Because of criminalization of homosexuality they must live only as “friends” in home countries By Melanie Nathan, April 12, 2013. Last year’s winner and current Mr. Gay Namibia, Ricardo Amunjera married his partner Marc Themba from Botswana. The civil ceremony took place in Johannesburg, South Africa where same-sex marriage is legal. The men wed last … More Mr Gay Namibia ties knot with man from Botswana
By Melanie Nathan, April 12, 2013. Gay rights activist Paul Kasonkomona pleaded not guilty in a Zambian court yesterday to charges of “idle and disorderly conduct by inciting the public to engage in idle and disorderly conduct by promoting illicit activities” and was released on Kr5,000 bail ($1,000USD) Kasonkomona who was picked up and detained … More Zambian gay rights activist released on bail
European protestors, the group Femen take their protests to an effective extreme – at least I think so – certainly noticeable and passionately expressive. This makes American protests in the vein of Code Pink and GetEQUAL seem tame. I say ‘way to go and thank you FEMEN! By Melanie Nathan, April 10, 2013. A must … More Topless Protestors in Germany lunge at Putin in Protest at Trade Event
By Melanie Nathan, April 11, 2013. Further to our report about the lowering of rainbow flags to half mast in the Netherlands and protests against Russian PM Vladimir Putin, on April 08, the Dutch LGBT community and allies turned out by the thousands to protest Putin’s proposed anti-gay propaganda law in Russia. On stage performers … More Watch Video of show as thousands turn out in Amsterdam to Protest Anti-gay Putin
20% of the American workforce is ‘dreaming and waiting’ for you, Mr. President… By Cathy Kristofferson, April 10, 2013 Following the Supreme Court hearings on marriage equality, I wrote a piece here on this BLOG titled ‘Marriage is nothing without job protections’. One of the described protections that could be put in place was an executive … More $300 billion in federal contracts granted where no LGBT job protections exist
“My sisters and brothers, Jesus calls us to love even our enemies. Demeaning the humanity of another person is not a virtue but a vice. You don’t need reminding that the first step to genocide is demeaning your opponents’ humanity.” Reverend Kapya Kaoma By Melanie Nathan, April 10, 2013. This week we reported the detention … More Outrage at detention of Zambian gay human rights defender
$11 million, four-year initiative to further LGBT equality worldwide By Cathy Kristofferson, April 08, 2013 Following the United Nations’ historic resolution endorsing LGBT human rights in 2011, President Obama issued a mandate to all agencies involved with foreign aid and development to “enhance their ongoing efforts with governments, citizens, civil society, and the private sector … More USAID announces LGBT Global Development Partnership
By Melanie Nathan, April 09, 2013. In January we reported that an Arts School in Bloemfontein, South Africa, claimed in its prospectus that it could cure homosexual students. We reported that a “South African Christian arts academy, Creare Training Centre may be breaking the law by advertising that it can “cure” homosexual students, and that … More South African Arts Academy guilty of human rights violations by claiming gay cure
Zambia – LGBTI Community under attack as scapegoats- as government discusses contentious issues in the draft constitution… By Melanie Nathan, April 09, 2013. This evening, prominent HIV/Aids activist Paul Kasonkomona was picked up from Muvi TV station in Lusaka’s mass media area by Woodlands police for questioning after his appearance on a live program called … More Zambian Police Hunting Homosexuals and Arrest HIV/AIDS Activist
Putin’s proposed ban on homosexual ‘promotion’ just as Scott Lively drew it up… By Cathy Kristofferson, April 08, 2013 Update from Amsterdam press conference: When asked today about whether gay rights are violated in Russia, in true bigot form Putin responded with a comparison to pedophilia: “Can you imagine an organization promoting pedophilia in Russia? … More Dutch Pride flags at half mast, thousands set to protest Putin visit
Gay icon, or just a supporter of ‘individual liberty’? By Cathy Kristofferson, April 08, 2013 The BBC is reporting that The Iron Lady ex-Prime Minister Lady Margaret Thatcher has died. Thatcher, a staunch conservative, supported the decriminalization of homosexuality back in 1967. As PM her government later legalized homosexuality in both Scotland and Northern … More ‘Iron Lady’ Margaret Thatcher has died
Lively’s new mission is to secure the 1st amendment for religious bigotry By Cathy Kristofferson, April 07, 2013 A year ago last April, some of us, ever vigilant on “Scott Lively Watch” and his rein of hate towards the gay community, were poised to warn those next in his path. So when we noticed that … More Gay-hating Pastor Scott Lively finds new foothold in Oklahoma
By Melanie Nathan, April 07, 2013. South Africa is a leader in the world of equality, enjoying an all inclusive constitution, where same-sex marriage is legal and discrimination against LGBTI people outlawed. However that has not stopped homophobia and fear to embrace LGBTI South Africans as fully equal. This video and the report of the … More Breaking ground in South Africa with a traditional Zulu gay wedding
By Melanie Nathan, Sunday April 07, 2013. So while there are probably many health issues we should be considering and on more days than once per year, here is what we can think about today- it may save your life. The World Health Organization (WHO) theme for World Health Day in 2013 is high blood … More Today is World Health Day | focus high blood pressure and salt
By Melanie Nathan, April 06, 2013. Uganda is “at risk of violent instability” come next year (2014), a US Intelligence threat assessment report has stated. This report is released every four years after the US President is elected, by the National Intelligence Council, and it names Uganda among 14 other countries that risk becoming a … More Report says Uganda likely to have violent instablity 2014
