Cuban Tourism Product Could Overtake JA

Dimitris Kosvogiannis

The business of pink dollar potential concerns came up recently at a discussion involving some LGBT individuals, Dimitris Kosvogiannis, general manager of the Melia Braco Village hotel, is concerned Jamaica may be knocked off its pedestal by greater participation of Cuba in the Caribbean tourism market. His concerns were expressed way back in June of this year in a Gleaner article parts of which excepted in this post. His comments did not take into account the LGBTQ perspective as some seem to be dancing around it publicly despite we know that some properties do offer accommodation especially smaller resorts who specialize or adopt aspects of the airb&b model.

"Once the initial shock factor of Cuba and the romance factor and the curiosity wear off, Cuba will retain an additional market share if their service level and their product raises to the calibre that it used to be in the '50s," he said.

He was responding to news of approvals granted to six US airlines to resume scheduled commercial air service from the US to Cuba for the first time in more than five decades. Those flights recently commenced, Kosvogiannis believes this will result in a short-term downturn in the number of tourists visiting Jamaica, a trend he fears could be sustained if Jamaica does not improve its levels of service delivery. We have become to complacent in my view and fears of backlash from some quarters still force accommodating lgbt guests underground. Cuba has been on the up in as far as LGBT/pink dollar tourism are concerned long before the US lifted the embargo.

Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett described the approvals for commercial flights to Cuba as a welcome opportunity for the multi-destination approach to tourism that he has been championing. Kosvogiannis believes the minister's policy approach in this regard is visionary and appropriate. But he has called for industry leaders to complement Bartlett's vision by ensuring that service levels within the tourism sector are improved.

"I think executives within the tourism industry ... need to take on this issue of service levels. If we continue to do nothing and rest on our laurels, I think Cuba will present a new threat; and I have been saying that about my hotel. If we don't do something different, people are gonna say we have been there already, let's go somewhere else," he said.

ENCOURAGE COMPETITION

The first step for the Greek hotelier is the establishment of an independent agency that rates hotels. He says this would encourage competition that would force hotels to raise their level of service.

"I have said it from time immemorial, we need to have an institution that categorises and brand hotels. It cannot be that two hotels sitting next to each other, one offering hamburgers and one offering caviar are both five-star because the owners of those hotels, for marketing purposes, label them as five-stars," he explained.

Kosvogiannis further argued that the infrastructure that will train the tourism workforce, once the Cuban product is properly developed, is far more advanced than that of Jamaica and poses another significant threat.

When can we just move forward for a change?

also see posts from my sister blog:

LGBT leisure travel market set to spike .................... LGBT "friendly" resorts are here 2012

Caribbean tourism must reflect changing demands ....... pink $$$ anyone? 2015

J'cans Tap Gay Online Rental Market - Misterb&B Seen As Opportunity To Diversify Income

Gay Tourism Potential? (Letter plus)

Jamaica Should Open Arms To Gay Tourism 2014

LGBT tourism breaks through US$200 billion in annual spending 2013

Peace & tolerance

H

When Jamaican Homophobia turns up overseas

Couple claims House of Fraser staff called them ‘c**ksuckers’ and ‘batty man’

Sad when our awful homophobia finds its way into other jurisdictions and shows itself most disparagingly.

Reggie Taylor (left) and his fiance David claim they were subject to homophobic abuse while shopping at House of Fraser (Picture: Getty)

Metro News provided some of the details.

A London-based DJ and his fiancé have claimed they were the target of homophobic abuse while shopping at a House of Fraser branch in London.

Reggie Taylor (known as DJ Fat Tony) and his fiancé David were shopping at the department store in Victoria on Tuesday when staff members were allegedly abusive toward them, calling them ‘c**ksuckers*.

The couple say they were trying different perfumes when a member of staff started pointing and laughing at them.

Reggie told PinkNews that when he approached the staff member and asked her why she was laughing, she replied: ‘I ain’t got no problem with you.’

He also claims the security guard called them ‘batty man’.

When they tried to make a complaint, the manager refused to take them to somewhere more private and refused to believe the staff member was homophobic or remove the security guard from the shop floor.

The DJ attempted to record the ‘abusive, intimidating and homophobic’ remarks on his phone but said the security guard threatened to ‘smash’ it if he did.

While trying to leave, the security guard then called him a ‘c**ksucker* and called him a ‘batty boy’ again.

The department store told Reggie that they are investigating the incident and will give back the £200 he spent in the store.

A House of Fraser spokesperson said: ‘We are incredibly disappointed to hear that a member of our staff has allegedly been abusive to a customer.

‘We take these allegations extremely seriously and are currently investigating thoroughly. At House of Fraser, we do not tolerate any type of verbal or physical abuse.’

ENDS

Also see a previous incident earlier this year in the UK as well: UK Sports store suspends staff after gay couple branded ‘battymen’

Other 'Battyman' related posts:

Bounty Killer and his B****man comments at Shaggy’s fundraiser 2010 from sister blog

High Drama as Homophobes attempt to disrupt and picket gay party 2010

Sizzla Rejects J-FLAG Olive Branch .......... oh really? 2010

Peace & tolerance

H

No to buggery! - Young candidates oppose relaxing laws, but want more education on subject

UPDATE 22.11.11 8:12pm please listen before reading below.

