People are being killed for their sexual orientation, despite progress made by some nations, including Britain, to eliminate prejudice
By Emily Dugan
Sunday, 1 August 2010
Acomprehensive study of global lesbian, bisexual and gay rights, seen by The Independent on Sunday, reveals the brutal – and, in many instances, fatal – price people pay around the globe for their sexuality. The research, which was conducted by the charity network the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), shows that 76 countries still prosecute people on the grounds of their sexual orientation – seven of which punish same-sex acts with death.
On a global scale, the nations doing something positive for gay rights are dwarfed by those behaving negatively. While 75 countries will imprison you if you are gay, only 53 have anti-discrimination laws that apply to sexuality. Only 26 countries recognise same-sex unions.
In the 10 years since the IoS published its first Pink List, Britain has made impressive strides towards sexual equality. In a single decade of progress, gay people have the right to adopt children, an equal age of consent, legislation to protect them from discrimination and can even tie the knot in civil ceremonies.
But homophobia remains a scar on Britain's social landscape. Around the world, hundreds of people are killed every year just for being gay. Ben Summerskill, chief executive of the UK lesbian gay and bisexual rights organisation Stonewall, said: "We are mindful that however remarkable the progress we might be making in Britain is, there are countries around the world where people still live in fear of their lives just because of the way they were born. Helping to support them sensitively is a critical obligation of anyone who cares about human rights in the wider world."
The picture in many other parts of the world may make Britain look comparatively welcoming, especially on a day when we celebrate 100 influential figures who are open about their sexuality. But as the Prime Minister, David Cameron, writes today on page 39, the Pink List also reminds the UK not to sit on its laurels.
"As well as being a celebration, the Pink List is a challenge and a reminder that we must go further," he said. "Yes, the UK is a world leader for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality, but we cannot be complacent. As long as there are people out there feeling marginalised or threatened, we must continue to tackle prejudice."
The broadcaster Clare Balding, who last week was dismissed by the Sunday Times writer A A Gill as a "dyke on a bike", writes in today's paper that being gay in Britain "is still not plain sailing". She was told in a letter from The Sunday Times that the homophobic piece was equivalent to the criticism Jeremy Clarkson gets about his dress sense.
Mr Summerskill added that the key is to challenge prejudice. "People are still being murdered for their sexuality on the streets of London, which is meant to be the most progressive city in the country. When Jeremy Clarkson or Chris Moyles say 'What are you complaining about?', the answer is, 'Why don't you try walking down the high street holding hands with another man?'"
Social pressure to be "straight" in Britain has yet to be eliminated. When the X Factor winner Joe McElderry, 19, came out as gay yesterday, it was after previously feeling unable to admit his sexuality. Even when someone hacked into his Twitter account to "out" him last month, he still insisted he was straight. According to Stonewall, almost two-thirds of young lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience homophobic bullying in Britain's schools.
ILGA's study of global gay rights shows that, elsewhere, admitting to being gay is still a matter of life and death. In much of Africa, the past decade has seen the lives of gay people go "from bad to worse", the report says. More than 50 per cent of African states have taken action to criminalise homosexuality and religious homophobia is rife. The picture is not much brighter in Asia, where 23 countries have made being gay a crime.
Latin America and the Caribbean are also home to many governments with a similar outlook. In Jamaica, sex with another man is described in the statute book as an "abominable crime".
Widney Brown of Amnesty International lists sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe as the regions which give them the greatest concern for gay rights. Ms Brown also warned against Western nations becoming complacent. "The US is the only country in Nato with a prohibition of being openly gay in the military."
Renato Sabbadini, co-secretary general of ILGA, said: "The unworthiness rests entirely on these states, for theirs is the shame of depriving a significant number of their citizens of dignity, respect and the enjoyment of equal rights."
Unlawfully deported: 'Nothing can make up for what I went through'
A gay asylum-seeker from Uganda has been awarded £100,000 in an unprecedented compensation award from the Home Office after it admitted breaking the law by deporting him and putting his life in danger while his case was still pending.
John Bosco Nyombi, who now has leave to remain in the UK, was beaten and bundled on to a plane to Kampala by security staff working for the Home Office in 2008. The Independent on Sunday reported last year that High Court judges ruled his removal had been "manifestly unlawful", obliging the Home Office to bring him back to Britain. The 39-year-old fled to the UK in 2001, because being gay in Uganda can result in life imprisonment. More than one gay inmate has been killed while serving time in Ugandan prison.
Mr Nyombi had an outstanding application for a judicial review on his case when he was sent back. When he tried to resist the team sent to deport him and asked for a lawyer, the British removal officers allegedly dragged him by handcuffs and hit him in the groin and shoulder.
Within moments of his arrival in Kampala, Mr Nyombi was interrogated by border police. He escaped an initial arrest after paying a bribe and spent six months in hiding, twice getting caught and being put into prison where he was beaten by staff and inmates.
Mr Nyombi, who now lives in Portsmouth where he is a care worker, said: "It's really good news, but sometimes it's not about money. Nothing can make up for what I went through, and, despite everything they have offered, they will still not apologise. They think an apology is money but it's not." He plans to give some of the money to the charities that campaigned to bring him back to Britain.
His solicitor, Shamik Dutta of Fisher Meredith, said: "John Bosco Nyombi is one of many innocent victims who have suffered assault and false imprisonment at the hands of our mismanaged immigration system. The unlawful conduct of the Home Office in this case is a stain on our national reputation."
Emily Dugan
More than 70 countries make being gay a crime
Mostrar mensagens com a etiqueta Homophobia. Mostrar todas as mensagens
Mostrar mensagens com a etiqueta Homophobia. Mostrar todas as mensagens
terça-feira, 3 de agosto de 2010
sexta-feira, 2 de outubro de 2009
The Importance of Teaching Children About Homosexuality
Why We Should Teach Children About Homosexuality?
When people think about children, rarely is their focus on how homophobia can hurt them. Usually it is raised when talking about a gay parent and how they may "impact" their offspring, or how the behavior of gay and lesbian adults will influence them. But even more rarely do people concentrate on how homophobia impacts children, gay and straight alike-which is far worse than anything a child might be exposed to in a gay pride parade or in observing gay relationships.
Studies show, in fact, that developing gay or lesbian adolescents can handle their sexual orientation. What they can't cope with is the homophobic acts and verbal statements they encounter in the media or in their schools, homes or communities. A heterosexual adolescent can no more handle acts of homophobia upon him or her as well.
