homosexuality

A far from Catholic calendar

Sophie Team Observers — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:21:15 +0100

A Madrilenian LGBT group has just published what it describes as a "non-religious" calendar. Quite. The images enclosed have caused something of a controversy in Spain, where 79% of the population consider themselves Catholic.

The church and its whimpering disciples have labelled the pictures "christophobic" and a direct attack on the institution. Mission accomplished for Cogam, the group behind the calendar, who knowingly brought attention to themselves by calling the calendar non-religious - a dirty word for some in Spain. It's not surprising that an image of the Virgin Mary posed by a transsexual didn't go down too well either.

Right-wing online forum "Forum Libertas" asked "Would this happen to Buddha or Mohammed? With this supposedly non-religious calendar, Cogam is aiming straight for the Catholic Church, its only goal to ridicule the most practised religion in Spain." Another conservative blog, Religión en Libertad, went even further by demanding an immediate cut to state funding for the homosexual community in Madrid.

Time Out upsets both Muslim and LGBT communities

Sophie Team Observers — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:25:19 +0200

A cover from Israel's Time Out magazine, showcased at last week's Gay Pride parade, has caused quite a scandal. The image is a photograph, taken from behind, of Muslims kneeling to pray, along with the title "You see here a threat, we see here an opportunity" (we decided not to publish it, you can see it here). Have they gone a step too far?

The editors of Time Out reckoned they'd come up with a pretty funny title for this year's Gay Pride, held last Friday in Tel Aviv. Not everybody, however, was amused. Numerous Israeli and Palestinian associations have signed an open letter to the magazine, branding the title both racist and homophobic. They focus on the word "opportunity":

"Opportunities of what, we ask? ‘To f*** Islam'? ‘To f*** Muslims'? Is it because ‘they are a threat'? Or they are ‘exotic'? Is this an opportunity to ‘f***' the ‘enemy' and stab them in the back as they pray? Is anyone who turns their back an ‘opportunity' for rape?"

The magazine responded with an apology to "anyone who feels offended". Editor Itay Valdman explained to The Observers that the objective was "to mock and ridicule the unfortunately, widely held views of ‘Islamophobia' and ‘homophobia'. Obviously, we do not hate Muslims nor do we hate homosexuals. We simply love a good laugh, and we are surprised to learn that what raises our smile angers others".

Gay teenagers, hold your tongue

Team Observers — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:14:24 +0200

Posted on Flickr by "The current".

Eight thousand schools in the US held a national "day of silence" on Friday. The unspoken message: stop the bullying of gay and lesbian pupils.

The event, now in its fourteenth year, is organised by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. Sick of being silenced by homophobic bullies, gay students and those supporting their freedom of expression held a united silence for a day.

This year's event gained extra attention after the death of 11-year-old Carl Walker-Hoover just days before. His family says he hanged himself because of taunts that he was gay.

Morocco’s gays come out of the shadows

Sophie Team Observers — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:46:49 +0100

Going against the advice of the authorities, a Moroccan association is organising a conference on homosexuality in Marrakesh.

Moroccan society might be on the move, but the government is finding it hard to follow. In February a French feminist NGO called Ni Putes Ni Soumises (Neither Whores Nor Submissive) was banned from setting up a branch in the country, causing outrage amongst activists. Today, it's a homosexual association that's in trouble. Members of "Kifkif" (which literally means "same same" in both Arabic and in French slang), are attempting to get homosexuality recognised in Moroccan society. The organisation, based in Spain, is planning a conference in Marrakesh on April 15. In response, the minister of the interior has sworn to fight all acts which "aim to undermine our religious and moral values", adding that the authorities and the police will be on watch to repress any "demonstration of an immoral nature".

Kifkif however plans to go ahead with the conference... even if it has to take place behind closed doors.

UPDATE (27 March 09 - 4pm Paris time): The Kifkif website has been hacked. The homepage has been replaced by verses from the Koran, accompanied with a photo of a mass hanging. The message in Arabic: "Do this kind of thing and expect to be castigated by god".

Being gay no longer a 'mental illness'

Sophie Team Observers — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:33:45 +0100

Image: Sina.com

Gay and lesbian activists from Beijing got together on Valentines Day for a mass pretend wedding. The police didn't disturb the festivities - a sign that Chinese society, however conservative, is beginning to tolerate its gay community.

Until 2001 homosexuality was classed as a mental illness in China. But while the 30 million gays living there are largely tolerated, same-sex relationships are still a taboo subject. Our Observer Zhang Zi took part in the first-of-its-kind ceremony on the 14th, which, surprisingly, even made it into the news.

Gay marriage outlawed anew in California. Are Mormons to blame?

Sophie Team Observers — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:47:28 +0100

Why do you get ten wives and I can't even have one? Protest outside a Mormon temple on Santa Monica Blvd, LA. Posted on Flickr by Evan Jacobs 6 November 08.

Since same-sex marriage was banned in California last Tuesday, gay activists have rallied against the vote with daily protests, blaming the Mormon Church for swaying the electorate with a cash-crammed campaign. One blogger is calling for a "boycott of the State of Utah" and all business owners who donated to the cause.