 UK/commonwealth Aid Matter & The New Developments, no aid cuts but redirecting, ethical problems on our part - 22.11.11 by glbtqja5 

BY HG HELPS Editor-at-Large helpsh@jamaicaobserver.com

FOUR aspiring politicians have come out against relaxing buggery laws in Jamaica, although they believe, collectively, that there should be national dialogue on the subject.

The four — the Jamaica Labour Party’s Paula Kerr-Jarrett, who will represent the party in Hanover East and Collin Virgo, the candidate in Manchester South, as well as the People’s National Party’s candidate in St Mary West, Jolyan Silvera and his colleague in St Andrew North East, John-Paul White — are all, based upon religious considerations, against the act of buggery. However, they argue that discussions should be held on the subject with the people as a whole, to determine whether or not Jamaica should continue to enforce buggery related laws.

Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate for Manchester South, Collin Virgo (left) states his view on the buggery law while his JLP colleague, Paula Kerr-Jarrret, who will contest the East Hanover seat, as well as People’s National Party candidates Jolyan Silvera (3rd left), who will be running in St Mary West, and John-Paul White (St Andrew North East), listen at yesterday’s Observer Monday Exchange. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/No-to-buggery-#ixzz1eRXbFI3s


The four were guests at yesterday’s Observer Monday Exchange at the newspaper’s Beechwood Avenue headquarters in St Andrew.

The subject arose from revelations at a conference on HIV/AIDS being held in The Bahamas, which showed that countries without buggery laws had a lower HIV prevalence rate among homosexual men, than countries with such laws.

“I was brought up as a Christian. I am a practising Christian, and I know that there are a lot of things that are in the Bible as well as just generally, morally, the approach to it is not acceptable,” said Kerr-Jarrett.

“We need to educate our people in Jamaica more before laws are changed, because if you remove something, a void is created, and before anything is done there ought to be a blitz of education on the subject,” she added.

Virgo, who will challenge veteran member of parliament Michael Peart, said that the matter of buggery was a delicate one which requires solid discussion.

“The constituency where I am from, that is not something that you would be able to sell to them right now,” Virgo said.

“I come from a very strong Christian constituency, which has one of the largest concentration of Seventh-day Adventists in the country, and that's the church I grew up in.

“I don’t get the feeling that they (constituents) are going to be highly supportive of that one. To be an elected representative of the people is not going to be my responsibility to force my view on them. I will encourage dialogue, but at the end of the day, changing the law will not allow the problems to be solved,” he said.

“Knowledge and some level of exposure will cause it to be changed. If there isn’t acceptance by a significant portion of the people of Jamaica, changing the laws will not solve the problems,” Virgo added.

Both PNP representatives also echoed similar sentiments that buggery was immoral and an effort should be made to clarify issues surrounding the subject.

For Silvera, who is going up against JLP powerhouse Robert Montague, buggery has no place in the society.

“I grew up in a Christian home and I have my morals intact. But this is where we are today and this is reality,” Silvera said.

“We do have to engage, and we have to sit down and talk ,and take certain things into consideration, because at the end of the day, the Bible is ambiguous, there are double meanings every chapter you read.

“We are a civil society, and if buggery has to be brought to the table to be talked about, I don’t think I would have a problem listening. But at the end of the day I know where I stand, because I have Christian beliefs. I think the law should stay, but I am open for discussions. We would be a bit premature as a country to open it up presently,” Silvera said.

As for White, the son of a former preacher, education is the key to handling matters related to buggery.

“I am also from a spiritual and Christian background, but we need to educate the country more,” he said.

“When a person hears about buggery, he associates it with, based on our socialisation, things to do with homosexual activities.

“As representatives, we really need to seek the opinion of those we represent, and based on the majority of those opinions, we take it into the Houses of Parliament.,” he said.

“My biggest concern about the law has more to do with a health point of view and the transmission of diseases associated with such activities, especially in a society where the cost of health care is really expensive,” White said.


also see on my sister blog GLBTQJA on Wordpress new developments on the UK front:

Minister confirms UK will redirect aid, not cut it, for human rights violations

Andrew Mitchell (photo) said the policy had been wrongly reported as a threat to cut aid

The government has confirmed plans to redirect aid away from overseas governments who fail to recognise human rights, but has said it will still ensure aid reaches those in need.

Some African states reacted angrily to Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell’s comments that aid would be redirected away from governments to other bodies, believing that overall aid would be cut unless anti-gay laws were repealed.

Now that we have the smoke cleared several questions come to mind:

1) were we too quick to jump the gun locally?

2) were our advocates using the original report as a tag along to unethically promote decriminalization of buggery on a false footing?


Although the debate is on in earnest the advocates should never have in effect mislead the nation and should have sought to clarify the position before diving head on with coalition teams at that participating knowing or unknowingly. How can we have any moral authority to ask the nation for any dialogue or present our arguments on the strength of a farce in a sense to bolster our call for the buggery law to be removed?

True representation for any group must be above board and must be untestable ethically speaking and have some moral soundness, after all our detractors will judge us on that as they do already condemn us because of our “nastiness” we cannot go making demands and calls for acceptance on shaky ground.