In this article, I'll first define homophobia and talk about words related to it, then address how we all, straight and gay alike, pay a price for it.
In his 1972 book, Society and the Healthy Homosexual, George Weinberg coined the term homophobia and wrote about how it related to gays and lesbians.. Since then, the word has been examined with a discriminating eye. People claim that it does not apply to them, inasmuch as they aren't afraid, or "phobic," of gays.
Phobia
Phobia is a persistent, abnormal or irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid the feared stimulus.
Homophobia
Homophobia is the feeling(s) of fear, hatred, disgust about attraction or love for members of one's own sex. It is prejudice, based on the belief that lesbians, and gays are immoral, sick, sinful or somehow inferior to heterosexuals. It results in fear of associating with lesbians and gays in close proximity-physically, mentally and/or emotionally-lest one be perceived as lesbian or gay, and fear of venturing beyond "accepted" gender role behavior. (This can be true of gay men as well, though straight men are typically more homophobic.)
Homonegative
Homonegative is the term for those who hold negative beliefs and feelings, but aren't afraid about being perceived as gay to the point that they'll avoid gays and lesbians. These people say things like, "I have gays and lesbians as friends. I just don't agree with their lifestyle." These people are friendly toward gays and lesbians. They can be co-workers, family members and even be gay or lesbian themselves-but still hold negative views about gays and lesbians!.
A client recently told me that his mother is "against my being gay, but loves me anyway." This is a good example of homonegativity.
Homoprejudice
The word homoprejudice means discrimination against gays and lesbians. At a recent talk I gave, a woman told me that she thought I was "promoting the homosexual lifestyle" and telling her to "accept" gays and lesbians. I smiled back nicely and said, "No ma'am, I am asking you not to accept discrimination toward gays and lesbians."
That people would pass laws to prevent gays and lesbians from marrying, making them lose their jobs and/or their housing, are examples of homoprejudice. Most people don't even know that no federal laws prohibit discrimination against gays and lesbians in the workplace-and that you can be fired for simply being gay!
Another example is when Governor Mitt Romney dusted off an old 1913 law making any marriage in Massachusetts void, if that marriage would not be legal in the couple's home state and encouraged his attorney general to enforce it. This prejudicial statute was the same one used to prevent inter-racial marriages. Think of using this same law against other minorities, and it's hard not to see the homoprejudice on Governor Romney's part.
Homo-ignorant
Most people fall into the homo-ignorant category. If you're never exposed to gays and lesbians and have no interaction in the gay community or with gay and lesbian traditions and customs, then you're just not familiar with the culture.
I recall going to college as a freshman and discovering how many people were not familiar with Jews personally, much less Jewish customs. I had to teach my friends what being Jewish was all about-which seemed odd, since I came from the predominately Jewish city of Oak Park, Michigan.
Most gays and lesbians, of course, are not hetero-ignorant. We are forced to interact with both the gay and the straight world. As children, we are forced into playing the heterosexual role and conforming to what's expected of our gender. Later in life we come out and then, as adults, learn to create a seamless flow back and forth, between gay life and straight life.
Warren J. Blumenfeld edited an excellent book called, Homophobia: How We All Pay The Price, in which he writes about how not only gays and lesbians, but heterosexuals suffer from acts of homophobia. Specifically:
1. First, homophobic conditioning compromises people's integrity by pressuring them to treat others badly-actions contrary to their basic humanity. This is where bullying begins, particularly against young boys who might be gay or effeminate ones who don't conform to male stereotypes. Calling other boys "faggot" and "queer" takes the focus off of the bullies.
2. It inhibits the ability to form close, intimate relationships with members of one's own sex, generally restricts communication with a significant portion of the population and, more specifically, limits family relationships. Limited communication contributes to the alarmingly high 30% suicide rate among adolescents who are either gay or lesbian and/or worry they might be. Some minimize this number by saying it's inflated or applies only to gay and lesbian teens, but they should consider numerous teenagers who are sexually abused or do not conform to socially accepted gender roles. These teens worry that they might be gay and in their confusion, also make suicide attempts-and are often successful.
3. Homophobia is used to stigmatize, silence and, on occasion, target people whom OTHERS perceive or define as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, but who are actually heterosexual. It locks all people into rigid gender-based roles, which inhibit creativity and self expression. Many parents are preoccupied with ensuring that their children play with gender-appropriate toys, denying them the right to develop their own interests.
I think the best example of this is our expectation and desire for men to be good fathers. Yet we don't allow little boys to play with dolls, so they do not get practice in nurturing. Later, when they become fathers, we scorn them for not knowing what to do. Meanwhile, girls get permission for lots of practice in handling their doll "babies"-a mixed message that is very hurtful to men.
4. Homophobia is one cause of premature sexual involvement, increasing the chances of teen pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (or STDs). Young people of ALL sexual identities are often pressured to become HETEROSEXUALLY active to prove-to themselves and others-that they are "normal."
5. Societal homophobia keeps some LGBT people from developing an authentic self-identity, adding to the pressure to marry. This in turn places undue stress and often trauma on them, as well as on their children and heterosexual spouses.
People never stop to think of the children who suffer as a result of mixed marriages between a heterosexual and a gay man or lesbian. Society tells us not to live an out and openly gay and then, when we finally can no longer live in the closet, questions them and asks, "Well, why did you get married in the first place?" This is crazy making!
6. Homophobia, combined with fear and revulsion of sex, eliminates discussions about the lives and sexuality of LGBT people as part of school-based sex education, keeping vital information from all students. Such a lack of information can kill people in the age of AIDS. And homophobia (along with racism, sexism, classism, sexphobia) inhibits a unified and effective governmental and societal response to the AIDS pandemic.
As Blumenfeld goes on to say, "The meaning is quite clear. When any group of people is scapegoated, it is ultimately everyone's concern. For today, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are targeted. Tomorrow, they may come for you. Everyone, therefore, has a self interest in actively working to dismantle all the many forms of bigotry, including homophobia."
Blumenfeld believes "that all of us are born into an environment polluted by homophobia (one among many forms of oppression), which falls upon us like acid rain. Some people's spirits are tarnished to the core, others are marred on the surface, but no one is completely protected. Therefore, we all have an opportunity-indeed, the responsibility-to join together to construct protective shelters from bigotry's corrosive effects, while working as allies to clean up the homophobic environment we live in.
