Ireland Approves Same-sex Civil Partnerships

From La Figa comes the news that Ireland has enacted a same-sex civil partnerships law that goes into effect on January1. Apparently one has to pay €150 to register one's union and wait 3 months so the first gay civil partnership ceremony will not occur until April 1, 2011.

Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern signed the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act of 2010 (which had been passed by the Irish Parliament on July 19 2010) on December 23rd and said:

Gay couples, whose relationships have not previously been given legal recognition by the State, may now formalise their relationships in the eyes of the law and society at large. Their relationships will be legally recognised and protected.

Congrats, Eire!

International LGBT Radio Program In Dire Financial Need

This Way Out is an international LGBT radio newsmagazine which has been in continuous production since 1988(!). In fact, while in college yours truly co-founded an LGBT radio show called "Homo Radio" on WRPI 91.5FM in 1992 which used the weekly 30-minute This Way Out program as the core around which an entire community-based radio program was based.

I also serve on the Overnight Productions board of directors, the 501(c)(3) entity which produces This Way Out.

Recently, This Way Out producer (and founder) Greg Gordon put out this dire fundraising appeal:

We're often asked, "How many listeners do you have?" For several reasons, typical radio ratings services just don’t help us answer that question. 

We do know that at least 200 local broadcast outlets across the U.S., Canada, Australia, Europe and New Zealand now air our program every week, in addition to global short wave station RFPI. We’re also heard through satellite distribution to cable outlets and homes across the Asia-Pacific and Africa-Middle East regions, and hundreds download our podcasts each week.

•     “Just wanted to pass on my deepest thanks and gratitude for your show. I love the international coverage, the humor, the music -- I love it all!”
-H.C.
New York City

•    "Thank God I found you! Thanks very much for your wonderful programmes."
-Sampson
Owerri, Nigeria

Messages like these tell us something about the depth of our impact. One of the ways we can measure the breadth of our reach is by the support we receive during our holiday season/year-end fund-raising campaign. It's the generosity of our listener-sponsors at this time of year in particular that has literally meant the difference between life and death several times during our more than 22 years on the air. We need your help now to keep this one-of-kind internationally distributed nonprofit weekly public/community radio show going.

•     “I'm not gay, but have gay friends; I'll tell them about this program. Keep up the good work.”
-K.L.
State College, Pennsylvania

•    “I was amazed to listen today to This Way Out and liked it very much."
-E.A.
Holguin, Cuba

"This Way Out" doesn't operate out of a state-of-the-art studio. We don’t have an office or a large paid staff. Our overhead is low, but we still need to raise $5,000 for our production and distribution costs through April 2011, when we hope to receive an annual grant from a longtime supportive foundation.

Each and every contribution, no matter how large or small, will make a difference! One of the easiest ways you can support "This Way Out" is to sign up for automatic monthly donations, at whatever level you can afford, from $10 to $100.

We could stay healthy until that grant arrives with:

  > 34 "Angels" donating $25 per month for the next six months.
  > 17 "Major Angels" donating $50 per month for the next six months, or ...
  > 9 "Supreme Angels" donating $100 per month for the next six months, or ...

You can easily choose your preferred DONOR LEVEL in the "Is Anybody Out There?" text at:

http://www.thiswayout.org

Of course your automatic contributions at any level or your one-time donation before year's end will certainly make you a special kind of Holiday Angel in our eyes as well!  Find the one-time "DONATE" button in the text at:

http://www.thiswayout.org

You can also postal-mail a check to us at P.O. Box 38327, Los Angeles, CA 90038. And if you’re in the U.S., your contribution (online or postal-mailed) is tax-deductible as a charitable donation to the extent allowed by law. We acknowledge every donation with a "thank you" email or letter.

(In case you're wondering why we don't ask for listener donations to our program during the program, it's because U.S. federal regulations governing public/community radio forbid it.)

•    "I hear your program on headphones behind my closed bedroom door so that no one will know I'm listening."
- Email from an anonymous teen

Several heart-breaking suicides of teens who were gay, or who were perceived to be gay, have been in the headlines lately. Much of our programming reminds LGBTQ young people that life really does get better! (By the way, the links to several youth support groups are posted on our website.)

We know from the mail we get that we do what can sometimes be genuinely life-saving work. "This Way Out" is often the only supportive voice LGBTQ young people hear. Please help us continue to share that voice with those teens, and with others around the world struggling to break out of their closets in a safe and supported way.

