Civic association Altera fights discrimination with a new festival
Lesbian festival fans harmony
By Zuzana Habudová
Spectator staff


THE ASSOCIATION of lesbian and bisexual women, Altera, launches Slovakia's first ever lesbian festival this week. The El Be Fest (Lesbian Culture Days) will run in Bratislava from September 17 to 19 at the A4 - Zero Space at SNP 12.

"Our aim is to draw attention to the lesbian minority in Slovakia and its culture, as well as to provide alternative space to this community for entertainment and reflection," said Paula Jójárt from Altera.



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Hearing over anti-gay shirt slated for Thursday
By: TERI FIGUEROA - Staff Writer

The battle over free speech at a Poway school will make its way into a federal courtroom this week, with each side making its case in front of a federal judge in San Diego.

The civil suit, filed in June, alleges that officials at Poway High School violated free speech rights of student Tyler Chase Harper in April when they suspended him for writing anti-gay statements and Biblical references on masking tape and placing the tape on his shirt.


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6TH ANNUAL SHEPARD MARCH TARGETS MARRIAGE AS CIVIL RIGHT
by: Andy Thayer, OIA Newswire


With equal marriage rights for gay people emerging as a "hot button" issue in this year's election, the 6th Annual Matthew Shepard March for LGBT Rights will target the issue in the march set for 8 p.m., Saturday, October 2 at the corner of Halsted and Roscoe Streets in Chicago. March organizers note that the Bush campaign is using the issue to mobilize their rightwing, anti-gay base, and that Kerry and Edwards also oppose "gay marriage," and are doing their best to run away from the issue rather than stake out "an honest, equal rights position."

"Most of us in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered community are frankly sick of the politicians using our rights and lives as political footballs to further their political careers," said Bob Schwartz of the Chicago Anti-Bashing Network and the Equal Marriage NOW! coalition. "Not only do some 1000+ federal benefits come with equal marriage rights, but more fundamentally, the issue has become a referendum on the future of gay people in the United States. At issue is whether or not we will become full citizens in this country, legally entitled to the same rights as others, or permanent pariahs."


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Supporter: Amendment will zap gay-partner benefits at OU
By David Laber
Athens NEWS Writer


"Only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this state and its political subdivisions. This state and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance or effect of marriage."

Issue 1, an amendment to the Ohio constitution that defines marriage as between a man and a woman, may prevent Ohio University and other government entities from offering domestic-partnership benefits.

While Ohio University, Miami University and Ohio State University all say it's unclear how passage of the amendment could affect their domestic-partnership benefits programs, the chairman of the Campaign to Protect Marriage said that the issue, if passed, will require all government offices including universities to stop offering such contra

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Pope Denounces Variations of 'Marriage'


VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope John Paul II told New Zealand bishops Monday that efforts to equate marriage between man and woman to other forms of cohabitation violated ``God's plan for humanity.''

New Zealand's parliament has been debating proposed legislation that would grant ``civil union'' status to couples - both same-sex and heterosexual - who live together, giving them many of the same rights as married couples.


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'Bishop' weds gay couples in his loft
By Shekhar Bhatia And Patrick Sawer, Evening Standard


A controversial former Church of England priest is conducting gay weddings which are not recognised in law.

The self-styled bishop has married hundreds of same sex couples in the converted loft of his four-bedroom home in Welling, asking for a contribution of up to £350.

Jonathan Blake, who said he regularly pronounces couples "Husband and Husband", advertises in the gay press and claims to have couples queuing up. He also travels the country conducting same-sex marriages.

Bishop Blake left the Church of England in 1994 after divorcing his wife and amid allegations he had become too close to parishioners. He then set up his own church, The Society of Independent Christians (Open Episcopal Church) with three other preachers who wanted to liberalise traditional religious practices.