2007 Dc Gay 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.
Atlanta Black Pride board member points fingers at AIDS groups
A week before Atlanta's Black Gay Pride is set to begin, a pride board member blasted city AIDS groups for not doing enough to curb infection among African-American gay men. In an angry e-mail to the Southern Voice newspaper, gay pride board member Greg Smith accused Atlanta AIDS organizations of not spending enough money to combat the disease. "The African-American AIDS issue is so trendy now," Smith wrote. AIDS groups, he said "talk HIV case data, advocate for funds, then get the money and do nothing...." Organizations "that give $50 or have millions and give $1,000 should be ashamed of themselves," he added. Smith, who didn't name specific AIDS organization in his e-mail, also blasted the groups for not financially assisting In the Life Atlanta, the organizer of Black Gay Pride, in putting the pride event together.
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].
'Diversity' course for firemen who rebuffed gay event
Nine firemen have been disciplined after refusing to hand out leaflets at a "gay pride" march, and will be forced to undergo intensive "diversity training". Senior officers reported the men from the red watch crew at Cowcaddens fire station in Glasgow after the Pride Scotia march in the city in June. Some refused to attend the event on religious and moral grounds, while others said they would be embarrassed to man a stall in uniform, and did not regard the handing out of leaflets to homosexuals and lesbians as part of their core duties. .
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