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The court rejected arguments made last week that gay sex causes bodily harm after gay rights advocates showed the bench World Health Organization documents refuting the claim. The opposition countered that no study had been conducted in India on the matter, but the court replied "Human beings are same everywhere." Gay sex is illegal under Section 377 under the Indian Penal Code and offenders can be sentenced to life imprisonment. |
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The world's blood banks claim the lavender set represent a health risk. While some gays are content to keep their cells to themselves, Australian national Michael Cain's not taking this shit lying down: he's filed a lawsuit against his nation's Red Cross for discriminating against his plasma. And, rather than simply playing the gay card, McCain's lawyer's using actual logic: Mr Cain’s lawyer, Peter Tree SC, told the Tribunal that there are gay men who have a much lower risk of HIV than many heterosexuals and that the blood from these men could save lives if it was accepted. The Red Cross' lawyers claim gay men could be more "altruistic" by realizing the risk they pose. That's some bloody bullshit. |
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Gay group Alabama Pride filed a discrimination lawsuit against Langford this summer after Langford refused to allow city workers to hang supportive signs on city property, despite the fact that sports and other non-controversial groups can display themselves on similar structures. Langford has also said he cannot endorse the lavender "lifestyle." Despite his clearly discriminatory ideals, Langford's hoping a federal judge will toss out the suit… |
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» Alienation…
"A qualitative survey just released by the Los Angeles based multicultural market research company New American Dimensions shows that African-American and Hispanic gays and lesbians overwhelmingly consider themselves to be members of at least two minority groups: one defined by sexual orientation and the other defined by race or ethnicity. Lesbians face discrimination on an additional front, as women. To which group do they really belong? Many respondents suggested that they feel comfortable in no traditional group at all… Both Black and Hispanic gays and lesbians confessed they felt at odds with the "gay community," which many said is very Caucasian in its focus. As a result, these gays and lesbians of color often prefer to develop their own small, personal, multicultural communities." [Earth Times] |
» Very Important Date…
"A courtroom showdown between the Democratic National Committee and its former gay outreach director, Donald Hitchcock, is likely to occur next year. Hitchcock was fired from his DNC post in 2006, shortly after his domestic partner, Paul Yandura, wrote an open letter to gay Democrats urging them to withhold donations to the party because he felt [Chairman Howard] Dean wasn’t doing enough to combat anti-gay state ballot initiatives. Hitchcock later filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Dean and the DNC alleging, among other things, anti-gay discrimination. The DNC has denied the claims. Final efforts at mediation failed in September and a pretrial conference has been set for Jan. 5." [NY Blade] |
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Despite that fact that he's got amazing credit, a good job and a demure personality, the board members still denied Steven Bloomfield an apartment. |
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» Accusations, Discrimination?
"A Wayne County woman has filed suit against Prestera Center, alleging she was wrongfully fired because she is gay. Stacey Brumfield claims she worked as a counselor at Prestera and was fired after being accused of having a relationship with one of her clients. Brumfield, though, claims she had no inappropriate relationship with a client and that the only reason she was terminated was because of her sexual orientation." [WV Record] |
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Prowel filed a sex discrimination lawsuit against his employers after being called "princess" and generally made fun of for being gay. Another judge tossed the case earlier this year, saying that the discrimination wasn't based on Prowel's gender, but his sexual orientation, which isn't protected under federal guidelines. And the results of the new court's findings will have broader consequences than just getting justice for Prowel. The thrust of the matter revolves around whether anti-gay discrimination rests more on opinions of sexuality or gender stereotyping. If Prowel's claim goes through, then other gay men and women who have been discriminated against may be able to use the "gender" claim, rather than focusing solely on their same-sex love. That argument has been successfully made in the past, but Prowel's case could help further dismantle the relatively protected "anti-gay" shield. |
» No Surprise.
"Richard Grenell was appointed spokesperson for the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations by President Bush more than seven years ago and became the longest-serving public servant to hold that post. But when it came to having his partner of six years listed alongside the spouses of other U.N. diplomats, his dedication to the job didn't carry much weight with the State Department." Grenell's just one of the State Department's gays who face discrimination within the government's ranks. [The Advocate] |
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Thus, the Abbotsford School District Board puts the brakes on an elective social studies course because it teaches about homophobia. Those lessons, say some board members, encroach on students' religious beliefs. While many teachers have expressed their outrage, perhaps British Columbia Federation of Teacher president Irene Lanzinger best describes the idiocy… |
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All seemed to be going well and Schroer seemed like a shoe-in, but things got more complicated when David said he planned on becoming Diane. The Library didn't seem to approve, because Schroer was told he couldn't have the job. Well, fast-forward four years and the Library of Congress now finds itself guilty of discrimination. |
» Bloody Right!
"If [a gay person] wants to donate blood, he’s turned away at the door… With gay rights, people are more likely to talk about hate crime legislation, marriage, civil unions, and equality on a grand scale. But here’s an inequality that puts people’s lives at risk. This is an inequality that is outdated by a good 20 years and no one seems to be talking about it. We should start." We've been talking about it for months. Hopefully others can join in the fun. |
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After months of discovery and mediation, talks between the DNC and Donald Hitchcock failed yesterday. For those of you not paying attention, Hitchcock once served as the DNC's gay outreach officer, but found himself sacked soon after his boyfriend, Paul Yandura, wrote an open letter criticizing the DNC's gay politics. The party organ, said Yandura, simply used gays as an ATM without fully incorporating them into the party. Hitchcock claims he was fired for political revenge. He also claims the DNC paid him less and marginalized gay outreach. The DNC and Chairman Howard Dean deny these claims, of course. |
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» Atonement.
"The Dutch Reformed Church Moreleta Park has decided to abide by the court ruling, and will pay gay music teacher Johan Strydom about R87 000 in damages and loss of income, as well as make a public apology to him, minister Dirkie van der Spuy said on Tuesday… The church was last month ordered to unconditionally apologise to Strydom for unfairly discriminating against him on the grounds of his sexual orientation." [Independent] |
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