Too many double standards? or are the British now backpedaling too seeing the furor the whole thing has caused?

Suffice it to say some with say cutting aid versus redirecting it is the same but let us remember aid comes in many forms and tranches.


also see posts and hear previous audio commentary: 

Not Ready For Gays ……. Gay Marriage smoke screen reintroduced ……………. political dodging

and

On The UK Aid Removal and Holness's Reponse ........ 06.11.11 by glbtqja6

Peace and tolerance

H

British government reportedly set to introduce full gay marriage equality

The government is expected to announce full marriage equality for gays and lesbians under reforms to marriage laws to be announced later this week. The reported move will end the final major legal discrimination against gays and lesbians in Britain.

Rev Sharon Ferguson and Franka Strietzel are among the couples challenging the ban on gay marriage (Photo: Chris Houston)

According to the Sunday Times, a proposal to end the ban on same sex marriage will be announced by the Liberal Democrat equality minister Lynne Featherstone at the same time as the government announces the time table for civil partnerships to be held in religious buildings.

Civil partnerships were introduced in 2005 and offer gays and lesbian couples similar legal rights to straight married couples. Differences include the grounds for dissolution, some insurance and pension rights and they are not recognised as having the same status as marriage abroad. A consequence of the ban on gay marriage means that a married transgendered person must divorce their partner before being recognised in their new gender. In addition, couples are barred from having any religious elements in the civil partnership ceremony. An amendment the Equality Act by Labour peer Lord Waheed Alli was passed just prior to the election, but the new government delayed the implementation of the changes. Religious insitituions are not forced to host ceremonies if they do not wish to.

Prior to the general election, deputy prime minister and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg wrote on PinkNews.co.uk: “I support gay marriage. Love is the same, straight or gay, so the civil institution should be the same, too. All couples should be able to make that commitment to one another.” In October, the party adopted full marriage equality including allowing straight couples to have civil partnerships as official party policy. The move was controversially not supported by the gay lobbying organisation Stonewall.

In April, the chancellor George Osborne told gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell that the Conservative party would “consider” full gay marriage.

Labour party leader Ed Miliband announced his support of full gay marriage in a column for PinkNews.co.uk during the leadership election. He wrote: “‘Separate but equal’ is not good enough and PinkNews.co.uk’s own recent poll demonstrated the huge support in the LGBT community for a right to marry. The cruel consequence of the current compromise is trans people forced to divorce their partners before they could be legally recognised in their new gender. I want to see heterosexual and same-sex partnerships put on an equal basis and a Labour Party that I lead will campaign to make gay marriage happen.”

The proposals which will then be put out to consultation by the equality minister will give religious faith groups the option of conducting and officiating at gay marriages. The Quakers and Liberal Judaism have already stated that they wish to conduct same sex marriages.

Although the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, gave the reports a guarded welcome telling the BBC that he “believes in a liberal democracy, and actually wants equality with everybody,” the Church of England does not support the introduction of gay marriages or civil partnerships being held in churches. A spokesman said: “Given the Church’s view on the nature of marriage, the House of Bishops has consistently been clear that the Church of England should not provide services of blessing for those who register civil partnerships.”

The spokesman said the change will “lead to inconsistencies with civil marriage, have unexplored impacts, and lead to confusion, with a number of difficult and unintended consequences for churches and faiths”.

“Any change could therefore only be brought after proper and careful consideration of all the issues involved, to ensure that the intended freedom for all denominations over these matters is genuinely secured.”

The Catholic Church and those representing the Muslim faith are also opposed to gay marriage and holding religious civil partnerships.

The Equal Love Campaign, led by Mr Tatchell lodged a case at the European Court of Human Rights challenging the twin ban on gay marriage and straight couples having civil partnerships. Four gay couples applied to hold marriages and were rejected, as were four straight couples who applied to hold a civil partnership. It is understood that the Liberal Democrats were uneasy at the prospect of the coalition government fighting against gay marriage in such a public way given that introducing gay marriage is official party policy.

A Whitehall source told the Sunday Times: “This is not just about gay rights but about religious freedom. Quakers and liberal Judaism want to do this. Attitudes have changed to gay marriage. We are going to look at what legislative steps we could begin to make gay marriage possible.”

Last year, a poll for PinkNews.co.uk found that 98% of the LGBT population support full gay equality and that civil partnerships are not good enough. It is one of the few official standpoints ofPinkNews.co.uk that it believes in marriage equality.

It took a high profile campaign last autumn for the gay lobbying organisation Stonewall to say that it would campaign for gay marriage. The charity was criticised for by its founders Michael Cashman and Sir Ian McKellen on PinkNews.co.uk for not at that point campaigning for gay marriage. Despite the change in policy, the organisation does not support marriage equality because it will lead to the introduction of straight civil partnerships, something it believes could cost £5bn in lost tax revenue.

Should full gay marriage be introduced, the only other significant legal discrimination against gay men will be the ban on donating blood, although the government have signaled in the past that they will look to end this practice.

ENDS

meanwhile ......

Under current rules, ceremonies must be secular and cannot contain religious elements, such as hymn singing and Bible readings.

The Sunday Telegraph said equalities minister Lynne Featherstone was expected to outline shortly plans to lift the ban.

