New York University recently announced plans that it will open a campus in Abu Dhabi, one of the United Arab Emirates.

Considering the federation's prohibitions on "homosexual acts," it should come as no surprise that NYU garnered some queer criticism for the decision.

President John Sexton got grilled at town hall meeting last week, during which two gay students raised their voices against the dubious Abu Dhabi decision.

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There may be an international incident brewing over in Ghana.

A 63-year old British photographer named John Ross Macleod has been arrested for "unnatural carnal knowlege" in the anti-gay African nation, where sodomy remains illegal. Macleod had traveled to Ghana to meet a recent college graduate, Emmanuel Adda, whom MacLeod met on the internet.

You're probably wondering how police found out about Macleod and Adda. Did the sky fall after they fucked? No. Did Satan spring forth to let the cat out of the proverbial bag? Nope. It all happened by accident when airport coppers were searching Macleod for drugs and discovered a disk containing photos of him and Adda having sex. Both men pleaded guilty to the "unnatural" charges. Macleod pleaded not guilty of possessing pornographic obscenity.

Speaking to the press after the arrests, police chief Charles Darkwa said, "During his stay in Ghana, Adda traveled round the country with Macleod, who took the opportunity to sodomize him and took pictures as well." Darkwa neglected to mention that Adda consented to the sex.

Ghana overthrew the British colonials in 1957. As one of the African continent's most powerful political symbols, one would hope the Ghanaian government would take a stand against homophobia. Unfortunately, they have not.

As the 50th anniversary of Ghanaian independence looms large, British activist/politico Peter Tatchell penned a letter President John Kufuor, which reads, "As Ghana celebrates 50 years of independence, it is time to repeal the anti-gay laws." No word on whether Kufuor wrote a response - or even read Tatchell's note.

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• A reader suggested we post Dead Disco's "You're Out". We think it's fairly appropriate.

• Perez Hilton to be televised. Preemptive barf.

• Gay Australian judge Michael Kirby asked PM John Howard to change his backward stance on gay benefits: "Johan has put up with me for 38 years, and if I died he’d get nothing."

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African leaders have gathered this week to discuss the continent's human rights situation, but Ghanaian deputy attorney general, Kwame Osei-Prempeh made sure his people know that gays don't count as human.

Employing an especially quaint term - "homosexualism" - Prempeh insisted that while other countries may coddle the queers, Ghana's not reversing its anti-gay ways:

He explained that charters and international conventions that recognize homosexualism do not override national laws. For that reason the Criminal Code of 1960, which outlaws homosexualism is incontrovertible.
…
Prempeh said unnatural carnal knowledge is an illegal act under the Criminal Code as per section 104, and homosexualism, without any equivocation, is a form of unnatural carnal knowledge.

Section 104(2) explains, "Unnatural carnal knowledge is sexual intercourse with a person in an unnatural manner or with an animal."

Prempeh's statements echo the Ghana government's declaration last year, in which they claimed: "[The] government does and shall not condone any such activity which violently offends the culture, morality and heritage of the people of Ghana." Yet, they continue to speak the colonial tongue: English. How queer…

Ghana: No Room for Gays And Lesbians [All Africa]

• There's a scourge wreaking sartorial havoc on gay communities - men who refuse to age gracefully. Pretty scary, right? Don't worry, Patrick Huguenin can help. First, you have to decide where you're coming from and where you want to go. We're leaning toward a rake (pictured). Pretty sexy for a sketch, no? [Genre]

• Outrage! outraged over Ghana's anti-gay laws. They best be careful, lest they have another Nigeria controversy. [UK Gay News]

• Arkansas advanced a bill to ban gay adoptions. Fuckers. [Arkansas News]

• Mr. Show on reparative therapy. [QueerSighted]

• Where's The Simpsons Movie premiering? Springfield, of course. Which Springfield? That depends on which one's got the most Simpsons love. [Houston Chronicle]

• Lesbians love Amy Winehouse and her drunken ways. But, really, who doesn't? [AfterEllen]

• Matt Sanchez had a little chat with Michelangelo Signorile. Joe from Joe.My.God's totally got the audio. Best if taken with a grain of salt and a whole lotta disbelief. [Joe.My.God]

• Gay veteran and Don't Ask activist, Eric Alva to General Peter Pace: "Judging gay men and women in the military for factors unrelated to their fitness to serve undermines our military's effectiveness." [Pink News UK]

• HRC said something, too. [HRC]

• General Peter Pace to world: "I admit I shouldn't have said anything, but I'm still not apologizing to a bunch of immoral butt fuckers. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go fuck Ann Coulter up the ass." [HuffPo]

• Finally, a friend sent us the video for a German toilet commercial. Let's just say it makes us reconsider how, where and when we do our next line of blow. See for yourself, after the jump…

CONTINUED »

We mourn the daddy of Madonna's Vogue. [Proceed at Your Own Risk]

Wal-mart is just so gay. [Family Research Council]

Rupert Everett just got hotter. Lost role. [Irish Examiner]

It's like a gay political daisy chain. [Gay.com]

Ghana stonewalls gay conference. [The Advocate]

You couldn't pay us to go to Iraq. [365 Gay]

Two weeks ago, we told you about the Top 10 worst countries to visit if you're gay. Without even reading the post, you could see from the map that four of them – that's a full 40 percent, based on math even you Melanie Griffith could perform – are in Africa: Uganda, Egypt, Nigeria, and Cameroon topped the list.

Having just returned from a jaunt to West Africa, we've got first-hand knowledge that, at the end of the day, we're going to have to add Ghana to the list of no-fly zones. No, Ghana is probably not one of the worst nations out there for queers (in Iran, after all, they can kill you for the "crime"), but our intimate talks with Ghanaians during our stay revealed a single general theme: they don't like the gays.

"It's a disease," was one comment. "[Gay people] are ignored," was another. And because so much of the country is rooted in strict Christian and Muslim beliefs, "it's a sin" became an all too a regular remark.

Since the educated classes in Ghana all speak English from an early age, we were able to have some pretty in depth conversations about their feelings toward gays. Most threw out the concept that gay people are born with a sexual preference, joining so many American conservatives with the belief that homosexuality is a choice. Still others made God's will paramount, concluding that the Lord (whether it's Jesus, God, or Allah) will punish the gays, so society shouldn't condone them. (All this, of course, differs from our experience in Tanzania, where homosexuality is a crime and punishable, to our knowledge, by imprisonment.)

So are the feelings of Ghanaians toward gays a reason not to visit? Certainly not. We found plenty to do – shopping in the largest open-air market in West Africa, walking among the tree tops on a canopy walk, visiting a village built on stilts over a lake, tasting some amazing (and, sometimes, pretty terrible) food, and simply mingling among the locals – that didn't touch upon sexual orientation.

But one thing did strike us: As we wrapped up our conversation with a new friend who spoke thoroughly about gays in Ghana, he remarked how, if nothing else, he'd at least like to talk to a gay person. And as we all know, progress begins with communication.

Earlier: Top 10 Worst Countries For Gays