Beyer changes her mind about quitting politics


Labour MP Georgina Beyer has had a change of heart about retiring from politics, saying she is seeking a slot on the party list.

Wairarapa MP Ms Beyer announced in March she was quitting national politics at the end of this term, as she felt constrained by parliamentary life and wanted a break.

In 2001 she also said she would retire, citing Parliament's unpleasant working environment and personal attacks as the reason.

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Movie depicting gay love during the Bosnian war ignites a debate in Sarajevo


SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) - A movie depicting gay love during the Bosnian war is sparking fierce debate in Sarajevo - and it's not even finished.

Go West by Sarajevo director Ahmed Imamovic tells the story of two gay men - a Serb and a Muslim transvestite - who attempt to flee the besieged Bosnian capital and are captured at a checkpoint by Bosnian Serbs. The Serb saves his lover by saying that he is his Muslim fiancee and that they are to be married in his hometown in southern Bosnia.

The movie is in the editing stage, and it is not yet clear when it will have its premiere.

Bosnian Federation television, a co-producer of the film, on Monday aired several clips in a program meant to defend the film and its contents after it became a target of criticism
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Gay rights groups hail changes to tax rights
Reuters Reuters


PARIS - French gay rights groups on Wednesday welcomed government plans to improve the tax rights of homosexuals living in civil unions, but vowed to continue their campaign for the recognition of same-sex marriages. In its 2005 budget, the conservative government said it would place the fiscal status of gay couples on a par with that of married people and make it easier for gays to give their partners money.

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MIDDAY UPDATE: MEA opposes marriage amendment
By ELIZABETH PIET
The State News


The Michigan Education Association announced its opposition to Michigan's gay marriage constitutional amendment Wednesday because of negative effects it would have on the bargaining rights of public employees.

The state constitutional amendment, known as Proposal 2, would define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The proposal could ban domestic partner benefits offered by public employers, including Michigan State University and other public schools.

"We have a very strong state statute that says a union can only be between a man and a women," said Al Short, the association's director of governmental affairs. "They went one step further and affected the collective bargaining process between an employer and an employer group.

"We're requesting that (members) vote no on this."

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Evangelist Swaggart Apologizes for Remark


BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart apologized Wednesday for saying in a televised worship service that he would kill any gay man who looked at him romantically.

A complaint was filed with a Canadian broadcasting group, and Swaggart said his Baton Rouge-based Jimmy Swaggart Ministries has received complaints from gay groups over the remarks made on the Sept. 12 telecast.

In the broadcast, Swaggart was discussing his opposition to gay marriage when he said ``I've never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry.''

``And I'm going to be blunt and plain: If one ever looks at me like that, I'm going to kill him and tell God he died,'' Swaggart said to laughter and applause from the congregation.