•     “I'm a 44 y.o. married male just confronting my homosexuality. I can't tell you what a morale boost your program is for me. I look forward to it every week. It's better than church.”
-Neal
Los Angeles, California

A core group of volunteer journalists and feature producers make our informative, entertaining and educational weekly programs possible. Will you volunteer now to help bring "This Way Out" to all the listeners who need us? Please don’t assume that enough other people will support our efforts -- we can’t go on without you, too!

Thank you! We wish you and yours the happiest of holiday seasons, and a healthy, productive, and pleasure-filled New Year.

P.S. - Read our informative blog at http://www.twopodcast.blogspot.com/

Become our Facebook fan at http://www.facebook.com/ThisWayOutRadio 

And follow Associate Producer Lucia Chappelle's
timely tweets at http://twitter.com/TWOradio

Please give generously to support this worthy LGBT program.

WATCH: Depiction of 200 Years of Data on 200 Countries in 4 Minutes

This is a great example of how mathematics, combined with intelligence, can be entertaining.

EU Rules All Member Nations Must Recognize Civil Partnerships

There is good news from Europe today on the relationship recognition front, via Joe.My.God.

Pink Paper reports:

The European Parliament has declared that civil documents – birth and death certificates, marriage certificates, etc. – must be recognised the same in every European Union nation.

That means countries that don't allow same-sex marriage or civil unions are expected to recognise such unions from countries that do.

On 23 November, the Parliament said it "strongly supports plans to enable the mutual recognition of the effects of civil status documents" and "stresses the need to ensure mutual recognition" of them.

The next step is for the European Commission to propose ways to achieve mutual recognition of all partnerships and marriages throughout the EU.

"This is a great development for the many couples and families who see their fundamental rights diminished every day when crossing a border inside the EU," said Ulrike Lunacek, co-president of the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights.

Co-President Michael Cashman said the statement adopted by the Parliament "follows the Commission's assertion in September that freedom of movement must be guaranteed for all citizens, regardless of sexual orientation."

"Claims that mutual recognition will undermine national sovereignty are plain wrong; it won't affect national marriage or partnership laws, but simply recognize civil unions that already exist," Cashman said.

Member nations of the European Union are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Currently seeking to join the EU are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Iceland, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.

Same-sex marriage is legal in Belgium, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Elsewhere, it is legal in Argentina, Canada, South Africa, Mexico City, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington, D.C.

Interestingly, in most of the countries which have civil partnerships (which are basically like the civil unions and comprehensive domestic partnerships in the United States) they are restricted to be accessed by same-sex couples only.

World AIDS Day is Today

CNN Covers LGBT Rights Around The World

BOOK REVIEW: Aravind Adiga's THE WHITE TIGER

Aravind Adiga's The White Tiger won the 2008 Man Booker Prize, the most prestigious individual book prize in English (only writers from Commonwealth countries are eligible).

I got the book for Christmas in 2008 and finally read it over my summer vacation in August 2009.

The White Tiger is a book about contemporary Indian life, told in a very readable, darkly comic style by a prose magician.

It is one of the few Booker prizewinners that can easily be read in an afternoon. (Or even read at all. I still have a copy of Salman Rushdie's Midnight Children, barely begun, no my bookshelf.) Having been to India myself in the last 5 years I am always curious to see depictions of the country in film and novels. This was one of (not the most important) things which made Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire (read my review here) so enjoyable to me. I'm not saying if it wasn't set in India the movie would not have been interesting to me; I'm saying that the added India element enriches the work in my eyes, thanks to my interest in the subject.

Anyway, Aviga's work is written in the form of a series of letters to the Premier of China (The White Tiger of the book's title) and follows the adventures of Balram Halwai, a perfectly ordinary Indian man from a typical Indian village who happens to be the narrator of the book--and a murderer.

Adiga has harsh social commentary on almost every aspect of Indian society, from elections to malls to religion (so many gods, so little time!) which has made the book somewhat controversial in some circles, presumably even more so now that it has been awarded the Booker.

In the end, though, there's something not quite satisfying about The White Tiger. After you finish it, you feel like you are ready to read another book, about half an hour later.

Title: The White Tiger

Author: Aravind Aviga
Publisher: Free Press
Date: October 14, 2008.
Length: 352 pages.

PLOT: B.
IMAGERY: B+.
IMPACT: B-.
WRITING: A-.

OVERALL GRADE: B/B+.

WATCH: Argentine President Signs Marriage Bill Into Law

Hat/Tip to Joe.My.God.

IGLHRC Gets UN Consultative Status!

After a long fight, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, a US-based non-profit organization on which I served two terms as a board member from 1996-2002, has been granted official status at the United Nations.

