WATCH: ABC News Looks Back at One Big Gay Year
By Lucas Grindley Dec. 31, 2013, 4:25 p.m.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
Facebook blocks for the photo of two men kissing
[Sorce]
Facebook blocks more than 100 users for posting photo of two men kissing
Facebook has been accused of blocking scores of users from posting an innocuous image of two men kissing because it “violates” the social networking platform’s “community standards”.
According to the administrators of the Have A Gay Day page, more than 100 users have been blocked from logging into Facebook and banned from posting photos for up to 30 days.
In a statement, Have A Gay Day said: “The only thing visible was lips touching”. The photo has been posted numerous times in the past without problems.
The caption ironically read: “Did this picture offend you? Did you ever think, maybe your opinion is offensive?”.
This is the message that the Facebook page administrators say that they were sent:-
In January 2013, Facebook apologised for deeming that a photograph of a mixed-race gay couple was “offensive”.
Murray Lipp, the manager of the Facebook page for Gay Marriage USA, was told that he would be banned from posting content on the Gay Marriage USA page for a week after violating Facebook’s “policies and community standards”.
The social networking platform eventually reversed the decision.
PinkNews has approached Facebook for comment regarding its decision to ban users on the Have A Gay Day page.
Facebook blocks more than 100 users for posting photo of two men kissing
 |
| Banned by Facebook |
According to the administrators of the Have A Gay Day page, more than 100 users have been blocked from logging into Facebook and banned from posting photos for up to 30 days.
In a statement, Have A Gay Day said: “The only thing visible was lips touching”. The photo has been posted numerous times in the past without problems.
The caption ironically read: “Did this picture offend you? Did you ever think, maybe your opinion is offensive?”.
This is the message that the Facebook page administrators say that they were sent:-
In January 2013, Facebook apologised for deeming that a photograph of a mixed-race gay couple was “offensive”.
Murray Lipp, the manager of the Facebook page for Gay Marriage USA, was told that he would be banned from posting content on the Gay Marriage USA page for a week after violating Facebook’s “policies and community standards”.
The social networking platform eventually reversed the decision.
PinkNews has approached Facebook for comment regarding its decision to ban users on the Have A Gay Day page.
Thursday, 22 August 2013
Actor Wentworth Miller says he's gay, turns down Russian festival invite
[Source]
Actor Wentworth Miller says he's gay, turns down Russian festival invite
LOS ANGELES | Thu Aug 22, 2013 3:43am BST
(Reuters) - Actor and screenwriter Wentworth Miller, best known for his leading role in Fox television drama "Prison Break," came out as a gay man on Wednesday in a letter declining an invitation to attend a Russian film festival in light of Moscow's recently adopted anti-gay laws.
Miller, 41, turned down an offer to attend the St. Petersburg International Film Festival as a "guest of honour" in a letter posted on the website of advocacy group GLAAD, which monitors media representation of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people and issues.
"Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes. However, as a gay man, I must decline," Miller wrote to festival director Maria Averbakh.
Miller wrote that he was "deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government," and did not want attend a festival in a country where "people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly."
Russia's parliament banned the spread of gay "propaganda" among minors in a law passed in June, which includes imposing fines on those holding gay pride rallies, has attracted international condemnation.
Miller, who played incarcerated structural engineer Michael Scofield in Fox's "Prison Break" from 2005 to 2009, has recently turned his hand at screenwriting, penning the script for this year's dark thriller "Stoker," starring Nicole Kidman.
Miller's letter comes after Bravo channel host and executive producer Andy Cohen told E! News last week that he would not be co-hosting Donald Trump's Miss Universe pageant this year in Moscow because he "didn't feel right as a gay man stepping foot into Russia."
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Eric Walsh)
Actor Wentworth Miller says he's gay, turns down Russian festival invite
 |
| Actor Wentworth Miller attends the 2007 Producers Guild Awards held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles, California, January 20, 2007. |
(Reuters) - Actor and screenwriter Wentworth Miller, best known for his leading role in Fox television drama "Prison Break," came out as a gay man on Wednesday in a letter declining an invitation to attend a Russian film festival in light of Moscow's recently adopted anti-gay laws.
Miller, 41, turned down an offer to attend the St. Petersburg International Film Festival as a "guest of honour" in a letter posted on the website of advocacy group GLAAD, which monitors media representation of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people and issues.
"Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes. However, as a gay man, I must decline," Miller wrote to festival director Maria Averbakh.
Miller wrote that he was "deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government," and did not want attend a festival in a country where "people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly."
Russia's parliament banned the spread of gay "propaganda" among minors in a law passed in June, which includes imposing fines on those holding gay pride rallies, has attracted international condemnation.
Miller, who played incarcerated structural engineer Michael Scofield in Fox's "Prison Break" from 2005 to 2009, has recently turned his hand at screenwriting, penning the script for this year's dark thriller "Stoker," starring Nicole Kidman.
Miller's letter comes after Bravo channel host and executive producer Andy Cohen told E! News last week that he would not be co-hosting Donald Trump's Miss Universe pageant this year in Moscow because he "didn't feel right as a gay man stepping foot into Russia."
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Eric Walsh)
Wentworth Miller Comes Out: 'Prison Break' Star Reveals He's Gay
[Source]
Wentworth Miller Comes Out: 'Prison Break' Star Reveals He's Gay
Posted: 08/21/2013 6:33 pm EDT | Updated: 08/22/2013 1:33 am EDT
Wentworth Miller is the latest celebrity to reveal he's gay.
After being invited to attend the St. Petersburg International Film Festival in Russia, the "Prison Break" star decided it was time to go public with his sexual orientation.
"Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes," the 41-year-old wrote in a letter to the festival's director, which was posted on GLAAD's website. "However, as a gay man, I must decline."
The actor went on to explain:
The actor concluded his letter by stating, "Perhaps, when and if circumstances improve, I'll be free to make a different choice."
In a statement, GLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz praised Miller's decision to come out, noting that the actor's "bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians," telling them they are not alone.
"As people from across the globe continue to speak out against this horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia's anti-LGBT law," he said.
Wentworth Miller Comes Out: 'Prison Break' Star Reveals He's Gay
Posted: 08/21/2013 6:33 pm EDT | Updated: 08/22/2013 1:33 am EDT
Wentworth Miller is the latest celebrity to reveal he's gay.
After being invited to attend the St. Petersburg International Film Festival in Russia, the "Prison Break" star decided it was time to go public with his sexual orientation.
"Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes," the 41-year-old wrote in a letter to the festival's director, which was posted on GLAAD's website. "However, as a gay man, I must decline."
The actor went on to explain:
I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government. The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.Miller is of course referring to Russia's new anti-gay laws, which are a ban on "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" as part of an effort to promote traditional Russian values over Western liberalism, and prohibit the adoption of Russian-born children to national and international same-sex couples.
The actor concluded his letter by stating, "Perhaps, when and if circumstances improve, I'll be free to make a different choice."
In a statement, GLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz praised Miller's decision to come out, noting that the actor's "bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians," telling them they are not alone.
"As people from across the globe continue to speak out against this horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia's anti-LGBT law," he said.
Wentworth Miller reveals that he's gay
[Source]
Wentworth Miller reveals that he's gay
Trey Barrineau, USA TODAY 1:12 a.m. EDT August 22, 2013
He made the revelation in a letter declining an invitation to a film festival in Russia.
Prison Break star Wentworth Miller has declined an invitation to the St. Petersburg International Film Festival saying that as a gay man he disapproves of the Russian government's crackdown on homosexuals.
Miller had been invited to appear as a guest of honor at the festival. "As a gay man, I must decline, he said.
The actor, 41, whose sexual orientation has been the subject of speculation in the past, came out in a letter he sent on Wednesday to festival organizers.
Wentworth's letter, which is posted on GLAAD's website, thanks festival organizers for an invitation but states "I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government."
"Wentworth's bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians, who are facing extreme violence and persecution: you are not alone," said a statement from GLAAD representative Wilson Cruz, who is also an actor (My So-Called Life).
Miller's announcement comes amid international condemnation of Russia's recent crackdown on homosexuals. Stringent new laws prescribe fines for people accused of spreading "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" to minors. Gay pride rallies are banned, as is the adoption of Russian-born children by same-sex couples. And foreign visitors suspected of being gay can now be detained for up to 15 days, which has raised concerns worldwide as Russia prepares to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Wentworth Miller reveals that he's gay
Trey Barrineau, USA TODAY 1:12 a.m. EDT August 22, 2013
He made the revelation in a letter declining an invitation to a film festival in Russia.
 |
Actor Wentworth Miller comes out
as gay in an open letter to the St. Petersburg Film Festival. (Photo: Jon Kopaloff, FilmMagic) |
Miller had been invited to appear as a guest of honor at the festival. "As a gay man, I must decline, he said.
The actor, 41, whose sexual orientation has been the subject of speculation in the past, came out in a letter he sent on Wednesday to festival organizers.
Wentworth's letter, which is posted on GLAAD's website, thanks festival organizers for an invitation but states "I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government."
