UN Issues Anti-Homophobia Message

Clip description:

76 countries still criminalize consensual same-sex relationships and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people everywhere continue to suffer violent attacks and discriminatory treatment. In this simple, high-impact video from the UN human rights office, individuals from diverse backgrounds pose questions directly to the viewer designed to expose the nature of human rights violations suffered by LGBT people around the world. The video includes cameo appearances by UN Secretary-General and High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. The UN’s message: LGBT rights are human rights. Together we will build a world that is free and equal.

NYC: Cops Make Two Arrests After Midtown Gay Bashing

Northern Ireland Rejects Marriage Equality

The Telegraph reports:

A bid to legalise same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland has failed.
Unionists voted down a motion at Stormont’s Assembly which called on the power-sharing ministerial Executive to legislate.
Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK without marriage rights for gay couples.
The issue sparked impassioned debate, with protests outside the legislature and verbal clashes between campaigners in favour of or opposed to the change. Amnesty International has warned of a likely legal challenge.
Sinn Fein South Down MLA Caitriona Ruane said: “Attitudes in Ireland are changing because people do not want to see people discriminated against.
“The gay community has said enough is enough, they are standing up for themselves and their communities.”
She claimed young people were turning to suicide by because of the taunts.
“If they don’t have an alternative voice to the vitriolic gay bashing they will internalise it,” she said.
“There is no room for sitting on the fence on this, this is about fighting for all our children’s rights.”
Church leaders had urged Assembly members to vote against the legislation, with the Catholic church asserting marriage was between a man and a woman.
However, Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty’s orthern Ireland programme director, said: “States may not discriminate with regards to the right to marry and found a family, on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Yesterday’s petition of concern at the Assembly tabled by the largest unionist party, the Democratic Unionists, ensured Sinn Fein’s motion would be defeated after a majority of unionists failed to back the change.
John O’Doherty, director of the Rainbow Project health organisation for gay men and a rights campaigner, said he would continue to press for change.
“This will be won slowly so we appreciate every vote that we got. We are disappointed with the outcome. It has always been a difficult march towards equality here but we will continue to fight the good fight.”

South Africa: Gay Teens Starved, Tortured, Killed At Camp

Gay Star News reports:

Three ‘gay and effeminate’ teens have died after being starved, tortured and killed at a camp that promised to turn them into ‘men’.
A picture of Raymond Buys, 15, taken in April 2011 showed a skeletal, emaciated figure fighting for his life.
Just 10 weeks before, the teen’s parents signed him up to the Echo Wild Game Rangers training course in South Africa in perfect health.
In hospital, Buys was severely malnourished, dehydrated, his arm was broken in two places and there were burns and wounds all over his body. He lay in intensive care for four weeks until he died.
And now, the course ‘general’ Alex De Koker, 49, and employee Michael Erasmus, 20, are on trial for charges of murder, child abuse and neglect, along with two cases of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm in relation to Buys’ death.
The teen’s death is alleged to have been the third among the Afrikaans children who attended the R22,000 ($2,400, €1,900) courses, which have been advertized since 2006.
‘I sent my son on this course to make him a better man, to give him a better future,’ Buys’ mother told The Daily Telegraph. ‘I trusted Alex De Koker with his life.’
Last week, the Vereeniging District Court heard the testimony of a boy who had shared a tent with Buys, the Daily Maverick reports.
Gerhard Oostuizen, 19, claims Buys was chained to his bed every night, was refused permission to visit the toilet and on one occasion was forced to eat his own faeces.
He also said he would be beaten with planks, hosepipes and sticks when he failed to carry out manual labor tasks.
Oostuizen alleged further he saw De Koker tied Buys to a chair naked with his head covered in a pillowcase, and would electrocute him with a stun gun.
Gender activist Melanie Nathan has said the three young men were all perceived as ‘gay and clearly effeminate’.
In reference to ‘gay conversion camps’, Nathan writes: ‘With a little bit of digging [into the story], the gay reparative undertones start to emerge.’
Eric Calitz, 18, and Nicolaas Van Der Walt, 19, had both died after being enrolled at the Echo Wild Game Rangers camp four years earlier.
When Calitz requested to leave, De Koker reportedly told him he ‘wasn’t a moffie [gay] and he would make a man out of him’.
Calitz’s family was informed of his death via text message, saying he had died of a heart attack.
Afterwards, doctors said the cause of death was from a seizure, dehydration and found bleeding from the brain.
Van Der Walt was also claimed to have died from a heart attack, but doctors said he had appeared to have been choked with a seatbelt.  
Both De Koker and Erasmus have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The case continues.

