INTERNATIONAL NEWS #530
June 21, 2004
by Rex Wockner
members.aol.com/wockner
=======================

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Swiss partner law may face referendum
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Switzerland's Parliament has given final approval to a gay partnership
law that reportedly will include all marriage rights except for access
to adoption, in-vitro fertilization and marriage itself.

However, the small, right-wing Federal Democratic Union party has
promised to collect enough signatures to force a national voters'
referendum on the measure.

Gay groups said they are hopeful the law will not be overturned.

Full same-sex marriage is allowed in Belgium; the Netherlands; the
Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec; and the U.S.
state of Massachusetts. Partnership laws are on the books in Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the
Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, and the U.S. states of California,
Hawaii, New Jersey and Vermont. Gay couples also have access to some
spousal rights in Argentina, Australia, Austria, elsewhere in Brazil,
Hungary, Israel, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and the
United Kingdom.

~

1.1 million at São Paulo pride
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Police said 1.1 million people turned out in São Paulo, Brazil, June 13
for the city's eighth gay pride parade, which would make it the world's
largest gay pride celebration.

São Paulo is South America's largest city and boasts about 85 gay bars
and restaurants.

Mayor Marta Suplicy gave a speech to kick off the march, which featured
24 sound trucks and a 50-meter rainbow flag.

Some marchers called for the legalization of same-sex marriage. A single
Brazilian state, Rio Grande do Sul, presently offers civil unions. A
national civil-union bill has been stalled in Congress for years.

Health Ministry employees distributed 50,000 condoms during the parade,
reports said.

~

1.1 million at São Paulo pride
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Police said 1.1 million people turned out in São Paulo, Brazil, June 13
for the city's eighth gay pride parade, which would make it the world's
largest gay pride celebration.

São Paulo is South America's largest city and boasts about 85 gay bars
and restaurants.

Mayor Marta Suplicy gave a speech to kick off the march, which featured
24 sound trucks and a 50-meter rainbow flag.

Some marchers called for the legalization of same-sex marriage. A single
Brazilian state, Rio Grande do Sul, presently offers civil unions. A
national civil-union bill has been stalled in Congress for years.

Health Ministry employees distributed 50,000 condoms during the parade,
reports said.

~~~

Somali gays fear death
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The group Queer Somalia has told the African gay Web site Behind the
Mask that the biggest problem for Somali gays is fear they will be
murdered.

Islamic law is applied haphazardly in the nation, which continues to
lack a central government.

"My people don't understand what a homosexual is," activist Faro told
the Web site. "They only know that through their religious law, the
solution is to kill. There is no law to protect or help queers in
Somalia, and Queer Somalia cannot be public or make demands on the
government because there is no government with whom we can talk. The
situation for queer people in Somalia is very dangerous."

Faro also said Somali gays seem to have a higher suicide rate than the
general population, in part due to extremely homophobic family
situations.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Big turnout for Nunavut Pride
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The far northern Canadian territory of Nunavut, population 29,384, saw
hundreds turn out for the June 13 gay pride celebration in Iqaluit, the
capital city, which has a population of 6,000.

The Pride and Friends of Pride picnic was so well-attended that
organizers nearly ran out of meat for barbecue, said CBC North News.
Attendance has doubled annually for the past four years.

Territorial Premier Paul Okalik joined the festivities.

"It's been a struggle, but I'm very proud of my fellow Nunavummiut that
were with us during a difficult time in trying to get our human-rights
legislation which recognizes everyone's rights," he said.

The territory extended antidiscrimination protections to gays and
lesbians last November following a 10-8 vote by the Legislative
Assembly. It was the last Canadian province or territory to do so.

Nunavut was created in a split from the Northwest Territories in 1999,
settling the largest land-claims dispute ever between native peoples and
the Canadian government.