1. Hoag, C. (2008). "Gay couples across California trade weekend vows." Retrieved 4 May, 2008, from http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hZmLBrL36NObNyMR0ghXN7vB5hYwD91EQ0300
2. Logiweb. (2008). "International Day Against Homophobia " Retrieved 4 May, 2008, from http://www.homophobiaday.org/default.aspx?scheme=1204.
3. McDonough, M. (2006). "Gay Iraqis fear for their lives." Retrieved 4 May, 2008, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4915172.stm.
4. Samii, F. A. a. B. (2008). "Iran: Is There An Anti-Homosexual Campaign." Retrieved 4 May, 2008, from http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/09/febbe245-8b6f-4d30-a77f-d0b40c23da05.html.
5. (2008). "Gay Rights." Retrieved 4 May, 2008 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gayrights.
6. (2008). " GAY RIGHTS: Fact File." Retrieved 4 May, 2008, from http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/factfiles_detail.cfm?issue_type=gay_rights&list=10.
7. (2008). "GAY RIGHTS: Overview-The Issue at a Glance." Retrieved 4 May, 2008, from http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/overview.cfm?issue_type=gay_rights.
8. (2006). "Iran: Two More Executions for Homosexual Conduct." Retrieved 4 May, 2008, from http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2005/11/21/iran12072.htm.
9. (1999). "Lesbian And Gay Rights." Retrieved 4 May, 2008, from http://www.hrw.org/worldreport99/special/gay.html.
10. (2008). "New Zealand History online." Retrieved 4 May, 2008, from http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/tags/gay-rights.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Thanks for reading and taking part!
After making this blog, i personally have learnt many things i didnt know before. For example, i did not know about the Homophobia day or how many countries are against homosexuality. I hope that by making this blog, it will make some awareness for anybody who reads through it. Gay people deserve to be treated equally just like everybody out there. Thier love life should not be any bodys business and they should Definitely not feel under threat. Although some countries kill gay people, hopefully with time to come, this behaviour will change. We are all humans at the end and noone has the right to take another persons life. I hope this Blog was also interesting to my blog members and that you guys all took some knowledge from it. I am happy that New Zealand is now relaxed about the idea of Gay rights and same goes to California. Lets just hope to see more people open about it. Like the poster said, Gay people can be mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers etc therefore we should respect who they are and the decisions they make. We are all one people.
Thanks for commenting everybody!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Countries where homosexuality is illegal
i will list all the countries where homosexuality is illegal and the countries in bold means that homosexuals there are in subject to the death penalty
For lesbians and gay men-
Africa- Algeria,Angola,Benin,Burundi,Cameroun,Cape Verde,Djibouti,Ethiopia,Guinea,Liberia,Libya,Malawi,Mauritania*,Mauritius,Morocco,Senegal,Sudan*,Swaziland,Togo,Tunisia
Asia / Pacific- Afghanistan*,Bangladesh,Brunei,Pakistan*,Solomon Islands,Western Samoa
Middle East- Bahrain,Iran*,Lebanon,Oman,Qatar,Saudi Arabia*,Syria,United Arab Emirates,Yemen*
The Americans- Barbados,Belize,Grenada,Nicaragua,Puerto Rico,Saint Lucia,Trinidad and Tobago
Europe- Chechen Republic*
For gay men only-
Africa- Botswana,Ghana,Gambia,Kenya,Mozambique,Namibia,Nigeria,Seychelles,Sierre Leone,Somalia,Tanzania,Uganda,Zambia,Zimbabwe
Asia/Pacific- Bhutan,Burma/Myanmar,Cook Islands,Fiji,India,Kiribati,Laos,Malaysia,Maldives,Marshall Islands,Nauru,Nepal,Niue,Papua New Guinea,Singapore,Sri Lanka,Tokelau,Tonga,Tuvalu,Uzbekistan
Middle East- Kuwait
The Americans- Caymen Islands,Guyana,Jamaica,Turks abd Caicos Islands
For more info click on-
http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/issuehome.cfm
For lesbians and gay men-
Africa- Algeria,Angola,Benin,Burundi,Cameroun,Cape Verde,Djibouti,Ethiopia,Guinea,Liberia,Libya,Malawi,Mauritania*,Mauritius,Morocco,Senegal,Sudan*,Swaziland,Togo,Tunisia
Asia / Pacific- Afghanistan*,Bangladesh,Brunei,Pakistan*,Solomon Islands,Western Samoa