Once enough steps are taken to reduce this pollution, we can all breathe a lot easier."
The Importance of Teaching Children About Homosexuality
When people think about children, rarely is their focus on how homophobia can hurt them. Usually it is raised when talking about a gay parent and how they may "impact" their offspring, or how the behavior of gay and lesbian adults will influence them. But even more rarely do people concentrate on how homophobia impacts children, gay and straight alike-which is far worse than anything a child might be exposed to in a gay pride parade or in observing gay relationships.
Studies show, in fact, that developing gay or lesbian adolescents can handle their sexual orientation. What they can't cope with is the homophobic acts and verbal statements they encounter in the media or in their schools, homes or communities. A heterosexual adolescent can no more handle acts of homophobia upon him or her as well.
In this article, I'll first define homophobia and talk about words related to it, then address how we all, straight and gay alike, pay a price for it.
In his 1972 book, Society and the Healthy Homosexual, George Weinberg coined the term homophobia and wrote about how it related to gays and lesbians.. Since then, the word has been examined with a discriminating eye. People claim that it does not apply to them, inasmuch as they aren't afraid, or "phobic," of gays.
Phobia
Phobia is a persistent, abnormal or irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid the feared stimulus.
Homophobia
Homophobia is the feeling(s) of fear, hatred, disgust about attraction or love for members of one's own sex. It is prejudice, based on the belief that lesbians, and gays are immoral, sick, sinful or somehow inferior to heterosexuals. It results in fear of associating with lesbians and gays in close proximity-physically, mentally and/or emotionally-lest one be perceived as lesbian or gay, and fear of venturing beyond "accepted" gender role behavior. (This can be true of gay men as well, though straight men are typically more homophobic.)
Homonegative
Homonegative is the term for those who hold negative beliefs and feelings, but aren't afraid about being perceived as gay to the point that they'll avoid gays and lesbians. These people say things like, "I have gays and lesbians as friends. I just don't agree with their lifestyle." These people are friendly toward gays and lesbians. They can be co-workers, family members and even be gay or lesbian themselves-but still hold negative views about gays and lesbians!.
A client recently told me that his mother is "against my being gay, but loves me anyway." This is a good example of homonegativity.
Homoprejudice
The word homoprejudice means discrimination against gays and lesbians. At a recent talk I gave, a woman told me that she thought I was "promoting the homosexual lifestyle" and telling her to "accept" gays and lesbians. I smiled back nicely and said, "No ma'am, I am asking you not to accept discrimination toward gays and lesbians."
That people would pass laws to prevent gays and lesbians from marrying, making them lose their jobs and/or their housing, are examples of homoprejudice. Most people don't even know that no federal laws prohibit discrimination against gays and lesbians in the workplace-and that you can be fired for simply being gay!
Another example is when Governor Mitt Romney dusted off an old 1913 law making any marriage in Massachusetts void, if that marriage would not be legal in the couple's home state and encouraged his attorney general to enforce it. This prejudicial statute was the same one used to prevent inter-racial marriages. Think of using this same law against other minorities, and it's hard not to see the homoprejudice on Governor Romney's part.
Homo-ignorant
Most people fall into the homo-ignorant category. If you're never exposed to gays and lesbians and have no interaction in the gay community or with gay and lesbian traditions and customs, then you're just not familiar with the culture.
I recall going to college as a freshman and discovering how many people were not familiar with Jews personally, much less Jewish customs. I had to teach my friends what being Jewish was all about-which seemed odd, since I came from the predominately Jewish city of Oak Park, Michigan.
Most gays and lesbians, of course, are not hetero-ignorant. We are forced to interact with both the gay and the straight world. As children, we are forced into playing the heterosexual role and conforming to what's expected of our gender. Later in life we come out and then, as adults, learn to create a seamless flow back and forth, between gay life and straight life.
Warren J. Blumenfeld edited an excellent book called, Homophobia: How We All Pay The Price, in which he writes about how not only gays and lesbians, but heterosexuals suffer from acts of homophobia. Specifically:
1. First, homophobic conditioning compromises people's integrity by pressuring them to treat others badly-actions contrary to their basic humanity. This is where bullying begins, particularly against young boys who might be gay or effeminate ones who don't conform to male stereotypes. Calling other boys "faggot" and "queer" takes the focus off of the bullies.
2. It inhibits the ability to form close, intimate relationships with members of one's own sex, generally restricts communication with a significant portion of the population and, more specifically, limits family relationships. Limited communication contributes to the alarmingly high 30% suicide rate among adolescents who are either gay or lesbian and/or worry they might be. Some minimize this number by saying it's inflated or applies only to gay and lesbian teens, but they should consider numerous teenagers who are sexually abused or do not conform to socially accepted gender roles. These teens worry that they might be gay and in their confusion, also make suicide attempts-and are often successful.
3. Homophobia is used to stigmatize, silence and, on occasion, target people whom OTHERS perceive or define as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, but who are actually heterosexual. It locks all people into rigid gender-based roles, which inhibit creativity and self expression. Many parents are preoccupied with ensuring that their children play with gender-appropriate toys, denying them the right to develop their own interests.
I think the best example of this is our expectation and desire for men to be good fathers. Yet we don't allow little boys to play with dolls, so they do not get practice in nurturing. Later, when they become fathers, we scorn them for not knowing what to do. Meanwhile, girls get permission for lots of practice in handling their doll "babies"-a mixed message that is very hurtful to men.
4. Homophobia is one cause of premature sexual involvement, increasing the chances of teen pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (or STDs). Young people of ALL sexual identities are often pressured to become HETEROSEXUALLY active to prove-to themselves and others-that they are "normal."
5. Societal homophobia keeps some LGBT people from developing an authentic self-identity, adding to the pressure to marry. This in turn places undue stress and often trauma on them, as well as on their children and heterosexual spouses.
People never stop to think of the children who suffer as a result of mixed marriages between a heterosexual and a gay man or lesbian. Society tells us not to live an out and openly gay and then, when we finally can no longer live in the closet, questions them and asks, "Well, why did you get married in the first place?" This is crazy making!
6. Homophobia, combined with fear and revulsion of sex, eliminates discussions about the lives and sexuality of LGBT people as part of school-based sex education, keeping vital information from all students. Such a lack of information can kill people in the age of AIDS. And homophobia (along with racism, sexism, classism, sexphobia) inhibits a unified and effective governmental and societal response to the AIDS pandemic.
