2007 Gay Honolulu Pride

 2007 Gay Honolulu Pride

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".

.

A queer's history of Ottawa Pride

Exploding from 50 participants to 50,000 per year, the story of Ottawa Pride illustrates that growing up ain't easy. What started as a scenic barbecue in 1986 has grown into a weeklong 100-odd-event juggernaut, a cornerstone of Ottawa's gay community.

While Ottawa's Pride may not be the million-go-go-boy march that other cities boast of, many people are proud that Ottawa's Pride Parade has remained accessible and community based. .

`Gung ho,' gay - and alive today

I am in agreement with William Butte's commentary of Sept. 4 on the military policy of "Don't ask, don't tell." It reminded me of my experience in the U.S. Navy in 1964: 43 years and nothing has changed.

Just out of Catholic high school and in a hurry to become a working adult, I joined the U.S. Navy. I thought the four years would "teach me to be a man" and allow me to get an education and some worldly knowledge.

I was very innocent and, to be sure, quite ignorant about the ways of the world. I was very sexually active with boys all during my school years, even as early as the fourth grade. I liked guys, but didn't consider myself "queer" and had never heard of the term "gay." "Homosexual" was a derogatory dictionary term.

In basic training I decided I would like to go to corps school to become a Navy corpsman.

Archbishop fans the flames of homophobia

In a move that has surprised nobody, the Archbishop of Glasgow has blasted the decision to discipline nine firefighters who refused to hand out safety leaflets at a gay pride march. The nine officers were hauled over the coals by Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service (SFR) when they moaned it would be embarrassing for them to attend Pride Scotia in uniform, while others claimed it would contradict their moral beliefs. Archbishop Mario Conti described the disciplinary action as dismaying. In 2003, when faced with the prospect of gay civil unions, he found the idea subversive. Bosses have ordered the group, from Glasgow's Cowcaddens station, to undergo intensive "diversity training" as part of their punishment. One of the men involved, a watch manager, was reduced to the rank of crew manager, losing an estimated 5,000 in salary.