From the press release:

Today's decision is an affirmation that the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have a place at the United Nations as part of a vital civil society community," said Cary Alan Johnson, IGLHRC Executive Director. "The clear message here is that these voices should not be silenced and that human rights cannot be denied on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity."

The resolution passed with 23 in favor, 13 against, and 13 abstentions and 5 absences.

This victory is particularly significant, coming as it does after a prolonged 3-year application process in the sub-committee that makes initial recommendations on status. Despite full compliance with all procedures IGLHRC faced deferrals, homophobic questioning, and procedural roadblocks in the ECOSOC NGO Committee.

Today's decision overturned a "no-action" vote in the NGO-committee that threatened to establish a dangerous precedent and the possibility of organizations deemed controversial being continuously denied the opportunity to have their application put to a vote even after undergoing the required review.

The vote also signals a recognition of the important role of a diverse and active civil society at the UN. In support of progress on IGLHRC's application, a group of over 200 NGOs from 59 countries endorsed a letter to all UN Member States, demanding fair and non-discriminatory treatment and supporting IGLHRC's goal of amplifying LGBT voices in the international arena.

UPDATE MONDAY 07/19/2010 16:38

The President of the United States has issued a statement in response to the historic step of a United States LGBT organization being recognized by the United Nations:

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release July 19, 2010

Statement by the President on UN Accreditation of the ILGHRC

I welcome this important step forward for human rights, as the International Lesbian and Gay Human Rights Commission (ILGHRC) will take its rightful seat at the table of the United Nations. The UN was founded on the premise that only through mutual respect, diversity, and dialogue can the international community effectively pursue justice and equality. Today, with the more full inclusion of the International Lesbian and Gay Human Rights Commission, the United Nations is closer to the ideals on which it was founded, and to values of inclusion and equality to which the United States is deeply committed.

###

Argentina Enacts Marriage Equality!

After 15 hours of debate, the Argentine Senate passed the marriage equality bill 33-27 at 4:05am local time.

From the AP:

Same-sex civil unions have been legalized in Uruguay and some states in Mexico and Brazil. Colombia's Constitutional Court granted same-sex couples inheritance rights and allowed them to add their partners to health insurance plans. Mexico City went further, legalizing gay marriage and launching tourism campaigns to encourage foreigners to come and wed.

[...]

Gay activists in neighboring Chile hope Argentina's milestone will improve chances for a gay marriage lawcurrently in committee in their own Congress.

"Argentina's political class has provided a lesson to the rest of Latin America," said Rolando Jimenez in Santiago. "We hope our own countries and political parties will learn that the human rights of sexual minorities are undeniable."

Activists in Paraguay plan to propose a similar law to the senate in October, said Martin Viveros of the group Somosgay. And in Uruguay, gays unsatisfied with the partial rights that come through civil unions are preparing legislation that would replace references to "man and woman" with "spouse" throughout the civil code.

[...]

The president, who helped the law's chances by bringing two senators opposed to gay marriage with her on a state visit to China, spoke out from there against the Catholic Church's campaign and the tone she said some religious groups have taken.

"It's very worrisome to hear words like 'God's war' or 'the devil's project,' things that recall the times of the Inquisition," she said.

That may play well in Argentina's socially liberal capital, where many of the country's gays and lesbians live, but could be costly in the conservative provinces. Some opposition leaders accused Fernandez and her husband Nestor Kirchner, who lobbied hard for passage, of trying to gain votes in next year's presidential elections, when the former president is expected to run again.

Congratulations to Argentina! I may just have to change my travel plans for my 20th anniversary next January. We were thinking of visiting South Africa, but maybe we should return to South America instead!

hat/tip to Rex Wockner

An Insider's Report From Argentina on Marriage Equality Debate

A friend of mine who lives in both Argentina and the United States but who is in Buenos Aires right now sent this extensive analysis of what is going on in the country as the Senate prepares to consider marriage equality legislation:

The final debate on the same-sex marriage bill will start at 12:30 today

(8:30 am LA time), with a vote coming in the early evening.

The Argentine Senate has 72 members but 4 will be absent: 2 are in

China with the president, 1 is sick, and 1 is on leave. It's

interesting that the 2 who are with the president are both opposed to

gay marriage, while the president and her husband are the leading

proponents of gay marriage. So the president may have invited the 2

anti senators to accompany her to keep them away from the vote, or the

pro senators decided to take advantage of the 2 anti senators' absence

by calling for the vote before the party returns from China. Also, the

tie-breaking vote belongs to the VP, who is also in China with the

president, and the VP is against whatever the president is for. That

acting president of the senate is pro gay marriage. In sum, by holding

the vote while the president's party is in China, pro forces managed to

reduce the number of votes needed for passage from 37 (to avoid a tie

that would be broken in the other direction) to 34 (to achieve a tie

that would be broken in favor of gay marriage).

