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May 21, 2013
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We chat with Scout Leader Matt Mills and find out just how progressive and inclusive Scouting UK is.

We chat with Scout Leader Matt Mills and find out just how progressive and inclusive Scouting UK is.

Plus Amy talks about her one woman show Unhappy Birthday. We cover all the latest GayStarNews including another horrific homophobic attack in London, the gay marriage debate rages on and trouble with teen lesbians in Florida.

May 20, 2013
Ex Australia's PM Kevin Rudd goes from 'dinosaur' to backing gay marriage

In an unforeseen shift of opinion, Australian MP Kevin Rudd has thrown his full support behind changing federal legislation on same sex marriage

In a blog post, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and leadership rival for current leader Julia Gillard, has declared his support for same-sex marriage.

Rudd, who is a current Australian Labor Party backbencher said: ‘I have come to the conclusion that church and state can have different positions and practices on the question of same sex marriage. I believe the secular Australian state should be able to recognize same sex marriage.’

May 20, 2013
Ukraine lawmakers demand ban on Kiev gay pride

62 Ukrainian parliamentarians signed a petition demanded from Kiev's mayor to ban a planned gay pride parade later this month

Sixty-one lawmakers signed a petition urging Ukraine’s capital city’s mayor to ban a gay-pride parade in Kiev scheduled for 25 May.

Pavlo Unhuryan, parliamentary and leader of the right wing of Ukraine’s Family Movement, announced today (20 May) that the petition requests a total ban on gay-pride parades ‘and similar events in Kiev in May-June 2013.’

May 18, 2013
Australian Opposition leader under pressure after French marriage vote

Australian Opposition leader Tony Abbott’s electorate office has been picketed by over 100 people calling for him to allow a free vote on marriage equality after France legalized same-sex marriage

Australian supporters of marriage equality have picketed the electorate office of Opposition leader Tony Abbott to mark the signing into law of same-sex marriage by French President Francois Hollande.

Over 120 people gathered today outside Abbott’s Manly electorate office to highlight the fact that Australia is increasingly out of step with its international peers, with same-sex marriage legislation passing in New Zealand last month and France becoming the 14th country to allow same-sex couples.

May 11, 2013
Australian Christian candidate says he will push for marriage equality if elected

A Christian Australian Labor Party candidate says allowing same-sex couples to marry would be one of his priorities if elected later this year

The Australian Labor Party candidate for the seat of Hume, Michael Pilbrow, has named legalizing same-sex marriage as one of his top priorities if elected.

Pilbrow, a Pentecostal Christian, told the Goulburn Post that he saw no problem with allowing same-sex couples to marry and said the current law interfered with the separation of church and state.

May 9, 2013
Date set for next debate on gay marriage in England and Wales

Andrew Lansley, the Leader of the House of Commons, has revealed the date for the third reading of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill

The British government have announced the dates for the next step towards legalizing marriage equality in England and Wales.

Andrew Lansley, the Leader of the House of Commons, told members of parliament the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill will be debated on 20 and 21 May.

It follows the second reading of the bill, which was approved by a 225 vote majority in February.

May 9, 2013
Greens push for gay marriage vote on 6 June in Australia

Only party to support marriage equality in Australia says vote will give chance for electorate to see which way their MP goes before the general election

The Greens party in Australia are pushing for another vote on same-sex marriage before the general election in September.

Greens MP and deputy leader Adam Bandt is campaigning for his Marriage Equality Amendment Bill to be voted on in the House of Representative on 6 June.

Last September a similar bill was voted down by 98 MPs to 42 in the house.

May 9, 2013
Minnesota on way to be 12th gay marriage state with House vote

Minnesota's House of Representatives will vote on gay marriage on Thursday, with Democrats hopeful the bill will pass

Minnesota could become the 12th US state to legalize gay marriage when the House of Representatives vote on the matter on Thursday (9 May).

House speaker Paul Thissen said he believed the bill has the 68 supporting votes needed to pass, even if no Republicans vote for it, as they have indicated.

'We are confident we have the votes to take the bill up this week,' said House majority leader Erin Murphy, MSNBC reports.

May 6, 2013
Anti-gay coalition win election in Malaysia

Ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, who regularly support anti-gay policies, will return to government in Malaysia - but several vocally homophobic politicians lose their seats
 

The coalition who have ruled Malaysia for 56 years, Barisan Nasional (BN), won yesterday's general election.

Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has frequently spouted anti-gay rhetoric during the election campaign and before, keeps his position as leader of the country.

May 6, 2013
British PM David Cameron pressured by own party: ‘Drop gay marriage bill’

Prime Minister David Cameron is urged his own Tory MPs to drop the gay marriage bill to secure Conservative seats in next year’s elections

British Prime Minister David Cameron has been told by his own party members to scrap the gay marriage bill.

According to According to British newspaper The Telegraph, former defense minister Sir Gerald Howarth urged Cameron to drop the gay marriage bill in order to appease Tory members considered at risk of switching support to leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) Nigel Farage.

May 4, 2013
Activists tell Gay Star News they won't stop until Boy Scouts of America is truly equal

Zach Wahls and Jennifer Tyrrell not satisfied with current proposal to end gay ban

Later this month, the Boy Scouts of America will be voting on a proposal to end its controversial ban on gay members.

This is good news to Jennifer Tyrrell and Zach Wahls, two unlikely activists who have found themselves at the forefront of the battle for LGBT equality in scouting.

But both tell Gay Star News in separate interviews that the battle will not truly be won until the ban ends for gay and lesbians 18 and over who want to serve.

May 4, 2013
Australian Opposition Leader called out on opposition to free vote on marriage by activists

Australian equal marriage activists say that if Australian Opposition leader Tony Abbott is so sure few of his MPs will vote for marriage equality then why not let them

Australian Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has ruled out a free vote in the Australian Parliament on same-sex marriage before 2016 if he is elected Prime Minister and says that so few of his MPs would vote for it that it would not pass now.

'I don't think anyone should expect that this is necessarily going to come up in the next parliament,' Abbott told Fairfax newspapers.

May 1, 2013
Niece of Cuba's Fidel Castro to be able to pick up gay rights award in Philadelphia after all

Mariela Castro had originally been denied visa to travel from NYC

The US State Department has changed course and will now allow the daughter of Cuban leader Raul Castro to travel to Philadelphia this week to accept an award from The Equality Forum for her work on behalf of gay rights.

Mariela Castro, already in the US attending meetings in New York, is prevented as a Cuban diplomat from traveling more than 25 miles from the United Nations without permission.

April 30, 2013
Australian PM and opposition leader rule-out gay marriage vote

Political leaders say no to a referendum on gay marriage in Australia, religious groups against marriage equality support a vote on the issue

Australia's prime minister Julia Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbott have ruled out a referendum on same-sex marriage in September.

Independent MP Tony Wilson yesterday suggested holding a referendum on the matter on the same day as the general election, 14 September.

April 27, 2013
World’s first openly lesbian prime minister Johanna Sigurdardottir quits politics

Icelandic Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir has stepped down after four years in power as the world’s first openly gay or lesbian leader of a country

Icelandic Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir retired from politics yesterday ahead of general elections today.

Sigurdardottir became the world’s first openly gay or lesbian head of state in February of 2009 when she was appointed Prime Minister of Iceland after Independence Party leader Geir Haarde resigned over his handling of the country’s then financial crisis.

Iceland’s voters gave her appointment the seal of approval two month later, giving her the task of fixing the country’s financial crisis.

April 26, 2013
Niece of Cuba's Fidel Castro denied permission to pick up gay rights award in Philadelphia

Equaity Forum calls the visa denial 'shocking'

The niece of retired Cuban leader Fidel Castro has been denied a visa by the US State Department to travel to Philadelphia to accept an award for her work on behalf of gay rights.

Mariela Castro, director of Cuba's National Center for Sex Education, is already in the US attending meetings in New York. But Cuban diplomats are prevented from traveling more than 25 miles from the United Nations without permission.

April 24, 2013
New Zealand Conservative Party leader threatens to sue satirical website

Colin Craig threatens to sue The Civilian for using a made-up quote from him saying God is angry about gay marriage

The leader of the Conservative Party of New Zealand Colin Craig has threatened a satirical website The Civilian with legal action for saying he said recent floods were God's revenge for the country passing same-sex marriage legislation.

In an article headlined 'Maurice Williamson looking pretty stupid after floods', the Kiwi version of The Onion quoted Craig saying:

'Williamson likes to talk about big gay rainbows, but it would help if he understood what the rainbow actually means.