As Blumenfeld goes on to say, "The meaning is quite clear. When any group of people is scapegoated, it is ultimately everyone's concern. For today, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are targeted. Tomorrow, they may come for you. Everyone, therefore, has a self interest in actively working to dismantle all the many forms of bigotry, including homophobia."
Blumenfeld believes "that all of us are born into an environment polluted by homophobia (one among many forms of oppression), which falls upon us like acid rain. Some people's spirits are tarnished to the core, others are marred on the surface, but no one is completely protected. Therefore, we all have an opportunity-indeed, the responsibility-to join together to construct protective shelters from bigotry's corrosive effects, while working as allies to clean up the homophobic environment we live in.
Once enough steps are taken to reduce this pollution, we can all breathe a lot easier."
The Importance of Teaching Children About Homosexuality
segunda-feira, 14 de setembro de 2009
Lesbians united: Facing down homophobic bullies
Stonewall's 'Some People Are Gay. Get Over It!' campaign is tackling bigotry in our schools
By Rachel Shields
Some of the UK's most prominent female writers, comedians and presenters, and one MP, are chatting over coffee and biscuits in a smart London bar. The topic of conversation isn't the latest play at the National, the current publishing sensation, or a piece of controversial legislation. No, these women are talking about sexual abuse; about insults scrawled on toilet walls; hate-filled letters published in newspapers; name-calling in the street: in short, about the harassment they have suffered as a result of their sexuality.
Like an estimated 1.8 million women in Britain, Stella Duffy, Rhona Cameron, Amy Lamé, Angela Eagle and Sarah Waters are lesbian or bisexual, and as some of the country's few prominent lesbians, the are fronting the gay rights group Stonewall's latest campaign, entitled: "Some People Are Gay. Get Over It!".
Timed to coincide with the start of the new academic year, the simple slogan was the idea of school pupils and is intended to highlight the problem of homophobic bullying in schools.
Related articles
Editor-At-Large: After Turing, the shameful abuse of gays goes on
"A taster campaign of the billboards saw some defaced with homophobic graffiti – reminding us that prejudice is still very much alive in Britain today," said Stonewall's Ben Summerskill.
This sentiment is backed by recent research by YouGov, which revealed that one in five gay people in the UK has been a victim of hate crime in the past three years. These statistics indicate that, while gay rights in the UK have improved dramatically in the 20 years since Stonewall was founded – decades in which Section 28, the controversial legislation that banned teachers from talking about homosexuality in schools, has been repealed, civil partnerships have been introduced, and the age of consent has been equalised – the struggle to eradicate homophobia from the streets and schools of Britain may not be over yet.
Leading the fight against homophobia...
Stella Duffy
Writer, 46
"I was brought up in a small town in New Zealand, where there wasn't a lot of gay identity being paraded. I would have felt a lot less lonely if there had been. There are about 12 'out' lesbians in the public eye. I think it is less socially acceptable to be a lesbian. In the world of entertainment we've had pop stars like Elton John, Boy George and Will Young as cultural icons, and that helps. Gay men didn't have the problem of invisibility; they had a law against them that gave them something solid to join and unite against. We are still living in a culture that wants women to get married and have babies. They don't know where to put us, especially lesbians who look like me. I haven't been bullied, but I've suffered everything from sexual harassment to other, minor inappropriateness. I went to another civil partnership last week. If these are so great, then we should scrap marriage and everyone should have them. I've been with my partner for 15 years; we had a civil partnership three days after it was legal, but I want to get married."
Angela Eagle
MP, 48
"We fought to equalise the age of consent, to repeal Section 28, but there is still more to do in terms of legislation. We need a law dealing with incitement to homophobic hatred, like the law against incitement to racial hatred. If something leads to violence against people in a certain group, then that shouldn't be tolerated. There is a group in Parliament who'll be hostile to legislative change around the issue of gay rights; around 70 per cent of the Tory Party. You need a progressive majority of MPs to move on. I'm the only lesbian in Parliament. The only 'role model' in terms of sexuality in politics I had is the MP Maureen Colquhoun, outed in a disgusting way by Nigel Dempster in the mid-1970s. She lost her seat at the next election. I got to the stage where I was willing to risk losing my seat if that's what happened. I didn't know what to expect, but luckily I was supported by my then boss, John Prescott. Tony Blair was also extremely supportive. My constituents were fantastic."
Amy Lamé
TV presenter, 38
"I came out in my final year of university, and the bullying was shocking. It was a systematic hate campaign; from horrible letters printed in the school paper to graffiti on toilet walls. My academic work suffered as a result of it. I grew up in a small town in New Jersey – a cross between Essex and Liverpool – an hour out of New York, but it might as well have been a world away. I had no lesbian role models when I was young, and it wasn't until I started reading feminist books as a teenager that I found a channel for my feelings. I know what it is like to be isolated and feel as if you are the only one. I did a series called My Big Gay Prom with gay teenagers, which is one of the things I'm most proud of doing. Things have changed dramatically because people like Stonewall have worked hard to change laws, perceptions and mindsets. Rights and freedoms in the United States now pale in comparison to the UK. I've been in the UK for 17 years and have been with my partner for 15 years, but we couldn't go to live in the US because our civil partnership isn't recognised there."
Rhona Cameron
Comedian and author, 43
"Let's remind ourselves of a few things that have happened in the past year: in Liverpool a young boy was killed for being gay; elsewhere in the UK a man watched his partner stabbed to death and called faggot; and in South Africa a promising young footballer was gang-raped and killed for being a lesbian. The idea that these things aren't going on is just wrong. Statistically, homophobic bullying is still a big problem in schools, and a big factor in teen suicide. I was bullied for a time at school. I lived in fear of people turning up at my house and shouting stuff. Events that happen at school can scar you. I hadn't heard of any lesbians when I was at school; I used to look up 'lesbian' in the dictionary as I didn't know what it meant. It is disappointing that there are so few athletes out. If you are at a rough comprehensive, you're not going to know about some novelist, but you'll know about sports stars and pop stars. There are at least six gay Premier League footballers who are closeted; some of the female sporting legends of all time were, and are, gay."
