Trans woman wins custody battle in Australia

in: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/trans-woman-wins-custody-battle-australia301112


Federal Magistrates Court of Australia awards equal, shared responsibility for three daughters to a transexual woman after a three and a half year legal fight



 A trans woman has won three and a half year custody battle against her ex-wife in the Federal Magistrates Court of Australia.

The 49-year-old, who cannot be named to protect the privacy of the children, was awarded equal, shared responsibility in all areas except education and health for the former couple's three daughters aged seven, 12 and 17.

The children will live with their mother, who has remarried, but will be allowed to visit their father who has transitioned to live as a woman.

The Australian reports that the eldest two daughters are refusing to see their father.

Federal Magistrate Joe Harman praised both parents in his judgement saying they were doing their best for their daughters in the circumstances, but mentioned the mother's concerns which included allowing the children to be photographed at a Mardi Gras family fun day.

'My gender reassignment is different to my being a parent,' said the plaintiff in court.

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/trans-woman-wins-custody-battle-australia301112

What are most gay-friendly cities in US?

in: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/what-are-most-gay-friendly-cities-us301112

Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Boston among the cities ranked highest in survey by Human Rights Campaign


 

The Human Rights Campaign has examined the LGBT laws and practices of 137 US cities and ranked them in an extensive survey released this week.

Eleven cities, including four in California, scored a perfect 100 in the survey called the Municipal Equality Index (MEI). They are: New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Seattle, Cambridge (Massachusetts), Portland (Oregon), Long Beach and San Diego.

Scoring 95 and above were Albany, Denver, Berkeley, West Hollywood and Hartford.

In contrast, three US cities scored a zero on MEI: Montgomery, Alabama, Jefferson City, Missouri and Frankfort, Kentucky.

Also barely registering a score were Baton Rouge, Louisiana, (2), Cheyenne, Wyoming (2), and Pleasant Ridge, Michigan (3).

'As we make progress towards full equality at the state and federal levels, it is crucial to recognize the progress at the local level as well,' says HRC President Chad Griffin.

Griffin says MEI is an 'even-handed look at cities big and small, from coast to coast and everywhere in between, in order to determine the extent to which city and municipal governments are leading the way on equal treatment for LGBT people.'

The cities were ranked based on 47 criteria falling under six broad categories: non-discrimination laws, relationship recognition, employment practices, and the inclusiveness of city services, law enforcement, and municipal leadership.

The cities ranked were drawn from every state in the US and include the 50 state capitals, the 50 most populous cities in the country, and 25 large, 25 mid-size, and 25 small cities with high proportions of same-sex couples.

Visit www.hrc.org/mei for more information about the Municipal Equality Index.

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/what-are-most-gay-friendly-cities-us301112

US: Teacher suspended for letting student play pro-gay equality song to class

in: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/11/29/us-teacher-suspended-for-letting-student-play-pro-gay-equality-song-to-class/

 

Susan Johnson has been suspended without pay (Photo: Fox News)

A teacher at a school in South Lyon, Michigan has been suspended without pay for allowing a student to play a song about gay love to his class.

Susan Johnson, a performing arts teacher told Fox News that an eigth grade student at South Lyon’s Centennial Middle School asked if he could play a song to a class of 13 and 14 year-olds.

“I asked him a few questions about the song. If it was violent, if there was any profanity, and he said no. And I said this sounds like a great song to go ahead and use for the class,” the teacher told the network.

The song, “Same Love” is by rapper Ben Maclemore that talks of the dangers of hate and stereotype by describing the struggle of a gay man from birth to death.

“This is one of the things in my school that we’re trying to practice and we’re trying to instill in our students is tolerance to diversity,” she said.

After a student disagreed with the message of tolerance, they went to the principal who immediately suspended the teacher without pay.

“I don’t think that it was really even thought through,” she said. “I was paralyzed. I really didn’t understand why I was being suspended.”

The local authorities gave her paperwork that explained that she was suspended because the song is “controversial” because it contains content about homosexuality. Michigan has a constitutional state ban on same-sex marriage. The state outlawed anal sex (for gay and straight couples) until the US Supreme Court ruled that such bans were illegal in 2003.

Ms Johnson said:”I really love my kids and I never want to hurt them, but I also know that there’s a lot of bullying and there’s a lot of gay bashing and racial issues going on in our country and I want the kids to feel comfortable in my class no matter who they are.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are now investigating the case.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/11/29/us-teacher-suspended-for-letting-student-play-pro-gay-equality-song-to-class/

NUS launches “I saw daddy kissing Santa Claus” equal marriage campaign

in: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/11/28/nus-launches-i-saw-daddy-kissing-santa-claus-equal-marriage-campaign/

 

The equal marriage cards will be sent to David Cameron (Image: NUS)

 

 

 

The National Union of Students today launched a campaign aiming to push the Prime Minister to move forward legislation which could legalise equal marriage in Britain.

The campaign, which aims to tackle the ongoing issue of equal marriage in a fun and festive way, encourages members of the public to come out in support of equal marriage, and to download and send the equal marriage card to David Cameron, to urge him to do the same.

One of the officers involved in organising the campaign, Finn McGoldrick, NUS LGBT Officer, released a statement alongside the launch of the campaign. She said:

“We are excited to see students getting involved and telling the government we are tired of waiting for equal marriage. It’s important because separate is never equal and lgbt students know they have a right to equality.

“It’s a different campaign because it’s grassroots, it’s the community coming together to demand equal marriage now. No more stalling Mr Cameron, all we want for Christmas is a vote on equal marriage!”

In order to achieve “equal Marriage and Civil Partnerships for all,” the site recommends that students refer to sites such as Out4Marriage, write to MPs, and sign the petition at the Coalition for Equal Marriage’s website.

Sky Yarlett, LGBT Officer, also made a statement, saying:

“I think that this campaign will put a positive light back onto the issue of equal marriage and reinvigorate the campaign. We’re incredibly proud of the students who have been campaigning within their institutions and will be involved in this.”

The card which reads “I saw daddy kissing Santa Clause” can be posted directly to the Prime Minister, or supporters have the option to send it online, and have the NUS deliver it prior to Christmas is also available.

Last week, David Cameron announced that he intends to fast-track legislation to introduce equal marriage within weeks.

This announcement did not come without criticism however, as the MP for South Dorset swiftly wrote an open letter voicing his strong opposition to equal marriage and saying that marriage should only be between one man and one woman.

 

 

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/11/28/nus-launches-i-saw-daddy-kissing-santa-claus-equal-marriage-campaign/

Scottish charity launches largest ever LGBT consultation

in: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/11/28/scottish-charity-launches-largest-ever-lgbt-consultation/

 

The Equality Network will also use the results of the consultation to set its priorities for the next few years

The Equality Network has launched a major consultation on the future priorities for LGBT people in Scotland.

The “Time for Change” consultation will be the biggest survey of LGBT people to date with thousands expected to take part.

