In a historic decision for Switzerland, a court in the canton of Saint Gallen has recognized a gay couple as the legal parents of a child born in the United States to a surrogate mother. Surrogacy is illegal in Switzerland but according to the administrative court ruling the wellfare of the child took precedence in this case. Read More
Egypt orders the arrest of nine men over gay wedding video
Egyptian prosecutor general ordered the arrest of 9 men, after a YouTube video depicting a gay marriage surfaced. The video, filmed in April but has only gone viral recently, entitled ‘Egypt’s First Gay Marriage’ shows two men appearing to have a ceremony on a Nile boat.
The two men hug and exchange rings, surrounded by male guests. Several charges have been levelled against the men including ‘inciting debauchery and violating public decency’. Read More
A multitude of celebrations
Two American 90-year-old women married after 7 decades together in a church of the town they moved to in 1947. Meanwhile a mass wedding in London saw 15 same-sex couples and 55 mixed-sex couples tie the knot across 6 ceremonies this weekend, part of Southbank’s Festival of Love programme, which celebrates the introduction of equal marriage earlier this year.
Two thirds of Faroe Island residents support gay marriage
Mexico's Coahuila state legalizes same-sex marriage
For the first time, a Mexican state legislature has voted to legalize same-sex marriage. The new law alters more than 40 parts of the state's Civil Code. Read More
Gay marriage and the courts: Too far, too fast?
THE cascade of rulings invalidating state-level same-sex marriage prohibitions now includes decisions from three federal appellate courts. Last Thursday the seventh circuit court of appeals thwarted gay marriage bans in Wisconsin and Indiana, joining the fourth and tenth circuit courts that have issued recent rulings nullifying one man-one woman marriage laws in Virginia, Utah and Oklahoma. The ninth circuit heard arguments in three gay marriage cases on September 8th and the fifth and sixth circuits are also taking up the question. The Supreme Court is widely expected to review decisions from one or more of these jurisdictions in the coming year.
As speculation turns to how the US Supreme Court justices will handle the tidal wave of state judicial support for same-sex marriage, it might be natural to assume that we’re gearing up for another 4-4 right-left split, with Justice Anthony Kennedy in the middle. Read More
US: Gay Marriage Bans In Idaho, Nevada And Hawaii Head To Court
"Until all 50 states get on board, it's a legal battle from state to state," said Tara Newberry, one of the plaintiffs in the Nevada case, who wants to marry her longtime partner. "The map is changing. But until the Supreme Court of the United States makes the determination, it's state-by-state." Read More
Sex workers, gays get own health clinic in South Africa
Whenever a Cape Town sex worker visited her local primary health care clinic in Gugulethu, not only did she have to spend hours queueing for health services, she was mocked by other patients and health workers - just because she was different. Read More
Poor health among LGBT on both sides of the pond
New reports coming out of the UK and US report that LGBT people report poorer health compared to straight counterparts. In the UK, half of the over 27,000 LGBT people surveyed reported negative experiences with the health care system. A randomized sample of LGBT in the US found that lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women in particular have lower physical well-being than either straight women or GBT men.
Women and PrEP: Dissed By Her Doctor for Wanting HIV Protection
In 2010, Poppy Morgan wanted to stop using condoms so she could have a baby with her HIV-positive husband. She asked her doctor to prescribe Truvada, an HIV drug that can keep her from contracting the virus. But Morgan’s doctor didn’t just say no; she told her that she would no longer treat Morgan if she went ahead with her plan.
Of the 2,319 Americans prescribed Truvada for PrEP in 2012 and 2013, almost half were women. And women are taking it for good reason. Outside of gay enclaves, another HIV epidemic is flourishing that overlaps with but isn’t the same as, the one in gay communities. The African American community has been devastated by HIV, especially in the South. African Americans make up only 12 percent of the population but comprise 44 percent of HIV cases. And it’s African American women who are among the most at risk. Read More
Need for Intimacy Plays Role in Condomless Sex, Study Finds
New study from Brown University finds gay, bi men, and trans women in relationships with other men forgo condoms to "preserve intimacy." Taking a swipe at PrEP naysayers, study authors note that the findings do not indicate MSM will stop using condoms once they get access to PrEP; rather the study finds the participating MSM were already forgoing condom use. Read More
Kazakhstan: Media are ‘brainwashing’ children with gay ‘propaganda’
Mayor Akim Tasmagambetov of Kazakhstan's capital city has accused the international media of “promoting” homosexuality, and “brainwashing” children. “It has not just become a political norm in a range of developed countries, but the perception of the society has been distorted to such an extent that the US state of California approved a compulsory course on historical accomplishments of representatives of sexual minorities. I think you see for yourself how the topic is promoted in the international media.” Read More