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June 19, 2013
The religious lobby’s lies on Jamaica gay sex court case

Religious groups in Jamaica unite to say allowing adult gay sex in private would harm children, spread HIV, and prevent Christians from disagreeing with LGBT rights

Javed Jaghai has so enraged previously conflicting religious groups in Jamaica they have done the unthinkable; unite!

In the first-ever domestic legal challenge to the island’s anti-sodomy law, AIDS-Free World’s lawyers, Anika Gray and I (Maurice Tomlinson), will be representing Javed, a young gay man who was kicked out of his home by his landlady when she discovered his sexual orientation.

June 17, 2013
No Supreme Court ruling on Prop 8 and DOMA yet

LGBT community continues wait - decision could come down Thursday or next week

The US Supreme Court on Monday (17 June) did not issue its highly-anticipated rulings on challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8.

Since a ruling could have come down, LGBT organizations had been geared up for press conferences and had interview subjects at the ready.

But the waiting continues.

The next window in which the rulings can be announced comes Thursday (20 June). If it does not happen then, it would then have to take place on Monday 24 June or Thursday 27 June.

June 13, 2013
Fifth Chennai Pride calls for more rights for LGBT people in India

Indian LGBT people demands more rights and less discrimination at fifth Chennai Pride

The city of Chennai in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu is hosting its fifth Pride celebration this month. 

The month-long festival this year includes media training on LGBT issues, a discussion on local TV channels, information on hormone therapy for trans people, meeting for parents of LGBT people and a Pride march on 30 June.

May 31, 2013
Court delays ruling on Jamaica TV gay advert ban

A Jamaican court has reserved judgment in a suit brought against three TV stations that banned a gay advert

A Jamaican court is considering more arguments in a landmark case where Jamaican TV stations are refusing to broadcast a pro-gay advert

Maurice Tomlinson, a gay Jamaican attorney, brought a suit against TVJ, CVM and the state-run Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ) for their refusal to broadcast a ‘Love and Respect’ advert promoting tolerance toward homosexuals.

May 31, 2013
Court delays ruling on Jamaica TV gay advert ban

A Jamaican court has reserved judgment in a suit brought against three TV stations that banned a gay advert

A Jamaican court is considering more arguments in a landmark case where Jamaican TV stations are refusing to broadcast a pro-gay advert

Maurice Tomlinson, a gay Jamaican attorney, brought a suit against TVJ, CVM and the state-run Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ) for their refusal to broadcast a ‘Love and Respect’ advert promoting tolerance toward homosexuals.

May 31, 2013
Sexless activist wins appeals verdict to recognize third sex in Australian state

An Australian person who is neither male nor female has won an appeals verdict in the Supreme Court of New South Wales after the New South Wales state Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages issued norrie mAy-Welby with a certificate declaring norrie ‘sex not specified’ and then withdrew it

An Australian community activist who is neither male or female has won an appeals verdict in the Supreme Court of New South Wales (NSW), recognizing a third sex status for the first time in Australia.

norrie mAy-Welby had been provided with a recognized details certificate declaring norrie ‘sex not specified’ by the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in March of 2010 just a day before the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade but the Registry contacted norrie to tell norrie the certificate had been cancelled after norrie’s story was reported on by media around the world.

May 30, 2013
Protesters stand up against Jamaica TV ban on gay ad

Protesters fighting against Jamaica TV ban on ‘love and respect’ advert have gathered outside the Jamaican consulate in New York 

A group of gay Jamaicans have protested outside the Jamaican consulate in New York against TV stations refusing to air an advertisement promoting respect for gay people.

Jamaican television networks CVM, TVJ and the Public Broadcast Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ) refused to air ‘Love and Respect’ an advert promoting respect for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people living in Jamaica.

The 30-second video shows Maurice Tomlinson, a gay Jamaican activist, talking to his aunt about not being accepted in the island nation because of his sexuality.

May 30, 2013
Women's charity holds lesbian for 50 days to 'cure' her

Nepal's Supreme Court found charity backed by Joanna Lumley and Demi Moore detained the woman because husband wanted to 'cure' her of being lesbian

Nepal’s Supreme Court has slammed a world-famous charity which detained a vulnerable woman against her will and tried to 'cure' her of being a lesbian.