Its results will be used to inform the Scottish Government and public bodies of the issues that matter to LGBT people, so that they can prioritise their work in tackling prejudice, discrimination and disadvantage.

The Equality Network will also use the results of the Time for Change consultation to set its priorities for the next few years.

Earlier this month, the charity won an award for its equal marriage campaign from Scotland’s Herald newspaper.

The Equality Network are also holding a series of 19 consultation events that are taking place in communities across every region of Scotland from Dumfries to Shetland, the Scottish Borders to the Western Isles.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/11/28/scottish-charity-launches-largest-ever-lgbt-consultation/

Gay men sue counselors who promised to make them straight

in: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/27/us/conversion-therapy-lawsuit/index.html?hpt=hp_t4

Before Sheldon Bruck told his orthodox Jewish parents he was gay, the teenager looked for a way out of homosexuality.

His search led him to JONAH -- Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing -- which claimed on its website to help people "struggling with unwanted same-sex sexual attractions."

JONAH co-director Arthur Goldberg promised Bruck, then 17, that "JONAH could help him change his orientation from gay to straight," according to a consumer fraud lawsuit filed Tuesday against JONAH, Goldberg and a JONAH counselor.

"This is the first time that plaintiffs have sought to hold conversion therapists liable in a court of law," said Samuel Wolfe, a lawyer with the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The defendants did not respond to CNN calls and e-mails for comment on the lawsuit, which was filed in Hudson County, New Jersey, Superior Court. A page on the organization's website touts success stories from the program with letters from past participants and their family members.

Bruck and three male plaintiffs contend they were defrauded by JONAH's claim that "being gay is a mental disorder" that could be reversed by conversion therapy -- "a position rejected by the American Psychiatric Association four decades ago," the lawsuit said.

The therapy, which can cost up to $10,000 a year, put them at risk of "depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior," while giving them no benefits, the suit said.

Jo Bruck, Sheldon's mother, and Bella Levin, the mother of plaintiff Chaim Levin, are also plaintiffs because they paid for their sons' conversion therapy and the counseling the suit said they needed to recover from it.

The conversion therapy techniques included having them strip naked in group sessions, cuddling and intimate holding of others of the same-sex, violently beating an effigy of their mothers with a tennis racket, visiting bath houses "in order to be nude with father figures," and being "subjected to ridicule as 'faggots' and 'homos' in mock locker room scenarios," the suit said.

"As long as you put in the effort, you're going to change," Goldberg told Bruck in the summer of 2009, the lawsuit said.

JONAH counselor Thaddeus Heffner blamed Bruck's gay orientation "on Bruck for not working hard enough to change, on his father for being too distant, and on his mother for being too close to him," the suit said.

Bruck quit after five sessions, delivered through an online video link, because he "experienced deepening depression and anxiety leading to suicidal ideation and feelings of hopelessness about his life," the suit said.

Heffner angrily warned Bruck that he was "making a big mistake" and "throwing (his) life away" by "giving into (his) desires" and that he would "never lead a happy life," but would "lead a life of unhappiness in that unhealthy lifestyle," the suit said.

Chaim Levin, also an orthodox Jew, was about to turn 17 in 2007 when he talked to his parents about his sexual orientation and sexual abuse when he was younger. A rabbi in his Brooklyn, New York, community suggested to his parents that they enroll him in JONAH's program.

"You can change if you just try hard enough," the suit said Goldberg told him. "You just need to work really hard, we are experts at this. We have helped so many people."

Levin attended weekly sessions for 18 months at JONAH's Jersey City, New Jersey, headquarters conducted by Alan Downing, an unlicensed JONAH counselor who calls himself a "life coach," the suit said. Downing is named as a defendant in the case.

"I was manipulated into believing that I could change my sexual orientation, but instead I was subjected to terrible abuse that mirrored the traumatic assault that I experienced as a young person," Levin said at a news conference Tuesday. " What I can tell you is that conversion therapy does not work. My family and I have wasted thousands of dollars and many hours on this scam."

The lawsuit described what happened in one of those sessions in October 2008 with Levin, who was 18 at the time.

"Downing initiated a discussion about Levin's body and instructed Levin to stand in front of a full-length mirror and hold a staff," the suit said. "Downing directed Levin to say one negative thing about himself, remove an article of clothing, then repeat the process. Although Levin protested and expressed discomfort, at Downing's insistence, Levin submitted and continued until he was fully naked. Downing then instructed Levin to touch his penis and then his buttocks. Levin, unsure what to do but trusting in and relying on Downing, followed the instructions, upon which Downing said 'good' and the session ended."

Two other plaintiffs -- Benjamin Unger and Michael Ferguson -- described similar incidents in the suit.

"On one occasion, Downing instructed Unger to beat an effigy of his mother with a tennis racket, as though killing her, and encouraged Unger to scream at his mother while beating her effigy," the suit said.

"Conversion therapy was, in Unger's experience, 'psychological abuse,'" it said. "By the time he terminated sessions with JONAH, he was deeply depressed and had commenced taking antidepressant medications."

Downing "picked apart every human emotion and childhood disappointment" of Unger, to present them as treatable origins of Unger's orientation, the suit said.

"I watched as grown men were frenzied into fits of emotional rage against their mothers and encouraged to act out physical violence against their parents in order to access their so-called true manhood and become more heterosexual," Ferguson told reporters Tuesday.

Unger's ability to have physical and emotional relationships with men was impaired and he was unable to work for a year, the suit said.

Bruck, Levin, Unger and Ferguson are "adjusting well" four years after their last conversion therapy treatments, according to Wolfe. "They have had time to get on with their lives," he said.

Their lawsuit should put all conversion therapists on notice that they can be held accountable, Wolfe said.

The SPLC has identified 70 conversion therapy providers across the United States. A California law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown last month made it illegal for licensed counselors to use the therapy with clients under 18.

"We really want to bring this lawsuit to bring attention to this practice that takes place in many parts of the country, preying on vulnerable young people," Wolfe said.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/27/us/conversion-therapy-lawsuit/index.html?hpt=hp_t4

Harvey Milk remembered on anniversary of his killing

in: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/harvey-milk-remembered-anniversary-his-killing271112


Commemorative service held in San Francisco, followed by candlelight march for Milk – the man who gave hope to the city's gay community

 



San Franciscans will gather today to pay tribute to gay activist Harvey Milk on the 34th anniversary of his death (27 November) with a remembrance service and candlelit vigil.

The service, organised by the Harvey Milk Foundation, will be held on the steps of San Francisco’s City Hall, and the crowds will be joined by the families of Milk and Mayor George Moscone, who was killed in the same attack.

There will be a candlelight march to 575 Castro Street, the former location of Harvey Milk’s shop, Castro Camera, which is now a store for the Human Rights Campaign. The march is to commemorate the spontaneous march held on the night of the shootings.

