The life history of a eunuch

Bangalore: Years of persecution and social ostracisation. Life has not been easy for the eunuch community in India.
But Jarina, a eunuch from Kerala has risen above discrimination, and has now penned and published her autobiography.
Jarina lives in a busy basti in Ulsoor in the heart of Bangalore. She stands out at home and amidst her friends.
This 45-year-old eunuch from Palakkad in Kerala has been living in the basti with her friends for the last 28 years.


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Christians Sue for Right Not to Tolerate Policies
Many codes intended to protect gays from harassment are illegal, conservatives argue.
By Stephanie Simon, Times Staff Writer

ATLANTA — Ruth Malhotra went to court last month for the right to be intolerant.

Malhotra says her Christian faith compels her to speak out against homosexuality. But the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she's a senior, bans speech that puts down others because of their sexual orientation.

Malhotra sees that as an unacceptable infringement on her right to religious expression. So she's demanding that Georgia Tech revoke its tolerance policy.


Gay pride organizers grapple with censorship

Halifax -- Organizers and participants of gay pride festivals and parades in Canada say they're struggling to stage inclusive events that will be appropriate for families without censoring outrageous behaviour.
Over the weekend, organizers from across the country discussed the issue at the InterPride conference. Bob Fougere, a gay parent from Halifax, said during a panel discussion yesterday that his teenage grandson refuses to attend gay pride parades because some of the nudity makes him uncomfortable.


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Sex Workers Getting Help With Income-Taxes

Manhattan, NY (AHN) – An unusual tax workshop is being held at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center until the mid-April tax filing deadline where prostitutes gain help from the workers on hand to explain things like the earned-income-tax credit.

The event was organized by a group called Prostitutes of New York, a support and advocacy group, and by a sex industry magazine called Spread. Prostitutes of New York advocate the legalization of prostitution and meets clandestinely to avoid the police and pimps.

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Virginia Governor Refuses To Sign Anti-Gay Amendment
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

(Richmond, Virginia) Virginia Governor Tim Kaine announced Monday he will not sign a bill that puts a proposed state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on the fall ballot.
But it will not prevent the measure from going to voters in November. Kaine said that he will allow the bill to take force without his signature.
He made his intentions clear in a statement that was issued by his office. "I urge other Virginians to vote against it as well," the governor's statement said.