In a presentation to Liberal MPs at Parliament House, Peter Abetz has warned colleagues that an anti-bullying program, Safe Schools Coalition Australia, is actually a "gay lifestyle promotion program" and should be stopped from coming to Western Australia.
The SSCA program, he said, crossed the line into advocacy and was "really not an anti-bullying program". "In fact, when you look at it closer, it really is little more than a gay, lesbian, transgender lifestyle promotion program," Mr Abetz said. "The militant gay lesbian lobby is trying to get this into our schools to 'normalise' what they consider the LGBTI agenda."
Shadow minister for disability services, mental health and child protection, Stephen Dawson, a supporter of the program, said the comments were "misguided and homophobic". Read More
Australia: Sri Lankan cricket fan displays homophobic banner at World Cup
A Sri Lankan cricket fan has been roundly condemned by his countrymen for waving a placard labeling Glenn Maxwell a ‘fag’ at a world cup match in Sydney after a photo made rounds on Sri Lankan social media.
Politician Malsha Kumaranatunge, and the daughter of a former sports minister, said cricket was a game you played with respect, most importantly for your opponents.
'Holding placards like this, insulting players of the host country, in their own soil, is not only disrespectful to the people of Australia but reflects us Sri Lankans in a poor light,' she wrote on Facebook. 'Using homophobic terms to insult opposing players or anyone is unacceptable. Cricket is for everyone. Whether you are Sinhalese,Tamil or Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu, rich or poor, gay or straight. Respect.' Read More
Italy: School plan to change gender stereotypes causes storm
A plan to to challenge young children’s ideas about gender through play at schools in northern Italy – including with a memory game that contains images of male homemakers and female plumbers – has created a storm of protest, with some politicians saying the effort will confuse children about their sexual identity.
The programme – titled Game of Respect – is aimed at children aged three to six in 45 schools in the Trieste region and involves educating teachers about how to use games and role-playing to teach gender equality. Read More
European Court Rules Turkey Cannot Make Sterilization A Requirement For Gender Reassignment
Europe’s top human rights court ruled Tuesday against the government of Turkey in a case brought by a trans man who was denied the right to gender reassignment surgery unless he agreed to be sterilized.
Twenty countries of the 47 states that signed the human rights charter that created the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights impose sterilization as a requirement for people seeking legal gender change, according to the org. Transgender Europe. Tuesday’s ruling, which is technically binding on the courts of member states, comes as several European countries are overhauling their gender identity laws to give more control over gender identity to individuals.
“It’s absolutely thrilling and important to have this judgement now,” said Richard Köhler, Transgender Europe’s senior policy officer. Read More
Turkey: Council of State rules firings of gay teacher against the law
The Council of State has ruled that the dismissal of a teacher who has homosexual relations in their private life to be against the law. The Council of State has pointed to the lack of evidence, indication or witnesses to show that the plaintiff reflected homosexual tendencies in the school or engaged in such relations with students outside of the school. Read More
Germany: Court fines father who ‘tried to marry gay son off to Lebanese girl’
A court in Germany has handed out fines to the father and two uncles of a gay teenager after they abducted him and tried to marry him off to a Lebanese girl against his will. After a five-minute hearing in Berlin, the father and uncles were each fined 1,350 euros in absentia for depriving a minor his personal freedom by abducting him and taking him abroad.
Nasser El-Ahmad was 15 when he revealed to his family he was homosexual. The 18-year-old also alleges that he was subject to verbal threats and physical violence. The Berlin court did not handle these separate allegations of torture, but the abduction occurred after Nasser was put into care having run away from home.
Nasser, unlike the accused, was present at the hearing and wore a badge marked “STOP HOMOPHOBIA”. He told reporters afterwards: “At least this came to court and I am happy for that. I’m not someone who hides. I don’t want to suppress my homosexuality.” Read More
Taiwan: Lesbian fights court over baby rights
A lesbian in Taiwan who was told that she could not adopt the children she parents with her partner because it would have a “negative impact” on them will appeal the landmark case. It is the first time that a lesbian has tried to adopt children her partner had through artificial insemination and comes as public support grows for gay rights and same-sex marriage in Taiwan, one of Asia’s more liberal societies.
Under Taiwanese law, the unmarried partner of a birth mother is not allowed to adopt their child — but the couple had applied as a “de facto” married couple, saying that they want to wed but are barred as same-sex marriages are illegal. Read More
Kenya: Ugandan LGBTI refugees camping at UNHCR
On Zero Discrimination Day, UN urges tolerance for diversity
The United Nations Programme leading the world's HIV/AIDS response - UNAIDS has kicked off the 2015 global edition of Zero Discrimination Day as part of the Organization's wider effort to spur solidarity towards ending discrimination.
"Committing to making our world free of stigma and discrimination is not an option, it's a duty." said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe.
This year's theme Open Up, Reach Out encourages all members of the international community to unite under the banner of diversity and celebrate each other's difference in an authoritative rejection of discrimination in all its forms. Read More
Russia Tries to Block Benefits for Families of Gay U.N. Employees
Last June, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued an administrative ruling that offered marital benefits for the first time to all of the United Nations’ LGBT employees who had entered legally recognized domestic partnerships.
During a UN budgetary meeting, Russian diplomat Sergey Khalizov is opposing those changes: “We will insist that the secretary-general urgently revoke the administrative bulletin” expanding benefits to same-sex couples." Read More
Asia and Pacific LGBTI advocates call for human rights for all
A landmark regional dialogue convened by the United Nations Development Programme this week in Bangkok provided a unique platform for advancing rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people.
Some 200 participants from over 30 countries gathered for the three-day Dialogue on LGBTI Human Rights and Health in Asia-Pacific, including civil society, people living with disabilities, government and human rights experts, the private sector, and development partners.
“Equal rights are not special rights. The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights promised a world that is just and inclusive of all, including LGBTI people,” said Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator. Read More
The Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, speaks about his advocacy for the human rights of LGBTI people
"As Secretary-General i have to lead by example and sometimes actions speak louder than words." The Secretary-General said that his most important mandate is to end all discrimination and human rights abuse.
He went on to say that he wants to make the United Nations the best workplace for LGBTI staff to work freely with no discrimination, regardless of who you love. Watch his comments here