Harvey Milk is famed for being one of the first openly gay men to hold public office in the United States. He served almost 11 months in office, before being assassinated by former city Supervisor Dan White.

White was convicted of manslaughter for the deaths of Milk and Mayor Moscone, and served five years in prison.

A film based on the life of Harvey Milk was released in 2008, with Sean Penn playing the lead role. It explains how he helped organize the gay community of San Francisco in the 1970s to demand their rights.


http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/harvey-milk-remembered-anniversary-his-killing271112

Actor Morgan Freeman narrates gay marriage advert

in: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/actor-morgan-freeman-narrates-gay-marriage-advert251112


The 30-second commercial advocating for same-sex marriage started airing in the US during Sunday morning news shows


 

American actor Morgan Freeman has lent his voice in support of gay marriage.

The Golden Globe winner has narrated a marriage equality advert for the Human Rights Campaign titled Dawn of a New Day for Marriage Equality.

In the advert, Freeman says: 'Freedom, justice and human dignity have always guided our journey toward a more perfect union.'

'Now, across our country, we are standing together for the right of gay and lesbian Americans to marry the person they love. With historic victories for marriage, we've delivered a mandate for full equality.'

HRC President Chad Griffin said: 'As we continue the march toward full equality in legislatures and the courts, it is crystal clear that the prospect of an equal future is no longer up for debate; the question now is how soon it will arrive'.

This isn't the first time the actor has expressed his support of gay rights.

The actor told Newsweek earlier this year: 'I grew up in the South but I started dancing in my twenties when I got out of the Air Force, and studying dance, you’re surrounded by gay guys all the time. You get to know them and you have to shift gears!'

Freeman's image as God from the film Bruce Almighty is also used on a Twitter account @MorgonFreeman to comment on homophobia.

Click below to see the Dawn of a New Day for Marriage Equality advert.

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/actor-morgan-freeman-narrates-gay-marriage-advert251112

Thousands march for marriage equality in Australia

in: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/thousands-march-marriage-equality-australia251112

Thousands took to the streets this weekend in support of marriage equality, while the Australian Green party has pledged to move legislation in every parliament in the land until the issue is settled


 

Nearly a thousand people marched for marriage equality in central Sydney on Sunday, with thousands more marching in other cities over the weekend.

Speakers at the rally included New South Wales (NSW) state Upper House Greens MP Cate Faehrmann, Australian Marriage Equality (AME) national convener Rodney Croome and Vietnam veteran and father to a gay son Jeff Thomas who has previously challenged the Australian Prime Minister and Opposition Leader to explain their opposition on live TV.

Thomas told the crowd about his journey out of the homophobia that had been instilled in him in the military that had begun after his son came out to him seven years ago.

‘I took the telephone and told my son that I loved him and that I support him and that I would look at my attitudes and change my ways,’ Thomas told a crowd to cheers.

‘[Today] the only thing that I don’t like about my son being gay is that he is not treated equally in his own bloody country.

‘Being gay is not a lifestyle choice … all the opposition to the gay community is based in fear, ignorance and prejudice.’

Faehrmann pointed to the success of a NSW Upper House motion directing Australia’s national parliament to legalize same-sex marriage in a state parliament where conservative parties held power as proof that progress could still be made in Australia on the issue.

‘You can rest assured that the Greens will continue to introduce marriage equality legislation in every single [state] parliament across this country until we win. And we will continue to do that at a federal level as well whether it is convenient for [other] political parties or not.

Faehrmann pointed to the formation of an LGBT working group in the NSW Parliament with members from the Greens, Labor, Liberals and Nationals parties to contrast the refusal of federal parliamentarians to pass legislation to solve the problem.

Protestors then took to the streets, marching from Sydney’s Town Hall to Taylor Square, with the crowd swelling as pedestrians joined in.

Half way up Oxford Street the march halted while two same-sex couples had a brief marriage ceremony conducted by a pastor from the Metropolitan Community Church.

After the march reached Taylor Square a forum on the future of the marriage equality movement in Australia was held at a nearby venue.

AME’s Rodney Croome told the room that he was ‘60 percent’ sure that his home state of Tasmania would legalize same-sex marriage in 2013 and 100 percent sure that an Australian state or territory would do so - which would make the issue real for mainstream Australians, while the legalization of it in the UK, France and New Zealand would further bring the issue home.

Croome said there were important lessons that could be learned from the recent legalization of same-sex marriage in more states during the US Presidential Election – particularly the benefits of involving religious supporters and telling personal stories about the families of same-sex couples.

A rally in Brisbane on Sunday saw a turnout of close to five hundred, while marches held the day before in Perth and Melbourne attracted hundreds more.

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/thousands-march-marriage-equality-australia251112

Gay friendly mosque to open in Paris, France

in: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/gay-friendly-mosque-open-paris-france211112

Europe's first inclusive mosque which will welcome LGBT people and women on an equal footing to open in Paris, France

 

The association of Gay Muslims in France (HM2F) announced it will open an inclusive and progressive mosque which will be open for gays and women on an equal footing.

The new mosque which will be open on 30 November will enable women and men to perform their prayers together in the same space, not separately as is customary in traditional mosques settings.

Speaking with the daily Hurriyet, Ludovic Lütfi Zahed founder of HM2F explained why there is a need for such an inclusive mosque: ‘In normal mosques, women have to sit in the back seats and wear a headscarf and gay men are afraid of both verbal and physical aggression’.

Zahed also stated that he became convinced that such a mosque is needed after he and a group of progressive Muslims from around the world went on a pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca earlier this year.

‘Over 20 Inclusive mosques already exist in the United States’, he said.

Zahed explained to GSN that many Muslims feel frustrated with the conservative and intolerant views expressed in mosques towards women, marriage issues, or homophobic abuse.

He added that: ‘Many Muslims simply and feel they can’t have an open dialogue let alone consulting the imam without fearing condemnation.

‘This is why such mosques, which have been already set up by Muslims for Progressive Values, are increasingly in demand in North America and why I believe this will be the case in France’.

On a more personal note, Zahed is originally from Algeria and was married earlier this year to Qiyaam in a Muslim marriage.

He recounted to Hurriyet: ‘When I was 12 years old, I started exploring Islam and performing prayers. At first, I was impressed by the Salafists in Algeria, afterwards I became distant from them because of the terrorist attacks they performed.

'After my first night with a man, I realised that I was gay. I have found out that I had been pushing down my feelings with the help of Islam.’

The mosque will initially operate in a Buddhist temple from 30 November and will hold Friday prayers (Jumu'ah) as well as bless same-sex marriages.

According to Zahed the mosque could accommodate 300 worshipers, while three imams are currently in training to support the official imam of HM2F.

Zahed is also convinced that the mosque will help to fight against homophobia in Islam and Islamophobia within the LGBT community in France.

HM2F has already over 320 members.

HM2F organized an international conference of progressive Muslims and LGBT Muslims from around the world this weekend in Paris.