Sarah Waters
Writer, 43
"Lesbianism is a part of life, but young people who are gay can feel isolated and like freaks. I think it is both easier and harder for young people now. Because of the greater visibility of gay people, they are also more of a target: there is a climate of homophobia that wasn't the case in my day. I don't like the way that the word 'gay' is used as an insult. I use the word 'dyke', though. I feel we have reclaimed it. Offence comes from the way words are used, not the words themselves. We're more protected than ever in law, but now more cultural and social changes are needed. We see far more gay men in the public eye than women. This is partly because gay culture on the whole is more flamboyant and glamorous. For me, as a writer, there are quite a lot of lesbians around. Literature feels like a lesbian-friendly place. I doubt young lesbians look up to people like me, more to people like Beth Ditto; it is healthy and exciting that there are role models like her."
Lesbians united: Facing down homophobic bullies
By Rachel Shields
Some of the UK's most prominent female writers, comedians and presenters, and one MP, are chatting over coffee and biscuits in a smart London bar. The topic of conversation isn't the latest play at the National, the current publishing sensation, or a piece of controversial legislation. No, these women are talking about sexual abuse; about insults scrawled on toilet walls; hate-filled letters published in newspapers; name-calling in the street: in short, about the harassment they have suffered as a result of their sexuality.
Like an estimated 1.8 million women in Britain, Stella Duffy, Rhona Cameron, Amy Lamé, Angela Eagle and Sarah Waters are lesbian or bisexual, and as some of the country's few prominent lesbians, the are fronting the gay rights group Stonewall's latest campaign, entitled: "Some People Are Gay. Get Over It!".
Timed to coincide with the start of the new academic year, the simple slogan was the idea of school pupils and is intended to highlight the problem of homophobic bullying in schools.
Related articles
Editor-At-Large: After Turing, the shameful abuse of gays goes on
"A taster campaign of the billboards saw some defaced with homophobic graffiti – reminding us that prejudice is still very much alive in Britain today," said Stonewall's Ben Summerskill.
This sentiment is backed by recent research by YouGov, which revealed that one in five gay people in the UK has been a victim of hate crime in the past three years. These statistics indicate that, while gay rights in the UK have improved dramatically in the 20 years since Stonewall was founded – decades in which Section 28, the controversial legislation that banned teachers from talking about homosexuality in schools, has been repealed, civil partnerships have been introduced, and the age of consent has been equalised – the struggle to eradicate homophobia from the streets and schools of Britain may not be over yet.
Leading the fight against homophobia...
Stella Duffy
Writer, 46
"I was brought up in a small town in New Zealand, where there wasn't a lot of gay identity being paraded. I would have felt a lot less lonely if there had been. There are about 12 'out' lesbians in the public eye. I think it is less socially acceptable to be a lesbian. In the world of entertainment we've had pop stars like Elton John, Boy George and Will Young as cultural icons, and that helps. Gay men didn't have the problem of invisibility; they had a law against them that gave them something solid to join and unite against. We are still living in a culture that wants women to get married and have babies. They don't know where to put us, especially lesbians who look like me. I haven't been bullied, but I've suffered everything from sexual harassment to other, minor inappropriateness. I went to another civil partnership last week. If these are so great, then we should scrap marriage and everyone should have them. I've been with my partner for 15 years; we had a civil partnership three days after it was legal, but I want to get married."
Angela Eagle
MP, 48
"We fought to equalise the age of consent, to repeal Section 28, but there is still more to do in terms of legislation. We need a law dealing with incitement to homophobic hatred, like the law against incitement to racial hatred. If something leads to violence against people in a certain group, then that shouldn't be tolerated. There is a group in Parliament who'll be hostile to legislative change around the issue of gay rights; around 70 per cent of the Tory Party. You need a progressive majority of MPs to move on. I'm the only lesbian in Parliament. The only 'role model' in terms of sexuality in politics I had is the MP Maureen Colquhoun, outed in a disgusting way by Nigel Dempster in the mid-1970s. She lost her seat at the next election. I got to the stage where I was willing to risk losing my seat if that's what happened. I didn't know what to expect, but luckily I was supported by my then boss, John Prescott. Tony Blair was also extremely supportive. My constituents were fantastic."
Amy Lamé
TV presenter, 38
"I came out in my final year of university, and the bullying was shocking. It was a systematic hate campaign; from horrible letters printed in the school paper to graffiti on toilet walls. My academic work suffered as a result of it. I grew up in a small town in New Jersey – a cross between Essex and Liverpool – an hour out of New York, but it might as well have been a world away. I had no lesbian role models when I was young, and it wasn't until I started reading feminist books as a teenager that I found a channel for my feelings. I know what it is like to be isolated and feel as if you are the only one. I did a series called My Big Gay Prom with gay teenagers, which is one of the things I'm most proud of doing. Things have changed dramatically because people like Stonewall have worked hard to change laws, perceptions and mindsets. Rights and freedoms in the United States now pale in comparison to the UK. I've been in the UK for 17 years and have been with my partner for 15 years, but we couldn't go to live in the US because our civil partnership isn't recognised there."
Rhona Cameron
Comedian and author, 43
"Let's remind ourselves of a few things that have happened in the past year: in Liverpool a young boy was killed for being gay; elsewhere in the UK a man watched his partner stabbed to death and called faggot; and in South Africa a promising young footballer was gang-raped and killed for being a lesbian. The idea that these things aren't going on is just wrong. Statistically, homophobic bullying is still a big problem in schools, and a big factor in teen suicide. I was bullied for a time at school. I lived in fear of people turning up at my house and shouting stuff. Events that happen at school can scar you. I hadn't heard of any lesbians when I was at school; I used to look up 'lesbian' in the dictionary as I didn't know what it meant. It is disappointing that there are so few athletes out. If you are at a rough comprehensive, you're not going to know about some novelist, but you'll know about sports stars and pop stars. There are at least six gay Premier League footballers who are closeted; some of the female sporting legends of all time were, and are, gay."
Sarah Waters
Writer, 43
"Lesbianism is a part of life, but young people who are gay can feel isolated and like freaks. I think it is both easier and harder for young people now. Because of the greater visibility of gay people, they are also more of a target: there is a climate of homophobia that wasn't the case in my day. I don't like the way that the word 'gay' is used as an insult. I use the word 'dyke', though. I feel we have reclaimed it. Offence comes from the way words are used, not the words themselves. We're more protected than ever in law, but now more cultural and social changes are needed. We see far more gay men in the public eye than women. This is partly because gay culture on the whole is more flamboyant and glamorous. For me, as a writer, there are quite a lot of lesbians around. Literature feels like a lesbian-friendly place. I doubt young lesbians look up to people like me, more to people like Beth Ditto; it is healthy and exciting that there are role models like her."
