While Doug Wright may draw on The Twilight Zone, we can't help but feel like we're in The Twilight Zone.

The Global Aids Fund - the Bono endorsed health org. - has denied Zimbabwe's application for $400 million to fight HIV, malaria and Tuberculosis. As many of you know, Zimbabwe's on many an international shit list for the government's gross human rights violations, some of which are against gays. While that may be the case, President Robert Mugabe's (pictured) country's claims to have made strides in terms of health care. Deputy Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr. Edwin Muguti had this to say:

There was no rational thinking that was applied when the Global Fund decided to deny the country funds.

We have managed to reduce the HIV and Aids prevalence in the country through homegrown solutions and if they think that they will fix us by denying us funds, then they are sadly mistaken because we are determined to fight these health problems and win.

According to an article from Zimbabwe's The Herald, Zimbabwe's the only country to score a success rate in fighting AIDS, with a 6.6% decrease in prevalence.

Considering this statistic from an articlefrom China's People Daily, this decrease may come from a horrific death toll: "...The total number of HIV-infected is about 1.6 million, with about 2,500 people infected the virus daily and 3, 000 die from the disease weekly."

Yow.

Regardless, many question whether or not The Global Fund's playing politics. Writing for Voice of America News, Ndimyake Mwakalyelye reports:

Zimbabwe has been awarded US$46 million in two previous Global Fund rounds, but to date has received only about US$4 million for HIV-AIDS programs. Other regional nations including Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia have been granted some $359 million and received US$173 million.

The disparity in grant awards and distribution, and previous rejections of Zimbabwe’s proposals, have led some to allege political bias on the part of the Global Fund.

But Fund spokesman John Liden said Zimbabwe is not alone in seeing its applications rejected. He invited it to appeal the decision or submit another application in 2007.

While who to believe here, but it seems a little fishy. Yes, $400 million's a big request, but The Global Fund could have given them something. Or, at the very least, give them the old money they promised.

Sure, we're not the biggest fans of Zimbabwe's politics, but if The Global Fund is playing politics, well, that's just stupid.

No other word for it, really. Stupid.

We've been so caught up in The Totally Frightful Issue that we almost forgot that October's gay history month. Almost.

It may be a bit unfair to label mining mogul and imperialist Cecil John Rhodes a homo. While there's no direct evidence he ever partook in sex of the homosexual variety, he did forego marriage and kept a bevy of exclusively attractive male servants and companions. The men, of course, were forbidden to marry and went with Rhodes everywhere.

Though it may all be conjecture, Rhodes' sexuality has been questioned by many historians. Also, we think colonization is just so gay.

Born to a priest in England in 1853, Rhodes had a weak constitution. Thus, as a teenager, his parents sent him to live in the warm-climated Natal region of South Africa, where Rhodes would help his brother grow cotton. Little did they know they'd change the the world forever.

Find out more about Rhodes and his dastardly ways, after the jump.

(As a side note, on of the Queerty boys spent some time studying at University of Cape Town. There's a memorial of Rhodes near the mountain campus. He's staring out across the land below with more the most evil eyes ever captured in stone. It's pretty fucking scary.)

[Read On ...]

Robert Mugabe (pictured) and his insanity never cease to amaze us. In the latest installment of his absurd governmental mania, the 82 year old leader of Zimbabwe has taken some time off from stealing land and printing copious amounts of worthless money to ban gays and lesbians from a....wait for it....human rights commission.

365 Gay reports:

The Zimbabwean government has banned gays and lesbians from participating in a United Nations sponsored meeting between the government and human rights groups.

The 3-day meeting taking place in Kariba was organized following UN concerns about human rights abuses in the African nation. The meetings are expected to lay the groundwork for an independent Human Rights Commission in Zimbabwe.

Um, what the fuck is the UN doing sponsoring a meeting between Zim. officials and human rights groups? Seriously, they'd have better results trying to get Bush to admit the US knew about 9/11, or - an even longer shot - getting Clay Aiken to suck dick on video.

Also, isn't the idea of a Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission a bit...oh, contradictory? Whatever, we're not surprised. Mugabe's hatred of gays knows no bounds. He has been quoted as calling gays "less than dogs." Charming, no?

Maybe they should change the name of Zimbabwe back to Rhodesia.

It might be time for you and your married-in-Canada partner to reconsider that romantic Zimbabwe honeymoon you've been planning. Zimbabwe's Parliament this week passed a "sexual deviancy" law that forbids same-sex kissing, hugging, or handholding. We don't know if the new law applies to fathers and sons as well.

The law of course is only the latest in Zimbabwean Prime Minister Robert Mugabe's series of assaults on gay people. At 82, we wonder how someone so full of hate can even keep on kicking, but Mugabe keeps churning out more venom than men half his age.

Same-Sex Handholding Now Illegal In Zimbabwe [365 Gay]

• The police in St. Maarten have arrested two people in connection with the beatings of CBS producers Ryan Smith and Dick Jefferson. They were on the FRENCH side of the island! No wonder the police couldn't find them. [365 Gay]

• Openly gay actor George Takei (aka Mr. Sulu on Star Trek) will be joining the Soulforce Freedom Ride. [insert cheesy Star Trek play-on-words here]. [AP]

•Scott Brison, an openly gay Member of the Canadian Parliament (and former Conservative) will be announcing his candidacy to run for the head of the Liberal party this week, pulling the centrist party a bit more to the left (and into the pink). [FF Times]

• The Arizona bill that would have given married people preference in adoptions over "single" people failed by one vote on Monday. [AP]

• Former superstar Zimbabwe DJ Kevin Ncube has come out as gay. Known as the "Prince of the Airwaves" during his tenure at the ZBC, he is now living a happy homosexual life in England. [NewZimbabwe]