Stories about LGBTQ+ from July, 2011
Colombia: Homophobia, Beyond Religion
Homophobia might have religious roots in Colombia, writes Javier Moreno in Rango Finito [es], but Javier says that campaigns against homophobia should not focus solely on the Catholic Church, but rather on people that are homophobic because of ‘tradition’ and not necessarily religion.
Cuba: Project Rainbow
Feminist blogger and LGBT activist Yasmín Portales Machado [es] has launched Project Rainbow (Proyecto Arcoiris) focused on LGBT advocacy in the island: “The reason? There is not a single LGBTI group in Cuba that completely satisfies me.”
Trinidad & Tobago: LGBT Community
“Some people automatically assume that the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community is full of immorality, promiscuity, sin, parties, drug users, AIDS and STD carriers, and criminals”: Outlish investigates what the local LGBT community is really like.
Jamaica: Coming Out
“Jamaican attitudes towards homosexuality are shifting,” explains Active Voice, adding: “Those who militate on behalf of gay rights here and elsewhere need to respond to this, rather than to non-existent straw men.”
Russia: “Nashi” Spokeswoman's Homophobic Text
A translation of the pro-Kremlin youth movement Nashi spokeswoman's “rant exploring everything from the death of Osama Bin Laden to the curiously specific and virulent homophobia” – at Robert Amsterdam's blog: “Read below to see the kind of talent and hate speech Russia is spending its taxpayer money on.”
Sri Lanka: Colombo Pride 2011
Equal Ground, a mixed organization in Sri Lanka working towards mainstreaming Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) issues, is organizing a range of Colombo Pride 2011 programs which include an workshop titled “struggling against homophobic violence and hate crime”.
India: Health Minister Stirs up Gay Sex Controversy
India's Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, has stirred up controversy and angered the gay community and gay rights activists with his recent comments at a HIV/AIDS conference in New Delhi. He was widely quoted in mainstream media as having referred to homosexuality as "unnatural" and a "disease" that had come from the West.
Hungary: A Roundup on Politics
Belatedly, links to some of Hungarian Spectrum‘s posts: on the Hungarian “oligarch” and PM's ally Sándor Demján; on the opposition rally and gay pride parade that took place in mid-June; on Hillary Clinton's visit to Budapest; and on a lecture by Aladár Horváth, the chairman of the Roma Civil Rights...
Cuba: A Nation Divided?
“We have a long way to go. This will involve educating people in a different perception of society and its members, regardless of their orientation or preference”: Writing at Havana Times, Dariela Aquique responds to a comment about an article she wrote on gay pride in Cuba.
China: Popular Actress Sparks Homosexuality Debate
Homosexuality is not a crime in China and in the past few years the gay community has become more visible in the Chinese online world. Last week, an overseas Chinese pastor's reaction to the legalization of same-sex marriage by the New York State Senate, was echoed by an award-winning actress Lu Liping, and their words have triggered a heated debate.