"Wentworth's bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians, who are facing extreme violence and persecution: you are not alone," said a statement from GLAAD representative Wilson Cruz, who is also an actor (My So-Called Life).
Miller's announcement comes amid international condemnation of Russia's recent crackdown on homosexuals. Stringent new laws prescribe fines for people accused of spreading "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" to minors. Gay pride rallies are banned, as is the adoption of Russian-born children by same-sex couples. And foreign visitors suspected of being gay can now be detained for up to 15 days, which has raised concerns worldwide as Russia prepares to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
Wentworth Miller Comes Out as Gay
[Source]
Wentworth Miller Comes Out as Gay
By Dahvi Shira
08/21/2013 at 06:50 PM EDT
Wentworth Miller has come out.
The former Prison Break star, 41, went public with the news in a letter to Petersburg International Film Festival director Maria Averbakh, who had invited him to attend.
According to the message, which was posted on GLAAD's website Wednesday, Miller thanked Averbakh for the "kind invitation" but turned it down because, "As a gay man … I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government."
Added the actor: "The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly. … If circumstances improve, I'll be free to make a different choice."
Miller's words refer to recent anti-LGBT legislation passed by the country. Signed by President Vladimir Putin in June, the law bans the "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" and imposes hefty fines for providing information about the gay community to minors or holding gay pride rallies, the Associated Press reports.
There also is concern about a long-running problem of violence against gays in Russia, as well as a new law restricting adoptions of Russian children by people in countries allowing same-sex marriage.
E! News was first to report the posting of Miller's letter.
Wentworth Miller Comes Out as Gay
By Dahvi Shira
08/21/2013 at 06:50 PM EDT
 |
Wentworth Miller
Shizuo Kambayashi/AP
|
The former Prison Break star, 41, went public with the news in a letter to Petersburg International Film Festival director Maria Averbakh, who had invited him to attend.
According to the message, which was posted on GLAAD's website Wednesday, Miller thanked Averbakh for the "kind invitation" but turned it down because, "As a gay man … I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government."
Added the actor: "The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly. … If circumstances improve, I'll be free to make a different choice."
Miller's words refer to recent anti-LGBT legislation passed by the country. Signed by President Vladimir Putin in June, the law bans the "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" and imposes hefty fines for providing information about the gay community to minors or holding gay pride rallies, the Associated Press reports.
There also is concern about a long-running problem of violence against gays in Russia, as well as a new law restricting adoptions of Russian children by people in countries allowing same-sex marriage.
E! News was first to report the posting of Miller's letter.
Wentworth Miller Comes Out as Gay in Response to Russian Film Fest Invitation
[Source]
Wentworth Miller Comes Out as Gay in Response to Russian Film Fest Invitation
August 21, 2013 | 03:52PM PT
GLAAD touts actor/scribe for publicly condemning anti-LGBT law
Allegra Tepper
@allegraceline
“Prison Break” star and “Stoker” scribe Wentworth Miller came out as gay in a letter sent Wednesday to the St. Petersburg International Film Fest, declining to participate because of Russia’s anti-LGBT laws.
“I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government,” Miller wrote. “The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.”
GLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz released a statement: “Wentworth’s bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians, who are facing extreme violence and persecution: you are not alone. As people from across the globe continue to speak out against Russia’s horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia’s anti-LGBT law.”
Russia’s anti-LGBT legislation have attracted international censure since the nation’s parliament passed a law in June, which bans “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” and imposes fines on those holding gay pride rallies.
Read Miller’s full letter here.
Wentworth Miller Comes Out as Gay in Response to Russian Film Fest Invitation
 |
| Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images |
GLAAD touts actor/scribe for publicly condemning anti-LGBT law
Allegra Tepper
@allegraceline
“Prison Break” star and “Stoker” scribe Wentworth Miller came out as gay in a letter sent Wednesday to the St. Petersburg International Film Fest, declining to participate because of Russia’s anti-LGBT laws.
“I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government,” Miller wrote. “The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.”
GLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz released a statement: “Wentworth’s bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians, who are facing extreme violence and persecution: you are not alone. As people from across the globe continue to speak out against Russia’s horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia’s anti-LGBT law.”
Russia’s anti-LGBT legislation have attracted international censure since the nation’s parliament passed a law in June, which bans “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” and imposes fines on those holding gay pride rallies.
Read Miller’s full letter here.
Wentworth Miller rejects Russian film festival invitation; 'As a gay man, I must decline'
[Source]
Wentworth Miller rejects Russian film festival invitation; 'As a gay man, I must decline'
Wednesday, August 21, 2013 - 5:56pm by Seth Adam, GLAAD's Senior Manager of Communications
Actor and screenwriter Wentworth Miller today rejected an invitation to attend the St. Petersburg International Film Festival, citing Russia's anti-LGBT laws. In a letter to the Festival's Director, the 'Prison Break' star stated that "as a gay man, I must decline." Miller goes on to say that he is "deeply troubled" by Russia's lawful brutality toward the LGBT community. "I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly," Miller concludes.
Read Miller's full letter to the St. Petersburg International Film Festival below.
Earlier this year, Russian president Vladimir Putin passed a law that prohibits the adoption of Russian-born children to national and international same-sex couples, as well as any couples living in a country that has any LGBT acceptance policies. President Putin has also signed a law which bans the public, including tourists, from presenting pro-LGBT "propaganda." Such propaganda can include something simple as hand holding, t-shirts, or pro-gay statements. "Criminals" who break these laws are at risk of being fined, arrested, or deported. Following the passage of these laws has been a surge in anti-LGBT violence in the country.
GLAAD and Rusa LGBT, an organization that works to support LGBT Russians, are collaborating with multiple organizations to address the ongoing persecution of LGBT Russians, who are facing extreme violence and oppression due to the recent passage of the country's draconian 'anti-gay propaganda' law.
Wentworth Miller rejects Russian film festival invitation; 'As a gay man, I must decline'
Wednesday, August 21, 2013 - 5:56pm by Seth Adam, GLAAD's Senior Manager of Communications
Actor and screenwriter Wentworth Miller today rejected an invitation to attend the St. Petersburg International Film Festival, citing Russia's anti-LGBT laws. In a letter to the Festival's Director, the 'Prison Break' star stated that "as a gay man, I must decline." Miller goes on to say that he is "deeply troubled" by Russia's lawful brutality toward the LGBT community. "I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly," Miller concludes.
Read Miller's full letter to the St. Petersburg International Film Festival below.
August 21, 2013"Wentworth's bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians, who are facing extreme violence and persecution: you are not alone," said GLAAD spokesperson Wilson Cruz. " As people from across the globe continue to speak out against Russia's horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia's anti-LGBT law."
Re: St. Petersburg International Film Festival / "Guest of Honor" Invitation
Dear Ms. Averbakh:
Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes.
However, as a gay man, I must decline.
I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government. The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.
Perhaps, when and if circumstances improve, I'll be free to make a different choice.
Until then.
Wentworth Miller
Member, HRC
Member, GLAAD
Member, The ManKind Project
Earlier this year, Russian president Vladimir Putin passed a law that prohibits the adoption of Russian-born children to national and international same-sex couples, as well as any couples living in a country that has any LGBT acceptance policies. President Putin has also signed a law which bans the public, including tourists, from presenting pro-LGBT "propaganda." Such propaganda can include something simple as hand holding, t-shirts, or pro-gay statements. "Criminals" who break these laws are at risk of being fined, arrested, or deported. Following the passage of these laws has been a surge in anti-LGBT violence in the country.
GLAAD and Rusa LGBT, an organization that works to support LGBT Russians, are collaborating with multiple organizations to address the ongoing persecution of LGBT Russians, who are facing extreme violence and oppression due to the recent passage of the country's draconian 'anti-gay propaganda' law.
Wentworth Miller Comes Out as Gay, Refuses Invitation to Russian Film Festival
[Source]
Wentworth Miller Comes Out as Gay, Refuses Invitation to Russian Film Festival
Celebrity News August 21, 2013 AT 6:30PM By Allison Takeda
Wentworth Miller took a stand -- and a big step -- on Wednesday, Aug. 21, when he came out as gay in a letter to the organizers of the St. Petersburg International Film Festival in Russia. Citing the country's headline-making anti-LGBT legislation, the 41-year-old Prison Break star said he could not "in good conscience" attend an event in a place that would promote such discrimination.
PHOTOS: Out and proud stars
"Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes," he wrote in the letter, posted to GLAAD's website. "However, as a gay man, I must decline."
Wentworth went on to note that he took issue with Russia's anti-gay laws, which include a ban on the adoption of Russian-born children to national and international same-sex couples.
PHOTOS: LGBT allies
"I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government," he continued. "The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly."
"Perhaps, when and if circumstances improve," he added, "I'll be free to make a different choice. Until then."
PHOTOS: Gay power couples
"Wentworth's bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians, who are facing extreme violence and persecution: you are not alone," GLAAD spokesperson Wilson Cruz said in a statement after the letter was posted. "As people from across the globe continue to speak out against Russia's horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia's anti-LGBT law."
