Stories about LGBTQ+ from May, 2008
India: Homosexuality and the Law
Law and Other Things reflects on the litigation strategy in a case that could have an impact on the legal perspective of homosexuality in India.
Jamaica: Gays and Golding
Kadene Porter at Jamaica's Abeng News Magazine analyzes the Prime Minister's controversial BBC interview in which he said that there would be no gays in his Cabinet: “It is rather strange that this single issue has come to define the morals of a people, considering the heinous nature of crimes...
Cayman Islands: Not Here?
Cayblogger responds to a mainstream media editorial by examining the Cayman Islands’ attitude towards homosexuality and crime: “There have been, what… five murders in Cayman this year to only one ‘gay kiss?’ Which means that we, as a society, are less tolerant of a gay kiss than of a murder.”
Libya: Double Standards
From Libya, Abaalhasan [Ar] objects to the police's inaction against a group of gays who were standing outside a bar and disturbing passers-by and asks: why does the government crackdown on any voice of opposition but not on those who go against the norms of society? It is not clear...
Japan: Experiences at IDAHO
On the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO), Japanese LGBT communities organized several events and street activities in several cities across the country. With a slogan of “Yes to sexual diversity” (多様な性にYES!), various groups broadcast messages promoting a society where differences and diversity are accepted and respected.
Jamaica, Caribbean: No gays in Golding's government
Bloggers around the Caribbean respond to Jamaican prime minister Bruce Golding's assertion that there is no room in his Cabinet for homosexuals.
Jamaica: Homophobic Talk?
The Jamaican Prime Minister's comments on BBC‘s HARDTalk programme spur blogger Francis Wade to make a few comments of his own: “Golding…candidly responded that he would not have a gay person in his cabinet. His distaste and contempt seemed palpable to me. I imagined Jamaicans looking on with pride…I imagined...
Serbia: More on Eurovision
Anegdote comments on Eurovision: “But gay in the original sense of the word: happy, cheerful, was Bosnian song, which gets all my regards for not being a yet another stupid once-upon-a-time-turbo-folk-now-ethno-pop cry for euthanasia.”
Serbia: Belgrade Cab Drivers; Eurovision
Inno & Irja Blog – on Belgrade's cab drivers and the Eurovision Song Contest.
Armenia: Human Rights Activist Attacked
Unzipped: Gay Armenia reports that a local human rights activist was verbally and physically assaulted in Yerevan today as well as shot at with a gas pistol. The assault was reportedly carried out by the former leader of a pro-establishment party who accused the activist of being a “CIA agent...
Uganda: Being gay in Uganda
Being gay in Uganda is like banging your head against the wall: “Can you imagine how hard it is realizing that you are gay, growing up and realizing that your sexual orientation is different in such a society, where ‘officially’ sex is a taboo subject, demonized. And on television and...
Armenia: Sirusho Eurovision Update
Unzipped Gay Armenia says that Sirusho, the country's entry in this week's Eurovision Song Contest, is the best yet and stands a good chance of winning the international song contest. The blog also says that if she does, next year's Eurovision would be held in Yerevan and attract the attention...
Poland: Homophobia
Raf Uzar reports that the Polish president “has managed to get himself inaugurated into the infamous HRW Hall of Shame for being homophobic.”
Serbia: Eurovision
Belgrade 2.0 writes about the Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade.
Sri Lanka: Fighting Homophobia
The Lost Landscape on the immense amount of work it takes to fight homophobia in Sri Lanka.
Cuba: International Day vs. Homophobia
“It'd be churlish to criticise Ms Castro's work on behalf of one of the most marginalised minorities in Cuba. But her ability to essentially whitewash the atrocious treatment of Cuban homosexuals over the past 50 years…is, well, breath-taking”: Child of the Revolution blogs about recent celebrations in Havana to mark...
Venezuela: World Day Against Homphobia Events in Caracas
Luis Carlos Díaz of Periodismo de Paz [es] writes about the events that will take place in Caracas, Venezuela on the World Day Against Homophobia.
Serbia: International Day Against Homophobia
On the International Day Against Homophobia, Serbian political activist and writer Jasmina Tesanovic re-posted a statement from Labris, a Serbian lesbian human rights organization, on her blog. Sinisa Boljanovic has translated the statement.
Diaspora: Armenian-American Homophobia
Writing on its blog, The Armenian Gay & Lesbian Association of New York reports on a recent anti-homophobic event at a Glendale school and the ensuing battle of words that materialized in the local press between ethnic Armenians living in the United States.
Armenia: International Day Against Homophobia
To mark International Day Against Homophobia, Unzipped: Gay Armenia posts its Unzipped: Gay Armenia List 2008 which recognizes individuals, organizations, media outlets, blogs and events which have worked towards promoting gay rights and equality in Armenia and the Diaspora. The blog, which coincidentally celebrates its first anniversary today, also posts...