During the conference Zahed stated that the mosque will be inspired by the work of Muslims for Progressive Values in North America.

The attendants at the conference expressed their support for the creation of the mosque and hope that many others will follow throughout the world.

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/gay-friendly-mosque-open-paris-france211112

Transgender Flag Rising... over the Castro

Homophobia in sports: interviews to 2 Canadian CFL teams

Toronto Argos talk about homophobia

Calgary Stampeders on homophobia and transphobia

Gay former principal sues school

in: http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/2012/11/23/gay-former-principal-sues-school/89966

The openly gay former principal of Bialik College, Joseph Gerassi, is suing the Melbourne Jewish school for millions of dollars after being sacked under enigmatic circumstances. The Age reports that Gerrassi was told to resign in August last year after the school council “had lost confidence” in him or have his employment terminated within the hour.

In a letter, school council president Graham Goldsmith acknowledged “many of the positive changes” that Gerassi had made but said they had come to an unanimous decision that they had lost confidence in his ability. He was given nine months pay and ordered not to speak with media, staff and school for nine months but is now seeking compensation for loss of income, distress, humiliation and damage to his reputation.

Gerassi began as a principal in 2009 and was believed to be the first openly gay principal of a Jewish school in Australia.

http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/2012/11/23/gay-former-principal-sues-school/89966

Calgary's Cornish shows he's cool

in: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/Calgary+Cornish+shows+cool/7598435/story.html

His mom has a wife, he has a new trophy

 

Jon Cornish became an instant Right to Play champion when he revealed his mom has a wife. When he accepted his top Canadian player award Thursday, he thanked both his mothers.
Photograph by: Colleen De Neve , Calgary Herald

 

To those of us not in daily contact with Jon Cornish, the story in the paper seemed to have a misprint. It was a reference to his mother, Margaret, an Anglican priest, travelling in Jerusalem with her wife.

It's all right, the Calgary Stampeders running back said Thursday. He made the same mistake the first time his mom told him she had met someone.

"What's he like?" Cornish said, home for Christmas from the University of Kansas, sensing her excitement.

"Well, it's a she," said his mom.

Cornish, bless his free-spirited heart, told this story after practice, to a roomful of reporters at Rogers Centre, and you could have heard a pin drop. He was remembering his own reaction to the news that his mother was gay.

"It took like 15 seconds to process, and then I was like, 'OK, that's pretty cool.' And that was it," he said.

Cornish, who ran for a league-leading 1,457 yard this season and broke Normie Kwong's 56-year-old record for rushing yards by a Canadian, didn't win the Gibson's Finest CFL award for most outstanding player Thursday night - Toronto Argonauts' record-breaking triple-threat Chad Owens won it - but he did get the prize as the league's top Canadian.

As importantly, perhaps, he gained something only his forthrightness in the national spotlight could have won him: a seat at the head table of the You Can Play movement, which is gathering steam and still awaits the day an active player in one of North America's four major professional sports comes out.

Stampeders head coach John Hufnagel was asked how accepting he thinks his club would be of an openly gay athlete.

"Can he throw?" said Huf-nagel. "Can he catch? Is he fast? It's a free country."

Cornish is aware that there is even a battle still to be fought to keep the homophobic reflex out of the locker-room.

"I'm actually pretty outspoken. I don't like certain slurs being used, and any time I hear them, I speak up," he said.

"I think for the most part, my team's pretty respectful. We have a lot of smart people on this team.

"People are always surprised when I tell them about my mom's situation, but for me, it's something I'm proud of. Because she'd been through a lot, and she finally found someone who she loved, and for me, there's nothing more positive in the world."

Margaret Cornish raised five children by herself on a music teacher's salary, he said, and got them into private schools "but when we were all done, she decided to go back to school, and got her Masters of Ethics, and became a priest in the Anglican Church," he said. "So that's what she wanted to achieve, and for me that's been a motivation my whole life."

Cornish himself is as unpredictable in an interview as he is on the field, where his ability to bowl over tacklers, shed others and weave his way through traffic made him the first Canadian to lead the league in rushing since Ottawa's Orville Lee in 1988.

His mooning of the crowd in Regina during a loss to the Roughriders this year was deeply embarrassing but "I would say that I let out all my immaturity that I had left in that moment," he said Thursday. "It was like, 'OK, that's it.'"


"He's a good football player, and a smart guy," said offensive co-ordinator Dave Dickenson. "He's not that different from most people. Everybody has their own little thing ... Jon, to me, is very coachable, very detailed - he's a little bit inquisitive, but I don't think that's really a negative."

The top Canadian award - referred to, at times in its history, as the Tallest Midget - can hardly be called that this year, with both Cornish and Montreal middle linebacker Shea Emry (defensive player, Canadian) double nominees for major awards. Emry lost the defensive vote to Edmonton linebacker J.C. Sherritt.

But playing a Canadian like Cornish at a skill position traditionally manned by an import does require some managing, as it has with Harris.

"When I first got up to the FL, I thought it would be a ositive. So when I came up, was a little bit surprised o find that me being a Canadian didn't really matter," Cornish said.

"In fact, because I would need a Canadian backup, that created more problems. So I ended up thinking it wasn't the best thing. But now that I am a starter and we've got an extra American wide receiver on the field, Mo Price, it's a pretty big positive."

Cornish lost the outstanding player vote by a 41-16 margin to Owens, not a terribly big surprise - nothing like Calgary's Henry Burris losing to Montreal's Anthony Calvillo in 2008, and vowing revenge (and getting it) in the Grey Cup game.

"I think players will use whatever ammunition they can to get motivated," said Hufnagel, "and that was a small motivational piece to that puzzle, that year."

Will it be for Jon Cornish, who has been held to under 50 yards by the Argos in two meetings this year, both Calgary losses?

"I would say there's a significant chance it'll be better than 50 yards on Sunday," he said. "If it's less than 50, I'd be really disappointed."

Thursday, there was nothing to be disappointed about. Nothing important.

Earlier in the day, Margaret Cornish and her wife Andrea Mann arrived in Toronto to hear him say:

"I want to thank my mom - my two moms, really. Because what are we without our families?"

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/Calgary+Cornish+shows+cool/7598435/story.html

India's longest running gay film festival celebrates sixth year

in: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/indias-longest-running-lgbt-film-festival-celebrates-sixth-year221112

Kolkata's queer film festival starts tomorrow, showing over 40 films

India’s longest running LGBT film festival will be celebrating its sixth year tomorrow (23 November).

The three-day 'Dialogues' festival in Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, will showcase more than 40 films of differing genres from coming-of-age dramas and experimental films to documentaries.

Nil, an Indian designer closely associated with the festival, believes it will offer something for everyone.

‘The number of films screened this year is almost double of last year’s. For the first time we are having parallel screenings,' he told the Hindustan Times.

The festival will also showcase 10 full length feature films from around the world, from countries like Germany, India, France and Peru.