The weekly broadsheet warned that the new move could open a "legal minefield", with gay couples possibly taking action against faith groups if they were barred from tying the knot in their chosen place of worship.

The Office of National Statistics said that at May 2010 more than 26,000 civil partnerships had been formed in Britain.

Cameroon & Iranian Gay asylum seekers win challenge in UK's Supreme court, implications for others

The historic ruling was handed down today as was watched by human rights groups, lgbt advocates, immigration and asylum proponents. There is almost a collective sigh of relief worldwide as the news became apparent.

The men had met a roadblock in their legal attempts in the Appeals court where the ruling that was handed down then suggested the men return to their respective homelands and become discreet in order to hide thier homosexuality.

They were told by the Home Office they could safely return home if they were "discreet" about their sexual orientation. The idea had been supported in principle by the previous UK government.

The Cameroonian man, HT, argued he was told he could be sent home despite being attacked after he was seen kissing his partner.

The Iranian man, HJ, was told by a tribunal that he must expect persecution for his homosexuality and could avoid it by being discreet.

The case was brought on behalf of the men by the London office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The men's lawyer, Iona Harding, of Baker & McKenzie, said: "This is an excellent result which will ensure that lesbian, gay and bisexual people receive the protection they are entitled to as refugees in the UK and are not expected to hide their identity in order to escape execution, long prison sentences or other forms of persecution."

Gay asylum campaigner Paul Canning told PinkNews.co.uk that the decision had "extremely broad implications" for gay asylum seekers in other countries due to the EU trying to bring standardise asylum policy.

He added: "This is a clear victory. It is one in the eye for the last government."

The court's judgment said that the term "concealment" was preferred to discretion, as this recognises that gay people in homophobic countries may need to be dishonest about their sexuality and that the average person would find it intolerable to have to conceal their sexuality for fear of persecution.

It added that UK authorities must consider whether asylum applicants have to conceal their sexuality at home for fear of persecution and if so, they should be given refugee status regardless of whether they can successfully keep their sexuality secret.

The new coalition government has said it will introduce new rules to prevent the deportation of any gay asylum seeker who faces "imprisonment, torture or execution" if sent home.

Lord Hope, who read out the judgment, said: "To compel a homosexual person to pretend that his sexuality does not exist or suppress the behaviour by which to manifest itself is to deny him the fundamental right to be who he is."

Home secretary Theresa May said: "I welcome the ruling of the Supreme Court, which vindicates the position of the coalition government.

"We have already promised to stop the removal of asylum seekers who have had to leave particular countries because their sexual orientation or gender identification puts them at proven risk of imprisonment, torture or execution.

"I do not believe it is acceptable to send people home and expect them to hide their sexuality to avoid persecution."

"From today, asylum decisions will be considered under the new rules and the judgment gives an immediate legal basis for us to reframe our guidance for assessing claims based on sexuality, taking into account relevant country guidance and the merits of each individual case."

"We will, of course, take any decisions on a case-by-case basis looking at the situation in the country of origin and the merits of individual cases in line with our commitment."

With many LGBT Jamaicans still processing their cases in the United Kingdom this is welcomed news and by extension those from other countries where homophobia is expressed far more violently in torture, harsh laws (flogging in Iran) or death penalty under sharia law in some parts of the world.

Peace and tolerance

H

Vatican says cover-up accusations due to Pope's opposition to gay rights

Vatican officials have refuted claims that the Pope was involved in a cover-up of the child abuse scandal, saying that the allegations are part of a "hate campaign" against him.

Two senior cardinals suggested on Tuesday that the claims were revenge for Pope Benedict's opposition to gay marriage and abortion, AP reports.

Spanish Cardinal Julian Herranz, head of the disciplinary commission for Holy See officials, said on Vatican Radio: "The pope defends life and the family, based on marriage between a man and a woman, in a world in which powerful lobbies would like to impose a completely different [agenda]."

Meanwhile, dean of the College of Cardinals, Angelo Sodano, told Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romana: "The pope embodies moral truths that aren't accepted, and so, the shortcomings and errors of priests are used as weapons against the church."

The Pope recently launched an unprecedented attack on UK equality legislation, saying it went against natural law. He also said in 2008 that gay and trans people were a threat to humanity and has criticised gay marriage laws in countries such as Portugal.

He has refused to comment on the paedophile priests scandal, despite the numerous allegations aired in the last month in Ireland, Austria, the United States and Germany, the Pope's home country.

There have been allegations that he was aware of paedophiles continuing to work as priests and allowed them to do so.

He was Archbishop of Munich and Freising from 1977 to 1982 and it was alleged earlier this month that he sent one paedophile priest to therapy in 1980. The priest reoffended and was convicted, although he continues to work as a priest to this day.

Abuse victims have spoken of being made to sign confidentially agreements about their experiences under the threat of excommunication.

They say they want an apology from the Pope and compensation.

http://gay.pinknews.co.uk/2010/04/08/vatican-says-cover-up-accusations-due-to-popes-opposition-to-gay-rights/

London, Equality Bill passes through parliament

London, Equality Bill passes through parliament
The Equality Bill has passed through its final stages in parliament and will now become law after receiving royal assent.