Middle East- Bahrain,Iran*,Lebanon,Oman,Qatar,Saudi Arabia*,Syria,United Arab Emirates,Yemen*
The Americans- Barbados,Belize,Grenada,Nicaragua,Puerto Rico,Saint Lucia,Trinidad and Tobago
Europe- Chechen Republic*
For gay men only-
Africa- Botswana,Ghana,Gambia,Kenya,Mozambique,Namibia,Nigeria,Seychelles,Sierre Leone,Somalia,Tanzania,Uganda,Zambia,Zimbabwe
Asia/Pacific- Bhutan,Burma/Myanmar,Cook Islands,Fiji,India,Kiribati,Laos,Malaysia,Maldives,Marshall Islands,Nauru,Nepal,Niue,Papua New Guinea,Singapore,Sri Lanka,Tokelau,Tonga,Tuvalu,Uzbekistan
Middle East- Kuwait
The Americans- Caymen Islands,Guyana,Jamaica,Turks abd Caicos Islands
For more info click on-
http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/issuehome.cfm
IRAN- A COUNTRY WITH AN ANTI-HOMOSEXUALS CAMPAIGN!
After researching about gay rights in the world, i came across some positive news and some negative ofcourse. Previously on my blog, i posted some articles about homosexuals in the middle east. They were not pretty articles what so ever. Unfortunately i came across more horrifying news about homosexuality in Iran. I wanted to share some of what i found as this blog is also focussing on how some Gay people are treated throughout the world and i want everybody to be aware of what is taking place in some of these countries, where human rights are not considered important. ( sorry about the picture but it helps people to see how inhumane these punishments are for just being gay!)
"According to Islamic law, homosexuality is a capital crime.
The execution of two Iranian males in July and current allegations that two more Iranian men are on death row because they are gay has led to allegations of an anti-homosexual campaign in Iran. But homosexuality is just part of the laundry list of charges leveled against people caught up in the Iranian justice system, and in a country with such a reprehensible human rights record, the actual charges rarely have a connection with reality".
Mahmud Asgari (left) and Ayaz Marhoni before being publicly hanged on 9 July
..."According to some sources of Islamic law, Ismailian said, the punishments for homosexuality include being thrown from a mountain, immolation, or execution by sword..."
What do you guys think of this? Should religion such as islam grant away the choice of peoples partners and put them to death?
To find out more on this article click the following links-
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/09/febbe245-8b6f-4d30-a77f-d0b40c23da05.html
"According to Islamic law, homosexuality is a capital crime.
The execution of two Iranian males in July and current allegations that two more Iranian men are on death row because they are gay has led to allegations of an anti-homosexual campaign in Iran. But homosexuality is just part of the laundry list of charges leveled against people caught up in the Iranian justice system, and in a country with such a reprehensible human rights record, the actual charges rarely have a connection with reality".Mahmud Asgari (left) and Ayaz Marhoni before being publicly hanged on 9 July
..."According to some sources of Islamic law, Ismailian said, the punishments for homosexuality include being thrown from a mountain, immolation, or execution by sword..."
What do you guys think of this? Should religion such as islam grant away the choice of peoples partners and put them to death?
To find out more on this article click the following links-
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/09/febbe245-8b6f-4d30-a77f-d0b40c23da05.html
Something to think about!
Why should the government be involved in peoples PERSONAL freedoms? Why is it up to a few people who are in postition able to reject or accept homosexuality in a country? The government shouldnt be able to tell you who you can marry..
These posters are designed to educate people about homosexuals and that they can be anybody. I think these posters are good because they speak out to people by teaching them about diversity and acceptance of everybody around us.
Check out these posters..
Doesnt it make you think about people who are homosexuals?
These posters are designed to educate people about homosexuals and that they can be anybody. I think these posters are good because they speak out to people by teaching them about diversity and acceptance of everybody around us.