The films shown will be a mix of mainstream releases and more obscure titles, including the acclaimed Eyes Wide Open from Israel.

The festival is organised by Sappho for Equality (SFE) and Pratyay Gender Trust (PGT).

Anindya Hajra, of PGT, said: ‘The festival primarily celebrates writers, directors, actors and their work dealing with LGBT and queer themes and issues. But over the years both LGBT and non-LGBT audiences have shown interest.’

The festival will open with the premiere of ‘Guide Gufran’, a film about self-discovery with themes on sexuality and spirituality.

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/indias-longest-running-lgbt-film-festival-celebrates-sixth-year221112

Video made by Chelsea Clinton in support of gay marriage bills was blocked by NBC

in: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/video-made-chelsea-clinton-support-gay-marriage-bills-was-blocked-nbc221112

Former First Daughter is a special correspondent for the network's news division

Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former US President Bill Clinton and current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, had her ads in support of gay marriage pulled by NBC News.

Buzzfeed.com reports that because Clinton works as a special correspondent for NBC, the network scuttled plans by backers of Washington state's marriage equality bill R-74 to use an ad by Clinton.

The video wasn’t intended for TV broadcast and were apparently to be used as web videos. It was to be used for several different marriage equality campaigns.

Earlier this year, Clinton spoke out against North Carolina's anti-gay Amendment One. The bill, which was passed by voters, bans that state from recognizing civil unions, strip away domestic partner benefits and could eliminate legal protections for all unmarried couples in the state.

'I believe that everyone must stand up for what is right, whenever possible, wherever possible,' Clinton said at the time. 'I also believe that when the civil rights of any one American or group of Americans in one place are questioned, all Americans, everywhere, should care that the answer is the right one. Those are lessons I learned at a young age from my parents and they are guiding principles in my life.'

On 6 November, voters in Washington, Maine and Maryland approved bills that made same-sex marriage legal in their state while Minnesota voters rejected a bill that would have banned such unions.

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/video-made-chelsea-clinton-support-gay-marriage-bills-was-blocked-nbc221112

UN passes resolution condemning executions based on LGBT status

in: http://jurist.org/paperchase/2012/11/un-passes-resolution-condemning-execution-for-lgbt-status.php

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday passed a resolution condmening extrajudicial, summary, and arbitrary executions on the basis of "gender identity" for the first time. In a vote of 108 to 1, the UNGA amended the resolution to include language urging states around the world "to investigate...all killings committed for any discriminatory reason, including sexual orientation or gender identity." The UNGA's approval of the amendment effectively overturned a 2010 resolution that removed references to protection from extrajudicial execution on the basis of "sexual orientation." Rights groups from around the world have praised the UNGA's decision to support protections from discriminatory execution based on LGBT status. Amnesty International's UN representative, Jose Luis Diaz said Wednesday: "The [UNGA] sent a strong message, reaffirming everyone must be protected from extrajudicial killings." Changes in the resolution were originally introduced by Sweden and co-sponsored by 34 states from around the world.

Sexual orientation and LGBT rights continue to be a contentious issue in societies worldwide. In July UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised human rights activists for their work to protect LGBT rights while calling for an end to discrimination based on sexual orientation and stressing that violence and discrimination against the LGBT community is a human rights violation. In June Human Rights Watch urged the Bulgarian Justice Minister Diana Kovacheva to denounce calls to violence by anti-gay groups in anticipation of a LGBT pride parade in Sofia, Bulgaria. During the same month, Ugandan Minister of State for Ethics and Integrity Simon Lokodo said  that the government was not discriminating based on sexual orientation. The statement came days after the government had announced that it would ban at least 38 non-governmental organizations that are accused of recruiting children to homosexuality.

http://jurist.org/paperchase/2012/11/un-passes-resolution-condemning-execution-for-lgbt-status.php

Massachusetts transgender inmate fighting for electrolysis

in: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/11/massachusetts_transgender_inma_1.html

 
In this Jan. 15, 1993, file photo, Robert Kosilek, aka Michelle Kosilek, sits in Bristol County Superior Court in New Bedford. Kosilek, a convicted murderer who won a court ruling ordering Massachusetts prison officials to allow her to have a sex-change operation, is now fighting for electrolysis treatments.

 

 

Convicted murderer Michelle Kosilek fought for more than a decade before a federal judge in Massachusetts ordered prison officials to allow her to have a sex-change operation.

Kosilek is still fighting, this time for electrolysis treatments, another step she says she needs to complete her transformation into a woman.

Kosilek's lawyers will be in court Monday to ask U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf to order the state Department of Correction to provide the hair removal treatments. The department is appealing his ruling ordering sex-reassignment surgery.

Kosilek was born male but has received hormone treatments and now lives as a woman in an all-male male prison, where she is serving a life sentence. Kosilek was named Robert when married to Cheryl Kosilek and convicted of murdering her in 1990.

Kosilek, now 63, received seven electrolysis treatments in 2008 to remove facial and chest hair. The DOC discontinued the treatments after finding she had already received significant hair removal and saying her remaining hair could be removed by shaving or using depilatories.

Her lawyers declined to comment on the electrolysis request but argued in court documents filed last month that the DOC provided electrolysis for a limited time "to keep the issue from being fully litigated at trial, showing further indifference to Kosilek's serious medical needs."

The DOC also declined to comment but argued in court documents that Kosilek is attempting to get treatments that have already been denied by the judge.

Wolf has twice rejected requests from Kosilek for additional electrolysis treatments, but ordered prison officials to have Kosilek evaluated by an independent expert on gender-identity disorder. An evaluation was done in 2010, but Kosilek's lawyers objected to the use of a psychiatrist who works for the DOC, saying he could not be considered an independent expert.

In his Sept. 4 ruling ordering the DOC to provide Kosilek with sex-reassignment surgery, Wolf did not rule on the electrolysis request, saying the surgery "will be a material change in circumstances regarding any arguable serious medical need Kosilek may have for electrolysis."

Kosilek's lawyers filed a motion to amend Wolf's ruling in October, asking that the judge require the appointment of an independent expert to evaluate Kosilek's medical need for electrolysis. Wolf later ordered the DOC to provide the name of an independent expert who can give the court an opinion on whether Kosilek needs the electrolysis treatments if he orders an evaluation of Kosilek.

The DOC says Kosilek is not entitled to additional treatments.

Kosilek "is not seeking to correct an error of law or fact, but to relitigate the electrolysis issue raised at trial by obtaining new evidence and a rehearing," the DOC argued in court documents this month.

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/11/massachusetts_transgender_inma_1.html

Top 10 Myths About Transgender People

in: http://everydayfeminism.com/2012/08/myths-about-transgender-people/


Millions of people in the US identify as transgender.
And yet, most people know almost nothing about them.
Even many feminists have trouble distinguishing identity from identity, term from term, myth from reality.
How many of your friends and family can properly define the term “transgender”?
If you’re like most of us, the answer is, not many.

