While Russians were furtively showing their pride in Moscow, activists in Riga were facing very vocal anti-gay activists. And Amnesty International was there to film all the homo action.

CONTINUED »

There's some unsurprising trouble brewing in Latvia.

Roman Catholic Cardinal Jânis Pujâts and 26 priests penned a letter demanding the government cancel this weekend's gay pride event. Rather than focusing on the sin of gay ways, the pious busy-bodies are taking a constitutional argument, claiming that the government has a duty to "protect the rights of other people, a democratic system of state, the safety of society, and welfare and morals.”

The homos, they say, are making an erroneous argument for minority status:

A minority is made up of those who are different from the majority of people because of nationality, language, race, skin color and other neutral characterizations, but not of moral evaluation,” the letter continues.

That means that there can be no minority of alcoholics, homosexuals, drug addicts or any other people if the minority is based on immoral inclinations. Otherwise this would be direct promotion of immorality.

CONTINUED »

Poland
ain't alone! Latvia came out today to protest the European Court of Human Rights' ruling this week that single gays should be able to adopt babies. Two Latvian politicos describes the law as "completely unjustified and unacceptable". The dominant political parties say it refuses to compare gay people with "families". How quaint…

• A 16-year old Australian got into big trouble after throwing a rager at his parents' home. Despite the fact that his parents hate his guts and he owes coppers $20,000, the kids has absolutely no contrition. When asked if he has advice for other kids who want to follow suit, he replies: "Have me do it." Why? "Because it was the best party". Sweet!

• We want the Macbook Air.

• Orlando Jones to play gay. Yay!

• DJ Jared Abbott loves living in Madrid, being in style.

• Morocco upholds conviction for six "gay" men.

CONTINUED »

Latvian pastor man Alexey Ledyaev took liberties with reality this weekend. The founder of the anti-gay New Generation Church used Arnold Schwarzenegger to instill fear in his flock's cold hearts:

Pastor Ledyaev said that the Governor had signed a whole string of California pro-gay and anti-family laws, and the “spin” also included the accusation that the Governor had actually signed the “gay marriage” bill (AB43: “Gender-Neutral Marriage Bill”).

“All the press wrote that he did not sign, but no one wrote that he had signed."

That's because he didn't sign it. In fact, he vetoed it. And, if he did sign it, does Ledyaev think no one would notice except for him?

Newspaper owner Vlade Kusakin also joined in the Arnold attacks. Meanwhile another publisher, Stendzenieks Armand, celebrated the anti-gay Watchmen and Ledyaev's church as instrumental in the fight for "human rights". Ha!

Approximately 400 avowed homosexual and their allies took to Riga, Latvia's post-socialist streets for their second annual gay pride event this week. Latvia's got a history of homo-hatred - officials barred pride last year - and police weren't taking any chances with this year's fag festivities.

Dozens of extra officers and reinforced security fences kept the queers safe from the estimated 100 protesters who shook their fists at the proud gay display. Though things went off without a hitch, some knuckleheads threw a paint bomb and firecrackers at the flamers. While the anti-gay activists may hope their efforts will deter the dick lickers, gay activists hope this weekend's actions will help move Latvia in the right direction.

Meanwhile, another set of anti-gay activists spent their energies organizing The World Against Homosexuality across town, where about 1,000 railed against the gay rally. Sure, it may be more than the gay priders, but it's hardly the 50,000 organizers anticipated. That's a step in the right direction…

Gay rights groups protest in Riga [BBC News]
Gays hold heavily policed 'pride' event in Latvia [France 24]
If you guys are at all interested in the many social forces influencing Latvia's homophobes, click here for a bit of an analysis.
Amnesty International also has a great Riga round-up, while UK Gay News offers a four-page photo gallery.

Riga, Latvia's queers are gearing up for this weekend's gay pride event. And so are their mortal enemies, the homo-hating non-profit, No Pride! Not only have they taken to the streets to urge the government to put an end to the festival's gay ways, but they're sending emails to rally more troops. Unfortunately, they're targeting the wrong people: us. We just received this note from No Pride preacher, Reverend Vadim Privedenyuk:

Please, make sure you help people of Latvia!