Boston Bombing Suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Liked To RT Homophobic Tweets

Queerty reports:

Boston marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was “as American as anybody,” according to one of his high school friends.
So it comes as no surprise that his Twitter account reflects the usual ramblings of a 19 year old, along with a few homophobic touches.
Tsarnaev’s tweets make it clear that he’s straight and likes women (and weed), but he can’t resist a few swipes at gays along the way.
“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet, probably the gayest thing I ever heard but don’t mind me I obviously just get wet,” Tsarnaev writes in one tweet.
In other cases, he liked to retweet not particularly funny jokes.

• “Oh, you’re gay? That must be a real pain in the ass.”
• “In a Grammar class : Teacher:- “HE does not like girls.” What is ‘He’ in this sentence. . ?? … . . Student :- Gay… . !!””Oh, you’re gay? That must be a real pain in the ass.”
• “If you were sleeping between a beautiful girl and a gay man, who’s side would you turn your back to?”

Compared to what Tsarnaev is accused of, these are incredibly mild. There are no death threats against gays or invocations about the wrath of God on homosexuals. Instead, what they highlight are the average, casually homophobic beliefs of a young straight American male. In that sense, Tsarnaev was depressingly a lot like everyone else.

NOM’s Hate Rally Recap

NY Sen. Ruben Diaz is the guy who declared that “gays are worthy of death” at NOM’s 2011 hate rally in the Bronx.

SOMALIA: Gay Teen Stoned To Death In Somalia In Front Of “Horrified” Village

Joe.My.God. reports:

Identity Kenya reports: 

A gay man was allegedly stoned to death as punishment for homosexuality, a gay Muslim group has said Saturday.  According to Somali Gay Community, the young man, Mohamed Ali Baashi ,18, was buried in a hole up to his chest and then pelted with rocks by members of the Al Qaeda link group Al Shabaab on Friday, March 15, in Barawe, about 50 miles from the capital, Mogadishu. The group, through its Facebook page, Somali Gay Community, posted three photos of alleging they were from the stoning. However, Identity Kenya could not independently verify this claims or the alleged stoning and efforts to reach the group have not been successful.

Gruesome photos of the alleged execution are here, if you dare.

RELATED: In recent years US aid to Somalia has been primarily focused on international humanitarian reliefs campaigns involving food and medicine. However two months ago the United States officially recognized the government of Somalia for the first time in 22 years after the election of a moderate president who has denounced the Al Qaeda-backed group that once controlled much of the nation. 

“There is still a long way to go and many challenges to confront, but we have seen a new foundation for that better future being laid,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday in a joint news conference with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who stood beaming at her side.Even as they were fighting extremists, the country’s leaders were working to create a democratic government, and have done so — with a new president, a new parliament, a new prime minister and a new constitution, she said. Mohamud was elected president in September. Clinton noted that the United States supported the changes, providing more than $650 million in aid to the African Union mission in Somalia, more than $130 million to the country’s security forces, nearly $360 million in emergency humanitarian aid over the past two years and more than $45 million in development-related assistance to help rebuild the economy. In addition, U.S. largesse has provided more than $200 million in aid for Somali refugees throughout the Horn of Africa, she said.

Canada: Quebec Launches Anti-Homophobia Ads

Joe.My.God. reports:

The province of Quebec has launched five-year $7M ad campaign to combat homophobia. 

