France: Surrenders to the Vatican over plans for gay ambassador

France has finally backed down following a stand-off with the Vatican over the nomination of a gay ambassador. More than a year ago, in January 2015, the French government selected openly gay diplomat Laurent Stefanini to head to the home of the Catholic Church.

It usually takes just weeks for a nomination to be approved – but it became clear in April 2015 that the Vatican was ‘freezing out’ the country’s selection of ambassador, refusing to respond to the nomination at all.

French President François Hollande had initially stood firm in the dispute rather than be seen to discriminate against his own diplomat. However, after over a year-long stretch of silence from the Vatican, France surrendered today. Read more via Pink News

Botswana: Gaborone City Council rallies behind LGBTI community

Members of the Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals of Botswana (LEGABIBO) were yesterday in a jubilant mood after the Gaborone City Council (GCC) passed a motion calling on government to decriminalise same sex activities in order to support HIV/ AIDS programmes and policies.

The motion, which was tabled by councillor Sergeant Kgosietsile of Marulamantsi ward, wants government to extend HIV/AIDS services, information and materials specifically to gay groups, who have previously been discriminated against or stigmatised.

In support of the motion, Difetlhamolelo (Block 9) councillor Sesupo Jacobs said that one of their pillars as Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) stating that ‘no one is left out’ speaks of a system in which all citizens are entitled to protection under the Constitution and are brought to the social and economic mainstream of the society by accessing appropriate services that are beneficial and well managed. 

Read more via Mmegi

Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon reveals new LGBT policies

Nicola Sturgeon has revealed she plans to attack LGBTI discrimination in Scotland with a five pledge plan to tackle the scourge, should her party, as expected, be voted back in to government on 5 May.

The very fact that we are still having debates like this at election time just underlines that there is still much that we need to do. Gender recognition laws will be reformed to bring Scotland’s policy in line with international best practice and all police officers will receive appropriate training on the investigation of hate crime.

Speaking ahead of a hustings co-hosted by LGBT rights groups last night, Sturgeon said:  “In particular I want to see a renewed focus on areas such as education – both for young people themselves, and those responsible for their emotional and educational wellbeing.

“Tolerance, respect, inclusion – these are attitudes and principles we want to encourage and foster in modern, fairer Scotland. Read more via Third Force News

US Op-ed: LGBT hate is actually losing

The Christian right can no longer directly demonize gays and transgender people, so it has to lie and even the lies are backfiring. In the wake of last year’s loss on same-sex marriage, the Christian Right has begun to act tactically, attacking what it perceives to be the LGBT equality movement’s weakest links. And yet amazingly, this strategy is backfiring. Not only is the right failing to make their easiest cases, they are hardening opposition in those very cases, losing key battles in the areas of transgender rights and religious freedom.

Consider the strategy in North Carolina. North Carolina’s Republican legislature and governor used what they thought would be their best tactic to repeal anti-discrimination ordinances, one that that worked in Houston and elsewhere: that pro-LGBT laws would let men use women’s restrooms.

And notice what North Carolina didn’t do. They didn’t mount a frontal attack on Charlotte’s anti-discrimination law. They didn’t argue that gay people shouldn’t get “special rights.” They sneaked in under the cover of a lie, and still lost, first in the court of public opinion and next, probably, in courts of law. Read more via the Daily Beast 

Australia: Transgender people could change birth certificates

People could soon change the gender on their birth certificates without having to undergo sex reassignment surgery.  The Victorian attorney-general's department  has signalled that it is working to "remove barriers to new birth certificates for trans, gender diverse and intersex Victorians", in line with a Victorian Labor election commitment.

In a letter to a parent of a transgender child, the attorney-general's chief of staff advised that the office was "progressing work to address discrimination in Victoria's birth certificate laws".  

The current laws are complex and confusing. If a person wants to change the gender on their certificate, they must be unmarried, 18 years of age or over, and to have undergone sex reassignment surgery.  Read more via the Age

US: How lawmakers in these 12 states used religion as a weapon this year

Lawmakers in numerous states have advanced measures this year that would strengthen religious protections for individuals, organizations or some businesses that decline to provide services to same-sex couple based on their religious beliefs.

While some are narrowly tailored to protect clergy, others are written more broadly, potentially applying to an array of businesses. Some bills already have been sent to governors while others are pending in the legislature. 

Here’s a look at some of the bills that have advanced in state legislatures over the past year.  Read more via AP 

Scotland: First Minister confirms Scotland will make its own decision on PrEP

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed Scotland will make its own decision on pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP, after NHS England extended trials for two years. The leader of the SNP said she was “keen” for Scotland to go its own way on PrEP and said it wouldn’t necessarily be the case Scotland follow recommendations made in England.

