I spoke this morning with a woman who said she is the owner of “The Sign” in Gatesville, Virginia Miller. Before finally hanging up on me, Miller essentially defended the message that’s appeared on the sign for the last three days, “GAY RIGHTS ARE NOT CIVIL RIGHTS.” The message reportedly was paid for by Oen Dollins of Gatesville, a former minister. Miller said Dollins didn’t mean to offend anyone, but merely wanted to point out that gay rights are not the same as African-American civil rights.

“He wanted to get the message to black people that it’s not fair that they’re the ones who suffered, they’re the ones who paid the price, and now everything they fought for is being hijacked,” Miller said.

Full Story from Dallas Voice

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Russia’s human rights ombudsman, V.P. Lukin, met with members of the Russian LGBT Network on July 15 and received a “discrimination monitoring report” prepared by the network and the Moscow Helsinki Group. Lukin reportedly said that GLBT people are entitled to the same rights as anyone else and “if rights of specific people are violated due to their orientation, we are ready to protect their rights.”

LGBT Network Chairman Igor Kochetkov said he was very pleased with how the meeting went. “This is the first time a representative of the Russian government officially met with … Russian LGBT activists,” Kochetkov said. “We can safely say that the results exceeded our expectations. We very much count on further collaboration with the ombudsman.”

Numerous cases are pending at the European Court of Human Rights over Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov’s repeated bans of gay pride and other gay events. There also are cases against other Russian cities that have blocked gay events.

Full Story from SF Bay Times

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The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission on July 17 condemned “the recent murder and arbitrary arrests of … LGBT activists in Honduras.” “IGLHRC has learned that these human rights abuses have occurred as a direct result of the military coup on June 28 … which ousted that country’s democratically elected government,” the group said.

A transgender activist was shot dead June 29 a block from the gay community center in the city of San Pedro Sula, IGLHRC said. “Local activists in Honduras claim she was killed by military police patrolling the streets,” the organization reported.

Five other GLBT activists — Héctor Licona, Donny Reyes, Patrick Pavón, Claudia Cervantes and Lizeth Ávila — were arrested, detained and beaten June 29 in Tegucigalpa, the capital, IGLHRC said. “The arrests occurred while the activists were participating in a demonstration in support of the democratically elected government,” the group said. The five activists are well-known GLBT leaders.

Full Story from SF Bay Times

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The Lithuanian Parliament on July 14 overrode a presidential veto of a bill that bans from schools and public places any information that “agitate(s) for homosexual, bisexual and polygamous relations.” The vote was 87-6. The Parliament, or Seimas, previously had passed the measure 67-3, with 67 MPs not voting. Seventy-one votes were needed for an override. The new statute is called the “Law on the Protection of Minors Against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information.”

An explanatory note attached to it says: “The propagation of a nontraditional sexual orientation and exposure to information containing positive coverage of homosexual relations may cause negative consequences for the physical, mental and, first and foremost, moral development of minors.”

The law specifically states that it is meant to cover movies and Web sites, so domestic and foreign gay Web sites might now be banned in Lithuania, along with hundreds of films such as Milk and La Cage aux Folles. The law also bans information that promotes hypnosis, “bad eating,” paranormal phenomena, gambling, lotteries, physical passivity and other things legislators consider “detrimental” to minors’ bodies or thought processes.
The measure’s sponsor said it protects Lithuanian youth from “the rotten culture that is now overwhelming them.”

Full Story from SF Bay Times

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Civil Rights Movement icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a group of Black activists who founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1959.  Even after King’s assassination in 1968, the SCLC remained one of the nation’s leading civil rights organizations. But now the group’s cohesion is under threat. The issue which could potentially split the organization is same-sex marriage.

The Atlanta, Georgia-based leadership of the group has threatened to suspend or remove Rev. Eric P. Lee as head of the Los Angeles SCLC chapter because of his outspoken support for homosexual marriage.

But Lee and supporters in the L.A. chapter are fighting back essentially arguing that the national board does not have the authority to remove him. Lee is also thought to be seeking support from other SCLC chapters around the country.

Full Story from Eurweb.com

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This week, hooligans targeted a couple of local American Apparel stores over the stores’ prominent “Legalize Gay” T-Shirt displays. On Monday, a window at the Silver Spring location was shattered. Yesterday, an anonymous caller informed the Georgetown location that as long as “Legalize Gay” is on display, the storefronts can expect more broken glass.

American Apparel isn’t scared.

Following the second threat, Silver Spring American Apparel manager Kassandra Powell told CP that the store had temporarily removed the anti-Prop-8 clothing from its window display. Last night, company spokesperson Ryan Holiday wrote in to say that “Legalize Gay” was there to stay. “The store employee misspoke about taking the display down,” wrote Holiday. “[T]hose decisions get made in Los Angeles and we wouldn’t want to give into something like this.”

Full Story from Washington City

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Marriage equality has at least one union boss on its side ahead of this month’s ALP national conference.

National Union of Students president David Barrow is openly gay and campaigning for the right to marry his partner of five years, Curtis Dickson.

But unlike trade unions, Barrow doesn’t get a vote, so he’s making his plea to PM Kevin Rudd, ALP delegates, unionists, and any believers in social justice attending the conference.

Full Story from SSO

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This week LGF online published an interview with Polish gay rights campaigner Waldemar Zboralski about homophobia in Poland.

Today, a report in The Pink Paper confirms the extent of the homophobia in Poland. The article highlights a survey by GfK Polonia which reveals that Seventy-five percent of Poles oppose legalisation of same-sex marriage and 87% say gay couples shouldn’t be allowed to adopt children.

20/07/09: Polish gay activist Waldemar Zboralski speaks to LGF online about life in Poland for the LGBT community, and his hopes for a support group for Polish gay people, who are now resident in the UK and the political impact they could have in helping LGBTs still living in Poland.

Full Story from LGF

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New discussions on gay marriage as part of the agenda of the coalition delighted associations. It remains to be seen when it becomes reality.

“We thought,it could be but didn’t believe it would be on the agenda,” said François Diderrich, president of the Rosa Lëtzebuerg ASBL. “Luxembourg has changed since the discussions on partnerships began six years ago,” he added.

The bill on the opening of marriage will be presented to the House by the Ministry of Justice, “as soon as possible,” says François Biltgen, Minister of Justice in the new government.

Full Story from Station.lu

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The advice is piling up on one side for folks who want to see same sex marriage legalized in California: Wait until 2012 to ask voters to overturn Proposition 8.

We’ve told you about the three LGBT coalitions of color who suggested waiting, and the nation’s oldest LGBT Democratic club saying the same. Now some of California’s top political consultants are joining the chorus.

Now, now. We know that some gay marriage fans blame consultants for the ruinous anti-Prop 8 campaign. But Equality California marriage director Marc Solomon — who helped lead the successful drive for marriage in Massachusetts — asked seven to share their thoughts on the 2010 v. 2012 question. Plus, they asked what the LGBT community and their allies should do to prepare to go back to the ballot. Three were openly LGBT (including two who are married) and one is a Republican.

Full Story from SFGate

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