The bill, which gives new protections to gay people, was sent for royal assent last night.

It is designed to consolidate and simplify existing equality laws, encompassing characteristics such as race, gender and sexual orientation.

A flagship feature of the bill is equality duty on all public bodies, which will require institutions such as schools, councils and the NHS to actively promote equality.

Employers will be permitted to use positive action to select candidates from under-represented groups when two people applying for a job have the same qualifications.

The bill will also prohibit private members’ clubs from discriminating against members or guests based on their sexual orientation or gender reassignment and introduce the concept of “dual discrimination”, where people can show they were discriminated because, for example, they are both gay and of an ethnic minority.

An amendment added last month will allow gay couples to have their civil partnerships in church.

However, the bill has been criticised by gay groups, opposition politicians and secular groups for a number of "grey areas".

One contentious issue is harassment protection for gay people, which critics say does not exist in the bill. The government has said gay people are already protected from harassment due to direct discrimination laws and that there was a duty for schools to continue the existing ban on discrimination.

Trans campaigners argue that there is not enough protection for the many people who live as the opposite gender but have chosen not to seek medical treatment.

The government said last month it would not continue to fight the House of Lords over an amendment clarifying who churches can refuse employment to.

Provisions in the bill would have clarified the law requiring churches only to discriminate in terms of sexual orientation when hiring those who will teach doctrine or lead worship.

But after the Pope publicly criticised the bill, equality minister Harriet Harman backed down. She is thought to have made the climbdown to avoid a continuing dispute with church leaders.

The new laws will begin to take effect in the autumn. The public sector equality duty will be introduced in April 2011, while provisions to ban age discrimination and force companies to reveal pay packets will come into force in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

http://gay.pinknews.co.uk/2010/04/07/equality-bill-passes-through-parliament/

Dutch protest after gays are denied communion

Gay rights activists in the Netherlands staged a protest yesterday over a Catholic church’s policy of denying gay people communion.

Several hundred people went to Mass at a church in ’s-Hertogenbosch and left shouting and singing when it was announced that the priest, who had been warned about the demonstration, had decided not to give communion.

Some protestors, wearing pink robes and wigs, handed out pink wafers and kissed.

The issue began several weeks ago when a nearby church barred an openly gay man from taking communion. The unnamed man had won a competition to be carnival prince in a nearby town.

According to the BBC, he said that he would accept being denied from taking communion if all other sinners were also barred.

The Netherlands legalised civil partnerships for both straight and gay couples in 1998. In 2001, it became the first country in the world to legalise gay marriage.

Americans more supportive of 'gay men and lesbians' than 'homosexuals'

Jessica Green

A survey has found that the wording used when asking the public about their views on gay rights makes a substantial difference to the answers.

A recent CBS News/New York Times poll asked 1,084 American adults their view on gays serving openly in the military.

It found that respondents were far more supportive when they were asked about "gay men and lesbians", instead of "homosexuals".

Seventy per cent of respondents were supportive of gay men and lesbians serving in the military but this dropped to 59 per cent when the word "homosexuals" was used.

When respondents were asked whether they believed gay men and lesbians should be allowed to be open about their sexuality, 58 per cent agreed but only 44 per cent agreed when they were asked about homosexuals.

The noun 'homosexual' is rejected by some because of its clinical connotations, which hark back to the days when gay people were viewed as mentally ill.

It is used most often by those who disagree with homosexuality and is sometimes modified to 'homosexualists' when discussing gay rights activists.

US newspapers The New York Times and The Washington Post restrict usage of the term ' homosexual' and the Post's style guide notes that it "can be seen as a slur".

British newspapers generally accept 'gay' as a permissible alternative to 'homosexual'. The Guardian counsels that 'gay men' should be used instead of 'gays', while the Daily Telegraph states that 'homosexual' is an adjective, not a noun.

In recent years, some style guides warned against the use of the term 'practising homosexual'. This phrase has now disappeared from the majority of style guides, as it has presumably become almost obsolete in mainstream use.

US HIV travel ban lifted Jan 04, 2010

Jessica Green (Pink News)

The ban on HIV-positive people entering the US officially ends today.

The 22-year-old law was one of the most restrictive immigration policies in the world for people with HIV but was lifted by President Barack Obama in November.

He described it as a "decision rooted in fear rather than fact".

According to On Top magazine, the first HIV-positive person to enter the country since the lifting of the ban will be Clemens Ruland, 45, a youth worker from the Netherlands.

He and his partner Hugo Bausch, 50, will be welcomed by gay group Immigration Equality when they arrive in New York today.

The lifting of the ban was praised by UK-based HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust.

Lisa Power, head of policy at the organisation, said: "It's ridiculous that for over 20 years people living with HIV have been banned from entering the US simply because of a medical condition.

"Removing the ban is long overdue and we congratulate the US government on seeing economic and medical sense. Terrence Higgins Trust and many others have campaigned against the ban since it was introduced.

"Blanket entry bans have no justification on public health grounds and only increase stigma. We hope other countries with similar bans in place will now remove them too."

The ban had also barred long-term foreign residents from obtaining resident status, purely on the basis of having HIV.

