from Costa Rica, says that protesters around Latin America stood outside Nicaraguan embassies in Argentina, Chile, México, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay to speak out against the country's anti-sodomy laws. He has posted pictures from most of the protests.
Flying over the Iraqi Blogodrome…
…almost literally (I'm plane-blogging again). I thought about this again and again and there is no other way to describe what passes for government in Iraq. Today I give you some snapshots of a failed state. And this is the subject that dominates the Iraqi blogs. If you read only...
Poland: Gay Activist and Homophobia
rod 2.0:beta writes about Krystian Legierski, “a Polish-born black gay activist. He is 27 years old and the owner of Le Madame, the influential Warsaw club that was recently shut down by the government.” The beatroot cites the U.S. State Department's annual human rights report, which places Poland as the...
Poland: Homophobic Coalition Party Official
The beatroot writes about Wojciech Wierzejski, the homophobic spokesman for the League of Polish Families, one of the three parties that make up Poland’s government coalition.
Costa Rica: Same-Sex Marriage Ban Case
Andrés Duque says that both sides claimed victory in a constitutional court case that challenges Costa Rica's ban on same-sex marriages.
Jamaica: Homophobia or not?
Francis Wade argues that Jamaicans aren't homophobic, but “homo-name-a-phobic”: “the particular kind of homo-related phobia that we have in Jamaica is not of gays themselves, but is instead of ‘being called gay’ … it is a fear that is shared by every single Jamaican, whether they are gay or not”.
Iraq: Shot for being Gay!
14-year-old Ahmed Khalil has been shot, according to witnesses, by Iraqi police officers for being gay. According to his neighbours in the al-Dura area of Baghdad, Khalil was shot at point-blank range, after a scuffle with the police. QArab has the details.