Why do we know so little about transgender people?

When it comes to gender and sex, transgender people are breaking the rules.  And since patriarchy’s very existence depends on everyone’s compliance, those who break the rules are a threat.
So they must be silenced.

Transgender people are systematically silenced on a daily basis.

They are not adequately represented in politics, government, or media.  They are not encouraged to freely express themselves in a society that fears them.  They are often not even safe on their own streets.
We don’t know them because, frankly, we don’t see them.
When transgender people do live their lives in the open, they are deemed freaks, deviants, and perverts.  They are told that who they are is wrong.  They are even hated, hurt, and killed.
When transgender people are represented in the media, they are often portrayed as over-sexualized, uncontrollable freaks (think “Jerry Springer”).  Or are presented as drugged out prostitutes (think “Cops”).  Or are misidentified as flamboyant drag queens (think “RuPaul”).
We know this is wrong.
But, we may still not know what’s right.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of stereotyping this group that you may find hard to understand.  Maybe you already have.
That’s okay.  Being feminist doesn’t mean being perfect.  But it does mean making an effort to change your ways of thinking and debunk the myths that society tells us about certain groups of people.
So let’s confront some of the most common myths about transgender people, and change our ways of thinking about them.

Myth #1:  Transgender people live crazy lives.

This is probably the most common misconception about trans people.
Many people incorrectly associate being transgender with automatically living an “crazy lifestyle” based on tv and in the movies. This may involve drag performance, hyper-masculine or hyper-feminine behavior, drugs, or prostitution.
Some trans people (and some non-trans people too!) engage in the above behaviors. But all transgender people do the everyday things that are a part of life. They go to work, buy groceries, see movies, kiss their kids good night.
They are people. They do people things like everyone else.

Myth #2: Transgender people are confused.

Just because a person is different, doesn’t mean they don’t know who they are.
Trans people have a sex.  They are females, males, and intersex.
Trans people have a gender.  They are men, women, queer, and other genders.
They know their sex and they know their gender.
This can be confusing to us who inhabit more traditional gender roles, but to the transgender person, it is not confusing.  It is just who they are.
That said, coming to the realization that you are trans, and coming out publically as trans, in a society that doesn’t accept or understand you can be very confusing and hurtful.   Many transgender people have experiences of feeling “defective” or “wrong.”
This is a social problem, not a gender identity problem.

Myth #3: Transgender people are mentally disturbed.

It’s true that many transgender people suffer from mental illness.  But it’s not because of their gender identity alone!
It’s because in a patriarchal society, being gender variant causes a lot of distress.  So much distress, in fact, that it can be described by the diagnosis of a mental disorder.  This diagnosis is helpful because it tells us that this person is hurting and something needs to be done to help.
Transgender people have the same brains we do.  They are just faced with a lot more mental and emotional stress.

Myth #4: Transgender people are gay.

Gender identity and sexual orientation are two completely separate characteristics.   One is what gender we see ourselves as being.  The other is what gender(s) and sex(es) we are physically and romantically attracted to.
Knowing one doesn’t tell you about the other.

Myth #5: Transgender people are radical liberals with crazy ideas.

Transgender people come from all political and religious backgrounds.
Many trans people just want to lead their lives as part of “mainstream” society and be accepted and not condemned by their families, churches, governments and communities.
They should be allowed this.
Other trans people feel very strongly about changing the system that has oppressed them and adapt more radical beliefs about the gender system.  They wish to live outside of traditional social norms and not be deemed “freaks” because of it.
They should be allowed this too.
Transgender people are diverse.  Each will make a unique decision about the life they want to lead.

Myth #6: Transgender people hate their bodies.

This is a very common myth.  It does make sense that a person who identifies as a woman might be uncomfortable in her male body, and vice versa.  And some transgender people are uncomfortable and want to alter their bodies.  Others choose to live with their bodies as they are.
Neither choice means that this person hates themself.  On the contrary, a transgender person can love themselves through the whole process of transitioning.  And we can love them too!
Each person’s relationship with their body is unique and we should support every transgender person in doing what works for them.

Myth #7: Transgender people perform drag shows.

Conservative thinkers would love to point to a singing, shimmying, scantily dressed, heavily made-up drag queen slinking across a stage and say, “THAT is a transgender!”  But, they’re wrong.  In fact, did you know that the majority of gender performance is done by non-trans people?
Because, it’s just a performance.  It’s not about real people.
Drag Queens and Drag Kings “do drag” for theatrical, comedic, and at times, political purposes.  They do it for their art and they do it with you, the viewer, in mind.
When a trans woman wears women’s clothing or a trans man wears men’s clothing, they are not doing drag.  Nor are they cross-dressing.  They are just wearing their clothes.

Myth #8: You can tell someone is transgender just by looking at them.

This is a myth meant to make us believe that transgender people are all crazy freaks.  That you can “spot” one, like a cartoon villain or a sasquatch. “Look, a tranny!”
It is a hurtful and misleading lie.
The truth is, transgender people have bodies just like ours.  And they may display them in very traditional ways.
Some pass very well, others don’t.
As feminists, we don’t judge our bodies or anyone else’s.

Myth #9: Transgender people aren’t “real” men or women.

This is probably the most hurtful myth of all.  It tells us that transgender people are somehow less human because of their gender identification.  It is proof that they do not have a place in proper society.
It is hateful and unacceptable.
Everyone should have the right to be men and women, regardless of sex category or anything else.
There are many ways to be human.

Myth #10: Transgender people are weird.

When someone is unlike anything we have seen or known, we think, that’s weird.
It’s okay to have that thought.  It’s human nature.  But it’s important to understand that your perception of what’s “weird” is based on your experiences and your culture.
Many cultures think that living outside the gender binary (two-gender system) is perfectly normal.  Transgender people are integrated into mainstream society and may even be held in high esteem.
We can do the same!  As feminists, we think difference is good!  (and we embrace weirdness too).

Why do these myths exist?

These myths all have one thing in common: they justify the subjugation of transgender people.
Think about it:  if we all believed that transgender people were confused, crazy, mentally ill, radical freaks that aren’t real people, then why would we want them to have an equal place in our society?  If they’re not normal, and not right, why would we want them to be anything more than invisible?
It’s a calculated collection of stereotypes that serves to maintain patriarchy.
Just by knowing that these 10 myths are false, you know more about transgender people than most people in the country today.
And, because of this knowledge, trans people are one step closer to being understood and accepted in mainstream society.
Now, take a minute to think about how powerful that is.

http://everydayfeminism.com/2012/08/myths-about-transgender-people/

Push is on to develop more gay-straight alliances in Alberta schools

in: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/life/Push+develop+more+straight+alliances+Alberta+schools/7566864/story.html

Kiana Chouinard of Scona High School, and Bryan Cooke of Centre High, two of the 60 delegates at the first Gay-Straight Alliance Student Conference which was held in in Edmonton on Nov. 17, 2012.
Photograph by: Marta Gold , Edmonton Journal

 

About 60 students and teachers gathered Saturday in Edmonton to do what would have been unthinkable even a decade ago: hold a conference about starting, supporting and sustaining gay-straight alliance groups in schools across the province.