Gay Marriage Is Good for America
Gay marriage in America has only recently become legalised in California. This decission took effect on June 16, 2008. California is the second U.S State, after Massachusetts to make marriage licenses available to same-sex couples.
They have already began to marrying same sex couples this week. The first to be wed in San Francisco were Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, pioneering gay-rights activists who have been a couple for more than 50 years.
For some homosexuals in some countries, it seems that love separates them from marriage instead of connecting them with it. This is because they are forbidden to marry thier same sex partner.
To read more about Gay rights in california, click on the following links-
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hZmLBrL36NObNyMR0ghXN7vB5hYwD91EQ0300
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-06-12-voa40.cfm
Do you guys think that legalising same sex marriage in california was a good idea? Will this persuade other states/countries to take the same step? .. share your thoughts!
They have already began to marrying same sex couples this week. The first to be wed in San Francisco were Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, pioneering gay-rights activists who have been a couple for more than 50 years.
For some homosexuals in some countries, it seems that love separates them from marriage instead of connecting them with it. This is because they are forbidden to marry thier same sex partner.
To read more about Gay rights in california, click on the following links-
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hZmLBrL36NObNyMR0ghXN7vB5hYwD91EQ0300
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-06-12-voa40.cfm
Do you guys think that legalising same sex marriage in california was a good idea? Will this persuade other states/countries to take the same step? .. share your thoughts!
International Day Against Homophobia Posters 2008
HOMOSEXUALITYIS NOT A SICKNESS!
The international day against homophobia is a campaign set out to show people that Homosexuality is not a sickness. People would often have this view upon gay people because mental health professionals considered sexual activity between two people of the same sex an illness. Homosexuality was also indeed listed as a “sickness” in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical manual of mental disorder). This listing however, was finally removed in 1973.
On May 17, 1991, the World Health Organisation (WHO) removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses. In 1992, this withdrawal was officially recorded in its international classification (ICD-10). At its 2006 National Conference, the American Psychological Association restated its position in which homosexuality was not an illness.
On May 17, 1991, the World Health Organisation (WHO) removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses. In 1992, this withdrawal was officially recorded in its international classification (ICD-10). At its 2006 National Conference, the American Psychological Association restated its position in which homosexuality was not an illness.
To find out more click on the following links-
Below are the posters designed for this international day. They are very eye catching and meaningful. I think these posters persuade people to accept homosexuals and know that it is something normal and not a sickness.
Do you guys think this campaign will help homosexuals have equal rights and show the world that homosexuals should be widely accepted?? please comment!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Gay Iraqis fear for their lives
Gay Iraqis fear for their lives
By Michael McDonough BBC News website
"I don't want to be gay anymore. When I go out to buy bread, I'm afraid. When the doorbell rings, I think that they have come for me."
That is the fear that haunts Hussein, and other gay men in Iraq.
They say that since the US-led invasion, gay people are being killed because of their sexual orientation.
They blame the increase in violence on the growing influence of religious figures and militia groups in Iraq since Saddam Hussein was ousted.
Islam considers homosexuality sinful. A website published in the Iranian city of Qom in the name of Ayatollah Sistani, Iraq's most revered Shia cleric, says: "Those who commit sodomy must be killed in the harshest way".
The statement appears in Arabic section of the website, in a section dealing with questions of morality, but not in the English-language equivalent. The BBC asked Mr Sistani's representative, Seyed Kashmiri, to explain the ruling.
"Homosexuals and lesbians are not killed for practising their inclinations for the first time," Mr Kashmiri said in a response sent via email. "There are certain conditions drawn out by jurists before this punishment can be implemented, which is perhaps similar to the punishment meted out by other heavenly religions." Mr Kashmiri added: "Some rulings that are drawn out by jurists are done so on a theoretical basis. Not everything that is said is implemented."
Violent attacks
Killings and kidnappings are widespread in Iraq, with much of the bloodshed being linked to sectarian tensions and the anti-US insurgency.
But homosexual Iraqis who have spoken to the BBC say they are also being targeted because of their sexual orientation.
Hussein is 32 and lives in Baghdad with his brother, sister-in-law and nieces. He says his effeminate appearance and demeanour make him stand out and attract hostility. "My brother's friends told him: 'In the current chaos you could get away with killing your brother without retribution and get rid of this shame,'"
Hussein said, after agreeing to speak to the BBC only if his real name was not used.