• A public display of affection between a couple shouldn’t usually elicit a reaction from people.  But what if those engaging in that passionate smooch are a same-sex couple? The Quebec government has launched a unique advertising campaign designed to get the province thinking about just how open-minded it really is when it comes to homosexuality. The TV, radio and web campaign shows routine, everyday scenes in which the viewer has no idea until the end that the ad is about sexual orientation.

ECUADOR: President Rafael Correa Apologizes On National TV For Homophobic Remarks

 Joe.My.God. reports:

Hours after Ecuador President Rafael Correa won a third term on Sunday, he used a portion of his nationally televised victory speech to apologize for anti-gay remarks he’d made several months earlier. Andres Duque has a translation on Blabbeando: 

• A few months ago I used a number of inappropriate words that were offensive to LGBT groups and for which I apologized in writing - and I stated I would apologize again after winning [the election] to make sure they knew I wasn’t doing it simply for political gain. 
• Once again I’d like to express my apologies to those LGBT groups for some words that might have escaped me. Each one of us was born and grew up with stereotypes and stigmas and we have to fight against this type of - let’s call it deformed - social upbringing, etcetera. But our commitment is to defend everyone’s dignity and equality. We are diverse but never unequal.
• And I was reminded of this by the leader of a GLBT group who I greatly admire a couple of days ago. You need a lot of courage to lead these type of movements. Let’s offer them all our support and - on a personal basis - I offer my full respect and the effort and commitment to eliminate all types of discrimination in this country.

RELATED: Ecuador legalized civil unions in 2009 and allows gays to served openly in the military. In 1998 it became the first nation in the Western Hemisphere to alter its federal constitution to ban most forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation. (Canada followed shortly after.) However same-sex marriage and gay adoption are both banned by Ecuador’s constitution. 

49ers’ Players Say They Never Participated In “It Gets Better” Video (Even Though They’re In It)

The Huffington Post reports:

A series of anti-gay remarks made by San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver cast the Super Bowl-bound team in a negative light just days ahead of the NFL championship game.
Though Culliver has since apologized for the controversial statements, the backlash seems unlikely to dissipate now that a new wrinkle has emerged. The 49ers’ linebacker Ahmad Brooks and nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga, both of whom participated in the team’s widely-praised “It Gets Better” video last summer, have denied ever producing the clip.
The players told USA Today Sports that they didn’t realize the video’s aim was to specifically combat bullying experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teens.
“This is America and if someone wants to be gay, they can be gay,” Brooks told the publication. “But I didn’t make any video.” Later, after he was reportedly shown the video on an iPhone, the player clarified, “Oh, that. It was an anti-bullying video, not a gay [rights] video.”
Even more curiously, Sopoaga also denied taking part in the clip, even as a teammate reportedly tried to jog his memory. “I never went,” he declared. “And now someone is using my name.”
LGBT rights activists have yet to respond to Brooks and Sopoaga’s claims. But the firestorm over Culliver’s statements (he told Artie Lange that he “don’t do the gay guys, man” and that an openly gay player would not be welcome on the 49ers) continues to rage, even though team officials have released a statement saying they “proudly support the LGBT community.”
Interestingly, Culliver’s comments initially came on the heels of news that former 49ers offensive tackle Kwame Harris was in court on assault charges from a former boyfriend. Though Harris last played for the 49ers in 2007, many former teammates quickly came to his defense in the media.
A petition has since been launched on change.org asking the NFL to send Culliver to spend a day with the New York Gay Football League.
“This will give him an opportunity to see that openly gay players perform just as well as heterosexual players,” the petition’s organizer, Christian Fuscarino, writes. “It will also allow him to ask questions and speak with members of the team.”

49ers Star Chris Culliver Not Down With Gays

Joe.My.God. reports:

“I don’t do the gay guys man. I don’t do that. No, we don’t got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do. Can’t be with that sweet stuff. Nah…can’t be…in the locker room man. Nah.” - San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver, who adds that players should only come out ten years after they leave the sport.  Culliver followed up yesterday’s Super Bowl Media Day interview with a charming tweet about menstruating women.

