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May 6, 2013

Some lesbian women who have lived together for over ten years in some provinces in Cambodia could be the first legally recognized gay couples in Asia

A Cambodian LGBT rights activist said that some local authorities in the southeast Asian nation already recognize gay couples as married.

'Some local authorities give marriage certificates to lesbian couples,' said Srorn Srun facilitator for Rainbow Community Kampuchea (RoCK) in a interview with Gay Star News.

Cambodian law defines marriage as between a man and a woman only but in some provinces in the country local government officials have decided to recognize gay couples.

April 30, 2013

A survey of professional and youth soccer players found one in two young people would be scared to share a shower with a gay teammate

Nearly half of France’s professional players are ‘hostile to homosexuality’, according to a new survey.

The poll, led by sports psychologist Anthony Mette, polled 121 professional soccer players from 13 clubs at the top two divisions in the league.

It found 41% of professional players appeared to hold homophobic views and 63% said they would be surprised if a teammate said he was gay ‘because it’s a taboo subject’.

April 8, 2013

US anti gay campaigner and radio host says that marriage equality will ‘victimize’ children and put them at risk of ‘more disease, more anxiety, depression’

According to her the US Supreme Court should uphold the ban on marriage equality, as being gay is ‘a changeable behavior’ which if promoted will put children at risk.

Linda Harvey alleged that ‘all American children’ are ‘potential victims of this nonsense’ (i.e. gay marriage) as it ‘will yield more disease, more anxiety, depression, more teen angst in general’.

April 6, 2013

The country’s first openly gay politician talks about his commitments to Croatia’s LGBT community as he announces his run for European Parliament

Croatia’s first openly gay politician has reaffirmed his commitment to legalizing same-sex unions.

Damir Hrsak, who recently declared his homosexuality in an interview, also announced his run for European Parliament as Croatia prepares to join the European Union on 1 July.

In a translated interview with news website Jutarnji, Hrsak said: ‘The LGBT population is just one of the discriminated communities in Croatia. I believe that communities who care about human and animal rights will recognize my efforts in the fight against discrimination’.

March 29, 2013

After years of forced sex and drug use by his gay adoptive parents, 23-year old Andy Cannon claims social services ignored his cries for help because they wanted to look ‘politically correct’

A 23 year-old man is speaking out publicly after winning a £25,000 (€30,000) lawsuit alleging that Wakefield Council refused to save him from abuse by his adoptive gay parents.

Andy Cannon spoke with the Telegraph about why he thinks Wakefield social services refused to help him, even after he filed numerous complaints against his adoptive parents for abuse over many years.

March 14, 2013

An Indonesian judge has made a public apology to the country’s LGBT community, but maintains his stance against the idea of same-sex marriages

Indonesian Constitutional Court judge Arief Hidayat has apologized to that country’s LGBT community after a gay activist wrote to him to tell him of his struggles as a gay Muslim living in Indonesia.

Hidayat had spoken out against the idea of same-sex marriage during a confirmation hearing in the Indonesian House of Representatives, which prompted LGBT rights activist Hartoyo, the secretary general of the group Ourvoice, to write an open letter to the judge.

March 12, 2013

What you 'like' on Facebook can reveal more about you than you might like, including your race, religion, and sexuality

Your sexuality can be revealed by what you choose to ‘like’ on Facebook, a new study suggests.

Researchers at Cambridge University have used algorithms to predict religion, politics, race and sexual orientation.

Using the algorithms, published in the journal PNAS, proved 88% accurate for determining if a man was gay or not.

It was also 95% accurate in distinguishing African-American from Caucasian-American and 85% for differentiating Republican from Democrat.

March 11, 2013

LGBT rights were highly contested during a public consultation on Trinidad and Tobago's future constitution

During the third meeting of a consultation on Trinidad and Tobago's constitution, calls for decriminalizing homosexuality and enshrining LGBT rights were strongly opposed.

Opponents of equality such a move would lead the country to disaster and an 'end of the human race'.

At the meeting on 10 March, the Trinidad Express daily reported that an unnamed man called for enshrining women's and LGBT rights in the Caribbean nation's consitution.

March 8, 2013

Church of England priest compares gay people to murderers and says same-sex marriage is a sin

A London vicar has said ‘people can be cured from being gay’.

Reverend Steven Hanna, from St Elisabeth’s of Becontree, in Dagenham, made the remarks after he signed a letter with local church leaders protesting marriage equality.

‘I am not saying that being gay is a sin. I am saying gay practice is a sin and gay marriage is a sin,’ the Church of England vicar told the Barking and Dagenham Post.

March 6, 2013

Mall officials maintain couple was involved in 'sexually explicit conduct' when reprimanded by a security guard

A California shopping mall where a gay couple says they were singled out for kissing and holding hands will be the site of a 'Kiss In' protest on Saturday (9 March).

There has been growing public support for Daniel Chesmore and Jose Guzman who were shopping at Westfield Galleria in Roseville last week when they were reprimanded by a security guard.

Organizers say the 'gay peace protest' will take place at 11 am PST.

February 27, 2013

English singer-songwriter says heterosexual men have a passion for killing other men

English singer-songwriter Morrissey has said if more men were gay, then there would be no wars.

The 53-year-old former frontman of The Smiths said heterosexual men have a ‘passion’ for killing other males.

February 26, 2013

Sergey Lavrov has rejected criticism about the anti-gay 'propaganda' bill, saying Russia has no responsibility to respect gay people's rights

Russia’s foreign minister has rejected criticism about the proposed law that would outlaw ‘homosexual propaganda’ nationwide.