Wentworth Miller Comes Out as Gay, Refuses Invitation to Russian Film Festival
Celebrity News August 21, 2013 AT 6:30PM By Allison Takeda
 |
| Wentworth Miller came out as gay in a letter to a Russian film festival on Aug. 21 Credit: MUNAWAR HOSAIN/FOTOS INTERNATIONAL/GETTY |
Wentworth Miller took a stand -- and a big step -- on Wednesday, Aug. 21, when he came out as gay in a letter to the organizers of the St. Petersburg International Film Festival in Russia. Citing the country's headline-making anti-LGBT legislation, the 41-year-old Prison Break star said he could not "in good conscience" attend an event in a place that would promote such discrimination.
PHOTOS: Out and proud stars
"Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes," he wrote in the letter, posted to GLAAD's website. "However, as a gay man, I must decline."
Wentworth went on to note that he took issue with Russia's anti-gay laws, which include a ban on the adoption of Russian-born children to national and international same-sex couples.
PHOTOS: LGBT allies
"I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government," he continued. "The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly."
"Perhaps, when and if circumstances improve," he added, "I'll be free to make a different choice. Until then."
PHOTOS: Gay power couples
"Wentworth's bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians, who are facing extreme violence and persecution: you are not alone," GLAAD spokesperson Wilson Cruz said in a statement after the letter was posted. "As people from across the globe continue to speak out against Russia's horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia's anti-LGBT law."
Wentworth Miller, "Prison Break" Star, Comes Out As Gay, Declining Russian Film Festival Invite
[Source]
Wentworth Miller, "Prison Break" Star, Comes Out As Gay, Declining Russian Film Festival Invite
“I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government,” he wrote. Miller also wrote Stoker, which came out earlier this year.
posted on August 21, 2013 at 5:58pm EDT
Chris Geidner
BuzzFeed Staff
Actor Wentworth Miller, of Prison Break, came out as “a gay man” in a letter sent Wednesday to the St. Petersburg International Film Festival, declining his participation because, he writes, “I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government.”
He went on:
Miller, who is 41, also had his first screenplay hit theaters this year — with Stoker, starring Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode and Mia Wasikowska.
Wentworth Miller, "Prison Break" Star, Comes Out As Gay, Declining Russian Film Festival Invite
“I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government,” he wrote. Miller also wrote Stoker, which came out earlier this year.
posted on August 21, 2013 at 5:58pm EDT
BuzzFeed Staff
 |
| Kiyoshi Ota / Getty |
Actor Wentworth Miller, of Prison Break, came out as “a gay man” in a letter sent Wednesday to the St. Petersburg International Film Festival, declining his participation because, he writes, “I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government.”
He went on:
The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.GLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz noted in a statement, “Wentworth’s bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians, who are facing extreme violence and persecution: you are not alone. As people from across the globe continue to speak out against Russia’s horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia’s anti-LGBT law.”
Perhaps, when and if circumstances improve, I’ll be free to make a different choice.
Miller, who is 41, also had his first screenplay hit theaters this year — with Stoker, starring Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode and Mia Wasikowska.
Prison Break Star Wentworth Miller Comes Out As Gay
[Source]
Prison Break Star Wentworth Miller Comes Out As Gay
Matt Sayles/AP Photo
Wentworth Miller has come out as gay.
The Prison Break star decided it was time to publicly reveal his sexuality after being invited to attend a film festival in Russia.
"Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes," Wentworth, 41, says in a letter to Maria Averbakh, director of the St. Petersburg International Film Festival. "However, as a gay man, I must decline.
"I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government," he continued in the letter, posted on GLAAD's website. "The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly."
PHOTOS: Same-sex celebrity couples
He also said "if circumstances improve, I'll be free to make a different choice."
GLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz praised Miller's actions.
"Wentworth's bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians: you are not alone," Cruz said. "As people from across the globe continue to speak out against this horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia's anti-LGBT law."
Implemented last month, a controversial new law has banned "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations around minors," including the public discussion of gay rights and relationships anywhere children might hear it. The law has been condemned by Russian and international human rights groups as highly discriminatory.
The anti-gay propaganda law quickly stirred up controversy, with people calling for a boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia to gay bars in Los Angeles and New York holding "vodka-dumping" protests.
VIDEO: Neil Patrick Harris talks about getting married
Madonna was unsuccessfully sued by conservative groups in Russia for violating the propoganda law in St Petersburg after she said during a concert there last summer that gay people should be "treated with dignity."
Earlier this month, Lady Gaga tweeted her outrage over Russia's treatment of LGBT people.
"Sending bravery to LGBTs in Russia. The rise in government abuse is archaic. Hosing teenagers with pepper spray? Beatings? Mother Russia?" she first tweeted, followed by "The Russian government is criminal. Oppression will be met with revolution. Russian LGBTs you are not alone. We will fight for your freedom...Why didn't you arrest me when you had the chance, Russia? Because you didn't want answer to the world?"
Prison Break Star Wentworth Miller Comes Out As Gay
| by Marc Malkin | Wed., Aug. 21, 2013 2:47 PM PDT |
 |
| Matt Sayles/AP Photo |
Matt Sayles/AP Photo
Wentworth Miller has come out as gay.
The Prison Break star decided it was time to publicly reveal his sexuality after being invited to attend a film festival in Russia.
"Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes," Wentworth, 41, says in a letter to Maria Averbakh, director of the St. Petersburg International Film Festival. "However, as a gay man, I must decline.
"I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government," he continued in the letter, posted on GLAAD's website. "The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly."
PHOTOS: Same-sex celebrity couples
He also said "if circumstances improve, I'll be free to make a different choice."
GLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz praised Miller's actions.
"Wentworth's bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians: you are not alone," Cruz said. "As people from across the globe continue to speak out against this horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia's anti-LGBT law."
Implemented last month, a controversial new law has banned "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations around minors," including the public discussion of gay rights and relationships anywhere children might hear it. The law has been condemned by Russian and international human rights groups as highly discriminatory.
The anti-gay propaganda law quickly stirred up controversy, with people calling for a boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia to gay bars in Los Angeles and New York holding "vodka-dumping" protests.
 |
| C. Hodes/FOX |
Madonna was unsuccessfully sued by conservative groups in Russia for violating the propoganda law in St Petersburg after she said during a concert there last summer that gay people should be "treated with dignity."
Earlier this month, Lady Gaga tweeted her outrage over Russia's treatment of LGBT people.
"Sending bravery to LGBTs in Russia. The rise in government abuse is archaic. Hosing teenagers with pepper spray? Beatings? Mother Russia?" she first tweeted, followed by "The Russian government is criminal. Oppression will be met with revolution. Russian LGBTs you are not alone. We will fight for your freedom...Why didn't you arrest me when you had the chance, Russia? Because you didn't want answer to the world?"
Can I say "Finally"? - Wentworth Miller comes out
[Source]
'I'm a gay man': Prison Break star Wentworth Miller comes out as he takes a stand against Russia's homophobic laws
By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 23:38 GMT, 21 August 2013 | UPDATED: 09:13 GMT, 22 August 2013
Television star Wentworth Miller announced he was gay on Wednesday in order to take a public stand against homophobia in Russia.
The Prison Break star declined an invitation to a Russian film festival after the country passed a series of anti-gay laws.
The 41-year-old Prison Break star had been asked to attend the St. Petersburg International Film Festival.
'As a gay man, I must decline,' he wrote in his reply, which was made public by the campaigning group GLAAD.
'I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government,' Wentworth added in his letter.
'The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly,' he said.
More...
Wentworth said if circumstances improved he would be free to make a different choice - adding that he had 'a degree of Russian ancestry' and had enjoyed past visits to the country previously.
The actor was immediately praised by gay rights advocates.
'Wentworth's bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians, who are facing extreme violence and persecution: you are not alone,' said GLAAD spokesperson Wilson Cruz in reference to the country's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
'As people from across the globe continue to speak out against Russia's horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia's anti-LGBT law,' he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin in July signed a law banning the adoption of Russian-born children by gay couples.
Putin in June signed another bill that classified 'homosexual propaganda' as pornography and provides for fines and arrest for those making it accessible to minors.
A law passed in 2012 also banned public gay pride events in Moscow for the next 100 years.
The Russian laws have sparked protests in the US where some gay rights advocates have poured Russian vodka in the streets.
The laws also have caused some concern among athlethes who will be heading to Russia for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
'I'm a gay man': Prison Break star Wentworth Miller comes out as he takes a stand against Russia's homophobic laws
By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 23:38 GMT, 21 August 2013 | UPDATED: 09:13 GMT, 22 August 2013
Television star Wentworth Miller announced he was gay on Wednesday in order to take a public stand against homophobia in Russia.
The Prison Break star declined an invitation to a Russian film festival after the country passed a series of anti-gay laws.
The 41-year-old Prison Break star had been asked to attend the St. Petersburg International Film Festival.
