UK's New Law Against HOMOPHOBIC HATRED

This March 2010, UK once again has taken a step forward to show equality in their country particularly on treating homosexuals living there. The law takes in effect, which makes it criminal to 'stir' homophobic hatred, be it in words,behaviour or material that is threatening in nature.

This new law is very important to address the many websites and material stirring anti-gay hatred. Due to words being included in this new law, another area that will be put under scrutiny is song lyrics. This has the potential to stop, or at least minimise it.

It is also important to note that in London alone, 1,192 homophobic offences were reported in the year to September 09, up from 1,008 the previous year - a rise of 18.3% and an average of almost 3 per day. Most attacks go unreported.

There have been several concerns from religious leaders and comedians, that with the passing and implication of the new law, they will be criminalised by it.

However, the law will not impede freedom of speech, and the House of Lords have passed an amendment that will protect those who “urge gays to turn straight” or who “criticise homosexuality”. The amendment was tabled by Conservative party member Lord Waddington, the former Home Secretary under Margaret Thatcher. The amendment was made in such a way that it “allows the ‘discussion or criticism’ of sexual practices”, without those participating being prosecuted for it.

The new law will, however, “help prevent and tackle acts of serious hatred against individuals defined by reference to their sexual orientation, with a high threshold for prosecutions which must be approved by the Attorney General and heard before a jury.” Convictions of such offences could lead the offender to a fine, or up to a 7 year prison sentence.

Equality for Constance McMillen

This video of Constance at Ellen Degeneres has been the hot topic of the web, a new issue of struggle to get one's equality. Keep the courage Constance and we need people who will stand on her side so that a change can happen. It is about time that we wake up!!! Decades after, our children will tell us how silly we had been!

Finally an apology... Is it?

The Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, Archbishop of Paris, has finally addressed the violence from catholic extremists during the Valentine’s Day ‘kiss-in’ against homophobia at the Notre Dame Cathedral.

A Much-Anticipated Condemnation of the Violence:

Several associations had voiced expectations of a strong condemnation of the violence that occurred on February 14th. On February 17th, the Christian gay activist group David & Jonathan stated, “we are concerned by the spectacle of avowed staunch Catholics, and we implore Archbishop Andre Vingt-Trois to publicly condemn these violent homophobic acts perpetrated on the grounds of its Cathedral”.

A few days later, Stéphane Lavignotte, a Pastor and leader of the group Crossroads of Inclusive Christians, wrote an open letter to the Archbishop in the editorial section of the French newspaper Libération, entitled “The Archbishop Andre Vingt-Trois and his homophobic followers.” “What leads certain Christians to feel free to act in such a savage manner? I cannot bring myself to believe that you have remained silent on the matter. Your absence may make the perpretrators feel justified in their acts and thus validate their acts based on confusing the differences between the Catholic heirachy’s position on homosexuality and the actual legitimacy on homosexuality.”

The Archbishop finally made a statement after Clémence Houdaille, a journalist at Radio Notre-Dame, questioned him about the letter from Lavignotte. In her interview with him, she spoke of the young Catholics who ‘proffered homophobic insults”, but initially neglected to mention the physical violence, the alliances between these violent groups and France’s extreme right, and the Nazi salutes that accompanied their verbal insults and physical attacks.

DON’T TURN MORAL JUDGEMENTS INTO VIOLENCE

The Archbishop’s response to the journalist’s inquiry: “The kiss-in protest organizers, in agreement with the city hall, specifically to avoid trouble in the square in front of Notre Dame, agreed to move the protest to Place Saint Michel (a location not far from Notre Dame). So I find it very surprising that some of the kiss-in participants were at Notre Dame since the kiss-in did in fact take place as planned at Saint Michel. You cannot say that the protesters were followed by the Catholic extremists who harrassed them. If they had been, the harrassments would have occurred at Saint Michel.”
 source: Yagg.com

D.C. New Law on Marriage: What a joy! BUT...

A new law takes effect today in the nation’s capital, granting equal rights in marriage licensing for gay couples.

Washington, D.C.’s marriage equality legislation becomes law in spite of a Herculean effort by opponents to block its implementation through both legal action—including a last-minute Hail Mary pass to the U. S. Supreme Court and Chief Justice John Roberts for a stay—as well as law maneuvering in the House and Senate.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday evening denied a request to stop the District of Columbia’s new law from going into effect Wednesday, March 3. Marriage opponent Harry Jackson and others had petitioned the high court to intervene to stop the “Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act” from taking effect until voters could address the issue through referendum.

While Roberts said he thinks the argument Jackson’s group makes “has some force,” he said the high court typically defers to the local courts about “matters of exclusively local concern.” He also noted that Congress, which has the power to review D.C. laws for 30 days before they take effect, took no action against the measure. And he pointed out that Jackson’s group still has the option to seek a ballot measure through an initiative process, and not a referendum.

The implementation of the new marriage equality law makes Washington, D. C, the sixth jurisdiction—along with Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont—to issue licenses to same-sex couples. The District is also the first place for marriage equality below the Mason-Dixon line

(source: keennewsservice)