With the blessing of both the Alberta government and Edmonton’s public school board, the first Gay Straight Alliance Student Conference saw students from across the province join forces at the Bennett Centre to talk about gender identity, homophobia, advocacy, respect and creative self-expression.

“Just a few short years ago, within the span of your lives, this would be almost unthinkable,” deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk said in kicking off the conference, sponsored by the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services (ISMSS) at the University of Alberta.

Alberta Culture Minister Heather Klimchuk, who also spoke to the students, likened their efforts to those of the Famous 5, who fought for the right of Canadian women to be appointed to the Senate and paved the way for women like her in politics, she said.

“We should not be defined by what we wear, how we look or who we love, and that’s very important to me,” she said.

“Never doubt that the gay-straight alliances you represent are anything but an instrument for change to make it better, fairer and more just.”

The featured speaker was Rae Spoon, a transgendered musician and author who grew up in an evangelical Christian home in southern Alberta. Delegates also talked a lot about gender identity and expression, said Kris Wells, associate director of the ISMSS. “It’s equated to where sexual orientation was 30 years ago – largely not understood; a lot of stereotypes and misinformation.”

The Edmonton public school board has a sexual orientation and gender identity policy. It has put forward a policy resolution to the Alberta School Boards Association that all Alberta boards do the same. The association will debate the resolution on Monday.

In Ontario, legislation has been passed mandating gay-straight alliances be supported in any school where students request one, even in Catholic schools, Wells said. Alberta doesn’t have such legislation.

In Edmonton, there are 13 gay-straight alliances at public high schools, he said.

Some have only recently been established, like the one at Centre High, where 18-year-old student Bryan Cooke was among those who challenged the school’s no-clubs policy and lobbied successfully to set up a gay-straight alliance, which met for the first time this past week. It’s small so far — only a few students, a counsellor and an openly gay teacher who helps out — but Cooke expects it to grow.

Earlier, as a student at McNally High School he came out as bisexual with the support of that school’s gay-straight alliance.

“I came out while I was on the football team and some of the guys were uncomfortable. But I said, ‘I don’t care if you don’t like it, I’m changing in here.’ ”

Most of his teammates were accepting. His coach was supportive, but one boy continued to bother him. Because of his behaviour, the boy was suspended from school for five days and from the football team, Cooke said.

Grade 12 student Kiana Chouinard heads the alliance at Scona High School, one of the two oldest gay-straight alliances in the city, established in 2000. The other is at Ross Sheppard High School.

The group hosts education and awareness events and has teamed with the school’s Christian club for a couple of events. “Everyone just assumes that we’re not going to get along … but they’re great,” Chouinard said.

Still, biases and misunderstanding about the club persist. “I’ve had parents call my school complaining about the ‘gay cult’ in our school, and saying ‘my kid is in the gay cult,’ and that’s ridiculous,” she said.

Younger kids in the club still come to her complaining of incidents of bullying and homophobia. She has intervened on their behalf.

A conference like this one is a great affirmation of the positive work that alliances do, she said. “I think it’s just great that we can be in a public place and advertise it on the Internet and it’s in the newspaper, and we can talk about it nobody is outside protesting and we can all just be ourselves.”

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/life/Push+develop+more+straight+alliances+Alberta+schools/7566864/story.html

Thousands protest in France against gay marriage bill

in: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2012/11/19/news/foreign/thousands-protest-in-france-against-gay-marriage-bill/

Tens of thousands of people have protested in France against plans to legalise same-sex marriage and allow gay couples to adopt.

Police said at least 70,000 took to the streets in Paris; there were other demonstrations in the cities of Lyon, Toulouse and Marseille.

They included Catholic groups and other backers of traditional family rights.

President Francois Hollande has promised to change French law so that gay and lesbian couples can marry.
Despite opposition from more than 1,000 mayors and the Catholic Church, his socialist government approved a bill on the issue earlier this month which will be debated by parliament in January.

France already allows civil unions between same-sex couples, but extending their rights was a campaign pledge of Hollande before he was elected in May.

PINK: Protesters in Paris wore pink T-shirts and scarves and carried pink balloons emblazoned with images of a man and woman holding two children’s hands.

“A child needs a father and a mother, he needs the paternal and the maternal side and with this bill that might not be possible any more,” said one protestor, Marthe Vignault. “That’s the way it is and we can’t go against nature.”

Saturday also saw counter-rallies in support of same-sex marriage.

The issue is one of the most divisive Mr Hollande has faced, correspondents say. The head of the French Council of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, recently described gay marriage as “the ultimate deceit”.

At present only married couples - not civil union partners - can adopt in France.

A number of European nations, including Germany, Sweden and the UK, already allow gay adoption.

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2012/11/19/news/foreign/thousands-protest-in-france-against-gay-marriage-bill/

Estruturação faz Guia LGBT de Brasília impresso e em aplicativo

in: http://paroutudo.com/2012/11/17/brasilia-ganha-guia-lgbt-impresso-e-em-aplicativo/

 

Versão impressa é trimestral e tem 16 páginas. Versão em aplicativo será atualizada semanalmente

Brasília passa a ter guia LGBT impresso e em aplicativo! Lugares, eventos, lojas, direitos e muito mais, tudo reunido e bem prático. O Estruturação lança no sábado 17 o Guia LGBT de Brasília versão 2012/2013.

A versão impressa ficará disponível nos principais lugares LGBT do DF. São 16 páginas coloridas em estilo livreto com 15 cm x 10 cm (tamanho bolso) fechado. O aplicativo para Android já está na loja Google Play (pode procurar por Guia LGBT Brasília). Em breve, será disponibilizada a versão para iPhone.

A iniciativa marca um novo momento no DF, explica o diretor do Estruturação e idealizador do guia Welton Trindade. “O guia é uma forma incrível de fortalecer a relação entre o empresariado LGBT, nossas comunidades e o ativismo. Essa união é fundamental para avançarmos mais e mais rumo à nossa identidade, nossa auto-estima e à nossa organização.”

Quem anuncia no guia, além de ter visibilidade para seu negócio ou trabalho, contribui para as ações do Estruturação. Todo o lucro é revertido para a entidade. Alguns anunciantes da atual edição são deputada Erika Kokay, Disponivel.com, loja de suplementos Mr. Vita e sauna Soho. A parceria com a agência de publicidade Cherry é outro destaque. A edição impressa tem periodicidade trimestral. A versão em aplicativo será atualizada semanalmente.