'As a gay man, I must decline,' he wrote in his reply, which was made public by the campaigning group GLAAD.
 |
| Must decline: Wentworth Miller, shown in September 2010 at a film premiere in Japan, announced he was gay on Wednesday as he declined an invitation to a Russian film festival due to that country's discriminatory laws against gays |
'The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly,' he said.
More...
- We're just high on life now, promise! Lindsay Lohan wears peek-a-boo dress (and no bra) to hang loose with fellow wild one Vikram Chatwal
- Mommy time! Bethenny Frankel bonds with her little lady Bryn on break from talk show and divorce drama
- Party time! Holly Madison forgets her woes as she enjoys Disney themed bachelorette ahead of wedding
Wentworth said if circumstances improved he would be free to make a different choice - adding that he had 'a degree of Russian ancestry' and had enjoyed past visits to the country previously.
 |  |
| Television star: Wentworth, shown at left in 2005 on Prison Break and right in 2010 in Resident Evil: Afterlife, was championed for taking a stance | |
The actor was immediately praised by gay rights advocates.
'Wentworth's bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians, who are facing extreme violence and persecution: you are not alone,' said GLAAD spokesperson Wilson Cruz in reference to the country's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
'As people from across the globe continue to speak out against Russia's horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia's anti-LGBT law,' he added.
 |
| Major announcement: Wentworth, shown in March 2008, said he could not in good conscience attend the Russian film festival |
Putin in June signed another bill that classified 'homosexual propaganda' as pornography and provides for fines and arrest for those making it accessible to minors.
A law passed in 2012 also banned public gay pride events in Moscow for the next 100 years.
The Russian laws have sparked protests in the US where some gay rights advocates have poured Russian vodka in the streets.
The laws also have caused some concern among athlethes who will be heading to Russia for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
Thursday, 8 August 2013
Russia's Anti-Gay Law, Spelled Out in Plain English
[Source]
Russia's Anti-Gay Law, Spelled Out in Plain English
On June 30 this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill banning the "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations to minors," thus opening a new, dark chapter in the history of gay rights in Russia. The law caps a period of ferocious activities by the Russian government aimed at limiting the rights of the country’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people.
The violations of fundamental, constitutionally protected rights of Russia’s gay citizens have included multiple bans on gay pride parades in Moscow and other cities, hefty fines to gay rights groups accused of acting as a “foreign agent,” denial of registration to nongovernmental organizations, and regional laws banning the propaganda of homosexuality to minors, which served as a basis for the federal law enacted by Mr. Putin and unanimously passed by the State Duma. Against this backdrop, violent attacks on gays or “suspect gays” are becoming commonplace.
The state-sponsored initiatives relied on ludicrous assumptions. For example, the regional bans on propaganda of homosexuality equated same-sex relations with pedophilia even though the former has been legal since 1993 and the latter is, of course, a serious crime. The court decision denying registration to Sochi Pride House states that “propaganda of nontraditional sexual orientation” is a direct threat to Russian society, while calling attempts to confront homophobia “extremist” because they inherently “incite social and religious hatred.” Essentially, the court ruled that gays incite hatred toward themselves and should be “protected” from doing so. The court went on to argue that such extremist activities present a threat to “Russia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The Russian government uses these flawed arguments when it defends its discriminatory ways to an international audience. Russian diplomats are fond of saying that discrimination does not exist in Russia because the country’s constitution forbids it. Some logic!
Russia’s courts and diplomats — and President Putin — cannot be trusted to explain the status of gay rights in the country, but the European Court of Human Rights can. In April 2011, the Strasbourg court fined Russia for violating articles 11, 13, and 14 of the European Convention by banning 164 pride events and marches between 2006 and 2008. The unanimous decision in Alekseyev v. Russia came into force after the Russian government lost its appeal in Strasbourg, yet although the Kremlin paid the fine, they continued to ban pride rallies. In May 2012, a district court in Moscow issued a ruling banning such events in the city until May 2112. That’s Russia’s approach: pay the fine, admit nothing, and make things worse.
The cornerstone of Mr. Putin’s “War on Gays,” however, is the vaguely defined and definitively antigay Article 6.21 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses, which allows the government to fine individuals accused of the propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations amongst minors. The federal ban “builds on the success” of regional laws on “propaganda of homosexualism to minors,” passed in 10 regions since 2006. We have yet to see an example of the federal law in action, though we came pretty close when four Dutch citizens were briefly detained in the northern city of Murmansk in July. Regional laws were used several times to fine gay rights activists.
Here is what Article 6.21 actually says:
Propaganda is the act of distributing information among minors that 1) is aimed at the creating nontraditional sexual attitudes, 2) makes nontraditional sexual relations attractive, 3) equates the social value of traditional and nontraditional sexual relations, or 4) creates an interest in nontraditional sexual relations.
If you’re Russian. Individuals engaging in such propaganda can be fined 4,000 to 5,000 rubles (120-150 USD), public officials are subject to fines of 40,000 to 50,000 rubles (1,200-1,500 USD), and registered organizations can be either fined (800,000-1,000,000 rubles or 24,000-30,000 USD) or sanctioned to stop operations for 90 days. If you engage in the said propaganda in the media or on the internet, the sliding scale of fines shifts: for individuals, 50,000 to 100,000 rubles; for public officials, 100,000 to 200,000 rubles, and for organizations, from one million rubles or a 90-day suspension.
If you’re an alien. Foreign citizens or stateless persons engaging in propaganda are subject to a fine of 4,000 to 5,000 rubles, or they can be deported from the Russian Federation and/or serve 15 days in jail. If a foreigner uses the media or the internet to engage in propaganda, the fines increase to 50,000-100,000 rubles or a 15-day detention with subsequent deportation from Russia.
Huh? What?
The law passed by the Duma is so ambiguous for a reason. Without a legal definition of ‘propaganda’ or ‘nontraditional sexual relations’ — key operative words in Article 6.21 — we are not getting a clear picture of how the authorities will use it. Ironically, the best arguments against the adoption of this the antigay legislation come from none other than the Russian government. In 2004 and 2006, the government resisted attempts to introduce similarly ambiguous federal bans on “the propaganda of homosexuality.”
On February 20, 2006, then-Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov (currently serving as a Deputy Speaker of the State Duma and the President of Russia's Olympic Committee), submitted an official recall to a tabled antigay bill, arguing that the legislation contradicted Russia's criminal code that doesn’t allow to criminalize the propaganda of noncriminal behavior, contains “a row of mistakes and judicial-technical inexactitudes,” and relies on definitions that do not allow to clearly formulate corpus delicti. The May 20, 2004, rebuttal from Mr. Zhukov was even more forthcoming, pointing out that the bill “contradicts article 29 of the Russian Constitution, as well as articles 8, 10, and 14 of the European Convention on human rights.”
I couldn’t put it better than Zhukov. Unfortunately, his resistance to the anti-gay bills of 2004 & 2006 came at a time when the Kremlin cared about Russia’s international reputation. Now it appears to care only about nontraditional sex.
Russia's Anti-Gay Law, Spelled Out in Plain English
 |
| Russia's Anti-Gay Law, Spelled Out in Plain English |
On June 30 this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill banning the "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations to minors," thus opening a new, dark chapter in the history of gay rights in Russia. The law caps a period of ferocious activities by the Russian government aimed at limiting the rights of the country’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people.
The violations of fundamental, constitutionally protected rights of Russia’s gay citizens have included multiple bans on gay pride parades in Moscow and other cities, hefty fines to gay rights groups accused of acting as a “foreign agent,” denial of registration to nongovernmental organizations, and regional laws banning the propaganda of homosexuality to minors, which served as a basis for the federal law enacted by Mr. Putin and unanimously passed by the State Duma. Against this backdrop, violent attacks on gays or “suspect gays” are becoming commonplace.
The state-sponsored initiatives relied on ludicrous assumptions. For example, the regional bans on propaganda of homosexuality equated same-sex relations with pedophilia even though the former has been legal since 1993 and the latter is, of course, a serious crime. The court decision denying registration to Sochi Pride House states that “propaganda of nontraditional sexual orientation” is a direct threat to Russian society, while calling attempts to confront homophobia “extremist” because they inherently “incite social and religious hatred.” Essentially, the court ruled that gays incite hatred toward themselves and should be “protected” from doing so. The court went on to argue that such extremist activities present a threat to “Russia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The Russian government uses these flawed arguments when it defends its discriminatory ways to an international audience. Russian diplomats are fond of saying that discrimination does not exist in Russia because the country’s constitution forbids it. Some logic!
Russia’s courts and diplomats — and President Putin — cannot be trusted to explain the status of gay rights in the country, but the European Court of Human Rights can. In April 2011, the Strasbourg court fined Russia for violating articles 11, 13, and 14 of the European Convention by banning 164 pride events and marches between 2006 and 2008. The unanimous decision in Alekseyev v. Russia came into force after the Russian government lost its appeal in Strasbourg, yet although the Kremlin paid the fine, they continued to ban pride rallies. In May 2012, a district court in Moscow issued a ruling banning such events in the city until May 2112. That’s Russia’s approach: pay the fine, admit nothing, and make things worse.
