Unions push anti-discrimination rights for gay workers
From:The Irish Independent


UNION chiefs have begun a campaign on behalf of thousands of gay workers who are discriminated against by supervisors or employers.

According to the unions, there is little protection against discrimination in the workplace for workers. Gay people, in particular, often suffer at the hands of colleagues and fellow workers, with managers failing to protect their rights.

Equality Authority chief Niall Crowley yesterday told the ICTU Conference on Gay and Lesbian Rights that his agency handled 14 cases of alleged employment discrimination and 23 potential breaches of the Equal Status Act under sexual orientation grounds.


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Growing up gay in Jamaica
The homophobic lyrics of Jamaican reggae stars have hit the headlines, but what is the reality of being gay in a society where it is illegal to practise your sexuality?


Michael is verbally abused, threatened and spat at every time he leaves his home in Kingston, Jamaica, but the 20-year-old student considers himself lucky.

He has friends who have been beaten and stabbed because they are gay but, as yet, he has not been attacked. He knows it could happen anytime.

"My friends have been chopped up and all of that, you'd think they were a piece of meat in the slaughter house. It is terrible," he says.

Every time he goes out he is called a "battyman" - an abusive term for a gay man - and says the general attitude in Kingston is if you are homosexual you may as well be dead.


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Vandals break windows, steal items from UCLA center for gays
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES -- Vandals have broken windows and stolen items from a resource center for gay students at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the two incidents are being investigated as hate crimes, authorities said.

A large chunk of concrete was hurled through a library window at the UCLA Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center on Sunday night, said Nancy Greenstein, a spokeswoman for the campus police department.

The following night, vandals broke windows in several rooms of the center and stole two rainbow flags - symbols of the gay community - that had decorated windows. The group occupies several rooms in the student activities center.


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Gay lobby's clout seen in incumbent's primary loss
By Dave Wedge


Voters struck back at Democratic lawmakers who backed a ban on gay marriage yesterday, handing Somerville Rep. Vincent Ciampa a defeat and nearly unseating some key incumbents, according to early results.

     Carl Sciortino, a 26-year-old openly gay political newcomer, edged out Ciampa by 107 votes in the primary, according to unofficial results. It was a victory for the gay lobby, which embarked on a campaign to unseat several Democratic lawmakers, including Ciampa, who voted for a failed bid to ban gay marriage.


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Same-sex divorce rules still hazy
Does decision bind judges elsewhere? Couples outside Ontario face obstacles
TRACEY TYLER
LEGAL AFFAIRS REPORTER


Now that an Ontario couple has been given Canada's first same-sex divorce, experts are divided over just how easy it will be for gays and lesbians in other provinces to end their marriages.

The women, known only as M.M. and J.H., were divorced on Monday by a Superior Court judge, who declared the definition of spouse in the federal Divorce Act unconstitutional. The law had defined spouse as a man or woman married to each other and prevented same-sex couples from divorcing.


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Boycott for Equality: Good move
If gays and lesbians show unity by dropping out of the economy for 24 hours on October 8, we can make such a powerful impact that the entire country will take notice of our demand for equality.
By Dale Duncan 
An Advocate.com exclusive


Boycott for Equality, scheduled for Friday, October 8, has created an opportunity for gays and lesbians and our allies to show a united front and drop out of the economy for the day. By participating together, we have the chance to feel that sense of empowerment that occurs when people join forces to stand for something. 

The year was 1994. I was competing at the Sportaerobics Competition at the Gay Games in New York City. The room was filled with hundreds of members of my gay and lesbian family. I was an experienced competitive athlete who had dealt with all kinds of crazy emotions before, during, and after competitions. This time, however, I found myself overcome with uncharted feelings as I approached the stage. 

“Why is this happening?” I asked myself. After my two-minute routine was over, the incredible warmth of the audience was overwhelming. Their positive response wasn’t contingent on my being the best athlete; I noticed that they reacted that way for everyone who competed that day. The cohesive energy in the room was tangible and unforgettable. I can still recall the moment vividly. 


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4000 Married Gay Couples Tapped As Grand Marshals
By Erik Sandoval
CBS 2
Palm Springs Pride Parade, scheduled for November 7th, may have more than 4000 gay and lesbian married couples marching down Palm Canyon.

 
    "In naming these same sex couples from across California as Grand Marshals,  Greater Palm Springs Pride, Inc. is honoring these pioneering members of our community," says Parade President Jack Schloeder.  "(They) acted on the courage of their convictions to engage in an open demonstration of their love and commitment.  They stand as a powerful symbol of the determination of our community to achieve equal rights for ALL Americans, regardless of sexual orientation."


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Bush, Kerry compared on gay health care
Gay.com/PlanetOut.com Network


The US presidential candidates' views on health care - and particularly HIV/AIDS issues - got some political attention Monday with the release of a rigorous comparison of the two major hopefuls.

The 35-page report from the New York-based Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) details the health care proposals of both President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry and analyses their potential impacts on people living with HIV/AIDS.

The report notes, for example, that Senator Kerry supports Medicaid coverage for non-disabled people with HIV in the country; President Bush's position on the matter is unclear. On the issue of capped allotments and federal funding for Medicaid, Bush supports caps; Kerry does not.