Sergey Lavrov said there are no obligations to Europe or any other country to respect gay people's rights in Russia.

‘We don’t have a single international or common European commitment to allow propaganda of homosexuality,’ he said.

February 22, 2013

The Cowboy Church of Virginia believes homosexuality and other addictions like self-harm and alcoholism can be cured with equine therapy

An American church is planning to take their ‘gay cure’ therapy worldwide, which involves getting homosexuals to stroke horses.

The Cowboy Church of Virginia, led by chief pastor Raymond Bell, believes homosexuality and other ‘addictions’ can be cured by Equine Assisted Psychotherapy.

Horse therapy, in the right hands, can be used to help overcome fears, develop communication skills and is generally beneficial to mental health.

February 14, 2013

Republican Congressman Tim Huselskamp alleged that Obama's 'radical agenda' is to have gay marriage destroy the family, and 'selectively reward' homosexual behavior

Republican Congressman Tim Huselskamp said that Obama is introducing gay marriage to destroy the family, and laws banning discrimination against gays 'selectively' 'rewards' homosexual behavior.

February 8, 2013

A study carried out by The University of East Anglia in England has found BBC wildlife shows hosted by Sir David Attenborough do not present enough 'alternative views of animal behavior'

Sir David Attenborough's wildlife documentaries do not show enough gay animals, a study has shown.

Research carried out at the University of East Anglia in England found BBC wildlife documentaries hosted by the famous nature documentary-maker portray animals as heterosexual families too often, even though animals can also be gay.

Dr Brett Mills who carried out the study said: 'The central role in documentary stories of pairing, mating and raising offspring commonly rests on assumptions of heterosexuality within the animal kingdom.'

February 8, 2013

Ukraine’s foreign minister believes that a law prohibiting discrimination against gays will be adopted soon

Ukraine’s foreign minister Leonid Kozhara stated that a law prohibiting discrimination against gays will be adopted soon, in order to speed up visa entry harmonization with the European Union.

During an interview with the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, Kozhara stated yesterday (7 February): ‘The issue of homosexuals is now generating strong controversy in Ukraine, but our government has already prepared a draft law and will soon submit it to the parliament...

February 8, 2013

Vincenzo Paglia, who said the Catholic Church should fight anti-gay laws, has said the media 'derailed' his comments

February 5, 2013

Roger Scruton and Philip Blond posted an anti-same-sex marriage message asof UK parliament debates gay marriage

Two English political commentators have claimed same-sex marriage is homophobic.

The philosopher and lecturer Roger Scruton, writing with fellow political commentator Philip Blond, made the claim on The Spectator's website, a UK political magazine known for its right-wing political leanings.

The article spoke of their 'profound reservations' about same-sex marriage because it would mean gay people conforming to 'heterosexual norms'.

February 5, 2013

Mike Freer, Ben Bradshaw, and Margot James are among the few making their voices heard as gay people in the House of Commons

Gay members of parliament have spoken out on equal marriage in the second reading of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill today (5 February).

Put forward by culture secretary and equalities minister Maria Miller, the House of Commons is debating the bill before the vote later tonight.

Stephen Williams, a Liberal Democrat who was the first openly gay MP to serve Bristol, said: ‘I was born when homosexuality was still a criminal offense.

January 30, 2013

A Tennessee bill that would ban teachers from discussing sexuality has been resurrected and now would require outing students

A bill nicknamed ‘Don't Say Gay’ that aims to prohibit teachers from discussing any sexuality except heterosexuality until students have completed grade eight has been resurrected in Tennessee.

The bill proposed by Republican State Senator Stacey Campfield, entitled officially ‘Classroom Protection Act’, prohibits elementary and middle school teachers from discussing sexual activity that is not related to ‘natural human reproduction’. It even bans the acknowledgment that homosexuality exists.

January 18, 2013

A Christian arts academy that offers to 'cure' gays is to face a probe launched by the South African justice ministry

The South African justice ministry has asked the country’s Human Rights Commission to investigate claims of unfair discrimination at arts academy that says it can cure gays.

Creare Training Centre in Bloemfontein offers a course to cure gay and stated that anyone who objects to the ‘treatment’ should be dismissed.

January 14, 2013

A pro-gay rights charity’s office was robbed and vandalized following their critique of a statement by Tunisia’s human rights minister saying gays won’t be tolerated 

The office of a pro gay rights charity was vandalized and robbed late last week following its critique of Tunisia’s minister of human rights who said gays will not be tolerated in the country.

January 11, 2013

Bisi Alimi considers how his mom and dad, and his friends’ families, reacted to the news that their children are gay

The word ‘homophobia’ has become synonymous with both ‘bigotry’ and ‘hate’. But homophobia is a complex beast and it takes a different turn when the person inflicting its pain is someone very close and even more complicated when that homophobia is expressed in the name of love. Yes you heard me right.

I came to this realization on 26 December when I had some friends over to my house for a post-Christmas party. While I was in the kitchen with one of them, we got talking about the challenges of being gay and coming out to our families.

January 8, 2013

Turkish government’s revised draft regulation for the army continues to criminalize gay and transgender people as ‘unnatural intercourse’ and will be used as reason for discrimination and punishment  

The Turkish government submitted a new draft regulation for the Turkish Armed Forces that retains the article ‘unnatural intercourse’ which has been used to stigmatize and punish LGBT people.

Turkish LGBT rights group accuses the government of colluding with the army to preserve anti-gay and trans measures.