The cornerstone of Mr. Putin’s “War on Gays,” however, is the vaguely defined and definitively antigay Article 6.21 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses, which allows the government to fine individuals accused of the propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations amongst minors. The federal ban “builds on the success” of regional laws on “propaganda of homosexualism to minors,” passed in 10 regions since 2006. We have yet to see an example of the federal law in action, though we came pretty close when four Dutch citizens were briefly detained in the northern city of Murmansk in July. Regional laws were used several times to fine gay rights activists.
Here is what Article 6.21 actually says:
Propaganda is the act of distributing information among minors that 1) is aimed at the creating nontraditional sexual attitudes, 2) makes nontraditional sexual relations attractive, 3) equates the social value of traditional and nontraditional sexual relations, or 4) creates an interest in nontraditional sexual relations.
If you’re Russian. Individuals engaging in such propaganda can be fined 4,000 to 5,000 rubles (120-150 USD), public officials are subject to fines of 40,000 to 50,000 rubles (1,200-1,500 USD), and registered organizations can be either fined (800,000-1,000,000 rubles or 24,000-30,000 USD) or sanctioned to stop operations for 90 days. If you engage in the said propaganda in the media or on the internet, the sliding scale of fines shifts: for individuals, 50,000 to 100,000 rubles; for public officials, 100,000 to 200,000 rubles, and for organizations, from one million rubles or a 90-day suspension.
If you’re an alien. Foreign citizens or stateless persons engaging in propaganda are subject to a fine of 4,000 to 5,000 rubles, or they can be deported from the Russian Federation and/or serve 15 days in jail. If a foreigner uses the media or the internet to engage in propaganda, the fines increase to 50,000-100,000 rubles or a 15-day detention with subsequent deportation from Russia.
Huh? What?
The law passed by the Duma is so ambiguous for a reason. Without a legal definition of ‘propaganda’ or ‘nontraditional sexual relations’ — key operative words in Article 6.21 — we are not getting a clear picture of how the authorities will use it. Ironically, the best arguments against the adoption of this the antigay legislation come from none other than the Russian government. In 2004 and 2006, the government resisted attempts to introduce similarly ambiguous federal bans on “the propaganda of homosexuality.”
On February 20, 2006, then-Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov (currently serving as a Deputy Speaker of the State Duma and the President of Russia's Olympic Committee), submitted an official recall to a tabled antigay bill, arguing that the legislation contradicted Russia's criminal code that doesn’t allow to criminalize the propaganda of noncriminal behavior, contains “a row of mistakes and judicial-technical inexactitudes,” and relies on definitions that do not allow to clearly formulate corpus delicti. The May 20, 2004, rebuttal from Mr. Zhukov was even more forthcoming, pointing out that the bill “contradicts article 29 of the Russian Constitution, as well as articles 8, 10, and 14 of the European Convention on human rights.”
I couldn’t put it better than Zhukov. Unfortunately, his resistance to the anti-gay bills of 2004 & 2006 came at a time when the Kremlin cared about Russia’s international reputation. Now it appears to care only about nontraditional sex.
Thursday, 25 July 2013
Johnny Weir Urges No Olympic Boycott
[Source]
Openly Gay Olympic Figure Skater Johnny Weir Urges No Olympic Boycott
July 25, 2013 11:57 AM
By Nicholas F. Benton
Two-time Olympic figure skating competitor, openly gay Johnny Weir urged in his weekly column today that there be no boycott of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia next February to protest the recent escalation of Russian anti-gay measures.
Weir, a three-time U.S. men’s figure skating champion who competed for the United State in the 2006 Winter games in Torino, Italy and again in the 2010 games in Vancouver, Canada, states in his column published today exclusively for the Falls Church News-Press (on fcnp.com):
“The fact that Russia is arresting my people, and openly hating a minority and violating human rights all over the place is heartbreaking and a travesty of international proportions. … I respect the LGBT community full heartedly, but I implore the world not to boycott the Olympic Games because of Russia’s stance on LGBT rights or lack thereof.”
He added, “I beg the gay athletes not to forget their missions and fight for a chance to dazzle the world. … Olympics are history, and they do not represent their host, they represent the world entire. People make their own futures, and should a government or sponsor steal that future, whether it be a Russian government or American government, it is, as an athlete, the death and total demolition of a lifetime of work. Support the athletes.”
He said that he intends to compete, despite the risks involved with being openly gay in Russia, next February if he qualifies. “There isn’t a police officer or a government that, should I qualify, could keep me from competing at the Olympics.”
Openly Gay Olympic Figure Skater Johnny Weir Urges No Olympic Boycott
July 25, 2013 11:57 AM
By Nicholas F. Benton
Two-time Olympic figure skating competitor, openly gay Johnny Weir urged in his weekly column today that there be no boycott of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia next February to protest the recent escalation of Russian anti-gay measures.
Weir, a three-time U.S. men’s figure skating champion who competed for the United State in the 2006 Winter games in Torino, Italy and again in the 2010 games in Vancouver, Canada, states in his column published today exclusively for the Falls Church News-Press (on fcnp.com):
“The fact that Russia is arresting my people, and openly hating a minority and violating human rights all over the place is heartbreaking and a travesty of international proportions. … I respect the LGBT community full heartedly, but I implore the world not to boycott the Olympic Games because of Russia’s stance on LGBT rights or lack thereof.”
He added, “I beg the gay athletes not to forget their missions and fight for a chance to dazzle the world. … Olympics are history, and they do not represent their host, they represent the world entire. People make their own futures, and should a government or sponsor steal that future, whether it be a Russian government or American government, it is, as an athlete, the death and total demolition of a lifetime of work. Support the athletes.”
He said that he intends to compete, despite the risks involved with being openly gay in Russia, next February if he qualifies. “There isn’t a police officer or a government that, should I qualify, could keep me from competing at the Olympics.”
Thursday, 18 July 2013
I am so proud we have had the courage to make love equal by David Cameron
[Source]
Exclusive: I am so proud we have had the courage to make love equal by David Cameron
by David Cameron
18 July 2013, 11:04am
Writing exclusively for PinkNews.co.uk and the media partner of our Out4Marriage
campaign, the London Evening Standard, the Prime Minister has said that love should not be “divided by law”. David Cameron also heaped praise on Out4Marriage and Freedom to Marry, the Conservative equal marriage group founded by MP Nick Herbert.
I am proud that we have made same-sex marriage happen. I am delighted that the love two people have for each other – and the commitment they want to make – can now be recognised as equal. I have backed this reform because I believe in commitment, responsibility and family. I don’t want to see people’s love divided by law.
Making marriage available to everyone says so much about the society that we are and the society that we want to live in – one which respects individuals regardless of their sexuality. If a group is told again and again that they are less valuable, over time they may start to believe it. In addition to the personal damage that this can cause, it inhibits the potential of a nation. For this reason too, I am pleased that we have had the courage to change.
I also want to acknowledge those that worked to bring about this moment: the campaigners, groups such as Out4Marriage and Freedom to Marry, and the team in the civil service and Parliament who worked to deliver it.
The UK is rated as the best place in Europe for LGBT equality – but we cannot be complacent. There are subjects we must continue to tackle: not least taking a zero tolerance approach to homophobic bullying, and caring for elderly members of the LGBT community. Rest assured, this Government will work tirelessly to make sure this happens.
As the sun shines this week on our country, the LGBT community now know that the unique bond of marriage is available to them. As Lord Alderdice put it when arguing for civil partnerships in 2004: ‘One of the most fundamental rights of all is the right to have close, confiding, lasting, intimate relationships. Without them, no place, no money, no property, no ambition – nothing – amounts to any value.. It seems to me a fundamental human right to be able to choose the person with whom you wish to spend your life and with whom you wish to have a real bond’,
I couldn’t agree more. Yesterday was an historic day.
Exclusive: I am so proud we have had the courage to make love equal by David Cameron
by David Cameron
18 July 2013, 11:04am
 |
| David Cameron said that the law should never divide love |
I am proud that we have made same-sex marriage happen. I am delighted that the love two people have for each other – and the commitment they want to make – can now be recognised as equal. I have backed this reform because I believe in commitment, responsibility and family. I don’t want to see people’s love divided by law.
Making marriage available to everyone says so much about the society that we are and the society that we want to live in – one which respects individuals regardless of their sexuality. If a group is told again and again that they are less valuable, over time they may start to believe it. In addition to the personal damage that this can cause, it inhibits the potential of a nation. For this reason too, I am pleased that we have had the courage to change.
I also want to acknowledge those that worked to bring about this moment: the campaigners, groups such as Out4Marriage and Freedom to Marry, and the team in the civil service and Parliament who worked to deliver it.
The UK is rated as the best place in Europe for LGBT equality – but we cannot be complacent. There are subjects we must continue to tackle: not least taking a zero tolerance approach to homophobic bullying, and caring for elderly members of the LGBT community. Rest assured, this Government will work tirelessly to make sure this happens.