Latvia is the country that oppose same-sex marriage. The constitution of Latvia clearly says that. If you are one of those, who support NATURAL FAMILY (not same-sex family), you can count on our support in the future…

ONE MAN ONE WOMEN RULES! THAT'S THE WAY TO GROW!!!

And we're not the first Americans the No Priders have attempted to enlist.

CONTINUED »

More gay drama in Latvia. With just four weeks until the small nation's gay pride - an event the government once banned - Catholic Cardinal Jānis Pujāts wants his queer countrymen to know exactly what he thinks of them: they're prostitutes.

Imploring the government to curb the forthcoming celebration, Pujāts (pictured, looking grainy) likened homosexuality to a total corruption in the sexual arena” and went on to call it an "unnatural form of prostitution". In a letter to Rītdiena, Pujāts, who stands as Latvia's highest ranking Catholic, claimed that gay pride's just a clever way to spread "sexual corruption".

CONTINUED »

Boy oh boy, those Latvian homophobes sure are go-getters. It's over four months until the small nation celebrates its gay pride, but they're already rounding up their rectum-revolted masses. Via our homo-homies over at UK Gay News comes a literal translation of a manifesto they published in the free daily, Rītdiena in which they take a stand against the so-called homo pederasts, gay friendly politicians and the pro-gay newspaper, Diena. Here's an excerpt:

Ladies and gentlemen – do you have gunpowder in yourselves? Of course you do. [We've] called on activists to help organise a demonstration against pederasts and pederast ideology.

In just one day, more than 250 activists rang us… Thank you to all of you. Enormous, enormous thanks! No investment will be forgotten. No one is unnecessary in the people’s fight against pederasts and pederast ideology.

O, nation, wake up to a new Renaissance!
…
Readers, boycott and call on your fellow citizens to boycott the newspaper Diena, the main source of propaganda for pederasts and pederasty in Latvia! Don’t buy the newspaper Diena! Don’t subscribe to the newspaper Diena! Cancel your subscription to the newspaper Diena!

Forward, reader! Toward a new Renaissance!

Hmm, it's been a while since we opened a history book, but we seem to recall the Renaissance having something to do with a revival of arts, science and other assorted cultural movements. How, then, can boycotting a paper and enforcing social stagnation be like a new Renaissance? Perhaps something got lost in translation.

Also, we know their t-shirts are spreading a message of intolerance, but we'd give anything for one of our very own. Okay, well, maybe not anything, but at least a blow job: our preferred method of payment.

(Oh, yeah, one more thing - we know the ladies pictured are Eastern European and really can't help it, but they sure do look like dykes to us.)

When gay marriage turns ugly: fight breaks out at lesbian reception. [365 Gay]

Hot Morehouse: Alleged Discriminatory Firing at School. [Southern Voice]

"Cancelled" Conference Never Planned: Ghanaian Activists. [Pink News UK]

"Ex-Gay" Television: Now they can get into your house. Sick. [The Advocate]

GOP Cat Fight: Trouble for Reppies in Colorado. [365 Gay]

No Gay Cover-Up: Latvia Rejects Ban on "Gay Propaganda." [The Advocate]

• Boy George and Anna Nicole Smith are teaming up on a reality show. Makes us we wish we lived in the UK so we can watch what will surely be a coked-up train wreck. [Hello Magazine]

• Latvia has banned same-sex marriage. How do you say "straights only" in Latvian? [Reuters]

• Senator Chris Buttars wants to ban gay-straight alliance clubs in high school. Says the man with the unfortunate surname: "In my mind, if you are in the chess club, what do you talk about? Chess. If you are in the dance club, what do you talk about? Dance. If you are in a gay club, what do you talk about?” Why, fashion of course! [Desert News]

• Jamie Bell, who played a ballerina in Billy Elliot and used to live with the film's much older director, can't possibly understand why people think he might be gay. [Hollywood.com]

• George Michael will be at Elton John’s wedding next week, but not as a hired wedding singer like we had hoped. [Sydney Morning Herald]