By Melanie Nathan. June 20, 2012. Never in the history of a Frameline Film Festival has there been a solid five minute standing ovation following the screening of a film. Such was the resounding applause from the Castro community for the brilliant “Call Me Kuchu,” as its filmmakers Malika Zouhali-Worral, Katherine Fairfax Wright, together with … More The Castro Gives ‘Call Me Kuchu’ Historic Standing Ovation
By Melanie Nathan, June 20, 2012. Uganda’s persecution of its LGBTI community is heating up with recent lashing out on the part of one Minister who has decided to take the law into his own hands by breaking up peaceful lawful meetings and trying to de-register NGO’s. Ugandan Fr. Simon Lokodo, a catholic priest with … More Ugandan Minister Launches Crusade Against Human Rights and LGBT NGO’s
See shocking Video as Gay Activists and foreign visitor allies unlawfully persecuted in Ugandan raid at hotel denotes a great danger for any group holding a peaceful meeting in Uganda Melanie Nathan, June 18, 2012. Police have unlawfully raided a gay rights meeting in Kampala Uganda and arrested LGBTI activists. The group of sexual minority … More Uganda Gay Activsts Arrested in Unlawful Police Raid at Private Hotel Meeting
Can you imagine Romney’s Secretary of Defense recognizing June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Month? Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta thanks gay and lesbian service members for their dedicated service to the nation. By Melanie Nathan, June 16,2012. The US Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, sent a special message to America and the World. … More While this US Secretary of Defense offers Moving Pride Message, Imagine a Romney DOD
“Living the truth and pretending to live who I was not…people never understood why I had a female gender marker…I .. when I used female restrooms police would accost me and I would have to strip….” By Melanie Nathan, June 13, 2012. Kylar Broadus made history Tuesday, after becoming the first openly transgender person to testify … More First Transgender Person to Provide Testimony to U.S. Senate
World’s Leading Scientists, President Bill Clinton, South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, philanthropist Bill Gates and humanitarian Sir Elton John to address the XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. (AIDS 2012) and Some 25,000 Scientists, People Living with HIV, and Other Stakeholders expected to attend AIDS 2012 Wednesday, 13 June 2012 (Washington, D.C., USA) … More President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Elton John to Address AIDS 2012 Conference in D.C.
While the passage of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, known as Kill the Gays Bill, remains a threat – Posted by Melanie Nathan, June 12, 2012. LOS ANGELES, CA — Noted Hollywood actor and photographer Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (Blood Diamond; Treme; Heroes; CSI) debuts his newest solo work, A Missionary Position, this summer at REDCAT (Roy and … More World Premiere A MISSIONARY POSITION by Ugandan American Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine
Chad Griffin , of USA Largest LGBT Rights Organization and Dustin Lance Black , Director of MILK, photographed with the Gay Flag of SA as a Symbol of grass roots activism SA Editorial, June 11, 2012. Sunday in the Castro was buzzing when Chad Griffin, the new President of the Human Rights Campaign, made a … More HRC’s New Chief Chad Griffin gets a GAY Flag of South Africa
Watch our Video Interview where Bishop Christopher talks about Desmond Tutu and the exporting of Hate by American Evangelicals to Africa By Melanie Nathan, June, 09, 2012. The Rt. Rev. Bishop Disani Christopher Senyonjo is on tour of the U.S.A. and will be this year’s Global Grand Marshall, as San Francisco Pride recognizes the contributions … More San Francisco Pride Announces Ugandan Bishop Christopher Senyonjo as Global Grand Marshal
By Melanie Nathan, June 09, 2012 NEW ORLEANS In no great surprise two Republican congressmen denounced a same-sex commitment ceremony held at the Army’s Fort Polk training base in Louisiana, asserting that it violated Defense Department policy. Following last year’s repeal of its “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, the Defense Department said chaplains at military … More Republicans Denounce Lesbian Commitment Ceremony on Louisiana Miltitary Base
by Melanie Nathan, June 05, 2012 We are on the home stretch of Proposition 8’s wild ride through the Courts with a set of victories that will either reinstate same-sex marriage for Californians or result in the Supreme Court of the United States hearing the case. I wrote a very personal article back in 2009 … More California Prop 8 on the Way to Victory Revisiting My Child’s Wounds
Intolerance encourages violence as traditional leader chiefs try to rob LGBT South Africans of their entrenched constitutional rights – Are the Traditional Leaders providing a license to rape lesbians? By Melanie Nathan, June 04, 2012. In September 2010 Nontsikelelo Tyatyeka a young 21 year old lesbian disappeared in Nyanga township, Cape town. Her body … More South Africans to Protest Traditional Chiefs at Trial of Accused Murderer of Young Lesbian
The religious leaders called on Parliament to expedite the passing of the Anti-homosexuality Bill into law to combat same-sex marriages which threats the moral fabric of the Ugandan society. … More Ugandan Church Leaders Call for Quick Passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill
Posted by Melanie Nathan, May 31, 2012, GLAAD, the nation’s lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, today announced that Facebook will receive a Special Recognition Award at the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards presented nationally by Ketel One and Wells Fargo, and locally by Southwest Airlines. In March, GLAAD announced … More Facebook First Social Media Company to receive GLAAD Award
Secretariat announces two off-site conference hubs for sex workers and people who use drugs |Record number of abstracts submitted Posted by Melanie Nathan, May 26, 2012/ Thursday 10 May, 2012 (Geneva, Switzerland, and Washington, D.C., USA)— The International AIDS Conference is the largest gathering of professionals working in the field of HIV, including people living … More AIDS 2012 | Preparing for XIX International AIDS Conference Washington D.C.