As the sun shines this week on our country, the LGBT community now know that the unique bond of marriage is available to them. As Lord Alderdice put it when arguing for civil partnerships in 2004: ‘One of the most fundamental rights of all is the right to have close, confiding, lasting, intimate relationships. Without them, no place, no money, no property, no ambition – nothing – amounts to any value.. It seems to me a fundamental human right to be able to choose the person with whom you wish to spend your life and with whom you wish to have a real bond’,
I couldn’t agree more. Yesterday was an historic day.
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
The Marriage Equality bill has passed the House of Commons
[Source]
Equal marriage bill passes final House of Commons stage and will receive Royal Assent
by Joseph Patrick McCormick
16 July, 9:21pm
The equal marriage bill for England and Wales has once again been passed in the House of Commons, and will soon will be given Royal Assent to become law.
Conservative MP David Burrowes had tabled an amendment and was today once again accused of trying to delay implementation of the bill. Pro-equal marriage MPs padded out their speeches so that Mr Burrowes could not propose his amendment.
The amendment he tabled sought to force the government to hold individual public consultations for changes to secondary legislation.
This process was used from time to time on other laws, such as the Digital Economy Act 2010, but it was not proposed for the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill.
The amendment was not considered, as the two-hour time limit for discussions came to an end before MPs could debate it.
The equal marriage bill was passed in the House of Commons, and as all amendments added in the House of Lords were accepted, it will not be required to go back to the Lords.
Prior to the bill, Culture Secretary Maria Miller said the Government would protect those on both sides of the question of the same-sex marriage debate.
The publisher of PinkNews.co.uk and Out4Marriage founder Benjamin Cohen said this evening: “We are delighted that after five years of editorial campaigning and just three years after we received the support of the three main party leaders, Parliament has finally approved same-sex marriage.
“Giving gay couples the right to marry will make Britain a more tolerant, open and welcoming place to live in and significantly increase the life prospects of so many people. It is absolutely fantastic that this change in the law, almost uniquely, was proposed by a Conservative prime minister and his Liberal Democrat Deputy with the support of the Labour party leader. Sometimes politicians can work together for the common good and this is a stunning example of this.”
Writing for PinkNews yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: “I first talked about this issue on PinkNews over 3 years ago. Back then, I know many of you feared that equal marriage might never happen. The obstacles to us achieving reform seemed insurmountable.
“But we consulted. We debated. And whatever has been said in Parliament since this process began, we know the majority of people in Britain support equal marriage. They see it is right. They say it is fair.”
Leader of the Labour Party Ed Miliband in a column for PinkNews wrote: “When I first pledged my support for equal marriage – in an article for PinkNews.co.uk during the Labour Party leadership campaign in 2010 – few people would have thought that in less than three years the legalisation would have passed through Parliament. This shows how far we have come as a country in recent years- and is also a tribute to the fantastic campaigning by PinkNews and other groups.
“But we must also remember that the fight for equality is not over. People across the world continue to face discrimination and hatred because of their sexuality. And closer to home too many people suffer bullying and hate crimes because of their sexuality.”
Equal marriage bill passes final House of Commons stage and will receive Royal Assent
by Joseph Patrick McCormick
16 July, 9:21pm
 |
| The House of Commons passed the equal marriage bill this evening |
Conservative MP David Burrowes had tabled an amendment and was today once again accused of trying to delay implementation of the bill. Pro-equal marriage MPs padded out their speeches so that Mr Burrowes could not propose his amendment.
The amendment he tabled sought to force the government to hold individual public consultations for changes to secondary legislation.
This process was used from time to time on other laws, such as the Digital Economy Act 2010, but it was not proposed for the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill.
The amendment was not considered, as the two-hour time limit for discussions came to an end before MPs could debate it.
The equal marriage bill was passed in the House of Commons, and as all amendments added in the House of Lords were accepted, it will not be required to go back to the Lords.
Prior to the bill, Culture Secretary Maria Miller said the Government would protect those on both sides of the question of the same-sex marriage debate.
The publisher of PinkNews.co.uk and Out4Marriage founder Benjamin Cohen said this evening: “We are delighted that after five years of editorial campaigning and just three years after we received the support of the three main party leaders, Parliament has finally approved same-sex marriage.
“Giving gay couples the right to marry will make Britain a more tolerant, open and welcoming place to live in and significantly increase the life prospects of so many people. It is absolutely fantastic that this change in the law, almost uniquely, was proposed by a Conservative prime minister and his Liberal Democrat Deputy with the support of the Labour party leader. Sometimes politicians can work together for the common good and this is a stunning example of this.”
Writing for PinkNews yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: “I first talked about this issue on PinkNews over 3 years ago. Back then, I know many of you feared that equal marriage might never happen. The obstacles to us achieving reform seemed insurmountable.
“But we consulted. We debated. And whatever has been said in Parliament since this process began, we know the majority of people in Britain support equal marriage. They see it is right. They say it is fair.”
Leader of the Labour Party Ed Miliband in a column for PinkNews wrote: “When I first pledged my support for equal marriage – in an article for PinkNews.co.uk during the Labour Party leadership campaign in 2010 – few people would have thought that in less than three years the legalisation would have passed through Parliament. This shows how far we have come as a country in recent years- and is also a tribute to the fantastic campaigning by PinkNews and other groups.
“But we must also remember that the fight for equality is not over. People across the world continue to face discrimination and hatred because of their sexuality. And closer to home too many people suffer bullying and hate crimes because of their sexuality.”
Sunday, 30 June 2013
Russia passes anti-gay-law
[Source]
Russia passes anti-gay-law
Vladimir Putin signs bill that means people disseminating 'propaganda' about homosexual relationships to minors risk fines
Associated Press
theguardian.com, Sunday 30 June 2013 17.38 BST
Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, has signed into law a measure that stigmatises gay people and bans giving children any information about homosexuality.
The lower house of Russia's parliament unanimously passed the Kremlin-backed bill on 11 June and the upper house approved it last week.
The Kremlin announced on Sunday that Putin had signed the legislation into law.
The ban on "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" is part of an effort to promote traditional Russian values over western liberalism, which the Kremlin and the Russian orthodox church see as corrupting Russian youth and contributing to the protests against Putin's rule.
Hefty fines can now be imposed on those who provide information about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community to minors or hold gay pride rallies.
Russia passes anti-gay-law
Vladimir Putin signs bill that means people disseminating 'propaganda' about homosexual relationships to minors risk fines
Associated Press
theguardian.com, Sunday 30 June 2013 17.38 BST
 |
| Vladimir Putin's government wants to promote 'traditional Russian
values' over what it sees as western liberalism and tolerance. Photograph: Mikhail Klimentyev/AP |
The lower house of Russia's parliament unanimously passed the Kremlin-backed bill on 11 June and the upper house approved it last week.
The Kremlin announced on Sunday that Putin had signed the legislation into law.
The ban on "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" is part of an effort to promote traditional Russian values over western liberalism, which the Kremlin and the Russian orthodox church see as corrupting Russian youth and contributing to the protests against Putin's rule.
Hefty fines can now be imposed on those who provide information about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community to minors or hold gay pride rallies.
Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Russian parliament passes anti-homosexual laws
[Source]
Russian parliament passes anti-homosexual laws
By Clara Weiss
18 June 2013
On June 11 the Russian parliament adopted—by 436 votes to nil, with one abstention—two civil rights laws, making it a punishable offence to openly practise homosexual relationships, defend homosexuals or “insult religious sentiments”.
Both laws have yet to be approved by the parliament’s upper chamber and signed by President Vladimir Putin. Putin has already publicly declared his support for both laws.
The two laws constitute an assault on basic democratic rights. They are part of a campaign by the Kremlin, which is increasingly responding to growing social unrest and political instability by appealing to nationalist sentiment and exploiting right-wing forces such as the Russian Orthodox Church.
The new anti-gay legislation provides for penalties of up to €100 (US$135) for individuals and €23,000 (US$30,000) for organisations that “promote non-traditional sexual relationships”. Defending the basic democratic right of social equality for homosexuals is therefore made illegal.
Foreigners are not exempt from the laws. Convicted of an offence under the new statutes, they face a fine of €2,300, as well as possible detention for up to 15 days and forced deportation. The distribution of “homosexual propaganda” has already been criminalised in several regions, including St. Petersburg, since last year.
More than 20 people protesting against the laws were arrested at a demonstration in front of the parliament in Moscow. The demonstrators were also violently assaulted by supporters of the Russian Orthodox Church, pelted with eggs and doused with urine, without drawing any intervention from the police.
Arguing for the anti-gay legislation before parliament, Yelena Mizulina, a co-author of the law, declared: “Traditional sexual relationships are relationships between a man and a woman ... which is the basis for the preservation and advancement of the multi-ethnic Russian people. It is precisely these relationships that need special protection from the state”.
President Putin has also repeatedly criticised homosexuals for not contributing to population growth in Russia.