O guia também é um marco no turismo LGBT do DF. “Até agora, um turista chega à cidade e tem dificuldades de obter informações sobre onde ir. Agora, isso vai acabar. Ele pode baixar o aplicativo, por exemplo, e já saber o que o circuito LGBT da capital federal oferece a ele ou ela”, explica Trindade.

A cidadania também faz parte do serviço. Nas duas versões há leis de proteção contra homofobia e informações sobre como denunciar violência.

E haverá novidades, diz o idealizador do guia. “Essa versão do guia é apenas o começo. Muito em breve, os LGBT do DF e os turistas terão muito mais. O guia, é para ter certeza, oferecerá muito mais serviços e facilidades. Será ainda mais irresistível ter o guia. É a nossa palavra.”

http://paroutudo.com/2012/11/17/brasilia-ganha-guia-lgbt-impresso-e-em-aplicativo/

Ministério da Cultura brasileiro cria Comitê LGBT

in: http://www.revistaviag.com.br/second-pagina.php?id=758
















A ministra da Cultura Marta Suplicy (PT) criou o Comitê Técnico de Cultura para Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais e Transexuais (LGBT). A decisão foi publicada no Diário Oficial da União esta semana. O Comitê visa ações que fomentam e valorizam manifestações e expressões artísticas do grupo, no combate ao preconceito e à homofobia. Além disso, será estimulada a produção de conhecimento sobre a cultura LGBT.

“Queremos deixar claro para a sociedade que há uma cultura produzida por este grupo e que a cultura é também um meio de combate à homofobia”, explica Thais Werneck, da Secretaria da Cidadania e da Diversidade Cultural do Ministério da Cultura (SCDC/MinC). Segundo ela, a pasta vem trabalhando em ações com o segmento LGBT desde 2004, quando foi criado o programa Brasil Sem Homofobia, com o objetivo de promover os direitos humanos do grupo. “Já tínhamos ações voltadas para a valorização e o fomento à cultura do segmento”.

Coordenado pela Secretaria de Direitos Humanos da Presidência da República (SDH/PR), o principal eixo do Brasil Sem Homofobia é o apoio a projetos de fortalecimento de instituições não-governamentais que atuam na promoção da cidadania LGBT e no combate à homofobia.


http://www.revistaviag.com.br/second-pagina.php?id=758

Americans tell their stories for Transgender Awareness Week

in: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/trans-americans-tell-their-stories-transgender-awareness-week151112



Video campaign hopes to raise awareness of transgender issues in the US






A video campaign featuring prominent trans Americans has been launched to mark Transgender Awareness Week.

The 'I AM: Trans People Speak' videos feature New York Times bestseller Professor Jennifer Finney Boylan and actress Laverne Cox telling their own personal stories.

Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF) attorney Noah Lewis and performance poet Kit Yan also share their experiences to camera in the campaign which aims to put transgender issues in the spotlight to educate the public and speak to trans youth and adults.

The videos' release by LGBT rights group GLAAD and the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition coincides with Transgender Awareness Week.

The US campaign, which started 12 November and runs until 19 November, hopes to raise visibility and awareness of transgender people and issues.

'The stories of everyday transgender Americans remain relatively unheard in both national and LGBT media,' said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick.

'These stories will not only empower members of the transgender community who rarely see relatable stories, but also educate Americans everywhere about the fact that the community is a valuable part of the fabric of our culture.

'The campaign will also shine a light on the high level of discrimination that our transgender friends, family and neighbors continue to face in schools, the workplace and in their own communities.'

Transgender Awareness Week culminates with the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) on 20 November, honoring the memory of those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.

Keep up with Transgender Awareness Week on Twitter by following hashtag #TAW12. Follow the Transgender Day of Remembrance on Twitter with hashtag #TDoR

Watch a selection of the videos below:

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/trans-americans-tell-their-stories-transgender-awareness-week151112

Vatican pledges to continue campaign of homophobia and bigotry

in: http://www.examiner.com/article/vatican-pledges-to-continue-campaign-of-homophobia-and-bigotry

In opposition to justice, the Vatican will continue to fight against marriage equality. According to the Vatican, the Roman Catholic Church will continue their immoral campaign of bigotry and homophobia in an attempt to deny gay and lesbian individuals the right to same-sex marriage.

In two separate, strongly worded editorials this weekend, the Vatican reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church's unequivocal opposition to marriage equality. Despite the recent moral progress of the West, the Catholic Church is determined to cling to their immoral and unjust homophobia and bigotry.

The Vatican editorials come after recent victories for same sex marriage in the U.S., France and Spain. Speaking on Vatican Radio, Father Federico Lombardi said:

"It is clear that in Western countries there is a widespread tendency to modify the classic vision of marriage between a man and woman, or rather to try to give it up, erasing its specific and privileged legal recognition compared to other forms of union."

One must marvel at the moral audacity of Father Lombardi and the Catholic Church. To think that a morally corrupt institution like the Catholic Church presumes to make any moral directives is astonishing. An institution with a long and well established history of protecting and enabling pedophiles, an institution that puts its own reputation above the health and welfare of children, has no business making any moral pronouncements.

The Catholic Church is a morally backward, bankrupt and corrupt institution. Their continued endorsement of homophobia and bigotry is just one of their many crimes against humanity. By continuing their campaign opposing same-sex marriage, they only confirm that they are a dangerous and despicable institution that stands opposed to human decency and human happiness.

http://www.examiner.com/article/vatican-pledges-to-continue-campaign-of-homophobia-and-bigotry

Lesbian and gay Mounties tell teens 'It Gets Better'

in: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/lesbian-and-gay-mounties-tell-teens-it-gets-better061112



It Gets Better video features 20 officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police telling personal stories of how they overcame prejudice and discrimination

Lesbian and gay Mounties have made a video for the It Gets Better campaign in support of teens facing homophobic bullying.

The video features 20 out and proud Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers sharing their personal stories of growing up gay and how they overcame their struggles to become 911 dispatchers, homicide investigators and anti-gang task force members.

The men and women tell their sometimes moving accounts of when they first realized they were gay, the prejudice they faced at school and how they finally came out to their family and friends.

'I was the recipient of quite a lot of bullying at school,' said Mark Greenfield in the nine minute video.

'A lot of people I went to school with said I was effeminate, I was gay and I was somehow judged for that.'

Maya, a 911 operator, said she was too scared to come out when she was still at high school.

She added: 'I was a strategic planner and I still am to this day, so I strategically plan. When high school is done that's when you can be yourself. Until then, hide it away. So I hid right 'til the day I graduated pretty much.'

The RCMP's video is the latest group message for the It Gets Better campaign, founded in 2010 by columnist Dan Savage as a response to gay teen suicide, reminding teenagers they are not alone.

US police departments in San Francisco and Austin released their own videos earlier this year, as well as US troops and American football's NFL.

In September, project co-founders Savage and Terry Miller won a special award at the Creative Arts Emmys for their It Gets Better television special.

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/lesbian-and-gay-mounties-tell-teens-it-gets-better061112