Only a handful of other countries, such as Yemen and Qatar, have similar policies on barring entry to HIV-positive individuals.

HIV experts criticised the ban in the past for encouraging people not to get tested out of fear.

Obama said that lifting the ban is a "step that will encourage people to get tested and get treatment. It's a step that will keep families together, and it's a step that will save lives".

New United Nations president calls homosexuality 'unnacceptable'

Ali Abdussalam Treki said homosexuality was not acceptable

By Jessica Geen

The newly-installed president of the United Nations, Ali Abdussalam Treki, has said that homosexuality is "not really acceptable".

Treki, who is the Libyan secretary of African Union Affairs, opened the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly Friday with a press conference.

One question concerned the UN resolution which calls for the universal criminalisation of homosexuality.

In reply, Treki said: "That matter is very sensitive, very touchy. As a Muslim, I am not in favour of it . . . it is not accepted by the majority of countries. My opinion is not in favour of this matter at all. I think it's not really acceptable by our religion, our tradition.

“It is not acceptable in the majority of the world. And there are some countries that allow that, thinking it is a kind of democracy . . . I think it is not,” he added.

The ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs committee, Florida's Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, told On Top Magazine: "The anti-gay bigotry spewed by this Qaddafi shill demonstrates once again that the UN has been hijacked by advocates of hate and intolerance."

LGBT rights group's conversations with the faithful now available online

America's largest LGBT rights organisation has announced the release of a unique online collection of meditations on religious belief.
The Human Rights Campaign complete Out In Scripture collection is available on their website, www.hrc.org/Scripture.

For the past three years, week-by-week, the HRC Religion & Faith programme has provided conversations on Bible passages from more than 100 scholars and pastors representing 11 denominations.
"Over the years my spiritual life and preaching has been transformed by Out In Scripture," said Harry Knox, Director of HRC’s Religion and Faith Programme.
"This is one of our signature projects.

"As editor Sidney Fowler said, 'The Bible is not about beating you up, but lifting us all up. It includes the seeds of liberation and justice.'
"Be prepared to be transformed as well."

The collection includes 175 conversations that span Bible readings organised according to the Revised Common Lectionary, which is used by many Christian denominations to guide worship and preaching.

"This unique collection showcases the extraordinary momentum we’re seeing by people of faith committed to LGBT equality," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.
"Through this resource we are helping to assure that no one will again have to choose between who they are and what they believe."

Imposition, Bribery or foolhardy - UK Minister takes ‘pink diplomacy’ to anti-gay nations

A gay Foreign Office minister Chris Bryant is championing a controversial drive to fund equal-rights activists in homophobic regimes.

British missions in countries such as Jamaica, where homosexual acts are punishable by long jail terms, and Nigeria, where they can lead to the death penalty, are being encouraged to “support progress” by financing gay pride marches and legal challenges from local campaigners.

As well as targeting Commonwealth countries, “pink diplomacy” will extend to eastern Europe, where gays have suffered brutal attacks from far-right groups. Opportunities to tackle discrimination in ultra-conservative nations, such as Iran, are also being considered - cautiously.

The move risks a backlash from countries where support for homosexuality runs contrary to state teaching and religious beliefs.

The fact that the initiative is being promoted by Bryant, a former Anglican curate, could exacerbate things. He was ridiculed for sending a picture of himself in his underpants to a friend via a gay dating website six years ago.

Bryant, 47, said: “It is completely up to staff in our embassies and consulates around the world to decide the most appropriate and effective way of making our case but we do encourage this important work because British values are based on fair play and the protection of the individual’s freedom. We are not naive about this work. In some places oppressive regimes make it some of the toughest work we do.”

Bryant thanked Robin Barnett, the ambassador to Bucharest, for attending a gay pride march in the Romanian capital that had previously been targeted by thugs hurling fireworks and stones. A 2008 study by the European Commission ranked Romania as the most homophobic in the European Union.

Officials confirmed this weekend that the new policy included financial backing. A Foreign Office briefing document sent to British missions, said Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Nigeria and Uzbekistan were “countries of particular concern”.

SOURCE

Vatican launches investigation over nuns' teachings on homosexuality

The Vatican is investigating the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, allegedly because it has not towed the official line sufficiently on teachings on homosexuality and other issues.

The nuns' organisation said in a statement this week that the "doctrinal assessment" will investigate its activities and initiatives.

Reports suggest that Vatican officials will investigate the sisters' activities in promoting the church's teachings on the exclusively male status of the priesthood, the primacy of the Catholic Church over other Christian denominations, and the "problem of homosexuality."

In December Pope Benedict XVI claimed that the existence of gay people is as great a threat to humanity as the destruction of the rainforest.

He also attacked trans people and claimed that a "blurring" of genders would lead to the extinction of the human race.

The pontiff made his remarks in an "end of year" address to the Vatican's central administration, the Curia.

The Pope said behaviour beyond traditional heterosexual relations is "a destruction of God's work."

Benedict also said man must be protected "from the destruction of himself" and urged respect for the "nature of the human being as man and woman."

"The tropical forests do deserve our protection. But man, as a creature, does not deserve any less."

Gay humanists condemn Vatican's stance on universal decriminalisation

The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) has condemned the Vatican's opposition to a declaration against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The declaration, which is officially supported by the European Union, is due to be presented to the UN General Assembly later this month.

