Italy: Researcher suggests that homophobia is a 'disease to be cured'

Society has come a long way since homosexuality was classified as a mental illness. Now, a controversial study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine suggests that it may be homophobia — not homosexuality itself — that has elements of a psychiatric disorder.

“After discussing for centuries if homosexuality is to be considered a disease, for the first time we demonstrated that the real disease to be cured is homophobia, associated with potentially severe psychopathologies,” senior author Dr. Emmanuele Jannini, a professor of endocrinology and medical sexology at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, said in the press release.

Jannini and his team surveyed university students to measure their levels of homophobia, defence mechanisms, attachment styles, and psychopathologic symptoms. There’s “a remarkable association between dysfunctional aspects of personality and homophobic attitude,” concluding that psychoticism and immature defence mechanisms can predict to a certain extent whether people are homophobic. (Things like depressive symptoms, meanwhile, were more closely linked to the absence of homophobia.)  Read More via Business Insider

ISIL attacks on sexual minorities on UN meeting agenda

The UN Security Council will hold a meeting to discuss Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) attacks on sexual minorities in what will be the first ever council meeting focused on gay rights.  

The United States ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power told reporters that the informal meeting will highlight "ISIL and its systematic targeting of LGBT persons who find themselves in ISIL-controlled territory."   

The US and Chile will host the meeting which will be open to all member-states interested in the plight of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people persecuted by the armed group: "This will be a historic meeting. It will be the first Security Council meeting on LGBT rights," Power said. Read More

Israel: Thousands rally in Israel to protest attack during Pride march

Across Israel, thousands of people took to the streets to protest a week of violence. Yishai Schlissel, an Orthodox Jew who was previously convicted of stabbing three people at a Jerusalem pride parade in 2005, was recently released from prison after serving 10 years for the previous attack. After his release, Schlissel returned to his hometown where he began distributing handwritten pamphlets 'all Jews faithful to God' to risk 'beatings and imprisonment' for the sake of preventing the parade. At this month's parade he stabbed 6 people, killing a teenage girl.

Thousands attended a previously scheduled rally in Tel Aviv's Meir Park meant to commemorate an attack six years ago on a LGBT youth community center that left two dead and wounded 15 others. Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai and former Israeli president Shimon Peres attended the rally.

"I cannot believe we have reached such an abyss," Peres said in his speech. "I took before this stage six years ago, mere days after the murders at Barnoar. I am finding it difficult to believe that we are standing on that same stage, once again before the same phenomenon. We have gathered this evening for a war of independence – Israel's independence from insanity and insane people. This is not a disagreement between right and left. This is a profound clash between those with a conscience and those who lack a conscience."   Read More

US: From South Carolina to North Dakota, churches cut ties with Boy Scouts

With the Boy Scouts of America having lifted its blanket ban on openly gay adult leaders, some churches that sponsor scout troops are cutting ties with the organization — even though the BSA’s new policy does not require any church-affiliated troop to accept gay leadership.

The First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in South Carolina sent a letter to parents last week announcing it would no longer sponsor a scout troop, ending a nearly 50-year relationship. The letter, from church member and scout leader Buddy Lever, noted that homosexuality goes against the church’s beliefs, and that staying with the BSA might eventually force  to accept gay leaders.

Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic bishop of North Dakota has ordered churches in his diocese to end any affiliation with the BSA: “I cannot permit our Catholic institutions to accept and participate directly or indirectly in any organization which has policies and methods which contradict the authoritative moral teachings of the Catholic Church.” Churches within the diocese sponsor 8 Boy Scout troops and Cub Scout packs, and they will now look for alternatives. Read More

South Korea: This man’s story explains the emergence of South Korea’s anti-LGBT movement

Jonah Lee, a round-faced 63-year-old with a swoop of graying hair, once spent his days running gay bars and drag clubs in Korea and Japan in the ’70s and ’80s. His flagship, Hot Love, was a hit in both Seoul and Tokyo. Today, Lee is known for something else entirely. He claims, through a ministry he started in the Korean capital in 1994, to have counseled more than 1,200 people seeking to “escape homosexuality.”

Lee’s story — from gay entertainment pioneer to the leading spokesperson for Korea’s ex-gay movement — was made possible by the trajectory of many of South Korea’s Christian churches, which have grown exponentially since Lee first became a Christian almost 40 years ago. Today, many of Korea’s most important Christian leaders have come to preach homosexuality as an existential threat. These churches believe their movement is doing more than just saving people from sin; they believe they are saving the nation itself.