If the Bill does see passage, in whatever form, with or without the death penalty, this Ugandan Parliament will go down in global history as one which legislated hate and genocide and all of them will be held accountable, both as a group and as separate individuals. By Melanie Nathan, April 06, 2013. An article … More Fearful Ugandan Parliamentarians want to vote in secret for the Anti-Homosexuality Bill
The 27-year-old son of the Rev. Rick Warren, one of America’s most influential religious anti-gay leaders, committed suicide, Mr. Warren said in an e-mail released on Saturday to staff members and congregants at his 20,000-member Saddleback Valley Community Church. NBC News reported that Warren was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound around 10 a.m. … More Anti-Gay Pastor Rick Warren’s son committs suicide
Award Ceremony for the 2013 New Economy Forum Prize for Social Cohesion and Economic Development, presented to United Nations in Spain. In a profound and moving acceptance speech, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that we need to be Global citizens, while he received the award in the name of democracy and human rights, for … More Watch UN recieve Award for Social Cohesion and Economic Development
ASKING FOR HELP TO BRING MAX HOME TO DONALD The worst outcome of the unconstitutional DOMA is when it separates spouses and partners | If Max and Donald were a straight couple, this would not be happening By Melanie Nathan and Ken Williams, April 05, 2013. A 26-year-old gay man is being held in immigration … More Gay Man in San Diego immigration detention ailing and desperate to reunite with Fiancé
By Melanie Nathan, April 05, 2013. We have been watching the progress of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill on this site.Previous updates can be seen at http://oblogdeeoblogda.me/2013/02/19/ugandas-anti-homosexuality-bill-moves-up-to-1-on-parliaments-notice-of-business/ Since the end of March, Uganda’s Parliament had a short recess and returned to business on April 03. However something unusual seems to have occurred. The Parliament’s website has suddenly … More Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill April 2013 Updates
SF Pride is looking for medical volunteers By Melanie Nathan, April 04, 2013 In an announcement naming Rock Medicine a partner in services to San Francisco Pride this year, organizers noted that this June, San Francisco Pride will need as many medical volunteers as possible because they will be expecting an increase in Pride attendees … More San Francisco Pride expects bigger crowd due to SCOTUS Prop 8 and DOMA decisions
By Melanie Nathan, April 04, 2013. There was no keeping me away from Washington D.C., on Tuesday 26th, the day that The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) would be hearing the Prop 8. arguments. I was there ‘wearing many hats; activist, blogger, co-producer of Gay U.S.A. the Movie, and the most important of … More A story from the steps of SCOTUS | Hoping the Justices consider the children hurt by Prop 8
Believing that Dr. Martin Luther King would have stood for marriage equality. By Melanie Nathan, April 04, 2013. When Dr. Marin Luther King, Jnr. was assassinated on April 04, 1968, I was a small child in South Africa, living apartheid. I came to the United States in 1985, before apartheid ended, expecting a country that … More Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr. as a leader in equality for all
Still no employment protections in 29 states for gay, and 34 states for trans, employees… By Cathy Kristofferson, April 3, 2013 The title of this post – Marriage is nothing without job protections – is something a fellow activist said on a conference call last night. It made me think back to being in D.C. … More Marriage is nothing without job protections
By Melanie Nathan, April 04, 2013. The board of Johannesburg Gay Pride Festival Company (JGPFC) has voted to wind up the Section 21 (not-for-profit) company that has produced ‘Joburg Pride’ over the past seven years. The voluntary winding up of JGPFC was decided by an unanimous resolution at a board meeting held on Wednesday, 13 … More Johannesburg Gay Pride Cancelled as Board Dissolves
By Melanie Nathan, April 02, 2013. (Washington, D.C., March 29, 2013)—Last week, several national LGBT groups and a cooperating attorney filed an administrative challenge to Medicare’s ban on medically necessary healthcare for transgender patients. Medicare, which provides healthcare to Americans ages 65 and older and younger people with certain qualifying disabilities, currently prohibits all forms … More LGBT Groups Challenge Medicare’s Refusal to Provide Healthcare to Transgender Patients
Will HRC put its money where its mouth is? By Melanie Nathan, April 1, 2013 Thousands of LGBT community members and allies showed up at the steps of SCOTUS this past week to support marriage equality, and many were there because of the extraordinary organizing efforts of a coalition of LGBT organizations under the title, … More After the Apology demands that HRC be all inclusive on all issues
“Say No To Homosexuality” Campaign officially launched By Melanie Nathan, March 31, 2013. Ugandan Pastors Solomon Male & Rev. Musoke are conducting an anti gay rally next door to David Kato ‘s burial grounds in Mukono Uganda to not only further persecute LGBTI Ugandans, calling for hate in the name of Christianity, but also to … More Ugandan anti-gay pastors hold hate rally next to gay hero David Kato’s grave
as the Human Rights Campaign exhibits their typical lack of inclusivity… By Cathy Kristofferson, March 29, 2013. During the SCOTUS trials the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) convinced many in the Facebook world to change their avatars to red. Following the hearings many activists are seeing a different red now that two incidents – insulting both the … More Activists ‘seeing red’ over HRC antics at SCOTUS hearings
by Melanie Nathan, March 28, 2013 I joined a group U.S. service members, GetEQUAL activists, as well as well known U.K. activist Peter Tatchel at the White House today, for a rally in support of Lt. Dan Choi ,who is being tried by the U.S. Government, after he was arrested in November 2010, together with … More Dan Choi ‘s trial day starts with DADT activists re-living arrests at White House
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