Fears about PrEP in Scotland arose, when it was reported that the Scottish Government was to accept the findings of health chiefs south of the border. When asked if she could see Scotland differing from NHS England’s decision and rolling out PrEP, Ms Sturgeon added: “Absolutely. It’s not necessarily the case that we would follow that [sic: two years further testing] in Scotland. I think we will take our own decisions.”

Last month, NHS England kicked the roll out of PrEP into the long grass, stating that it had to show it was cost effective. 

Read more via PinkNews
 

UK: AIDS activists go bare to target austerity

As part of a global series of direct actions in cities on five continents, naked activists from ACT UP London stood in the lobby of the pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, displaying the slogan “Pharma Greed Kills”. Gilead produces Truvada, a type of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) which is used to treat HIV in adults and teenagers. Yet at £446 per month, Truvada’s price makes it too expensive for it to be viably considered under the National Health Service.

Whilst the high cost of PrEP has a negative effect on those living with HIV by making medication more difficult to obtain, ACT Up London’s protest is about more than challenging the price of these medicines. Pharmaceutical companies are one part of a wider healthcare establishment that values profit margins over public health. As massive cuts to the NHS take effect on people living with HIV, this is a timely and important concern.

The medical industry is based on the premise that healthcare is a product that can be bought and sold, rather than a means to create dignity and social uplift. ACT UP London is the latest iteration in a series of AIDS campaigns that have, historically, focused on the affordability of drugs, and the speed at which they are released to market.  Read more via the Guardian

Saudi Arabia: Authorities seek death penalty for coming out

A published report indicates that people who come out online in Saudi Arabia could face the death penalty. Oraz, a Saudi newspaper, reported that prosecutors in the city of Jiddah have proposed the penalty in response to dozens of cases they have prosecuted over the last six months. These include 35 people who received prison sentences for sodomy.

A gay Saudi man, who operates a Twitter account that publishes LGBT-specific news and other information from Saudi Arabia, said the proposal has caused fear among LGBT people in the country. Social media users in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere have begun to use the hashtag “You will not terrorize me. I’m gay” on Twitter to express their opposition to the proposed penalty.

Saudi Arabia is among the countries in which consensual same-sex sexual activity remains punishable by death.  Read more via WashingtonBlade

Cuba: Gay scene and HIV education as borders open

As a youth growing up in Chicago, Phill Wilson had a Cuban fetish. The Spanish literature major romanticized the island nation, which was off-limits to U.S. travelers since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1963.

A half-century later, Wilson — now the out president of the Los Angeles-based Black AIDS Institute —would find himself en route to Havana, not just to soak up Cuban culture, but to see what the U.S. and Cuba could learn from each other in the fight against HIV and homophobia.

Wilson led a delegation of 15 gay men, many of color, to Cuba for two weeks starting on Christmas Eve; that was less than a year after President Obama helped normalize the once-strained relationship between the U.S. and communist Cuba.

Wilson says his team was greeted warmly, meeting with government officials, everyday Cubans, and people living with HIV. Wilson was impressed with the nation’s response to the disease, which has been greatly aided by the public information campaign of Mariela Castro, the LGBT-supportive daughter of Cuban president Raul Castro.

“From a public health perspective, from a human rights perspective, they are light years ahead of where we are with HIV,” Wilson says. Read more via the Advocate

Ukraine: The 'new Ukraine' is failing us, LGBT activists say

With the subsequent ousting of pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych – who was known to court president Vladimir Putin’s favour by emulating his infamous “anti-gay laws” – the LGBT community was optimistic that attitudes would change.

However, two years on many have since found that persecution and prejudice continues, and that the free­doms called for by the protesters in Kiev’s independence square have been un­evenly ap­plied in post-rev­o­lu­tion Ukraine – particularly when it comes to sexuality.

In the west­ern city of Lviv lo­cal au­thor­i­ties announced earlier this month they could not pro­tect a fes­ti­val or­ga­nised by an LGBT or­gan­i­sa­tion, allowing the ho­tel where the event was about to take place to become sur­rounded by far-right ac­tivists in masks shout­ing “kill, kill, kill”. The or­ga­nis­ers were forced to cancel the event and leave the city over fears for their safety.

“The sit­u­a­tion can lean ei­ther way,” says Kis, explaining that with the Maidan protests now playing a key part in the narrative of the “new Ukraine” the LGBT community – despite being on the frontlines of the unrest – has struggled to find its place.  Read more via the Guardian