World news: Cardinal praises Eurovision winner; gay politician's abusive lover
COMPILED BY ANDREW DAVIS
The Catholic Archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, has praised Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst for winning the European song contest in comments that suggest he is open-minded when it comes to trans issues, Gay Star News reported. "I am glad that Tom Neuwirth had such success with his artistic creation Conchita Wurst and I will pray for him," Schonborn said. However, a spokesman for the cardinal said he remained committed to the church's teaching that homosexual acts are sinful and that same-sex attracted people should not have sex lives.
Brian Paddicka British politician who was once the most senior gay openly cop in the countrysaid he was once in love with an abusive partner who threatened to kill him, Gay Star News reported. The former Liberal Democrat for London Mayor, who is now Lord Paddick, made the disclosure at an event for LGBTI domestic-abuse organization Broken Rainbow. Paddick added if Broken Rainbow had existed at the time, he would have had someone to talk to.
Anna Wintour has joined the stampede of stars boycotting the Dorchester Collection hotels for their links with the Sultan of Brunei, who has implemented sharia law in his country, The Daily Mail reported. The Vogue editor has confirmed that she will not be staying at the Le Meurice, the hotel favored by the fashion elite and her usual base, during Paris Fashion Week. Brunei has begun phasing in its version of sharia law, which allows for penalties such as amputation for theft, and stoning for adultery and homosexuality.
In a book discussing homophobia in business, the former chief executive of BP has opened about his "double life" in the closet while running the company, Pink News reported. Crossbench peer Lord John Browne resigned from BP in 2007, following revelations connected to his sexual orientation. He stepped down after it emerged that he had lied to the High Court about where he met a former lover who was planning to take details of their relationship to the press. Browne's new book, The Glass Closet, discusses the "James Bond-style" life he had to keep his sexuality a secret.
Africa has elected its first Black gay member of parliament, according to Gay Star News. Zakhele Mbhele, a member of the opposition Democratic Alliance, was sworn in to the South African National Assembly. The 29-year-old is also the second ever gay MP ( member of Parliament ) in an African government, following UK-born Mike Waters' first appointment in South Africa in 1999.
One of Brazil's top Catholic bishops has spoken out in favor of legal unions for homosexual couplesan apparent shift in the Church's stance on the country's existing gay-marriage policy, The Laredo Sun reported. "There needs to be a dialog on the rights attached to shared life between people of the same sex who decide to live together. They need legal support from society," Leonardo Steiner, the secretary general of the National Confederation of Brazilian Bishops, said in an interview with O Globo newspaper. Brazil, home to the world's largest Catholic population, has allowed gay marriage since May 2013.
The University of the West Indies ( UWI ) fired Professor Brendan Bain as director of the regional coordinating Unit of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training ( CHART ) Network, echoing a view by gay and human rights activists that he has lost the confidence of the program's target community, The Jamaican Observer reported. Almost three dozen pro-LGBT groups from across the Caribbean had been advocating Bain's removal because of expert testimony he gave in a constitutional challenge brought by a gay Belizean man against that country's criminal code in September 2010. In August 2012, Bain offered expert testimony in the case on behalf of a group of churches seeking to retain the 1861 law.
A married same-sex couple has pressed charges against a village mayor in central Spain after she shouted out anti-gay insults at them in a fit of rage they claim stems from their attempts at making the town hall accounts public, TheLocal.es reported. Miguel and Juan Carlos, who bought a house in San Bartolomé primarily as a weekend getaway, said their ongoing ordeal in April, when some of the villagers turned against them for calling the Spanish Civil Guard at the request of their neighbor. One of the people trying to make her way into their house was none other than San Bartolomé's mayor, Montserrat Hernandez, who yelled "I'm coming to get you, fucking homos," among other similar insults.
The group AIDS-Free World has condemned the three-year jail sentence handed down to an HIV-positive nurse in Uganda for reusing a needle she had accidentally pricked her finger on, AllAfrica.com reported. The organization, which has followed Rosemary Namubiru's trial closely, said the 64-year-old did not deserve to spend three years in prison "by any reasonable measure." A Ugandan court sentenced Namubiru, a nurse with 35 years' experience, to jail on May 19. The alleged victim, a 2-year-old boy, reportedly did not become infected with HIV.
Visiting same-sex couples who have been officially and legally married in any of 20 countries will not have their union recognized in Panama, according to Newsroom Panama. Panama's Official Gazette posting of Act 7 of 8 May 2014the Code of Private International Law of the Republic of Panamaspecifies that national authorities do not recognize formal same-sex unions. The consequence is that same-sex married couples in 20 countries that allow gay marriage do not have conjugal rights in the country.
The marriage of a lesbian couplewho held a widely reported unofficial wedding in Kazakhstan last yearhas ended in tragedy after one of the women was brutally killed and her partner detained on suspicion of murder, the BBC reported. Kristina Chernysheva was known to have been missing at the end of March, authorities say, but was later found dead. Three women are being held in relation to the death, including the victim's partner, referred to only as Karolina.
In Turkey, gay-rights activist Levent Piskin was fined 1,500 liras May 22 for using the word "queer" in a tweet, according to HurriyetDailyNews.com . Piskin used the word when responding to a statement last July by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he was "a perfect Alevi." Piskin replied, "We expect a statement from Erdogan saying 'I am a perfect queer.' We are not going to learn about queerness from you. Kisses. #LGBTinConstitution." The court ruled for a prison sentence of two months and 15 days, which was then converted into a fine.
Canada has refused to issue visitor visas to 10 Ugandan activists invited to Toronto's World Pride human-rights conference in June over concerns they would stay to seek asylum, TheStar.com reported. Gay-rights advocates say the decisions by the Canadian visa posts in Nairobi and London speak to the hypocrisy of the government, which, in February, joined other Western nations in condemning Uganda for passing one of the world's harshest anti-homosexuality laws. The 10 men and women are among 160 speakers and 400 delegates from more than 40 countries invited to the June 25-27 conference at the University of Toronto.