On the same day that the first ever black American was elected to the White House, gay couples were banned from getting married in California. Since May this year, gay Californian couples had been enjoying the same rights as heterosexual couples, but in a poll on Tuesday, just over half of the state (52.5%) voted to take them away. Coming from the country's most liberal state, which is considered a groundbreaker on the matter, the decision came as a shock. So shocking in fact, that even Republican state governor Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke out against it on Sunday, encouraging gay rights activists "not to give up". MSNBC's comic presenter Keith Olbermann also condemned the decision, calling it "horrible". On Monday, 43 Democrat legislators went even further by signing a petition urging the Supreme Court to void Prop 8.

Meanwhile, gay rights activists have been protesting daily from Sacramento to San Diego, targeting in particular the Mormon Church (LDS), which poured over $15m into the ProtectMarriage campaign according to the Mormons for Proposition 8 website, which lists donors and amounts given.

Protestors chant "shame on you" outside a Mormon Temple in Westwood, Los Angeles. Posted by "Jaromellz" 8 Nov. 08.

Demonstrators marched to and from a Mormon temple in Silverlake, LA on Saturday. Posted by "wojo4hitz" 10 Nov. 08.

Could a French policy lead to a ban on gay marriage in California?

Sophie Team Observers — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:38:57 +0100

A group of Californian campaigners is using France as a model society when it comes to the evolution of the family. Their aim: to get gay marriage banned in a referendum today. And yet, it seems that they misinterpreted the findings of a French report.

The day America decides on a new president, California also votes on whether or not to ban same-sex marriage, which was made legal by the Supreme Court in the state last May. The amendment, named Proposition 8, would revert the legal definition of marriage to the civil union of two people of opposite sex. The question is being put to the state through a referendum. If it's successful, the step back would be a crushing blow to gay rights defenders, who hoped the state would act as a model for others.

Almost $70 million dollars has been spent by camps on the two sides. But on the "pro-family" side, the argument put forward by a campaign called Protect Marriage appears to be misguided. In a video arguing for the American family to remain "mummy and daddy" orientated, the narrator refers to a report made by French minister Valérie Pécresse in 2006. The report concluded that the right wing French government didn't want same-sex couples to parent children. However, it did not rule out gay marriage. In fact, gay and lesbian groups considered it a move in the right direction. But the Californian campaign fails to mention this, elevating France to a model society where gay marriage is out of the question.

UPDATE (6 Nov. 08 10am): Proposition 8 was passed after 52% of voters supported the ban on same-sex message. As a result, over a thousand gay-rights activists demonstrated in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

Video by "Protect Marriage".

Anti-gay ad?

Sophie Team Observers — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:54:20 +0200

UPDATE (30 July 08 - 4.30pm): Mars has announced the advert has been withdrawn from British television. Until now it has only been shown on UK TV and not broadcast in the US except for at the Superbowl. The UK's Advertising Standards Authority only received two complaints about it, but the ad was pulled anyway because of controversy in the US.

One of our Observers in Washington, blogger John Avarosis has alerted us to a seemingly homophobic advert from chocolate bar brand Snickers. This is the second time in 18 months that Snickers, who was forced to withdraw a gay-offensive ad last February, has faced criticism for homophobic advertising.

Released 10 July 08.

Snickers was originally in trouble for an advert that saw two mechanics accidentally kissing and being so revolted that they resorted to violent acts including drinking motor oil and attacking each other with a wrench. The campaign also featured famous baseball players grimacing at the kiss. With the ad aired at the Superbowl at the beginning of last year, Snickers set up a website where viewers could ‘pick the best ending'. This, along with the television campaign, was quickly withdrawn after gay and lesbian rights groups complained to the product's owners, Mars Masterfoods.

The advert was removed two days after being shown at the Superbowl, 3 February 08.

"I find gay marriage bizarre"

Sophie Team Observers — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:34:43 +0200

Photo: Gino Ginelli on Flickr

On June 16, California became the second American state to give the green light to gay marriage. We asked our Observers, from China to Ghana, if there's a chance of seeing the same thing happen in their own countries.

“Homophobic racist” looks hopeful as new London mayor

Julien — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:07:30 +0200

Image from voteforboris.co.uk (Ken Livingstone, left, Boris Johnson, right)

Londoners decide on a mayor for the capital today in the four-yearly local elections, and leading the polls is Conservative candidate Boris Johnson. This is the man quoted as saying "Out of my way, small car driven by ordinary person on modest income. Make way for the Nissan Murano!"

London residents are fed up with incumbent mayor, Labour MP Ken Livingstone, who has been running the city for eight years now. Opposing candidate and Tory Boris Johnson, however, seems like a dubious contender for the post. Calling Ugandans "picaninnies", George Bush "liberator of Iraq" and that for obese people it's "their own fat fault", London's left-wingers are anxious about seeing the blonde bombshell in charge of a budget of £11.3bn (€14.5bn) and a city of 7.5 million multicultural residents.