Gay police officer claims discrimination
By Marshall Allen Staff Writer


MONROVIA - A former Monrovia police officer is suing the department, its chief and other employees for allegedly discriminating against him because he is gay.
Michael Solarez, 38, spent seven years with the Monrovia Police Department before he was terminated in March 2005.

For many years no one knew he was gay, Solarez said, until he confidentially told Chief Roger Johnson in an attempt to protect fellow gay officers from hazing. Johnson is accused in the lawsuit of making Solarez's sexuality public, and then finding ways to terminate him.


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Student who wrote he was gay dismissed from school

WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. A University of Cumberlands student who revealed he was gay on a personal Web page has been expelled.
A university spokesman says 20-year-old Jason Johnson was asked to leave the small Baptist school earlier this week.

The student from Lexington was dismissed after he posted on his Web page at the popular Internet site MySpace.com that he was gay.


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CBS employees gay-bashed in St. Maarten
PlanetOut Network
published Saturday, April 8, 2006

Two U.S. men vacationing on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten were victims of an anti-gay attack early Thursday morning and have been transferred to a Miami hospital, CBS News reported on Friday.
Richard Jefferson, a senior news producer for CBS, was hospitalized with his friend Ryan Smith, also a CBS employee, after being attacked after leaving Bamboo Bernie's, a popular nightclub.

The men were reportedly beat with a wheel wrench or metal pipe. Smith suffered a fractured skull and remains unable to speak properly. Jefferson had severe cuts on the back of his head and lower back, but he is able to walk, the network reported.

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Gay rights group seeks apology
Official's `species' remark criticized
By Marc Freeman
South Florida Sun-Sentinel Education Writer
 

A local gay rights group is demanding an apology or explanation from School Board Chairman Tom Lynch for a word he uttered near the end of Wednesday's board meeting.


The Palm Beach County Human Rights Council issued a statement the next day condemning Lynch's use of the term "protected species" in a reference to homosexuals


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THE IRAN PLANS
Would President Bush go to war to stop Tehran from getting the bomb?
by SEYMOUR M. HERSH


The Bush Administration, while publicly advocating diplomacy in order to stop Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon, has increased clandestine activities inside Iran and intensified planning for a possible major air attack. Current and former American military and intelligence officials said that Air Force planning groups are drawing up lists of targets, and teams of American combat troops have been ordered into Iran, under cover, to collect targeting data and to establish contact with anti-government ethnic-minority groups. The officials say that President Bush is determined to deny the Iranian regime the opportunity to begin a pilot program, planned for this spring, to enrich uranium

Senate Passes Bill Requiring Gay History in California Schools 
By Danny McCoy 

Sacramento, CA – A bill before California State Senate that would require California schools to teach students about the contributions gay people have made to society is an essential step toward ending the battle of homophobia, supporters say.

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Second-class citizens no more 
All around the world, gays are being attacked and killed in the name of religion and culture. It’s time to end the barbarism.
By WAYNE BESEN 

FOR THE GAY community, foreign affairs used to mean an exotic one-night stand with a hottie from a foreign land. Today, however, gay and lesbian people are increasingly subjected to horrifying images of their brothers and sisters getting maimed and murdered overseas. Sure, we always knew such abuses occurred, but we weren’t actually confronted with them. However, as the world shrinks, it is harder to get lost in our myopia, while the anti-gay dystopia is beamed into our daily lives.

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Is the Gay Rights Movement Anti-Immigrants Rights?
by New America Media


On July 11th, 2005 in Tres Cantos, Spain, Emilio Menendez and Carlos Baturin walked out of town hall as the first proudly married gay couple of Spain. Earlier, on July 3rd, Spain passed a law that allowed same-sex marriages, bestowing on gay couples the same rights as heterosexuals, including adopting children and inheriting each other's property. While this legal change in Spain is being celebrated as a landmark victory in the gay rights struggle, in a much less publicized event, the High Court of Justice in Spain's Catalonia region decided on July 6th that citizens of other countries cannot marry a same-sex partner in Spain unless the other country allows same-sex marriage. The case involved a Spanish man and his Indian partner. The couple, Vipul Dutt, 33, and Enric Baucells, 45, may appeal to the Ministry of justice.

This contrast of victory and loss evinces the inequality perpetuated between "citizens" and "immigrants" within the "gay rights movement" in North America and most parts of Western Europe. The "gay rights movement" has been absent in the struggles of immigrants. In the United States, where I have spent the last ten years organizing around immigrant rights, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender (LGBT) and HIV/AIDS issues, the "gay rights movement" and immigrant rights movement have rarely shared the table with each other. As a result, both movements have severely suffered in developing a vision, larger base and political power. 

The "gay rights movement" is largely dominated by an analysis that is rooted in the premises of citizenship and LGBT identity. LGBT movements demand equality for every citizen within the nation-state structure. Sadly, in the US, citizenship status is a site of major oppression and social control. Historically, citizenship was granted only to white men. The history of the US has been a history of struggle by women and communities of color to gain citizenship. Immigration laws in this country are based on the labor and military needs of the US. Immigrants are allowed legal entry whenever there is a need for labor, as evident in the Bracero Program, and are the first to be thrown out in economically hard times, as evident in the anti-immigrant laws that are now being passed. The US has been and is being built upon immigrant labor. Next time you get laundry done, or take a cab, or call moviefone for cinema tickets, ask for the country of origin for the person serving you!

Transgender employee files suit against engineering firm
by Rob Akers

A lawsuit filed last week by a pre-operative transgender woman charges her former employer with alleged discrimination and retaliation during her transition period from male to female.
The legal action may have far-reaching implications for giant international engineering firm Parsons Brinckerhoff, which has ties to various government agencies.