Lee’s path to ex-gay leader is a story in miniature of how homosexuality rapidly went from an almost invisible issue in South Korea to one that is now bringing tens of thousands of shouting protesters to the streets. Read More 

Switzerland: Catholic bishop in ‘death to gays’ storm

Vitus Huonder, the controversial Catholic bishop of Chur in eastern Switzerland, has once again attracted criticism for quoting homophobic Bible passages and denouncing non-traditional family models att the “Joy in Faith” forum in the German city of Fulda. In his address, titled “Marriage – a gift, sacrament and order”, Huonder quoted various passages backing up his views. He also slammed gender theory, divorce, sex education and gay marriage. Regarding homosexuality, the bishop quoted from the book of Leviticus, including: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” 

In response to applause, he continued: “Both of these passages alone suffice to clarify unambiguously the church’s position on homosexuality”. In his opinion, the passages had implications for the definition of marriage and the family. “There is no diversity when it comes to marriage and family models,” he said. “Even speaking of family diversity is an attack on the Creator.” 

Swiss gay organisation Pink Cross said it was “shocked and angry” by Huonder’s comments, calling for a “public apology for the latest gaffe”. Pink Cross said it was looking into how such hate speech could be prosecuted, pointing out that representatives of the church do not live in a legal vacuum.  

The bishop later released a statement saying he regretted that his comments had been misunderstood and interpreted as contemptuous towards homosexuals. Read More

Israel: Jerusalem’s chief rabbi visits victim of gay pride parade stabbing

A few hours before Shabbat in Israel, Jerusalem’s Chief Rabbi Aryeh Stern posted an arresting photograph on his Hebrew Facebook page. In it, the ultra-Orthodox cleric, in his full rabbinic regalia, is holding the hand of a victim of Jerusalem pride parade attack. Six people were initially reported as wounded, including a sixteen-year-old girl who who later died. The alleged assailant, Yishai Schlissel, was an ultra-Orthodox man who had previously served 10 years in prison for a similar crime in 2005.

At the hospital, Stern said, “The person that committed this sinful act is a criminal in every way, and his intention to kill Jews is something which is terrifying.”

Other ultra-Orthodox figures have also sharply condemned the attack. “The Torah of the Jewish people is the Torah of life, and the value of life is above everything,” said Moshe Gafni, head of ultra-Orthodox UTJ party. “The attempt to kill & injure is something severe which we utterly reject. [It] is opposed by Judaism, morality, Jewish law, and our path since we have been a people.” Read More  

Uganda: Ban gay couples from adopting children in EAC countries

Uganda’s state minister for East African Affairs, Shem Bageine wants foreigners from countries practicing same sex marriage barred from adopting children from East African Community (EAC) group. Bageine was addressing members of the East African legislative Assembly who are sitting in the Ugandan Parliament. 

The East African Community group is comprised of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. See more here.

US: Three more black trans woman slain in US

According to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), Kandis Capri, 35, was one of 16 transgender people to be murdered in the US this year. 

Earlier this year, the NCAVP released a report that said LGBT homicides rose by 11% in 2014. In 2015, with the recently reported deaths in Michigan, Texas and North Carolina of Amber Monroe, Shade Schuler and Elisha Walker – whose body was discovered on Friday – murders of transgender women have hit historic levels.
 

This week, a petition was launched asking the White House to open an investigation into the deaths. After the death of Kandis Capri, pressure will only grow. Read More

Serbia: We asked experts what you can do when you're under attack because you're gay

For those who closely follow the media in recent months in Belgrade there has been a growing epidemic of violence towards LGBT people.  We do not know the exact number of these cases of attacks and beatings in Belgrade and in Serbia. People may be embarrassed to report the crimes, they may feel ashamed, and they may be afraid of repercussions from the attackers. The reasons are myriad.

But what can a person who was attacked or suffered some form of violence because of their gender identity or sexuality do in order to protect and resumed a normal life? Lawyer Milena Vasic from the organization Yucom - Lawyers Committee for Human Rights from the Institute for Criminological and Sociological Research answered common questions and concerns people face after suffering assault. 

Questions addressed included: Should I report the attack to the police? Will the police treat me fairly? How to I obtain a lawyer? What if my abuser is a family member? How should I respond if I am verbally attacked in public?  Read More

Portugal: Finally, a 'gay couple holding hands in public' video that won't ruin your day

In the past two weeks, viral videos from Ukraine, Russia, and Israel have shown us how dangerous it can be for gay men to holds hands in public. But a new version of the same "social experiment" offers some hope for humanity.

"There was no hate, threat, punches — not even a single verbal abuse," Lorenzo reported in the video. Some people stared, but he and Pedro felt that these weren't "negative stares," but rather evidence of surprise or curiosity. Before shooting the video, Lorenzo and Pedro rarely held hands in public.

Maybe they were a "bit frightened," they explained. Seeing how people of Lisbon reacted to them change that. "We felt respected and free," he said. "We felt what any straight or gay couple should feel: comfortable." Read More 

Jerusalem: Gay couple abused while holding hands

A social experiment where a gay couple holds hands in public has been recreated in Jerusalem. Similar to videos created in Ukraine and Russia, the video shows the men enduring vile abuse. As they walk down the street, dozens of people look, and others make homophobic comments. The video comes 2 weeks after 6 people were stabbed at a Pride parade in the city, which left one 16-year-old dead. Read More