A transsexual friend of his, who had changed names from Haydar to Dina, was killed on her way to a party in Baghdad about six months ago, Hussein said.
Gym terror
Ahmed is a 31-year-old interior decorator who used to live in Baghdad with his boyfriend, Mazin. Ahmed fled to Jordan nine months ago after Mazin was murdered outside a gym. I fled from Iraq because of the threat to my life Ahmed After his partner was shot dead,
Ahmed hid in the gym toilets then slipped away and later flew to Amman, the Jordanian capital. He says it was well known that they were a couple and Mazin was targeted because of his sexuality. "I fled from Iraq because of the threat to my life, because I was a gay man," he told the BBC. Ahmed also said that, before the gym shooting, he and a gay friend had survived a grenade attack and he still had fragments of shrapnel in his face. The friend was killed a week later by gunmen who raided his house, he added.
Powerful militia
Iraq's deputy interior minister Maj Gen Hussein Kamal told the BBC that he was unaware of any minority groups being specifically targeted for kidnappings and killings. He also said he was unaware of the statement on Ayatollah Sistani's website calling for gay people to be killed.
But he added: "We do not condone vigilante action. We encourage the victims to inform the authorities if they are subjected to any attacks."
However, Hussein says gay people are afraid of the police. The Interior Ministry is run by members of Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (Sciri), which is one of Iraq's country's leading Shia parties. Sciri has its own militia, the Badr Brigades, and there are widespread concerns that large parts of Iraq's police force are under the control of such groups.
Hussein blames the Badr Brigades and other Shia militia for many of the attacks on gay Iraqis. Saddam was a tyrant, but at least we had more freedom then Hussein Human rights group Amnesty International has focused most of its work in Iraq on the high levels of violence linked to the insurgency.
The organisation said it had no information on reports of anti-gay activities in the country. "It is not an area that we have been actively looking at, but that is not to say that we will not look into the issue at some point," said a spokesman at the group's London headquarters.
But Hussein, Ahmed and gay activists outside Iraq say there is clear evidence that the situation has deteriorated dramatically for Iraqi homosexuals.
"Saddam was a tyrant, but at least we had more freedom then," said Hussein. "Nowadays, gay men are just killed for no reason."
By Michael McDonough BBC News website
"I don't want to be gay anymore. When I go out to buy bread, I'm afraid. When the doorbell rings, I think that they have come for me."
That is the fear that haunts Hussein, and other gay men in Iraq.
They say that since the US-led invasion, gay people are being killed because of their sexual orientation.
They blame the increase in violence on the growing influence of religious figures and militia groups in Iraq since Saddam Hussein was ousted.
Islam considers homosexuality sinful. A website published in the Iranian city of Qom in the name of Ayatollah Sistani, Iraq's most revered Shia cleric, says: "Those who commit sodomy must be killed in the harshest way".
The statement appears in Arabic section of the website, in a section dealing with questions of morality, but not in the English-language equivalent. The BBC asked Mr Sistani's representative, Seyed Kashmiri, to explain the ruling.
"Homosexuals and lesbians are not killed for practising their inclinations for the first time," Mr Kashmiri said in a response sent via email. "There are certain conditions drawn out by jurists before this punishment can be implemented, which is perhaps similar to the punishment meted out by other heavenly religions." Mr Kashmiri added: "Some rulings that are drawn out by jurists are done so on a theoretical basis. Not everything that is said is implemented."
Violent attacks
Killings and kidnappings are widespread in Iraq, with much of the bloodshed being linked to sectarian tensions and the anti-US insurgency.
But homosexual Iraqis who have spoken to the BBC say they are also being targeted because of their sexual orientation.
Hussein is 32 and lives in Baghdad with his brother, sister-in-law and nieces. He says his effeminate appearance and demeanour make him stand out and attract hostility. "My brother's friends told him: 'In the current chaos you could get away with killing your brother without retribution and get rid of this shame,'"
Hussein said, after agreeing to speak to the BBC only if his real name was not used.
A transsexual friend of his, who had changed names from Haydar to Dina, was killed on her way to a party in Baghdad about six months ago, Hussein said.