April 22, 2013
Politicians row about rainbow crossing alternatives in Sydney

Liberal city councillor Christine Forster suggests a large rainbow flag in Taylor Square, independent MP Alex Greenwich says the idea should come from the community

Sydney city councillor Christine Forster is suggesting a large rainbow flag to replace a rainbow road crossing that was taken away by the state government due to safety concerns.

Forster, who is the lesbian sister of Australia's opposition leader Tony Abbott, said to the Daily Telegraph:

April 21, 2013
Australian Opposition Leader admits he can’t hold his party back on gay marriage forever

Australian Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has conceded that he cannot stop his party from eventually supporting marriage equality despite his personal opposition on the issue

The man tipped to be Australia’s next Prime Minister has conceded that he cannot stop his party from eventually supporting marriage equality despite his personal opposition to it.

Australian Liberal Party leader Tony Abbott told Sky News, ‘I can't pretend to bind my party for all time,’ when asked if the Liberal-National Party Coalition might change its stance on gay marriage.

‘It will depend on the view of the post-election party room.’

April 20, 2013
Australian opposition party may change gay marriage vote policy

Opposition leader Tony Abbott says it will be up to a future parliament to revisit the issue of gay marriage and the party room will decide what its position is

Australian opposition leader Tony Abbott has left open the door for fellow MPs to make a conscience vote on same-sex marriage.

This came on the heels of his Liberal party’s New South Wales premier coming out in support of same-sex marriage and calling for free choice. The party’s youth wing has also been calling on Abbott to change.

April 20, 2013
Islamic leader’s anti-gay comments could cost Canadian school $4 million

Canadian politicians want to cut funding from Edmonton Islamic Academy, where religious leader Mustafa Khattab likened homosexuality to a disease

A publicly funded Islamic school in Canada risks losing funding over a religious leader’s comments likening being gay to having cancer or AIDS.

Religious leader Mustafa Khattab sent an email to Canadian news channel CBC news saying that comments he made in a lecture for students from Edmonton Islamic Academy were taken out of context.

Last fall, a video posted to YouTube showed Khattab saying: ‘Personally, I do not like to be associated with this [homosexuality].’

‘For me someone who is homosexual is like someone who has diabetes, cancer or AIDS.

April 19, 2013
Australian state premier says he supports gay marriage

Prominent Liberal politician comes out in support of legalizing same-sex marriage in Australia

The premier of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has come out in support of same-sex marriage.

'As a Liberal who believes that commitment and family units are one of the best ways in which society is organized, I support the concept of same-sex marriage,' said Barry O'Farrell to Fairfax Media, dismissing the argument that gay marriage would damage traditional marriage as 'utterly ridiculous'.

April 19, 2013
Ousted lesbian leader disappointed proposed Boy Scouts policy allowing gay members does not include adults

'The Boy Scouts are once again forcing me to look my children in the eyes and tell them that our family isn't good enough' 

Ousted lesbian den leader Jennifer Tyrrell says she is pleased the Boy Scouts of America will be voting on a proposal to end its ban on gay members. But she is upset the organization would continue to ban gay adults.

April 17, 2013
Australian Marriage Equality 'deeply embarrassed' by New Zealand's gay marriage success

'The world's attention will be on New Zealand's achievement, and Australia's corresponding failure,' say the same-sex marriage campaign group

Australian Marriage Equality (AME) said they feel 'deeply embarrassed' that they are falling so far behind their neighbor is passing same-sex marriage law.

New Zealand are set to legalize gay marriage today, whereas neither Australia's prime minister Julia Gillard nor opposition leader Tony Abbott supports marriage equality.

A same-sex marriage was overwhelmingly rejected by the House of Representatives and the Senate in Australia last September.

April 17, 2013
Gay man’s letter to equal marriage opponent goes viral in France

French comic Frigide Barjot, a leader of the anti-gay marriage movement, has been sent a letter protesting her violent views

A gay man’s letter to the leader of the homophobic Manif Pour Tous movement has gone viral in France.

Alexandre Dousson, who claims to have known anti-gay leader Frigide Barjot for 15 years, has written a letter to her condemning her violent comments.

Shortly after the Senate passed the marriage equality bill, Barjot shouted: ‘Hollande wants blood, he will have it! All of the world is furious. We live in a dictatorship.’