Lesbians united: Facing down homophobic bullies
sexta-feira, 26 de junho de 2009
Gay & Lesbian Information
Am I gay? Are you born gay? Can you stop being gay?
How many gay people are there? Numbers of gay people
Homophobia, prejudice & attitudes to gay men and lesbians
Defining homosexual, gay & lesbian
Coming out - what does it mean to 'come out'?
Gay men, lesbians, sex and relationships
Lesbians, bisexual women and safe sex
Young gay men, HIV & AIDS
Gay at school
Resources for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or unsure
'Young Gay Men Talking' booklet [PDF]
How many gay people are there? Numbers of gay people
Homophobia, prejudice & attitudes to gay men and lesbians
Defining homosexual, gay & lesbian
Coming out - what does it mean to 'come out'?
Gay men, lesbians, sex and relationships
Lesbians, bisexual women and safe sex
Young gay men, HIV & AIDS
Gay at school
Resources for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or unsure
'Young Gay Men Talking' booklet [PDF]
segunda-feira, 22 de junho de 2009
VT program helps students explore gender
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Like plenty of other high school students, a group of about a dozen Vermont teenagers trundled into a youth center one day every week this spring to participate in an after-school program.
But their program was different; it focused on gender.
The nine-week program, partially funded by the Burlington School District, was held at Vermont's Queer Youth Center and called "Gendertopia."
Gay, lesbian and straight students discussed a wide range of topics, from the characters in the book and movie "Twilight," to taking photos around the city that show the different ways gender is portrayed in popular culture.
"Most people come into it thinking, 'Oh, there's two genders and two sexualities' ... ," said David Kingsbury, a 16-year-old junior at Burlington High School who signed up for the program. "People assume it's boy and girl, but it's so much more than that. There's a whole world out there full of different genders."
The program is among the first of its kind to be funded, in part, with tax dollars, said Christopher Neff, the executive director of Outright Vermont, the social service organization running Gendertopia.
Neither the program nor the school district's participation triggered any objection. The tempered reaction locally to the program shows how far Outright Vermont and the issues it raises has moved into the main stream of youth social service organizations.
"It's got queer in its name. It scares the heck out of people. It's so important that people be able to see beyond any concerns or misconceptions that they have," said Eliza Byard, the executive director of the New York-based Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, which has 35 chapters across the country. "Outright Vermont is fulfilling its mission in the most wonderful way."
The program was designed to help young people identify the subtle signals used to express gender and how not being aware of those signals can lower self esteem and possibly lead to an increase in at-risk activities like substance abuse or dropping out of school, Neff said.
"We often see a lot of homophobia or transphobia that happens on the basis of how someone looks," Neff said. "If you are making fun of me because I am wearing a pink shirt and that's sort of expressing my femininity, my feminine side, that translates into homophobia, but it has nothing to do with whether I'm straight or whether I'm dating boys or whether I'm dating girls. It has to do with the fact that I'm wearing a pink shirt."
Neff said the significance of the program is more than the money and the relatively small number of young people who participate.
"It's incredibly symbolic and very powerful," he said. "I was incredibly proud to be associated with them and I thought this partnership, this very unique partnership, between a queer youth center and a school district to run a gender identity based program was a new national model."
Burlington School Superintendent Jeanne Collins said no one has objected to the program.
"The district has been in the forefront on this topic for at least a decade, if not longer," Collins said. "We are very sensitive to celebrating the differences in people and accepting people for who they are and what they bring to the table."
She said a factor that helped keep the program non controversial was that it was voluntary.
"We have very robust after school program," Collins said. "This is one of the options for the students who are interested. They get a lot out of it that will help them be much more inclusive and accepting of differences in their own future, which can only help them be successful."
Steve Cable, of Rutland the founder of Vermont Renewal, an organization that promotes what he calls traditional family values, said he wasn't familiar with "Gendertopia," but he knew Outright Vermont. He said he was supportive of the group's anti-bullying efforts, but not what he said was its focus on adolescent sexuality.
"It just makes me really nervous that sexuality and these very complicated social behaviors are being normalized and talked about with kids who haven't figured out even their life yet," Cable said. "I know that Outright Vermont promotes all gender identities and expression of gender identities, no matter how weird that might be."
In 2000, Vermont was the first state that passed civil unions for same-sex couples and earlier this year was the first to pass gay marriage without being required to do so by the courts. It's also in the forefront with laws to protect gender identity and sexual orientation.
Outright Vermont describes itself as "one of the longest standing queer organizations in Vermont" and the only one focused on young people. Neff said that for years his organization has done anti-bullying presentations related to sexual orientation and gender identity in schools across the state. He said the presentations have been universally well received.
Byard said a number of national organizations have programs for girls that help them deal with the pressures that can lead to eating disorders or pressures that girls feel to be thin or beautiful.
"Now it's only relatively recently that there has been real focus on the damaging effect of these same expectations on young men," Byard said.
About 40 students signed up for the program, Neff said, and about 12 attended the weekly program. Sometimes the group watched a movie or had food. Much of the discussion was led by the students themselves, and it wasn't just for gay and lesbian students.
"I'm straight, but I don't like using that word because then it feels like if you're gay then you're crooked, you're not meant to grow up in a certain way," Sophia Manzi, 15, a Burlington high school freshman, said during this year's final "Gendertopia" meeting. "I come because it's a really good program. The people, it doesn't matter what sexual orientation you are, they totally come in with open arms."
Neff said "Gendertopia" wasn't about sexuality or who people are attracted to.
"We're really clear that gender and gender identify is separate from sexual orientation," Neff said. "Hugh Grant and Russell Crowe have the same sex, they're both male and they're both heterosexual. But they have very different gender presentations. One is sort of seen as much more masculine than the other."
Burlington High School After school Coordinator Amy Mills said no decision had been made yet on whether to run Gendertopia again in the fall, but she'd like to.
"I think it worked well," Mills said. "They seem to have a lot of fun."
VT program helps students explore gender
But their program was different; it focused on gender.
The nine-week program, partially funded by the Burlington School District, was held at Vermont's Queer Youth Center and called "Gendertopia."
Gay, lesbian and straight students discussed a wide range of topics, from the characters in the book and movie "Twilight," to taking photos around the city that show the different ways gender is portrayed in popular culture.