In recent years, the Kremlin has deliberately been encouraging reactionary prejudices and sentiments. According to surveys, the proportion of the population supporting the law increased from 40 to 47 percent last year. Homosexuals are often victims of violent attacks.
A recent survey revealed that 15 percent of the country’s lesbians and gay men had been physically assaulted in the past 10 months. By fomenting this reactionary mood, the Kremlin is building on the legacy of Stalinism, which for decades propagated “traditional family values” and national chauvinism as part of the political reaction to the October Revolution.
The second law passed by the parliament on Tuesday enables the Kremlin to continue blurring the boundaries between church and state. The law makes “insulting religious feelings” a punishable offence. Fines of up to €7,500 can be imposed and “desecration of religious temples” is punishable by up to five years in prison. The “public abuse” of icons and religious literature such as the Bible or the Koran can incur heavy fines.
The Kremlin is thereby siding with the court verdict against three singers of the feminist punk band, Pussy Riot, who were sentenced to several years in prison following a show trial last summer, because they had sung an anti-Putin “punk prayer” in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. The Kremlin exploited the case to launch a massive nationalist and religious propaganda campaign to divert attention from the economic and social crisis.
The two laws signal the Kremlin’s further shift to the right and closer alignment with the Russian Orthodox Church, a refuge of ultra-nationalist and fascist tendencies.
The Russian Orthodox Church, whose leaders shamelessly enriched themselves during the restoration of capitalism, have played an important role in politics since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Church and state have moved closer together particularly under Putin’s premiership. Confronted with mass protests from urban middle-class layers and growing social discontent, the Kremlin again last year significantly intensified its religious campaign in the press and fanned national tensions.
The Kremlin is currently enforcing brutal austerity measures against a largely impoverished population. More than a third of all universities and many medical facilities are being privatised or closed. Further pension cuts are also under discussion. This week, President Putin announced even more savage cuts and mass layoffs among state employees. These social attacks are bound to provoke opposition from the working population. The ruling elites are introducing repressive laws and the bolstering the authoritarian state in order to prepare for an open confrontation with the working class.
Under the duplicitous pretext of defending “democracy and human rights”, the imperialist powers and the liberal opposition are using the authoritarian laws to put pressure on the Putin regime.
Michael McFaul, the US ambassador to Russia, condemned the anti-gay law that violates “the spirit of a democratic society”. At the outset of the protest movement against Putin in December 2011, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama had stressed that the US regarded the defence of the rights of homosexuals as an essential part of the “struggle for human rights”.
The German government’s response to the legislation was particularly sharp. Instructed by Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, the German foreign office tightened travel restrictions for Russian citizens. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said that Chancellor Angela Merkel expected a reversal of the law.
The campaign by imperialist powers is completely dishonest. They react brutally to any social opposition in their own countries, set up vast networks for monitoring the population, and ride roughshod over basic democratic rights such as the right to freedom of expression and privacy.
For years, they have been supporting the liberal opposition and pseudo-left forces in Russia, both of which maintain close links to the extreme right. Fascist forces also play an important role in the Western-backed opposition movement. In reality, the imperialist campaign in defence of “democracy and human rights” aims to increase pressure on the Putin regime, which is particularly opposed to the NATO powers’ Middle East war plans against Syria and Iran.
It is the task of the working class to defend democratic rights as part of the struggle for a socialist programme, directed against the Putin regime and capitalism.
Russian parliament passes anti-homosexual laws
By Clara Weiss
18 June 2013
On June 11 the Russian parliament adopted—by 436 votes to nil, with one abstention—two civil rights laws, making it a punishable offence to openly practise homosexual relationships, defend homosexuals or “insult religious sentiments”.
Both laws have yet to be approved by the parliament’s upper chamber and signed by President Vladimir Putin. Putin has already publicly declared his support for both laws.
The two laws constitute an assault on basic democratic rights. They are part of a campaign by the Kremlin, which is increasingly responding to growing social unrest and political instability by appealing to nationalist sentiment and exploiting right-wing forces such as the Russian Orthodox Church.
The new anti-gay legislation provides for penalties of up to €100 (US$135) for individuals and €23,000 (US$30,000) for organisations that “promote non-traditional sexual relationships”. Defending the basic democratic right of social equality for homosexuals is therefore made illegal.
Foreigners are not exempt from the laws. Convicted of an offence under the new statutes, they face a fine of €2,300, as well as possible detention for up to 15 days and forced deportation. The distribution of “homosexual propaganda” has already been criminalised in several regions, including St. Petersburg, since last year.
More than 20 people protesting against the laws were arrested at a demonstration in front of the parliament in Moscow. The demonstrators were also violently assaulted by supporters of the Russian Orthodox Church, pelted with eggs and doused with urine, without drawing any intervention from the police.
Arguing for the anti-gay legislation before parliament, Yelena Mizulina, a co-author of the law, declared: “Traditional sexual relationships are relationships between a man and a woman ... which is the basis for the preservation and advancement of the multi-ethnic Russian people. It is precisely these relationships that need special protection from the state”.
President Putin has also repeatedly criticised homosexuals for not contributing to population growth in Russia.
In recent years, the Kremlin has deliberately been encouraging reactionary prejudices and sentiments. According to surveys, the proportion of the population supporting the law increased from 40 to 47 percent last year. Homosexuals are often victims of violent attacks.
A recent survey revealed that 15 percent of the country’s lesbians and gay men had been physically assaulted in the past 10 months. By fomenting this reactionary mood, the Kremlin is building on the legacy of Stalinism, which for decades propagated “traditional family values” and national chauvinism as part of the political reaction to the October Revolution.
The second law passed by the parliament on Tuesday enables the Kremlin to continue blurring the boundaries between church and state. The law makes “insulting religious feelings” a punishable offence. Fines of up to €7,500 can be imposed and “desecration of religious temples” is punishable by up to five years in prison. The “public abuse” of icons and religious literature such as the Bible or the Koran can incur heavy fines.
The Kremlin is thereby siding with the court verdict against three singers of the feminist punk band, Pussy Riot, who were sentenced to several years in prison following a show trial last summer, because they had sung an anti-Putin “punk prayer” in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. The Kremlin exploited the case to launch a massive nationalist and religious propaganda campaign to divert attention from the economic and social crisis.
The two laws signal the Kremlin’s further shift to the right and closer alignment with the Russian Orthodox Church, a refuge of ultra-nationalist and fascist tendencies.
The Russian Orthodox Church, whose leaders shamelessly enriched themselves during the restoration of capitalism, have played an important role in politics since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Church and state have moved closer together particularly under Putin’s premiership. Confronted with mass protests from urban middle-class layers and growing social discontent, the Kremlin again last year significantly intensified its religious campaign in the press and fanned national tensions.
The Kremlin is currently enforcing brutal austerity measures against a largely impoverished population. More than a third of all universities and many medical facilities are being privatised or closed. Further pension cuts are also under discussion. This week, President Putin announced even more savage cuts and mass layoffs among state employees. These social attacks are bound to provoke opposition from the working population. The ruling elites are introducing repressive laws and the bolstering the authoritarian state in order to prepare for an open confrontation with the working class.
Under the duplicitous pretext of defending “democracy and human rights”, the imperialist powers and the liberal opposition are using the authoritarian laws to put pressure on the Putin regime.
Michael McFaul, the US ambassador to Russia, condemned the anti-gay law that violates “the spirit of a democratic society”. At the outset of the protest movement against Putin in December 2011, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama had stressed that the US regarded the defence of the rights of homosexuals as an essential part of the “struggle for human rights”.
The German government’s response to the legislation was particularly sharp. Instructed by Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, the German foreign office tightened travel restrictions for Russian citizens. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said that Chancellor Angela Merkel expected a reversal of the law.
The campaign by imperialist powers is completely dishonest. They react brutally to any social opposition in their own countries, set up vast networks for monitoring the population, and ride roughshod over basic democratic rights such as the right to freedom of expression and privacy.
For years, they have been supporting the liberal opposition and pseudo-left forces in Russia, both of which maintain close links to the extreme right. Fascist forces also play an important role in the Western-backed opposition movement. In reality, the imperialist campaign in defence of “democracy and human rights” aims to increase pressure on the Putin regime, which is particularly opposed to the NATO powers’ Middle East war plans against Syria and Iran.
It is the task of the working class to defend democratic rights as part of the struggle for a socialist programme, directed against the Putin regime and capitalism.
Friday, 1 March 2013
Obama: I would rule against all gay marriage bans
[Source]
Obama: I would rule against all gay marriage bans
Richard Wolf, USA TODAY | 3:25p.m. EST March 1, 2013
The president comes out swinging in support of gay marriage and against some, if not all, state prohibitions.
WASHINGTON
-- President Obama said Friday that he sees no basis for any state to ban same-sex marriage, even though his administration's legal brief to the Supreme Court makes a more limited argument.
"If I were on the court, that would probably be the view that I'd put forward," Obama said in response to a question at an impromptu news conference.
