Russia: Putin awards anti-gay crusader Milonov medal for diligent work

President Vladimir Putin has awarded the Deputy of St. Petersburg legislative Assembly Vitaly Milonov the medal of the order "For merits before Fatherland" II degree for his legislative activity and many years of diligent work. Medal of the order "For merits before Fatherland" is awarded for "implementation specific and useful for the country's Affairs" and "a great contribution to the protection of the Fatherland."

Known for provocative initiatives and statements, Milonov offered an uncharacteristic apology for his “rude” statements while in the same radio interview referring to liberals as “dogs” and an LGBT rights activist as “non-human.”

Offering more of his trademark comments, Milonov said he would like to become head of a Russian region that he would name “Spiritual Constantinople,” — a region without alcoholics or LGBT people, Govorit Moskva said Thursday in a separate report.

“We would create a model region: There would be not a single prostitute, not a single drug addict, all alcoholics would be in [treatment facilities] LTPs, we would have 'vice police' units operating, [there would be] not a single gay person,” Govorit Moskva quoted him as saying. “It would be the ideal region.” Read More via Moscow Times

Ghana: Presidential candidate, if elected, will kill gay people by firing squad

Ghanaian politician George Boateng has vowed to unseat President John Mahama in the National Democratic Congress party’s presidential primaries in November. And in doing so, has already started making pronouncements about what he will deliver if he is elected.

Speaking on Kasapa radio, he said it was time to ‘eradicate’ homosexuality from Ghana: ‘There is too much indiscipline in Ghana, under my presidency when a corrupt person, gay or lesbian are arrested the law will make it possible for the courts to sentence the offender to death by firing squad.'

Gay sex is currently illegal in Ghana, punishable by up to three years in jail if it is consensual. There is uncertainty over whether female homosexuality is illegal. Violence against LGBTI people is widespread but highly under-reported and not prosecuted. Read More via Gay Star News

Nepal: Lawmakers approve first LGBTI protections in new constitution

Nepalese lawmakers have approved the first LGBTI protections in the country’s constitution as they finally act to pass the new constitution after years of political gridlock. Sexual minorities and transgender issues are addressed in several of the articles of Nepal’s new constitution which lawmakers are voting on article by article to approve.

‘Nothing shall be deemed to prevent the making of special provisions by law for the protection, empowerment or advancement of the interests of socially and culturally disadvantaged women, Dalits, indigenous peoples, tribes, Madhesi, Tharu, Muslim, ethnic minorities, backward classes, minorities, marginalized, farmers, workers, youth, children, senior citizens, gender and sexual minorities, handicapped persons, pregnant persons, disabled or helpless, people of backward regions and economically disadvantaged citizens,’ the new constitution states.  Read More via Gay Star News

Kenya: LGBT rights must be protected to ensure healthy lives for all

Next week, 193 governments will attend the UN’s General Assembly in New York to adopt new sustainable development goals. But for sexual minorities the question is: how serious are governments about ensuring no one is left behind in the goal to ensure healthy lives for all?

After battling with acceptance of his HIV status, Joshua* visited a local hospital because he had genital warts. He recounts the painful experience: “When the nurse found out I was gay she started shouting and asking me why I was doing such bad things.”

Some medical practitioners refuse to offer services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people (LGBTI), citing moral or religious reasons. Fear of such discriminatory treatment has led to low access of services by LGBTI people and threatens global progress on the HIV response. Read More via Key Correspondents 

US: With endorsement from Target, corporate support for the Equality Act continues to grow

HRC hailed Target for its announcement this morning that it is has endorsed the recently-introduced Equality Act, a landmark federal bill that would guarantee explicit, permanent protections for LGBT people from discrimination in many of the most important aspects of their lives.

Currently, 31 states across the country lack fully-inclusive non-discrimination protections for LGBT Americans. Target joins a number of leading American corporations, including Amazon, American Airlines, Apple, the Dow Chemical Company, Facebook, General Electric, General Mills, Google, HP, IBM, Intel, Levi Strauss & Co, Microsoft, Nike, Oracle, Orbitz, PayPal and Symantec Corporation in support of federal LGBT non-discrimination protections.

The Equality Act provides basic protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, access to public spaces, housing, education, jury service, credit and federal funding.  Read More via Human Rights Campaign

Netherlands: Asylum easier for Russian gay men

The situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Russia has deteriorated so much that the Netherlands how considers them a “risk group”. For this reason the Netherlands has made it easier for Russian homosexuals to find asylum here.

This follows a report published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last month that stated that LGBT’s are victims of violence everywhere in Russia, and that authorities hardly intervene. From now Russian homosexuals can prove to the Immigration and Naturalization Service with “low indications” that they fear persecution in their own country. Before they had to prove that they as individual would be in danger should they return to Russia.

Previously the Immigration and Naturalization Service regularly rejected asylum applications from Russian LGBT’s on the basis that larger cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg were still safe. The Foreign Affairs report no longer explicitly state that these cities are safer and the Service must therefore now be more restrained.  Read More via eikon

Portugal: The 'trans' who wants to be MP

Julia does not like the word transsexual. She says it is a medical term that carries pejorative of a pathology. Instead, she prefers to be called - and others like her - 'trans': people who are born with mismatched body of their gender identity. At 25, she is running for a seat in Parliament by the Left Bloc (BE). If she can win this battle, she will be the first trans MP in Portugal, though not in the world.