The charity Maiti Nepal counts British TV celebrity, actress and campaigner Joanna Lumley as an ambassador and has been supported by Hollywood star Demi Moore, among others. The founder won CNN's hero of the year award in 2010.

The charity is supposed to stop the trafficking of women and girls from Nepal into India where they are forced into prostitution.

May 29, 2013
Jamaica TV must not ban gay adverts, Supreme Court hears

A landmark case has begun in Jamaica with gay activist Maurice Tomlinson demanding the constitutional right to screen an ad promoting ‘love and respect’

Banning a gay campaign advert from being televised in Jamaica breaches the constitution, judges have been told.

Gay activist Maurice Tomlinson is taking action against three Jamaican TV stations who refused to air his ‘Love and Respect’ advert – even though he offered to pay primetime rates to have it screened.

May 21, 2013
New Yorkers march to remember gay man murdered last week

Protestors promise to remember the name of killed gay man Mark Carson

Mark Carson was remembered tonight (20 May) at the corner where he was murdered.

May 19, 2013
GSN interview with the author of Does Jesus Really Love Me

In an interview with Gay Star News, writer Jeff Chu takes on Dan Savage and gays who hate gay Christians

Jeff Chu's Does Jesus Really Love Me?: A Gay Christian’s Pilgrimage in Search of God in America has earned the type of press writers dreams of. Positive reviews for a work that searches for grace and humility when there is usually fire and brimstone. However, liberals and conservatives have found fault with the work for that exact reason. What can be expected when tackling the third rail of US politics and culture: gay sexuality and Christianity.

May 18, 2013
The gay man taking Jamaican TV to the Supreme Court

What the Jamaican TV court challenge from 27 to 31 May is really about by the man behind it

Several months ago, I sent the three major Jamaican television stations (TVJ, CVM and the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica – PBCJ) a copy of a tolerance advert in which I appear.

The 30-second video called on Jamaicans to respect my human rights as a gay man and was recorded in light of a series of savage attacks against gay Jamaicans.

There was no expectation of being given free airtime, and neither did I want this. For commercial reasons, free ads are never aired during primetime.

May 14, 2013
Judges clear the way for gay marriage throughout Brazil

National Council of Justice rules government offices that issue marriage licenses have no standing to reject gay couples

Gay couples across Brazil can begin applying for marriage licenses with or without a marriage equality law passed by the country's congress, according to a ruling Tuesday (14 May) by Brazil's top judicial panel.

The National Council of Justice said government offices in Brazil do not have the legal standing to deny the licenses to same-sex couples.

May 11, 2013
Killing, burning and shooting threats directed at campaigner fighting Belize sodomy laws

Caleb Orozco is fighting to overturn Belize’s anti-sodomy law that punishes gay sex with 10 years in prison

Caleb Orozco has reported an increase in violent threats during a four-day court case that debated Belize's sodomy laws.

Orozco, chair of United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM), is campaigning to amend Section 53 of the Laws of Belize, which states ‘every person who has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any person or animal shall be liable to imprisonment for ten years.’

April 29, 2013
Activist challenges Belize's church and state over anti-gay law

In a climate of anti-gay moral panic, Caleb Orozco leads a fight to force Belize to repeal its law punishing gay sex with up to ten years imprisonment

Caleb Orozco, an LGBT rights advocate is taking to court Belize’s government and an anti-gay religious lobby in an attempt to overturn the country’s anti-gay sex law.

Mr. Orozco, chair of United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM), is seeking to amend Section 53 of the Laws of Belize, which states ‘every person who has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any person or animal shall be liable to imprisonment for ten years.’

April 29, 2013
Activist challenges Belize's church and state over anti-gay law

In a climate of anti-gay moral panic, Caleb Orozco leads a fight to force Belize to repeal its law punishing gay sex with up to ten years imprisonment

Caleb Orozco, an LGBT rights advocate is taking to court Belize’s government and an anti-gay religious lobby in an attempt to overturn the country’s anti-gay sex law.

Mr. Orozco, chair of United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM), is seeking to amend Section 53 of the Laws of Belize, which states ‘every person who has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any person or animal shall be liable to imprisonment for ten years.’

April 10, 2013
Married 8 times, gay couple premieres documentary in New York City

Narrated by George Takei, Married and Counting follows two grooms on their journey to marry in every state where same-sex marriage is legal

Married and Counting, a documentary about a gay couple who wed in eight states, premieres this month in New York City.