The pro forces claim they have 35 votes lined up, but independent

journalists count 33 in favor and 33 opposed to gay marriage, with 2

undecided or undeclared. So the pro forces need just 1 of those 2, plus

the tie-breaking vote of the acting president of the senate.

Before the vote, there will be a proposal to change the language in the

bill from "marriage" to "egalitarian family union". It's their attempt

to have it both ways. They don't want to use the word "marriage" for

fear of offending the anti forces, but they call that the "family union"

they propose "egalitarian" in order to assure the pro forces that it is

not a second-class form of marriage, and to avoid having the president

of the senate rule the proposed "invalid". That's what he did yesterday

when he ruled that the senate would not vote on the civil union bill

because it was invalid on constitutional grounds.

Another parliamentary move by the anti forces will be to try to persuade

32 senators to walk out in order to deny the pro forces the quorum

needed to have a vote. Also, the anti forces have announced that if the

same-sex marriage is defeated, they will immediately reintroduce the

civil union bill. They argue that once gay marriage is off the table,

the acting president of the senate will allow a vote to go forward on

civil unions. In sum, the opposition forces calculate that some

senators will vote against same-sex marriage if they are they have the

option of voting for same-sex civil unions or "egalitarian family

unions". And the pro forces calculate that the same senators will vote

for same-sex marriage if they do not have a weasel-ish alternative.

You can watch the live feed of the Argentine Senate debate here and here.

WATCH: Ads Promoting Marriage Equality in Argentina

World Cup Final: Spain Wins 1-0

Spain defeated the Netherlands 1-0 in over time to win that country's first World Cup. Paul the Octopus was right again, MadProfessah was not. Iniesta, above, scored the winning goal in the 116th minute of play.

Iceland Lesbian PM Marries Her Partner

You may recall that Iceland made history last year by electing an openly lesbian prime minister and made an even bigger bang by enacting a gay marriage bill unanimously a few weeks ago.

Yesterday, these two stories combined when PM Johanna Sigurdadottir married her partner Jonina Leosdottir, the first day gay marriage became legal in the country she leads.

Sigurdardottir, in her late 60s, formally married writer Jonina Leosdottir after the couple submitted a demand for their civil union to be transformed into a marriage, the RUV broadcaster said.

Iceland's parliament on June 12 unanimously adopted legislation allowing gay marriage, in a law that came into effect on Sunday.

Homosexual couples could previously enter into a civil partnership and benefit from the same rights as heterosexual couples, but this had not been considered a formal marriage.

Sigurdardottir, born in 1942, took power in February 2009. She has lived with Ledsdottir, who is in her 50s, for several years and the couple entered a civil union in 2002.

Congratulations to the newly-weds! Hat/tip to TowleRoad.

Iceland Parliament Unanimously Passes Marriage Bill

Iceland, which is the first major country to have an openly gay leader, lesbian Johanna Sigurdardottir, became the first country to enact a marriage equality without any opposition when the Parliament voted 49-0 to pass a bill eliminating gender distinctions in marriage law in Iceland.

From the Iceland Review

Althingi parliament passed a bill of laws yesterday stating that all citizens are to have access to the same marriage laws, regardless of their sexual preference. In all, 49 MPs voted for the laws but 14 MPs were absent.

Instead of the words “man and woman,” the law now reads “two individuals”. This means that gay people can now get married in churches and in civil ceremonies.

The law will go into effect on June 27th.

WATCH: Gay Supportive McDonald's Ad (in French)

June is also Caribbean-American Heritage Month!

The President has proclaimed June LGBT Pride Month. However, he has also recognized it as Caribbean-American Heritage Month:

Presidential Proclamation--Caribbean-American Heritage Month

Our Nation is linked to the Caribbean by our geography as well as our shared past and common aspirations. During National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, we pay tribute to the diverse cultures and immeasurable contributions of all Americans who trace their heritage to the Caribbean.

Throughout our history, immigrants from Caribbean countries have come to our shores seeking better lives and opportunities. Others were brought against their will in the bonds of slavery. All have strived to ensure their children could achieve something greater and have preserved the promise of America for future generations.