UPDATE: 49ers management has issued an apology. “The San Francisco 49ers reject the comments that were made yesterday, and have addressed the matter with Chris. There is no place for discrimination within our organization at any level. We have and always will proudly support the LGBT community.” 

UPDATE II: Culliver has apologized too. “The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head, but they are not how I feel. It has taken me seeing them in print to realize that they are hurtful and ugly. Those discriminating feelings are truly not in my heart. Further, I apologize to those who I have hurt and offended, and I pledge to learn and grow from this experience.”

UPDATE III: Hudson Taylor’s Athlete Ally has issued a statement. 

“Chris Culliver’s comments are disrespectful, discriminatory and dangerous, particularly for the young people who look up to him. His words underscore the importance of the Athlete Ally movement and the key role that professional athletes play in shaping an athletic climate that affirms and includes gay and lesbian players. Culliver’s views are as marginal as they are misguided. We’re seeing more and more NFL players take a stand against homophobia in sports through our organization and we know that support at this level is only going to grow. Athlete Ally’s NFL Ambassadors Brendon Ayanbadejo of the AFC Champion Baltimore Ravens, Chris Kluwe of the Minnesota Vikings and Scott Fujita of the Cleveland Browns connect our organization and the NFL, help promote the mission to end homophobia in sports by speaking out to their teams, leagues and fan bases, and encourage their colleagues to join in the effort. It’s clear by their involvement and the incredible support they are receiving from NFL fans across the country that discrimination is on the fringe and has absolutely no place in sports.”

United Kingdom: Gay Iranians Seeking Asylum

We all knew they believe this. But now is official.

Uganda: Gay Youth Worker Joseph Kaweesi Arrested For “Recruiting” Teens Into Homosexuality

Gay Star News reports:

On New Year’s Eve, Joseph Kaweesi, LGBT youth worker and advocate, was arrested by Ugadan police and charged with crimes relating to homosexuality.
According to reports from Uganda, Kaweesi, one of the founder of the LGBT group Youth on Rock Foundation, is being held at Kawempe police station, in Kampala, capital of Uganda.
Frank Mugishu, of the Sexual Minorities of Uganda (SMUG) charity, confirmed that Kaweesi was arrested yesterday (31 December 2012) by police officers.
According to Mugishu he was charged with ‘carnal knowledge (homosexuality)’ and ‘recruiting youth into homosexuality’.
LGBT rights advocate Melanie Nathan told Gay Star News that she received information that attorneys have spoken with Kaweesi and that plans are being made to try and bail him.
Speaking with GSN Nathan, who is from South Africa but based in the USA, said: ‘it would seem to me that the police are preempting the Anti-Homosexuality Bill (also known as The Kill the Gays Bill) which has been introduced into this parliament and has yet to pass.
‘The arrest may be political as anti-gay catalysts for the Bill try and drum up more support for its passage.
‘Although there is an existing law which people can be charged under for “carnal knowledge or defilement,” there is currently no law that speaks to the so called “recruitment” of homosexuals.
‘While we all know such is impossible to do, the Ugandan AHB seeks to make the misnomer a crime.
‘If Kaweesi’s charges are pursued the facts may be difficult to prove and certainly the aspect of “recruitment” could be thrown out by a competent court of law’.
Earlier this week, the office of SMUG was broken into and vandalized, with much its equipment having being stolen.
Activists stated that the information stored on some of the computers, containing addresses and telephone numbers of LGBT Ugandans may now put them at risk.
Both male and female homosexual activity is illegal in Uganda - under its penal code ‘carnal knowledge against the order of nature’ between two males carries a potential penalty of life imprisonment.
According to a 2007 Pew Global Attitudes Project, 96 percent of Ugandan residents believe that homosexuality is a way of life that society should not accept, making Uganda the fifth most homophobic state out of 45 countries surveyed.
In November 2012, the speaker of the parliament of Uganda promised to enact a revised anti-homosexuality bill, providing for harsher penalties against suspected LGBT people and anyone who fails to report them to authorities, including long-term imprisonment and the death penalty for what the law terms ‘repeat offenders’.
The bill is due to be put to the vote early this year when parliament reconvenes.