Monsignor Celestino Migliore, the Holy See's permanent observer at the UN, claims the declaration could be used to force countries to recognise same-sex marriage.

"If adopted, they would create new and implacable discriminations," he said.

"For example, states which do not recognise same-sex unions as 'matrimony' will be pilloried and made an object of pressure."

More than 80 countries outlaw same-sex relations in all circumstances.

The maximum punishments range from a few years jail to life imprisonment.

In nine countries, or regions of countries, the mandatory punishment for homosexuality is death by execution.

There is no mention of same-sex marriage in the UN declaration. Only a handful of countries recognise gay and lesbian marriages, among them Canada, Belgium and South Africa.

GALHA’s secretary, David Christmas said the Vatican's stance is ludicrous.

“The accusation that it is in some way discriminatory to attempt to counteract the prejudice and hatred which exists in over 80 countries that outlaw same sex relations, would appear to be yet another example of the Vatican turning logical thinking on its head," he said.

The Vatican has backed their UN observer.

"It's not for nothing that fewer than 50 member states of the United Nations have adhered to the proposal in question while more than 150 have not adhered. The Holy See is not alone," a spokesman said.

Vatican approves new tests to weed out 'gay' priests

Men who aspire to the priesthood may face psychological tests to check whether they are homosexual.
Despite the fact that Roman Catholic priests are celibate, the church under Pope Benedict XVI has become hostile to people with homosexual desires being ordained.
The Vatican has approved psychological tests to weed out those with "deep-seated homosexual tendencies" or "uncertain sexual identity" in a new document, Guidelines for the Use of Psychology in the Admission and Formation of Candidates for the Priesthood.
"In all too many cases psychological defects,sometimes of a pathological kind, reveal themselves only after ordination to the priesthood.
"Detecting defects earlier would help avoid many tragic experiences," according to the guidelines, which were issued by the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education.
"Those who today ask admittance to the seminary reflect in a more or less accentuated way the unease of an emerging mentality characterised by consumerism, instability in family and social relationships, moral relativism, erroneous visions of sexuality and a systematic negation of values, especially by the media."
The tests must be voluntary, but refusing to undergo one would likely bar you from the priesthood.
In May a senior Vatican official wrote to every bishop of the Roman Catholic Church reiterating that the ban on gay men entering seminaries to train for the priesthood applies to all such institutions.
Pope Benedict XVI approved the letter from the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
It confirms that candidates from the holy orders and missionary seminaries and "all houses of formation for the priesthood, including those under the "Dicasteries for Eastern Churches, for the Evangelisation of Peoples, and for the Institutes of Consecrated Life" are subject to the gay ban.
The Cardinal said he was responding to various queries about the rules, which were set out under Benedict in the 2005 document Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocation with regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in view of their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders.
"The Church, while profoundly respecting the persons in question, cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practise homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture'.
"Such persons, in fact, find themselves in a situation that gravely hinders them from relating correctly to men and women.
"One must in no way overlook the negative consequences that can derive from the ordination of persons with deep-seated homosexual tendencies.
"Candidates who show a homosexual tendency will not be allowed into the priesthood unless they can demonstrate that they have been able to remain chaste for at least three years."
The Vatican's current stance on homosexuality dates back to 1961 where a ruling said that being gay was a "perverse inclination."

Vatican blocks appointment of gay diplomat

The Church is opposed to gay rights

Bosnia must respect gay rights to join EU say MEPs

By Tony Grew

The European Parliament's Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights has condemned the violence at the Sarajevo Queer Festival yesterday as "cowardly behaviour."
Michael Cashman Labour MEP for the West Midlands, said that Bosnia-Herzegovina must prove that it respects the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people if it is to stand a chance of becoming a member of the EU.
Ten people were injured when a mob shouting homophobic slogans threw stones at the launch of the festival yesterday evening.

People leaving the event in an art gallery in Sarajevo were set upon by gangs, among them Muslims angry that the gay event, the first of its kind in the country, is being held at the same time as Ramadan.
"Young men, with hoods hiding their faces and some with long beards, yelled offensive words and also Allahu akbar (God is Greatest)," reported Reuters.
"Police said one attacker was detained."

"We strongly condemn the attacks against the Sarajevo Queer Festival. It is a cowardly behaviour to challenge the views one disagrees with by violence"', said Mr Cashman, President of the Intergroup and one of two out gay MEPs.

"I also need to point out that Bosnia-Herzegovina wants to become a member of the European Union and the country should clearly show that it is ready for membership.
"Authorities and society at large must show that they can respect the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people not just in law, but also in practice.

"Respect for human rights is at the heart of EU membership."
Sirpa Pietikäinen, Vice-President of the Intergroup, said:
"Religious and political leaders should be aware that the violence of yesterday is a result of their homophobic speeches.

"They must understand that is not acceptable. Politicians should have the courage to stand up against any kind of violence and protect the human rights of every citizen."
The Queer Sarajevo Festival began yesterday. The Dutch, Canadian and Swiss embassies are among those supporting it.