In November 2011, Anna Grodzka reached the integrated Polish parliament in the liberal movement of left-wing Janusz Palikot. Julia Mendes Pereira, who is running for deputy for integrated Setúbal circle in the list headed by Joan Mortágua, joined the block in 2010 and around the same time began to make her voice heard on several fronts to fight for the rights of sexual minorities. 

Julia Mendes Pereira is campaigning on several issues. The first is to fight for self-determination of 'trans' people, requesting the right to change their civil status according to their gender identity, without testimony from doctors and psychologists. Additionally, she is interested in feminist issues, defending the right to abortion, gender violence, and LGBT parenting. "These are my priorities as much as intersex rights," says Julia. For clarification, intersex people are born with sexual characters of both sexes, making it difficult to identify as a man or woman. Read More

Venezuela: First transgender candidate to run for Congress

The first transgender politician to run for popular election in Venezuela registered as candidate for Congress as part of the opposition bloc, promising to advance gay rights in the traditionally macho South American society. Lawyer and gay rights activist Tamara Adrian had to register under her given name Thomas Adrian despite a 2002 sex change, because Venezuelan law does not allow anyone born male to legally become female or take a woman's name.

"We're going to fight so that everyone gets respect," said Adrian, amid a tussle of candidates and cheering supporters at the gates of an elections authority office in Caracas. Adrian is running with the opposition party Voluntad Popular, which includes some of the most outspoken critics of President Nicolas Maduro. Two gay candidates are also running with Voluntad Popular.

She argued that Venezuela, along with Paraguay, Guyana, Suriname and Peru, has done little to extend equal rights to homosexuals. It was not immediately evident if the electoral council will register Adrian as a woman. In June the council said at least 40% of candidates in the upcoming vote must be women.  Read More

Uganda: Presidential candidate backs gay rights

Amama Mbabazi has become the first Ugandan presidential candidate to say he is opposed to homophobia. The former Prime Minister, who launched his campaign last month to be named president in 2016, shocked the public by saying on TV: ‘I am opposed to homophobia. While I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, homosexuality is not something new. I have stated very clearly that there shouldn’t be any discrimination and it is not the biggest threat right now in the country.’ 

Gay rights activists have hailed this as one of the most significant moments of progress that Uganda has seen in years. In Uganda, there is an attitude that homosexuality is ‘un-African’ or that it is a Western import. By making clear it is not anything new, it could begin to be seen as natural. And by saying it is not a big threat, it should force the public to look at the serious issues that have been disguised by the current president Museveni’s unrelenting and public campaign against the LGBTI community.

His statement caused a deep divide among the Ugandan public, with some saying it was right that LGBTI people should not be persecuted while others said they could not support him because of this issue. While Sesange said he was concerned his message might be used against him in the election, he added: ‘We have more work to be done to support those allies who are against homophobia as well as helping to change people’s attitudes towards the LGBTI community.’  Read More

Namibia: Deputy Finance Minister’s anti-gay rant

Namibia’s Finance deputy minister, Natangue Ithete, launched a scathing verbal attack on homosexuality this week, declaring to Ministry of Finance staff that African culture does not entertain gays. Ithete accused foreigners coming into Namibia under false pretences and selling the idea to local cultures that homosexuality is acceptable. Ithete’s remarks have an international flair to it, following only days after Kenyan President Kenyatta said gay rights were a non-issue. 

“You are either a man or a woman. Don’t come from outside and tell us this is acceptable. They must keep their gay activities in their countries. We will not entertain any of this gayness [sic],” Ithete told staff during a visit to the ministry’s western region. Ithete’s attack on homosexuals followed as he urged customs and excise staff to welcome foreigners “with a true Namibian welcome”.  Foreigners will always be treated well in Namibia on condition they respect Namibia’s cultural orientations and not encourage or entertain anything he labelled as “un-Namibian”, said Ithete.

Despite the segmented homophobic remarks, Ithete welcomed foreigners to Namibia and acknowledged the importance of foreign involvement in the country like investment and assistance in areas the country lacks. “We have our president to respect. The president of Angola is not above any other president in Africa. When you are the president of your country, direct your people in your country and don’t influence us here. Sorry, this is how it’s going to be,” he pressed.  Read More 

Kenya: LGBT advocates meet with Obama

A White House official said LGBT advocates were among the more than 70 members of Kenyan civil society who attended a “town hall” with Obama in Nairobi. Eric Gitari, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, a Kenyan LGBT advocacy group, was among those who attended the gathering.

“We discussed the importance of creating strong movements and organizing collectively as civil society against oppression,” Gitari said, noting Kenyan television stations broadcast the meeting live. “The meeting was inclusive of other movements and mainstreamed our struggle with others. Our inclusion in it was monumentally symbolic.” Read More

Kenya: Church leaders praise President Kenyatta for his stand on gays

Church leaders have praised President Uhuru Kenyatta for his courage regarding homosexuality during a press briefing held at the State House, Nairobi with US President Barack Obama.

Speaking in Isiolo, Methodist Church of Kenya Presiding Bishop Rev Joseph Ntombura said as a church they were happy with the way President Kenyatta responded to the issue gays. Rev. Ntombura said the move by President Kenyatta was an assurance that he understands and respects the culture and religions of Kenyans. The bishop said homosexuality was against Kenyan culture and the Holy Bible adding that as a church they were not ready to be engaged in any talks regarding gay and lesbianism rights.

On his part the head of National Independent Church of Africa Eastern Diocese Bishop Stephen Karunyu said that the courage by President Kenyatta to respond to the 'gay matter' in front of Obama should be emulated by many who do not support such orientations. Read more