DA Party Manny de Freitas calls protests Gay Pride Parade and Helen Zille remains silent by Melanie Nathan, May 22, 2012. Pursuant to nationwide protests in South Africa this weekend, the opposing Democratic Alliance (DA) party has failed to issue any official press statement in support of the South African LGBTI community which held events … More South Africa Democratic Alliance Party Mocks South African LGBTI Protests to Protect Rights
Last night, Tico Almeida, president of Freedom to Work — a national organization working to ban workplace discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans — announced the launch of a new campaign and petition aimed at ExxonMobil’s discriminatory policies against LGBT employees. … More Exxon’s Anti-LGBT Policies Prompts Freedom to Work Campaign
What happened to the Madibe and ANC assurance that all South Africans will be protected from persecution? Now SA Gays are under attack by members of the ANC. By Melanie Nathan, May 20, 2012. South Africans may have been surprised today as hundreds of people took to the streets of Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg and … More South African National Protests by Gay Rights Activists Sheds Light on ANC Weakness
South African LGBT Community and allies marching to protect the South African Constitution By Melanie Nathan, May 19, 2012. Hundreds of people took to the streets of Johannesburg , Saturday, as the LGBTI community in South Africa today marched, protesting against the Traditional leaders of South Africa’s decision to review the rights of Lesbian Gay … More Protests in Johannesburg as Gays Unfold Rainbow Flag on Constitutional Hill
This is about protecting the Constitution for ALL South Africans and so whether LGBTI or not, all South Africans should participate. By Melanie Nathan, May 16, 2012. A powerful and unified coalition of South African LGBTI groups have formed to promote nationwide marches to protest the House of Traditional Leaders to Parliament’s Constitutional Review Committee … More South African LGBTI Coalition Organizes Nationwide Marches to Protect the Constitution
Diverse LGBT Speakers List for SF’s May 17 IDAHO at UN Plaza Gays Without Borders has organized an event on Thursday, May 17 , to honor International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. The commemoration will begin at noon at UN Plaza in San Francisco. The commemoration will start off with poignant speeches about the violence … More San Francisco Flag Lowering Ceremony for International Day Against Homophobia
We celebrate the founding principles of the new South Africa, a country that knows what courage means. : Democracy, Justice, Equality, and Human rights. By Melanie Nathan, May 14, 2012. While South African traditional leaders ignore South Africa’s importance in the world with their draconian ideals, as they question the validity of their own equality … More Traditional Leaders Should Not Forget What South Africa’s Freedom Means to the World
Holomisa is saying that LGBTI people should not be protected by the Constitution because some people believe they are not entitled to those rights. He is forgetting that thinking is the very reason why their rights are so protected.
What remains is the question of what next – while traditionalists ought to have a voice in South Africa’s Parliament, they should be banned from sitting on committees where they have an inherent conflict of interest. Which means they should be excused from serving in positions where they risk impacting the entrenched rights of minorities such as gays, lesbians etc. … More Outrageous Interview with South Africa ANC’s Patekile Holomisa Indicates Homophobia
“Believe it. Do it;” Mother’s Day and Magnificent E-Cards By Melanie Nathan, May 08, 2012 GENEVA, 8 May 2012—The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) today launched a new campaign, “Believe it. Do it.”, aimed at bringing attention and action to the global goal of ending new HIV infections among children by 2015 and … More UNAIDS launches action to end new HIV infections among children by 2015
Explanation and Comments by Mr. Gay South Africa By Melanie Nathan, May 07,2012. On Friday last week I reported that the South African Constitution has been lauded for its lead on the entrenchment of anti-discrimination rights that renders it one of the few in the world to protect sexual orientation and gender identity in its … More South African Traditional Leaders Insult Gay Community with Consitutional Review
Tax Wall Street and End AIDS , Watch Video By Melanie Nathan NEW YORK — With the The U.S.A. gearing up to host the World AIDS Conference in July 2012 in D.C. and in an action reminiscent of the 80’s, ACT-UP protests are back with a poignant combat AIDS message, in association with the Occupy Movement. … More Arrests as ACT UP Occupies Wall Street to end AIDS
Notice Posted by Melanie Nathan, April 16, 2012 San Francisco – The Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) invites you to observe Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) on Thursday, April 19. Open from 1-8pm, the Museum offers several meaningful activities throughout the day and evening to observe, remember, and ponder, including: Gallery Talks: Artistic Responses to the … More San Francisco Yom HaShoah at the Contemporary Jewish Museum
Mr. Gay New Zealand wins Mr. Gay World 2012 in Johannesburg at the Fourth Annual International Competition. South Africa is first Runner up, France comes 3rd and 4th Place to Mr. USA. JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – from the twenty-two gay men representing their respective countries in the 4th annual Mr. Gay World competition held in … More More About Mr. Gay World Winner Mr. New Zealand
by Melanie Nathan, April 08, 2012 Congratulations to New Zealand for winning Mr. Gay World 2012, held this past week in South Africa and culminating in a packed finale. Yes my prediction was correct after seeing the man’s man, Andreas Derleth, win the sports challenge, I knew he would be first. Now the contestant from … More Mr. GAY World 2012
By Melanie Nathan, April 07, 2012 In what promises to be an exciting and tight finish, the competitors for Mr. Gay World are heading towards tomorrow night’s finals at the Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef, Johannesburg, South Africa. The four day event brings results in the sports challenge portion which described by some as a hunk-fest. … More Mr GAY World Competition See Sport Challenge Winners
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