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Transwoman founds 24/7 independent women's radio station
"Do you want the edited or the unedited version?" Stephanie Romanowski asks about the founding of Nowhere To Go Radio (www.ntgradio.com), the San Jose, California-based streaming music site established in 2004.


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52 Things You Can Do for Transgender Equality


Achieving our goal of transgender equality requires activism at the local, state and national levels. While NCTE focuses on federal policies, we strongly support and encourage the vital work of grassroots activists. Each week during 2006, we will feature an idea for action that you can take at a local level. Some will be challenging, some will be simple; all are effective ideas and we will include links, resources and thoughts to help you get started. Some are things you can do on your own, while others are ideas for local groups to work on. We hope that you will take on projects that spark your interest and that meet a need in your community as we work together for equality for all people.

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Aust: Trans. Domestic Violence High    

Domestic violence has affected 62 per cent of male-female transgender respondents, in a new survey released in Australia. The “Private Lives” survey also revealed higher rates of violence within lesbian relationships when compared with gay males. Overall, one-third of all respondents reported abuse within their relationship

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Transvestite (sic) dies in River Thames

A transvestite jumped to his death in the Thames after his(sic) family couldn’t accept his lifestyle, according to a coroner’s report.

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Jamaican extricated from anti-gay mob

A young Jamaican man is in police custody after being targeted in an anti-gay attack at the University of West Indies campus.

The man, whose name has not been released, allegedly approached a student Tuesday evening on campus and made sexual advances. A group of students gathered and began attacking the man, and reportedly chased and hurled rocks at him.

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Advocates urge Rhode Island lawmakers to approve gay marriage

PROVIDENCE, R.I. --Ed Bonetti of Warwick describes himself as a traditional Italian Catholic who wants what any dad would want for his 20-year-old son: to see him get married and have children.

A twist in former cop's rape case

Lawyers for a former San Antonio police officer accused of sexually assaulting a transsexual acknowledged Wednesday that sexual acts occurred but contended they were consensual.
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TRANSGENDER WORKER SACKED  
by Myles Wearring

A transgender woman who was sacked from her job this week is blaming the government’s new workplace relations laws.
Louise Brandish said she had worked at a car dealership as a salesperson in Ipswich, Queensland, for nine and a half years as a man. In January this year she started her transition to become a woman.
Her fellow staff didn’t seem to have a problem with it, but the car dealership’s management was less accommodating, she alleged. They suggested she find a new job but Brandish refused to leave.

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Bahamas Brokeback ban spurs gay backlash

NASSAU - The Bahamas has banned the gay cowboy movie Brokeback Mountain, triggering a new controversy over the island chain's reputation for ho

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Paris Protests Against Nepal's Crown Prince Over 'Sexual Cleansing Drive' Against Transsexuals 
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

(Paris) Human rights protestors demonstrated against the visit to Paris by Nepal's Crown Prince demanding an end to what they called a "sexual cleansing drive" aimed at transsexuals.

Carrying black flags, gay rights and AIDS activists joined other human rights protestors and exiled Nepalese demonstrated at the  Eiffel Tower.

Crown Prince Paras is reportedly on a private visit to Paris.

The protests come a week after Human Rights Watch reported that transsexuals and HIV/AIDS outreach workers in Nepal's capital Kathmandu are under increased scrutiny by police

found atmalika's indian transgender blog , thank you..

Delhi HC Notice To Govt On Legalising Homosexuality


The Delhi High Court today issued notices to the Government and others on the petition referred to it by the Supreme Court on the controversial issue of physical relationship between two persons of same sex.


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Transgendered among us
The struggle for acceptance challenges mainstream ideas of gender, identity and even feminism
Elizabeth Noll
Assistant Editor

In his early 20s, Alex Nelson became a cop. It was his dream job; the only job he’d ever wanted. Unfortunately, his dream didn’t last long. A problem surfaced right away—a big problem. The department told Nelson he had to use the women’s bathroom.

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(in the good news bad news....

Military to End Punishment of Gay Soldiers

Korea will revise or repeal military laws that stipulate punishment and discharge of gay soldiers, Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung said Tuesday. The plan, which reflects a January recommendation by the National Human Rights Commission, is opposed by senior officers, who say it will cause problems maintaining discipline in military units.

Transgender Movement Emerging from Shadows
Bonnie Miller Ruben
Chicago Tribune

When it comes to sexual identity, the 23-year-old Shawn--born Patricia--sees a broad spectrum, a man-to-woman or a woman-to-man continuum with many stops along the way. Think gender without borders. He (the preferred pronoun) looks male but not completely. He is not a lesbian, a cross-dresser or contemplating a sex-change operation any time soon.


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Federal Court Rules Transgender Discrimination Lawsuit Against Library of Congress Can Proceed
Gaywired.com
Tuesday Apr 4, 2006

A federal judge has found that an employment discrimination lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of a transgender veteran against the Library of Congress can go forward.

"I couldn’t understand how the country that I had risked my life for could believe that it was ok to rescind its job offer to me solely because I’m transgender," said Diane Schroer, a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Army. "Today’s decision begins to restore my faith in our government."


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TRANSGENDER WOMAN SUES
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A transgender woman who claims she was harassed at work after starting to dress as a female has sued her employer, alleging the company allowed a hostile work environment.

Court unites lesbian couple

VADODARA: The order of a magistrate's court in small town Halol may have huge implications for the gay movement in India.

On March 8, International Women's Day, A H Parikh allowed a lesbian couple to live together after they told the court that they were two consenting adults and that the kidnapping charge against one of them was fabricated.