Stories about LGBTQ+ from December, 2011
Russia: AIDS Epidemic – “Shame Russia Shame”
International organizations are taking notice of Russia's AIDS epidemic and the hurdles the country faces in combating it. Recent international attention has been directed toward Russia's healthcare system, the stigma attached to those infected, and Russia's drug policies. Donna Welles reports.
Cuba: LGBT Rights on the Way
Blogger and LGBT activist Paquito el de Cuba writes about the lastest news on the status of the bill [es] that will amend the Family Act in Cuba to include more rights for the LGBT community.
Puerto Rico: Redefining Gender
Jorge “Yoryie” Irizarry embarks on a personal reflection on gender [es] and homosexuality.
Jamaica: support for LGBT rights?
In a televised election debate, Jamaica's opposition leader Portia Simpson-Miller expressed cautious support for LGBT rights and for repealing the country's buggery laws. Ross Sheil gives a summary of the public reaction, “which shows the country softening or becoming more pragmatic on the issue.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Online Petition Against Offensive Ad
Globewriter is heartened that Project Runway winner, Anya Ayoung-Chee, has “[thrown]her weight against hate” by signing a petition “to demand the Trinidad Express apologize for running an offensive advert that, among other things, described LGBT people as ‘broken’”, and urges you to do the same.
Trinidad & Tobago, Belize: Gay Rights
Globewriter notes that some of the more homophobic nations are getting “their knickers in a twist” over the Obama administration's statement at the UN “that it is standing up for the rights of LGBT people worldwide”, calling the Belizean Prime Minister “about as enlightened to human rights as a lamppost…so...
Trinidad & Tobago: Dangerous Ad
Bloggers from Trinidad and Tobago voice their outrage at a newspaper ad that claims to educate people about homosexuality, calling it “a vile advertisement that can only be described as hateful, mean spirited and a pack of lies.”
Brazil: Anti-Homophobia Bill Suffers a “Death Blow”
Brazilian lawyer Thiago Fiago comments on [pt] the recent changes to the bill PLC122, which originally intended to criminalize homophobia. Fiago says the proposed bill has suffered a “death blow” and criticizes the role of religion, and particularly evangelical representatives, in the parliament.
Nigeria: On Same Sex Marriage Bill 2011
Sokari reacts to the passing of the Nigerian “Same Sex Marriage Bill 2011: “The rationale behind the Same Sex Marriage Bill and its proposed counterpart in Uganda, is a huge deceit being spread by secular and religious leaders that decriminalising LGBTI persons would be an imposition from western imperialists and...
Ghana : No juridical basis to ban homosexual marriages
According [fr] to West Africa online Radio, “The attorney general of Ghana, Ediké Amidou, recently said to a local radio at Accra that the Ghanaian law about sexual unions doesn't make provisions for homosexuality. As a result, consented relationships between two adults wouldn't be criminally punished.”
Caribbean: Thoughts on World AIDS Day
December 1, was World AIDS Day. Bloggers from the Caribbean have weighed in with their own thoughts about and support for the ongoing battle against HIV and AIDS.
Ethiopia: Homosexuality Debate as Capital Hosts AIDS Conference
An upcoming conference in Ethiopia on AIDS and sexually transmitted infections in Africa has sparked controversy. Religious leaders and government officials have met to decide whether or not to ban gay rights activists from gathering. Netizens weigh in on the subject on Facebook.