MORE: White House takes stance against state gay-marriage ban
SEQUESTER: Obama, congressional leaders fail to reach deal
Obama said the issue before the court later this month on California's Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage is whether the state had a good reason to impose it. His own answer, he said, is that it "doesn't provide any rationale for discriminating against same-sex couples other than just the notion, 'Well, they're same-sex couples.'"
The administration's brief to the high court, filed late Thursday, specifically contends that states such as California that allow domestic partnerships or civil unions for gay couples are denying them equal treatment when it comes to marriage. That includes Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon and Rhode Island.
A total of 38 states prohibit same-sex marriage, either by law or voter referendum, and the administration's brief does not label them all unconstitutional. But it does say the high court should apply "heightened scrutiny" to California's ban -- a standard under which legal experts say no state ban could survive.
"What we've said is that same-sex couples are a group, a class, that deserves heightened scrutiny, that the Supreme Court needs to ask the state why it's doing it, and if the state doesn't have a good reason, then it should be struck down," Obama said.
The president made clear that the decision to file the brief -- which the administration did not have to do, since it is not a party to the California case -- was his decision.
"When the Supreme Court essentially called the question by taking this case about California's law, I didn't feel like that was something that this administration could avoid," he said. "I felt it was important for us to articulate what I believe and what this administration stands for.
"If the Supreme Court asks me or my attorney general or solicitor general, 'Do we think that meets constitutional muster?,' I felt it was important for us to answer that question honestly. And the answer is no."
The court has reserved two days this month to consider the California ban and the Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples. Both have been declared unconstitutional by lower courts, decisions which are being challenged by gay-marriage opponents.
Proposition 8 was approved by California voters in November 2008 to block a state Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. Ever since, gay couples have been blocked from marrying in the nation's most populous state. A final ruling overturning the ban would open the floodgates to thousands of new same-sex marriages there.
What effect a court ruling striking down Proposition 8 would have on other states is not clear. The justices could rule narrowly, as a federal appeals court did, holding only that voters cannot take away a right previously enjoyed, however briefly, by Californians. But a more sweeping decision declaring marriage rights for gays and lesbians could endanger all state bans.
The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton in 1996 as a response to a Hawaii Supreme Court ruling that questioned the denial of a marriage license to a same-sex couple. The federal law has blocked legally married couples from receiving federal benefits in Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia, where gay marriage is legal.
The administration is leading the effort to overturn DOMA in the case of Edith Windsor, an 83-year-old New York widow who was forced to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in estate taxes when her lesbian spouse died in 2009. Had she been married to a man, she would have faced no inheritance tax.
The Proposition 8 case will be argued on March 26 and the DOMA case the following day. Decisions are expected in June.
Obama: I would rule against all gay marriage bans
Richard Wolf, USA TODAY | 3:25p.m. EST March 1, 2013
The president comes out swinging in support of gay marriage and against some, if not all, state prohibitions.
"If I were on the court, that would probably be the view that I'd put forward," Obama said in response to a question at an impromptu news conference.
MORE: White House takes stance against state gay-marriage ban
SEQUESTER: Obama, congressional leaders fail to reach deal
Obama said the issue before the court later this month on California's Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage is whether the state had a good reason to impose it. His own answer, he said, is that it "doesn't provide any rationale for discriminating against same-sex couples other than just the notion, 'Well, they're same-sex couples.'"
The administration's brief to the high court, filed late Thursday, specifically contends that states such as California that allow domestic partnerships or civil unions for gay couples are denying them equal treatment when it comes to marriage. That includes Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon and Rhode Island.
A total of 38 states prohibit same-sex marriage, either by law or voter referendum, and the administration's brief does not label them all unconstitutional. But it does say the high court should apply "heightened scrutiny" to California's ban -- a standard under which legal experts say no state ban could survive.
"What we've said is that same-sex couples are a group, a class, that deserves heightened scrutiny, that the Supreme Court needs to ask the state why it's doing it, and if the state doesn't have a good reason, then it should be struck down," Obama said.
The president made clear that the decision to file the brief -- which the administration did not have to do, since it is not a party to the California case -- was his decision.
"When the Supreme Court essentially called the question by taking this case about California's law, I didn't feel like that was something that this administration could avoid," he said. "I felt it was important for us to articulate what I believe and what this administration stands for.
"If the Supreme Court asks me or my attorney general or solicitor general, 'Do we think that meets constitutional muster?,' I felt it was important for us to answer that question honestly. And the answer is no."
The court has reserved two days this month to consider the California ban and the Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples. Both have been declared unconstitutional by lower courts, decisions which are being challenged by gay-marriage opponents.
Proposition 8 was approved by California voters in November 2008 to block a state Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. Ever since, gay couples have been blocked from marrying in the nation's most populous state. A final ruling overturning the ban would open the floodgates to thousands of new same-sex marriages there.
What effect a court ruling striking down Proposition 8 would have on other states is not clear. The justices could rule narrowly, as a federal appeals court did, holding only that voters cannot take away a right previously enjoyed, however briefly, by Californians. But a more sweeping decision declaring marriage rights for gays and lesbians could endanger all state bans.
The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton in 1996 as a response to a Hawaii Supreme Court ruling that questioned the denial of a marriage license to a same-sex couple. The federal law has blocked legally married couples from receiving federal benefits in Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia, where gay marriage is legal.
The administration is leading the effort to overturn DOMA in the case of Edith Windsor, an 83-year-old New York widow who was forced to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in estate taxes when her lesbian spouse died in 2009. Had she been married to a man, she would have faced no inheritance tax.
The Proposition 8 case will be argued on March 26 and the DOMA case the following day. Decisions are expected in June.
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
San Francisco plans to rename airport after Harvey Milk
[Source]
San Francisco plans to rename airport after gay rights hero Harvey Milk
by Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk
15 January, 12:20pm
David Campos of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has announced plans for a charter amendment to rename the city’s largest airport in honour of the late gay rights activist Harvey Milk.
The amendment to rename San Francisco International Airport to Harvey Milk-San Francisco International Airport requires the support of five further members of the Board in order to be put to a public ballot in November.
Stuart Milk, co-founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation and nephew to Harvey Milk, said that if the amendment succeeds the airport would become the first in the world to be named after an openly gay person.
Mr Milk stated that the airport would be an important symbol to the countries it serves, particularly the 68 which criminalise homosexuality.
“For young gay people in an illegal place looking up at a monitor and being able to point to this international airport named after an LGBT advocate, it gives them the green light to authenticity,” Mr Milk said. “It’s a major representation that (they) are being celebrated somewhere in the world in a high-level way.”
Mr Campos said of his plans for the amendment, “The idea that millions of people can learn about Harvey Milk and what he represented is very moving”.
“That no airport in this country has been named for an openly LGBT person is something I hope would be remedied, and what a better place than San Francisco for something like that to happen, and what better person than Harvey Milk.”
Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, winning a post on the Board of Supervisors as a result of changes in the social makeup of San Francisco after three unsuccessful attempts to gain office.
Having finally been elected in 1977, Milk only held his position for 11 months before being assassinated by Dan White, a former colleague who had lost his position in city administration.
Milk has been described as a martyr for gay rights and a visionary. A 2008 biographical film of his life received two academy awards.
In December last year, a middle school teacher in Mexico was fired after screening the film to her class.
During 2009, the former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger established 22 May as Harvey Milk Day.
In 2012, a street in San Diego was named Harvey Milk Street to celebrate his 82nd birthday.
San Francisco plans to rename airport after gay rights hero Harvey Milk
by Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk
15 January, 12:20pm
David Campos of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has announced plans for a charter amendment to rename the city’s largest airport in honour of the late gay rights activist Harvey Milk.
The amendment to rename San Francisco International Airport to Harvey Milk-San Francisco International Airport requires the support of five further members of the Board in order to be put to a public ballot in November.
Stuart Milk, co-founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation and nephew to Harvey Milk, said that if the amendment succeeds the airport would become the first in the world to be named after an openly gay person.
Mr Milk stated that the airport would be an important symbol to the countries it serves, particularly the 68 which criminalise homosexuality.
“For young gay people in an illegal place looking up at a monitor and being able to point to this international airport named after an LGBT advocate, it gives them the green light to authenticity,” Mr Milk said. “It’s a major representation that (they) are being celebrated somewhere in the world in a high-level way.”
Mr Campos said of his plans for the amendment, “The idea that millions of people can learn about Harvey Milk and what he represented is very moving”.
“That no airport in this country has been named for an openly LGBT person is something I hope would be remedied, and what a better place than San Francisco for something like that to happen, and what better person than Harvey Milk.”
Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, winning a post on the Board of Supervisors as a result of changes in the social makeup of San Francisco after three unsuccessful attempts to gain office.
Having finally been elected in 1977, Milk only held his position for 11 months before being assassinated by Dan White, a former colleague who had lost his position in city administration.
Milk has been described as a martyr for gay rights and a visionary. A 2008 biographical film of his life received two academy awards.
In December last year, a middle school teacher in Mexico was fired after screening the film to her class.
During 2009, the former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger established 22 May as Harvey Milk Day.
In 2012, a street in San Diego was named Harvey Milk Street to celebrate his 82nd birthday.
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