In the weeks before the event a Muslim politician in Bosnia criticised the country's gay community for holding it at Ramadan.
Posters appeared on the streets of Sarajevo proclaiming "Death To Gays" and imams spoke out, claiming that homosexuality is immoral and contrary to the Koran.
Extremist groups and politicians openly called for violence against homosexual and transgender people.

There is an equal age of consent in the country but discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation is "widespread" according to the EU.

Bosnia and Herzegovina signed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU in June.
The SAA represents, if properly implemented, a "gateway" to candidate status.
Agreements on visa facilitation and readmission between the EU and Bosnia and Herzegovina were signed in September 2007 and they entered into force on 1 January 2008.

In June 2008, the EU agreed on a country-specific "road map" for visa liberalisation for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The EU continues to deploy considerable resources in Bosnia and Herzegovina within the framework of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP).

Following the improved security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the EU Defence Ministers decided in December 2006 on a force reduction of EUFOR/Althea from some 6,000 to 2,500 troops.
The mandate of the EU Police Mission has been extended with two additional years until the end of 2009.

Gay rights bill passes first stage in Australian parliament

A new bill that aims to ensure equal treatment for gay and lesbian couples in Australia has been passed by the lower house of the Federal parliament.
The Same-Sex Entitlements Bill now moves to the Senate.
It will remove discrimination against same-sex partners in areas like immigration, taxation, veterans' pensions and aged care, and follows a bill introduced earlier this year aimed at removing discrimination in superannuation.
Attorney-General Robert McClelland told the House of Representatives that opposition Liberal MPs who claim the legislation will undermine marriage are "simply wrong."
"It was perhaps disappointing that they went further to suggest that far from removing discrimination against same-sex couples, we should be discriminating in favour of married couples," he said.
The Labour government had made an election manifesto commitment to reform following last year's Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission’s report.
The new legislation, which effects 19 government departments and amends 68 laws, recognises de facto couples, even if one or both partners is still legally married to someone else.
Some Liberal party critics have accused Labour of legalising polygamy.
In 2004, under former Prime Minister John Howard, federal legislation banning same-sex marriage was passed.
Some had hoped that the defeat of Mr Howard and the Liberals in November 2007 and the election of a Labour government might move the debate about gay marriage forward.
In fact, while Labour has decided to tackle legal inequities between gay and straight couples, it maintains that marriage is only between a man and a woman.

Archbishop attacks Anglican hypocrisy over gay relationships (Wales)

The leader of the Anglican Church in Wales has said he is hopeful there can be resolution among the worldwide Communion on the issue of gay priests and same-sex relationships.
Archbishop Barry Morgan warned that an attempt "to force Provinces to make decisions, when they are not ready to decide, it will all end in tears."
He also questioned why so much attention is given to the issue of gay people in the church.
Presenting a report to the 144 members of the Governing Body of the Church in Wales on the recent Lambeth Conference, he had some stark questions for the gathered bishops, elected clerics and lay people.
"Why is it that as far as Anglicanism is concerned, we do not interpret the Scriptures literally when it comes to issues such as usury or marriage and divorce to name but two, but insist on a literal interpretation of texts that allegedly deal with homosexuality?" he asked.
"It is difficult to believe that we have boxed ourselves into this particular corner.
"Allegorical, symbolical and mythical interpretations are allowed and have been allowed from the time of the early church Fathers to the present day for every part of the Bible, except for those that deal with homosexuality and one is also left wondering why there cannot be diversity on this issue as on so many other moral issues.
"We need to remember that one of the glories of Anglicanism has been about being held together by our beliefs as contained in historic creeds and formulas but not by agreement to particular statements about that faith in each generation."
Earlier this month leaders of the Anglican Church in Wales played down suggestions that a prominent gay man could be selected as the next Bishop of Bangor.
While the names under consideration are secret, a spokeswoman for the Church said that the electoral college would be advised by the bishops in Wales to respect the "moratorium on the consecration of bishops in same-sex partnerships."
The ban on new gay bishops was requested by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, at the Lambeth Conference in August.
The revelation that respected theologian Dr Jeffrey John is being considered for the Bishop of Bangor vacancy outraged traditionalists.
Dr John was forced to step down as Bishop of Reading in 2003 by the Archbishop of Canterbury after conservative Anglicans objected to the fact that he was in a gay relationship.
He is now Dean of St Albans.
He entered into a civil partnership with another Anglican clergyman, the Reverend Grant Holmes, in October 2006.
Under House of Bishops guidelines, clerics are allowed to enter into a civil partnership as long as they are not engaging in sexual relations.
In his Presidential address to the Governing Body of the Church in Wales, Dr Morgan described the Lambeth Conference as being about process, rather than results.
"This Conference enabled Bishops, many for the first time, to experience the reality of what it is to belong to the Communion and to appreciate what it is in the words of Archbishop Rowan to have ‘new habits of respect, patience and understanding’," he said.
"For my own part, I believe this Conference has shown us the way forward. The real value of the Communion lies in deepening person to person relationships, diocesan partnerships and a sense of mutual affection.
"I wish that we could now sit still and do nothing.
"The Bishops who were at Lambeth 2008 need time to let the nature of that conference sink into their bones. Sometimes in the Church of God, we want to rush into making decisions.
"We would do well just to stop and reflect."