During the month of June, we also honor the bonds of friendship between the United States and Caribbean countries. This year's devastating earthquake in Haiti has brought untold grief to the Haitian-American community, many who continue to mourn the loss of loved ones as they help rebuild their homeland. These families and individuals remain in our thoughts and prayers. The United States has proudly played a leading role in the international response to this crisis, which included vital contributions from countries throughout the Caribbean. As Haiti recovers, we will remain a steady and reliable partner.

This month, we celebrate the triumph of Caribbean Americans, a diverse community that encompasses many nationalities and languages. They have become leaders in every sector of American life while maintaining the varied traditions of their countries of origin. Caribbean Americans enrich our national character and strengthen the fabric of our culture, and we are proud they are part of the American family.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2010 as National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to celebrate the history and culture of Caribbean Americans with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

Malawi Gay Couple Pardoned By President

Good news from Malawi! The President of the country has pardoned the same-sex couple who had been convicted and sentenced to fourteen years hard labor for committing "gross indecency and unnatural acts."

The story from The Guardian

Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, were tried and found guilty of sodomy and indecency earlier this month in a move that sparked international condemnation.

But after talking with Ban today, Malawi's president, Bingu wa Mutharika, announced the pair would be freed.

"These boys committed a crime against our culture, our religion and our laws," he said after the meeting, at the southern African country's State House. "However, as the head of state, I hereby pardon them and therefore ask for their immediate release with no conditions.

"I have done this on humanitarian grounds, but this does not mean that I support this."

He added: "We don't condone marriages of this nature. It's unheard of in Malawi and it's illegal."

Ban praised the decision, but said: "It is unfortunate that laws criminalise people based on sexuality. Laws that criminalise sexuality should be repealed."

The White House Press Secrtary released a statement on the action:

"The White House is pleased to learn of President Bingu wa Mutharika's pardon of Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza. These individuals were not criminals and their struggle is not unique. We must all recommit ourselves to ending the persecution and criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity. We hope that President Mutharika's pardon marks the beginning of a new dialogue which reflects the country's history of tolerance and a new day for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights in Malawi and around the globe."

Hat/tip to Rod 2.0.

Portugal President Enacts Marriage Equality

Portugal will become the tenth jurisdiction in the world (sixth country in Europe) where marriage between same-sex couples is legal after President Anibal Cavaco Silva agreed to allow the measure become law today, the International Day Against Homophobia, despite direct lobbying from the Pope, who had decried gay marriage when he visited the country last week.

The bill was a priority of Portugal's recently elected prime minister Jose Socrates who had included the measure in his election portfolio. However, to become law the measure needed the assent of the President.

"I feel I should not contribute to a pointless extension of this debate, which would only serve to deepen the divisions between the Portuguese and divert the attention of politicians away from the grave problems affecting us," Cavaco Silva said.

He said that, in ratifying the law, he was setting aside "personal convictions."

Elsewhere in Europe, gay marriage is permitted in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Norway.

Five U.S. states and the District of Columbia have legalized same-sex marriage, as have Canada and South Africa.

Portugal is nearly 90 percent Catholic. However, only around 2 million of its 10.6 million people describe themselves as practicing Catholics and in recent times Portugal has drifted away from the church's teachings.

The current Socialist government has defied the church before. It passed a law in 2007 allowing abortion. The following year, it introduced a law allowing divorce even if one of the spouses objected. It has argued that the legislation is part of Portugal's "modernization."

The new law removes the previous legal stipulation that marriage is between two people of different sexes.

Portugal's Constitutional Court validated the bill's legality last month.

[...]

Portugal lifted a prohibition on homosexuality in the early 1980s. In 2001, it passed a law allowing "civil unions" between same-sex couples, which granted couples certain legal, tax and property rights. However, it did not allow couples to take a partner's name, nor inherit his or her possessions or state pension.

Congratulations! Anyone fancy a trip to Lisbon to celebrate?

Gay Rights Parade in Cuba

Photo credit: Franklin Reyes

Ever since I visited Cuba for two weeks in 2006 (see pictures on Flickr) I have been interested in the island, especially in the progress of the nascent LGBT rights movement I interacted with while there.

Today comes multiple news reports of a march in the Vedado section of Havana (which is where I stayed) in support of gay rights in honor of tomorrow's International Day Against Homophobia.

A lot of the progress is due to Mariela Castro, President Raul Castro's daughter, who has long been an advocate for LGBT equality in Cuba. She was quoted by the Associated Press saying "We have made progress, but we need to make more progress,"

Hat/tip to Rod 2.0.