"Most people come into it thinking, 'Oh, there's two genders and two sexualities' ... ," said David Kingsbury, a 16-year-old junior at Burlington High School who signed up for the program. "People assume it's boy and girl, but it's so much more than that. There's a whole world out there full of different genders."
The program is among the first of its kind to be funded, in part, with tax dollars, said Christopher Neff, the executive director of Outright Vermont, the social service organization running Gendertopia.
Neither the program nor the school district's participation triggered any objection. The tempered reaction locally to the program shows how far Outright Vermont and the issues it raises has moved into the main stream of youth social service organizations.
"It's got queer in its name. It scares the heck out of people. It's so important that people be able to see beyond any concerns or misconceptions that they have," said Eliza Byard, the executive director of the New York-based Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, which has 35 chapters across the country. "Outright Vermont is fulfilling its mission in the most wonderful way."
The program was designed to help young people identify the subtle signals used to express gender and how not being aware of those signals can lower self esteem and possibly lead to an increase in at-risk activities like substance abuse or dropping out of school, Neff said.
"We often see a lot of homophobia or transphobia that happens on the basis of how someone looks," Neff said. "If you are making fun of me because I am wearing a pink shirt and that's sort of expressing my femininity, my feminine side, that translates into homophobia, but it has nothing to do with whether I'm straight or whether I'm dating boys or whether I'm dating girls. It has to do with the fact that I'm wearing a pink shirt."
Neff said the significance of the program is more than the money and the relatively small number of young people who participate.
"It's incredibly symbolic and very powerful," he said. "I was incredibly proud to be associated with them and I thought this partnership, this very unique partnership, between a queer youth center and a school district to run a gender identity based program was a new national model."
Burlington School Superintendent Jeanne Collins said no one has objected to the program.
"The district has been in the forefront on this topic for at least a decade, if not longer," Collins said. "We are very sensitive to celebrating the differences in people and accepting people for who they are and what they bring to the table."
She said a factor that helped keep the program non controversial was that it was voluntary.
"We have very robust after school program," Collins said. "This is one of the options for the students who are interested. They get a lot out of it that will help them be much more inclusive and accepting of differences in their own future, which can only help them be successful."
Steve Cable, of Rutland the founder of Vermont Renewal, an organization that promotes what he calls traditional family values, said he wasn't familiar with "Gendertopia," but he knew Outright Vermont. He said he was supportive of the group's anti-bullying efforts, but not what he said was its focus on adolescent sexuality.
"It just makes me really nervous that sexuality and these very complicated social behaviors are being normalized and talked about with kids who haven't figured out even their life yet," Cable said. "I know that Outright Vermont promotes all gender identities and expression of gender identities, no matter how weird that might be."
In 2000, Vermont was the first state that passed civil unions for same-sex couples and earlier this year was the first to pass gay marriage without being required to do so by the courts. It's also in the forefront with laws to protect gender identity and sexual orientation.
Outright Vermont describes itself as "one of the longest standing queer organizations in Vermont" and the only one focused on young people. Neff said that for years his organization has done anti-bullying presentations related to sexual orientation and gender identity in schools across the state. He said the presentations have been universally well received.
Byard said a number of national organizations have programs for girls that help them deal with the pressures that can lead to eating disorders or pressures that girls feel to be thin or beautiful.
"Now it's only relatively recently that there has been real focus on the damaging effect of these same expectations on young men," Byard said.
About 40 students signed up for the program, Neff said, and about 12 attended the weekly program. Sometimes the group watched a movie or had food. Much of the discussion was led by the students themselves, and it wasn't just for gay and lesbian students.
"I'm straight, but I don't like using that word because then it feels like if you're gay then you're crooked, you're not meant to grow up in a certain way," Sophia Manzi, 15, a Burlington high school freshman, said during this year's final "Gendertopia" meeting. "I come because it's a really good program. The people, it doesn't matter what sexual orientation you are, they totally come in with open arms."
Neff said "Gendertopia" wasn't about sexuality or who people are attracted to.
"We're really clear that gender and gender identify is separate from sexual orientation," Neff said. "Hugh Grant and Russell Crowe have the same sex, they're both male and they're both heterosexual. But they have very different gender presentations. One is sort of seen as much more masculine than the other."
Burlington High School After school Coordinator Amy Mills said no decision had been made yet on whether to run Gendertopia again in the fall, but she'd like to.
"I think it worked well," Mills said. "They seem to have a lot of fun."
VT program helps students explore gender
domingo, 21 de junho de 2009
Sacked gay referee fights to get his job back
A 33-year-old Turkish football referee who was sacked for being gay has said he will take his fight to the European Court of Human Rights.
Halil Ibrahim Dincdag, who is from Trazbon, in the Black Sea coast area of the country, was sacked as a referee after announcing last month on television that he was gay.
Speaking on a Turkish football show on Kanalturk on Saturday, Dincag said he would continue to fight the legal battle against his dismissal.
The Turkish Football Federation revoked Dincdag's refereeing license on the grounds that, as homosexuals are declared 'unfit' for compulsory national military service, Dincdag would also be physically unfit to referee sporting events. Unlike other predominantly Muslim countries, being gay in Turkey is not illegal.
Dincdag told AFP: “I have not committed a crime, I have not defamed my profession. I’m only a homosexual.”
Dincdag was speaking from Istanbul, where he has gone in “self-exile” since coming out. “Since then, my life has turned into hell. I have inadvertently become a standard-bearer of the homosexual struggle,” he said.
The “homosexual struggle” in Turkey has arguably improved in recent years, due to the country's bid to join the European Union. Ali Erol, a senior member of the Turkish gay and lesbian right group KAOS-GL said the bid has "contributed to a better understanding of homosexuals" in the country.
However, the 2008 Amnesty International annual report said of Turkey: “Laws continued to be interpreted in ways that discriminated against people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.” It cited several examples of anti-gay incidents.
During his recent appearance on Kanalturk, Dincdag said he still had the support of his family, including his brother who is an imam.
Dincdag appealed to colleagues and other Turkish people who have experienced discrimination, saying: "Please stand tall against the unfairness against you. Whenever something wrong is happening, say that it is wrong. Say what is right for you."
Retirado de pinknews
artigo yahoo
segunda-feira, 25 de maio de 2009
terça-feira, 19 de maio de 2009
The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia
"
The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) was marked in more than 50 countries yesterday, May 17th 2009.