Gym terror
Ahmed is a 31-year-old interior decorator who used to live in Baghdad with his boyfriend, Mazin. Ahmed fled to Jordan nine months ago after Mazin was murdered outside a gym. I fled from Iraq because of the threat to my life Ahmed After his partner was shot dead,
Ahmed hid in the gym toilets then slipped away and later flew to Amman, the Jordanian capital. He says it was well known that they were a couple and Mazin was targeted because of his sexuality. "I fled from Iraq because of the threat to my life, because I was a gay man," he told the BBC. Ahmed also said that, before the gym shooting, he and a gay friend had survived a grenade attack and he still had fragments of shrapnel in his face. The friend was killed a week later by gunmen who raided his house, he added.
Powerful militia
Iraq's deputy interior minister Maj Gen Hussein Kamal told the BBC that he was unaware of any minority groups being specifically targeted for kidnappings and killings. He also said he was unaware of the statement on Ayatollah Sistani's website calling for gay people to be killed.
But he added: "We do not condone vigilante action. We encourage the victims to inform the authorities if they are subjected to any attacks."
However, Hussein says gay people are afraid of the police. The Interior Ministry is run by members of Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (Sciri), which is one of Iraq's country's leading Shia parties. Sciri has its own militia, the Badr Brigades, and there are widespread concerns that large parts of Iraq's police force are under the control of such groups.
Hussein blames the Badr Brigades and other Shia militia for many of the attacks on gay Iraqis. Saddam was a tyrant, but at least we had more freedom then Hussein Human rights group Amnesty International has focused most of its work in Iraq on the high levels of violence linked to the insurgency.
The organisation said it had no information on reports of anti-gay activities in the country. "It is not an area that we have been actively looking at, but that is not to say that we will not look into the issue at some point," said a spokesman at the group's London headquarters.
But Hussein, Ahmed and gay activists outside Iraq say there is clear evidence that the situation has deteriorated dramatically for Iraqi homosexuals.
"Saddam was a tyrant, but at least we had more freedom then," said Hussein. "Nowadays, gay men are just killed for no reason."
Hussein says he is afraid to go outdoors
Sistani's official website calls for gay men to be executed
Dina, a transsexual, was killed in Baghdad last year
"I fled from Iraq because of the threat to my life "
Ahmed
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4915172.stm
Criminal Code against homosexuals, 1893
The 'Crimes against Morality' section of the 1893 Criminal Code included punishments of flogging, whipping and hard labour for homosexual acts. These provisions continued until removed under the Crimes Act 1961
New Zealand Homosexual Law Reform Act
<<< This Coalition for Homosexual Law Reform poster was designed by Malcolm McAlister. It reads 'Support the Bill; equality for all lesbians and gays. Public meeting, Opera House, 15 August 1985'.hey guys, this is about the homosexual law reform in Nz. Its interesting to read, shows how Nz is now fairly relaxed about this idea..
'Go back into the sewers where you come from' was the advice of one New Zealand politician to homosexuals. The comment summed up one side of the bitter public and political debate that swept New Zealand in the mid 1980s during the homosexual law reform campaign. On the other side of the issue, gays and lesbians were urged to 'come out now ... be visible ... be blatant.
The Homosexual Law Reform Act, which was signed by the governor-general on 11 July 1986 and came into effect on 8 August that year, decriminalised sexual relations between men aged 16 and over. No longer would men having consensual sex with each other be liable to prosecution and a term of imprisonment. Sex between women was not illegal, but many lesbians suffered the same social discrimination as gay men and were staunch supporters of the reform movement.
The campaign to reform the law moved beyond the gay community to wider issues of human rights and discrimination. Extreme viewpoints ensured a lengthy and passionate debate. The outcome would mean that gays and lesbians could be out and about, or the New Zealand family would crumble and AIDS would spread through the community.
for more info, go to http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/homosexual-law-reform/homosexual-law-reform
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Topic- Gay Rights
Hey guys!!
For my blog, i want to discuss the topic of "Gay rights". I am going to research the different rights homosexuals have in various countries. I want to also post links/articles to show the troubles and difficulties that many gay couples have to face in everyday life.
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