"Anti-gay" reggae stars dropped from awards
Ben Townley, Gay.com UK


The Urban Music Awards have dropped their Best Reggae Act category, following fears that the inclusion of artists who have recorded anti-gay songs would cause chaos at the awards ceremony.

However, gay rights activists are pleading with them to reinstate the category, but remove the artists at the centre of the "murder music" row.

The Urban Music Awards announced its categories in October, and admitted the Reggae category included Beenie Man and Vybz Kartel, both of which had been accused of recording homophobic material.

Gay rights activists had called for the two to be dropped from the list, claiming that the nominations would lend support to artists that call for the killing of lesbians and gay men.


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(UK) - Friends Shocked by Murder of Bomb Survivor
By Katherine Danks, PA News


Friends of David Morley were in shock today after the “outgoing” and “flamboyant” pub worker was killed in a suspected homophobic attack.

Soho nail bombing survivor Mr Morley died during a frenzy of street attacks on gay clubbers by teenage thugs near the Royal Festival Hall at the weekend.

Mr Morley, who lived and worked at a pub in Chiswick, west London, suffered serious head injuries and died in hospital on Saturday night.

It was the second time Mr Morley had been the victim of hate crime. Five years ago he was working behind the bar at the Admiral Duncan in Soho when it was targeted by nail-bomber David Copeland.


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Boesak supports gay marriages - (SA)  
Willemien Brümmer


Cape Town - Former anti-apartheid activist and church leader Dr Allan Boesak has come out in favour of gay marriages.

At a debate on gay marriages at the annual Sex and Culture festival in Cape Town at the weekend he said: "How can a Christian declare that he loves God and at the same time judge his neighbour on his sexual preferences?"

Representatives of different political parties, as well as church leaders, legal experts and academics took part in the debate.

The issue of same-sex marriages has been in the spotlight since the Lesbian and Gay Equality Project filed an application with the High Court to have the common law definition of marriage declared unconstitutional, thus enabling lesbians and gays to marry


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Gay groups hit out at "absences" on RE teaching guidelines
Ben Townley, Gay.com UK


Guidelines for the teaching of religious education have been criticised by lesbian and gay groups, who claim discrimination against sexual diversity is still enshrined in religious teaching.

The guidelines, published by the government today, failed to address the issue of tolerance respect for lesbians and gay men, one group claims, and have been slammed as allowing religion infused discrimination to continue.

It is the first time a "national framework" for RE classes has been drawn up, and it intends to improve how the subject is taught in the country's schools.

However, despite intervention from lesbian and gay groups at the draft stage, the final document contains no reference to sexual diversity during its guidance on tolerance classes.


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In Santa Fe, Ground Breaks On Home for Gays & Lesbians
By Therese Fitzgerald, Editor/Ancillary Products


This fall, groundbreaking ceremonies were held in Santa Fe, N.M., for a pioneering concept in seniors residences. RainbowVision Properties Inc. is building the first large-scale independent- and assisted-living residence to serve the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

"The project is definitely one that is needed," said Jay Geisinger, vice president & COO of operational management for RainbowVision Properties. "The graying gay-and-lesbian community is looking for a place that will not be different but will provide them with a safe and comfortable environment."

Located on a 12.7-acre site, RainbowVision Santa Fe will contain 40 condominiums and 106 independent- and assisted-living rental units. The residences are in a campus-like setting, with the assisted-living units located in the community building. Community facilities will include a full-service dining facility, a holistic wellness center, a fitness center and a spa/salon, plus other retail concessions.


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Gay activists urge ALP to reverse same-sex marriage policy


Tasmanian gay activists are calling on the Federal Labor Party to reverse its opposition to same-sex marriage.

A spokesman for the Gay and Lesbian Rights Group, Rodney Croome, says a motion in favour of the move was successful at the Labor Party's state conference at the weekend.

Mr Croome says the party should bring its policy into line with its stance on other social justice issues.

"We are calling on the Federal Labor Party to reverse its policy on same-sex marriages," he said


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Bullies Ascendent
By Nina Burleigh ,AlterNet . Posted November 1, 2004 .
Four years of George Bush have meant the triumph of the bully – from abusers in Iraq to intimidators at the polls.


Bully – n, blustering browbeating person, esp. one habitually cruel to others who are weaker; ... vb: to treat abusively. – Webster's Dictionary

Thanks to satellite television, even pygmies in the Central African bush are familiar with the bullying ways of George W. Bush and his men. The swagger, the smirk, and the Abu Ghraibsters' photos are logo enough for Islamist recruiters. Europeans fear and revile us for the same reasons, while in China, they simply stay out of our way.

Americans know that Bush's international bullying has diminished our reputation in the world as a nation of law and reason. Some Americans – Bush's xenophobic base – love exactly that about him.

Iraqis are the poster victims of Bush's bullies. The war has killed at least 100,000 civilians, according to Johns Hopkins researchers. What no one talks about is how the Bush bullies have affected us here at home, so that we, as a society, have grown accustomed to menace and threat as replacements for debate and persuasion. Quotidian bullying could be this president's true and lasting legacy – beyond debt and war – to America


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Palestinian lesbian tours U.S.
By Leslie Feinberg
New York


She is far from her homeland, Palestine, and a bit weary. For two months, Rauda Morcos has traveled across North America to bring the message of her Palestinian lesbian organization "Aswat"--"Voices" in Arabic. The message: "We are women, we are Pales inian and we are gay."

Activist and poet Morcos brought the voice of lesbian Palestinian women against the Israeli occupation to events in Toronto, New Orleans, San Francisco and in North Carolina, Illinois, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

In New York, she was featured at five events in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx before flying home on Oct. 25. Morcos spoke at a round-table discussion hosted by the American-Arab Anti-Discri mination Committee (ADC-NY) on Oct. 20, a standing-room-only reading at Bluestockings Bookstore on Oct. 20, a reception hosted by the Audre Lorde Project co-sponsored by Astrea, and a reading at BAAD!--the Bronx Academy of Arts Dance.

At the ADC-NY round-table discussion, Morcos told those gathered that the group had formed in 2002 as an e-list--a "virtual forum." A year later, the group held its first meeting in the home of Morcos and her partner. Aswat now holds bimonthly meetings of some 14 women, including some who have to travel through Israeli checkpoints from the occupied territories. And the group has a larger mailing list. The women of Aswat have also worked to develop ties with Palestinian feminist organizations.


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Officials look to expand PSU same-sex benefits
By Drew Curley
Collegian Staff Writer


Penn State is currently considering expanding its health care benefits policy to include same-sex partners of university employees.

The university currently provides some benefits to domestic partners through the Employee Assistance Fund, Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon said.