2007 Brooklyn Gay Parade Pride
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Tufts comes out in top 20 schools for gay students
Recognized for its continued support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) students, Tufts was named one of the most gay-friendly campuses in a ranking released last month.
The Advocate magazine's first ever College Guide for LGBT Students ranks Tufts University as one of their "best of the best" top 20 schools. The ranking is based on a 20-item checklist, which yields what The Advocate calls a "gay point average." Tufts scored recognition in 18 of the items.
"The list reflects the diversity of concerns that LGBT students might have," said Bruce Steele, Editor-in-Chief of The Advocate, which is the nation's longest-running gay magazine. "What the gay point average reflects is whether the college itself is making an effort, and the impact of that effort is very subjective."
LGBT Center Director Dona Yarbrough said that Tufts only missed out on two of the 20 criteria, "actively recruits LGBT students to enroll on campus," and "offers LGBT student scholarships."
"We have no sustained efforts in those areas, so we lost two points," she said.
Firefighters disciplined over gay pride snub
Nine Scottish firefighters who refused to hand out safety leaflets at a gay pride event were today ordered to undergo "intensive" diversity training. Some of the officers, from Cowcaddens fire station, in Glasgow, argued that it would have been "embarrassing" for them to attend the Pride Scotia festival, which took place in June, in uniform. Others claimed that taking part in the event would have contradicted their moral beliefs. However, managers at Strathclyde Fire and Rescue said the officers' refusal to distribute leaflets containing advice on fire prevention was "a fundamental breach of one of their core responsibilities". .
Moscow court affirms gay pride parade ban
[JURIST] A Russian court has affirmed the right of the city of Moscow to reject an application by organizers of a gay pride parade, ruling that there was a legitimate safety concern in banning the parade, though lawyers for the parade organizers said the ban infringes on gay rights. A separate court upheld the ban [JURIST report] in May but organizers held the parade anyway. Two hundred people were arrested during the May 27 parade [Washington Post report], where participants were assaulted by onlookers. The organizers intend to appeal Tuesday's court decision. The parade marked the 13th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in Russia. In 1997, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia implemented a new Criminal Code [text] that excluded Article 121, which criminalized consensual homosexuality [gay.ru backgrounder].
Jerusalem Gay Parade Postponed One More Time
As we went to press on Tuesday, The Jerusalem Post was reporting that Jerusalem police would not allow the gay pride parade, planned for September 21, the day before the start of Rosh Hashanah, to take place. Officials said the parade would interfere with police work in the Jerusalem area during this particularly busy time. It will be recalled that the parade was to have taken place on August 6 but was postponed in the thick of the Lebanon war. .
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