» Vatican vs. The U.N.

"Gay rights groups and newspaper editorials on Tuesday condemned the Vatican for its decision to oppose a proposed U.N. resolution calling on governments worldwide to de-criminalise homosexuality. The row erupted after the Vatican's permanent observer to the United Nations told a French Catholic news agency the Holy See would oppose the resolution, which France is due to propose later this month on behalf of the 27-member European Union. Archbishop Celestino Migliore said the Vatican opposed the resolution because it would 'add new categories of those protected from discrimination' and could lead to reverse discrimination against traditional heterosexual marriage." [Reuters

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As France's security forces keep an eye on "radical" gay groups, like ACT-UP, Junior Human Rights Minister Rama Yade, seen here looking quite lovely, today pushed the EU and the United Nations to take more progressive stances on women's and gay rights, respectively:

France is to call for a European Union drive to tackle violence against women worldwide and for the United Nations to step up action against homophobia, the French human rights minister said on Wednesday.

France, as holder of the six-month EU presidency, hopes to "set the criteria for EU intervention" in the fight against violence towards women, including by mobilising Europe's diplomatic networks.

Paris also plans to submit a draft declaration to the UN General Assembly in December aimed at combating homophobia and decriminalising homosexuality, which is punishable by prison in 90 countries and in theory by death in six of them, Yade said.

The European Union, too, could use a bit more gay progress - countries like Turkey and Poland continue to repress the lavender set.

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The 80s are back in Asia - and not in a good way.

United Nations health officials warned this week that gay men in Asia are contracting HIV at about the same rate as American gay men did during the virus' initial outbreak:

Launching his agency's 2008 report on the global AIDS epidemic, Peter Piot, UNAIDS executive director, urged more action to prevent the spread of the disease among gay men who have unsafe sex and stressed the importance of working with affected communities.

"All over Asia there are now epidemics of HIV in men who have sex with men of the same magnitude that we saw in this country 25 years ago," Piot said.

"That is something that has been detected fairly recently. There is not enough action yet but we are now starting programs," he added.

Lack of funding and education, as well as unsafe sex, were cited as possible reasons for the frightening numbers.

» Not-So-United.

"A gay couple who fled to Turkey from Iran may be separated after the United Nations accepted one man's case and denied the other." [Pink News]

  Respond
» United!

"Two sexual orientation and gender identity rights groups have been given consultative status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council. COC Netherlands and the State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transexuals and Bisexuals of Spain (FELGTB) are national organisations representing LGBT communities in the Netherlands and Spain." [Pink News]

  1 Response
» Scary.

"Despite a stepped up global battle against AIDS, the numbers of people newly infected with HIV are far and away outpacing the numbers beginning antiretroviral drug treatments, U.N. officials said Monday." [365 Gay]

  4 Responses
» Blockage.

"Lesbian and gay and sexual health groups from Jamaica, Zimbabwe and Egypt have been excluded from a major international conference on HIV/AIDS organised by the United Nations General Assembly. The UN meeting is intended to review progress in the fight against AIDS." [Pink News via GNW]

  2 Responses
» UN Again Rebuffs Gay Advances

The United Nations voted this week to defer including Brazilian, Dutch and Spanish organizations in their Economic and Social Council. Said one Dutch activist: "This blatant structural discrimination against LGBT organizations shows the need for a continued battle." To be fair, however, the UN previously voted to include groups from Canada and Sweden, so maybe they just don't like those countries. [Pride Source]

  Respond

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Asia-Pacific nations must do more to fight HIV or face certain doom, a UN-backed group says.

CONTINUED »

New Methodology Produces Fresh Data

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Talk about a mixed bag! The United Nations says AIDS-infections have dropped the world over, but primarily because of new numbers:

The number of AIDS cases worldwide fell by more than 6 million cases this year to 33.2 million, global health officials said Tuesday. But the decline is mostly on paper.

Previous estimates were largely inflated, and the new numbers are the result of a new methodology. They show AIDS cases in 2007 were down from almost 39.5 million last year, according to the World Health Organization and the United Nations AIDS agency.

Many of the fallen numbers come out of India, which cut its HIV/AIDS estimates in half.

While this is certainly great news, the HIV/AIDS distribution still rumbles our tummies:

Sub-Sarahan Africa remains the epicenter of the epidemic. AIDS is still the leading cause of death in there, where it affects men, women and children. Elsewhere in the world, AIDS outbreaks are mostly concentrated in gay men, intravenous drug users, and sex workers.

Meanwhile, MSNBC's Robert Bazell takes this time to reflect on HIV vaccine's failures and how we can move ahead into an AIDS-free era.

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• The NY Times' Ward Sutton had some fun with presidential campaign posters past and present.

• Britain's Anglican and Roman churches come together to protest lesbian in vitro legislation.

United Nations takes on Amy Winehouse's cocaine "glamorization".

Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency experiencing gayest season ever!

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Activist Fights Back Against Inactive Government

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South Africa may have one of the world's most progressive constitutions, including comprehensive anti-discrimination laws and gay marriage, but gay activist Marianne Thamm thinks their hate crime legislation stinks.

In light of a spate of bloody crimes against lesbians, including the murder of two activists earlier this month, Thamm penned an op-ed blasting the Rainbow Nation's lackluster investigative tactics…

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Call For More Pro-Gay UN Action

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United Nations' Secretary General Ban Ki-moon got an earful when Michael Petrelis and Hank Wilson zapped yesterday's World Affairs Council in San Francisco.

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Give Gay Groups Seat At Policy Table

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Ever multicultural, the United Nations just got a little more lavender. The international body's Economic and Social Council voted this weekend to accredit two gay organizations.

The Coalition gaie et lesbienne du Québec and the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights (RFSL) have both been granted consultative status, which means they can put forth official proposals, attend meetings, offer oral arguments and take advantage of the United Nations' righteous open bar.

Oh, and fight for international gay rights, too…

CONTINUED »

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Nepal's Blue Diamond Society has called for the United Nations to admonish Iran for last week's anti-gay raid. Malaysia Sun elaborates:

[BDS] sent an appeal to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, asking for his intervention to secure the freedom of 80 men arrested by Iranian security forces in Isfahan eight days ago.

Expressing deep concern at the crackdown in the conservative Islamic country, BDS said it had received information that the detainees had been severely tortured in Isfahan jail and were in a bad state. "Their lives are in danger…We ask your timely intervention to secure their early release."

Blue Diamond Sociey's a natural ally for gay Iranians, who face very public, increasingly brutal state-sponsored attacks. BDS remains Nepal's singular gay rights organization and has repeatedly come up against the country's Maoist government, which has a less than sparkling gay rights record.

It's not all doom and gloom over in Nepal, however. The country celebrated its first gay beauty contest last night. Zee News reports that 18 cruised the catwalk last night to take win for the Pink Pageants' top slot. We wonder if the contestants dropped into Nepal's first and only openly gay-owned business, The Cutey Beauty Salon.



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