IDAHO seeks to raise awareness of gay and lesbian issues, celebrate sexual and gender diversity, and bring an end to homophobia around the world. The theme this year was ‘homosexuality knows no borders’.
IDAHO occurs every year on May 17th because on this date in 1990 the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses.
Events were held around the world including in Sydney where Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) held a rally aptly beneath the ‘I have a dream’ mural in Newtown. The main aims of the rally were to call for the legalisation of same sex marriage in Australia, highlight the need to tackle transphobia and continue working towards an end to homophobia globally.
"
Retirado de
pinknews IDAHO
Sidney IDAHO - 2008
Cuba
euronews nocomment
The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) was marked in more than 50 countries yesterday, May 17th 2009.
IDAHO seeks to raise awareness of gay and lesbian issues, celebrate sexual and gender diversity, and bring an end to homophobia around the world. The theme this year was ‘homosexuality knows no borders’.
IDAHO occurs every year on May 17th because on this date in 1990 the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses.
Events were held around the world including in Sydney where Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) held a rally aptly beneath the ‘I have a dream’ mural in Newtown. The main aims of the rally were to call for the legalisation of same sex marriage in Australia, highlight the need to tackle transphobia and continue working towards an end to homophobia globally.
"
Retirado de
pinknews IDAHO
Sidney IDAHO - 2008
Cuba
euronews nocomment
sábado, 9 de maio de 2009
'Gay man' disinterred in Senegal
The body of a man believed to be homosexual has twice been dug up from a Muslim cemetery in Senegal.
The man, in his 30s, was first buried on Saturday before residents of the western town of Thies dug up his body and left it near his grave, police say.
His family then reburied him, but he was once more exhumed by people who did not want him buried there. His body was dumped outside the family house.
Senegal outlaws homosexual acts but there is a tradition of effeminate men.
A police officer told the AFP news agency that the body was eventually buried away from the cemetery.
The state-owned Le Soleil newspaper reports that it was buried within the grounds of the family home.
"Goor-jiggen" (men-women) dress up as women, socialise with females and have long been tolerated in Senegal, a majority Muslim country. However, attitudes seem to be changing.
The AFP news agency reports that local imams, as well as some newspapers and radio stations, have denounced homosexuals after an appeals court last month overturned the conviction of nine people for homosexual acts.
They had been sentenced to eight years in jail after being found guilty of "indecent conduct and unnatural acts".
The men, who were part of an HIV/Aids group, were arrested in December at a flat in a suburb of the capital, Dakar.
In February 2008, the editor of a magazine in Senegal received death threats after publishing pictures claiming to depict a wedding ceremony between two men.
'Gay man' disinterred in Senegal
The man, in his 30s, was first buried on Saturday before residents of the western town of Thies dug up his body and left it near his grave, police say.
His family then reburied him, but he was once more exhumed by people who did not want him buried there. His body was dumped outside the family house.
Senegal outlaws homosexual acts but there is a tradition of effeminate men.
A police officer told the AFP news agency that the body was eventually buried away from the cemetery.
The state-owned Le Soleil newspaper reports that it was buried within the grounds of the family home.
"Goor-jiggen" (men-women) dress up as women, socialise with females and have long been tolerated in Senegal, a majority Muslim country. However, attitudes seem to be changing.
The AFP news agency reports that local imams, as well as some newspapers and radio stations, have denounced homosexuals after an appeals court last month overturned the conviction of nine people for homosexual acts.
They had been sentenced to eight years in jail after being found guilty of "indecent conduct and unnatural acts".
The men, who were part of an HIV/Aids group, were arrested in December at a flat in a suburb of the capital, Dakar.
In February 2008, the editor of a magazine in Senegal received death threats after publishing pictures claiming to depict a wedding ceremony between two men.
'Gay man' disinterred in Senegal
Murders of Gay People in Just ONE YEAR After Matthew Shepard
The world is dangerouss for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and
trans-gendered people. Please take appropriate precautions and fight
against the hatred!
The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs lists the victims as:
Rita Hester, Boston, MA - November 28, 1998 - Stabbed multiple times
Clay Jacquin, Detroit, MI - December 13, 1998 - Beaten to death
Harold Jack Eisenhuth II, Eldora, CO - January 9, 1999 - Bludgeoned to death with a hammer
Lauryn Paige (Donald Scott Fuller), Austin, TX - Stabbed multiple times in the head and torso
Steve Dwayne Garica, Houston, TX - February 6, 1999 - Shot to death
Billy Jack Gaither, Sylacauga, AL - February 19, 1999 - Throat slashed, head fractured with an ax handle, body burned on a pile of kerosene-soaked tires
Alden Hill, Lansing, MI - February 21, 1999 - Died of gunshots to head and chest
Unknown Male-to-Female Transgender, Houston, TX - February 25, 1999 - shot to death
Tracy Thompson (AKA Tracy Turner, Billy Joe Turner), Cordele GA - March 30, 1999 - Struck in the head with a baseball bat
Paul Meroski, San Juan, PR - April, 1999 - Multiple stab wounds in the head, inflicted with an ice pick
Murders of Gay People in Just ONE YEAR After Matthew Shepard
trans-gendered people. Please take appropriate precautions and fight
against the hatred!
The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs lists the victims as:
Rita Hester, Boston, MA - November 28, 1998 - Stabbed multiple times
Clay Jacquin, Detroit, MI - December 13, 1998 - Beaten to death
Harold Jack Eisenhuth II, Eldora, CO - January 9, 1999 - Bludgeoned to death with a hammer
Lauryn Paige (Donald Scott Fuller), Austin, TX - Stabbed multiple times in the head and torso
Steve Dwayne Garica, Houston, TX - February 6, 1999 - Shot to death
Billy Jack Gaither, Sylacauga, AL - February 19, 1999 - Throat slashed, head fractured with an ax handle, body burned on a pile of kerosene-soaked tires
Alden Hill, Lansing, MI - February 21, 1999 - Died of gunshots to head and chest
Unknown Male-to-Female Transgender, Houston, TX - February 25, 1999 - shot to death
Tracy Thompson (AKA Tracy Turner, Billy Joe Turner), Cordele GA - March 30, 1999 - Struck in the head with a baseball bat
Paul Meroski, San Juan, PR - April, 1999 - Multiple stab wounds in the head, inflicted with an ice pick
Murders of Gay People in Just ONE YEAR After Matthew Shepard
Subscrever:
Comentários (Atom)