2007 Gay Pride Reno
|
Organising against war and homophobia in Lebanon
Homosexuality is illegal in Lebanon, but queers are organising to eradicate this discrimination. Chadi Sankary, an Australian-Lebanese communications student, told Green Left Weekly that Helem, an organisation of Lebanese lesbians, gay men, bi-sexuals and transgendered people, is campaigning to abolish Article 534 of the penal code which punishes unnatural sexual intercourse with a year in prison. Sankary discovered Helem in 2004, when he spent three months in Lebanon. Helem was founded in 2000 and was registered as an NGO in Canada in 2004. Sankary said that Article 534 is deliberately vague, something that suits the prosecutors. The Lebanese media is very homophobic, as are the 17 different religious denominations, he said, adding that three decades of war gives rise to great instability and people find refuge in religion in such times.
Boycott of gay march may cost firefighters jobs
Nine firefighters could be sacked for refusing to distribute fire safety leaflets at a gay pride march, their employer said yesterday. The male firefighters will be told the outcome of a disciplinary hearing into accusations that they refused to obey orders to hand out leaflets this week. The officers could be sacked, demoted or receive a disciplinary warning for allegedly failing to carry out duties at a Pride Scotia gay parade in Glasgow in June, and disciplinary proceedings have been backed by the gay rights campaign group Stonewall. .
|