Narrated by openly gay actor George Takei and starring Pat Dwyer and Stephen Mosher, Married and Counting follows the couple on their journey to get married in every state where it was legal at the time.

April 2, 2013
Bronx LGBT center boss jailed for theft that closed her organization

The former director of the Bronx LGBT Community Pride Center has been jailed for embezzling over $300,000

Lisa Winters, former head of the Bronx LGBT Pride Center in New York has been jailed for embezzling $338,000 (€263,000) from her organization.

Website Queerty reports Winters pleaded guilty to her crime at the Bronx Supreme Court.

She said that she used the money to hire a dog walker and pay for a trip with her wife, Eileen Scroggins, to South Africa.

April 1, 2013
Southern Baptist leader says gay marriage may be responsible for North Korean war threats

Southern Baptist Convention president Fred Luter has suggested that same-sex marriage in the US could be responsible for North Korea’s war threats and that leader Kim Jong-Un could be an unwitting agent of God’s divine retribution

Southern Baptist Convention president Fred Luter (far right) used a March 27 appearance on a Christian news radio network to suggest that North Korea’s recent ramping up of war threats against the US might be a response to the legalization of same-sex marriage in America – suggesting that the country’s dictator, Kim Jong-Un could be an unwitting agent of divine retribution.

March 30, 2013
American rapper Snoop Dogg weighs in on gay marriage

The iconic West-Coast rapper gave another interview where he speaks openly about his support for same-sex marriage


Legendary rapper Snoop Dogg has again spoken out in support of gay marriage.

In an interview with the Huffington Post, the artist now known as Snoop Lion discussed his new documentary, a new upcoming album and his take on the Supreme Court hearings on California’s Prop. 8 legislation that bans gay marriage.

One of the founders of West-Coast hip-hop, Snoop said in his interview: ‘People can do what they want and as they please’.

March 30, 2013
Entertainer Marie Osmond reaffirms support for LGBT equality

Singer Marie Osmond wants gays and lesbians to have civil rights

Yesterday (29 March) ABC News named entertainer Marie Osmond as its  Person-of the-Week. According to reporter Diane Sawyer, Osmond was given title because of recent legal arguments about gay marriage and Easter.

March 30, 2013
Entertainer Marie Osmond reaffirms support for LGBT equality

Singer Marie Osmond wants gays and lesbians to have civil rights

Yesterday (29 March) ABC News named entertainer Marie Osmond as its  Person-of the-Week. According to reporter Diane Sawyer, Osmond was given title because of recent legal arguments about gay marriage and Easter.

March 29, 2013
10 kids, 2 dads: The world’s biggest gay family?

Are families really cheaper by the dozen? One gay couple in the US knows the answer – they have 10 adopted kids. Dad Clint tells us their amazing story and why they get free desserts

Clint McCormack always wanted to have kids. But neither he, nor his partner Bryan, ever expected to raise 10 boys.

With Mark, 20, Cooper, four, Garret, 18, Kenny, 20, Keegan, 14, Seth, 17, Graeme, 19, Liam, eight, Hayden, seven, and Caleb, 13, they may well be the biggest gay family in the world.

As the Supreme Court puts gay marriage at the top of the news agenda, I asked Clint how he ended up with such a big family and what its like living with 10 growing boys.

How did you start your family?

March 28, 2013
Putin calls for ban on all gay couples adopting from Russia

After the Russian president banned all US citizens from adopting orphans, he now wants the government to prepare to prohibit all foreign gay couples

Vladimir Putin is calling for a ban on foreign gay couples adopting Russian children.

The Russian president has instructed the government and Supreme Court to prepare amendments to the current procedure by 1 July.

March 28, 2013
Rush Limbaugh predicts gay marriage will become legal nationwide in US

But he takes issue with Bill O'Reilly's characterization of gay marriage opponents as 'bible thumpers'

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh says gay marriage is coming to all of America sooner of later.

Limbaugh. who has a weekly audience of 15 million, told his listeners on Thursday (28 March) that when it comes to fighting gay marriage, 'this issue is lost.'

He said 'it is now inevitable' that it will become legal for same-sex couples in the US to marry regardless of the outcome of this week's Supreme Court hearings challenging the Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8.