In Ottawa, Canada, 15-year-old Jamie Hubley killed himself Oct. 14 as a result of sexual orientation-based bullying, the Ottawa Citizen reported. His last online post was on that fateful day: "Im tired of life really. Its so hard, Im sorry, I cant take it anymore." Referencing the "It Gets Better" project, Hubley also posted, "I dont want to wait 3 more years, this hurts too much. How do you even know It will get better? Its not." He added in a previous post that he hated being the only openly gay student in his school. Approximately 700 people attended his funeral of 15-year-old Jamie Hubley, according to Pink News. His parents asked for donations to be made to the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa.
Madrid, Spain will host the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association's (IGLTA's) 31st Annual Global Convention in May 2014, according to a press release. IGLTA Board Chair Tanya Churchmuch said, "Not only is Madrid home to one of the most important Pride events in the world, but it also has an extremely active local LGBT community that worked hand in hand with local tourism offices to create their wonderful conference bid." The capital city is also headquarters for the United Nations World Tourism Organization, a key organizational partner of IGLTA.
London's oldest gay cafe will close Oct. 29, the BBC reported. First Out Cafe was the city's first daytime gay venue, opening in 1986. However, First Out is one of several businesses that will be affected by the upheaval caused by the development of the Crossrail network through the Tottenham Court Road area. On its website, a post reads, in part, "For a quarter of a century, the café bar has served as a touchstone for literally thousands of young people coming out in London. First Out is where you met new friends, got your first job, prepared for Pride and, more often than not, found your first girlfriend or boyfriend."
Leaders of some former British empire countries may consider banning anti-gay laws, according to a CBS News item. The biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is slated to take place in Perth, Australia, and a recommendation to legalize homosexuality is on the agenda. Of the 53 countries attending, 42 still outlaw homosexuality, including Malaysia and many Caribbean and African countries.
In a related matter, former Botswana President Festus Mogae said that the country should decriminalize homosexuality, according to the BBC. Mogae, who heads the Botswana government-backed AIDS Council, said it was hard to promote safer sex when homosexuality and prostitution are illegal. He also urged that condoms be distributed in prisons. In Botswana, 17 percent of the population is HIV-positive.
In New Zealand, a jury has heard how drunk teenager Willie Ahsee allegedly tried to fend off a gay policeman's sexual advances—resulting in the officer's death, according to Stuff.co.nz. Denis Phillips, 59, was a temporary sworn officer who had worked for the police for more than a decade. Ashee, who was 16 at the time, stabbed Phillips four times with a serrated knife; defense attorneys contend that the officers came on to Ahsee, who was "extremely" drunk.
Belarus has reportedly banned Gay Pride again, according to an Instinct Magazine item. Belorussian authorities also prohibited the event last year; however, some activists briefly unveiled a rainbow flag before being arrested. Gay.by reported that a letter allegedly from the "Ideological Department of Minsk City Executive Committee" asking "citizens to be vigilant" during the Gay Pride is actually a fake. However, sources have indicated that the ban is confirmed.
In England, 18-year-old Aiden Jackson was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 12 years for killing David Cowley, a 67-year-old gay man, last year, Pink News reported. Jackson lured Cowley, intending to rob him. He promised the older man sex but strangled him and left his body lying in water before stealing Cowley's car. Judge Michael Heath called Jackson an "inveterate liar" and immature.
Adolph Cameron, the head of the Jamaican Teachers Association, said that African-Caribbean children perform poorly in school because doing well is perceived as "gay" or "feminine," according to a Pink News item. Cameron said boys are more interested in "hustle culture" than scholarly achievements, and that the issue is affecting children in Jamaica and England. Test scores indicate that African-Caribbean boys are one of the worst-performing groups in British schools.
In Wales, a Swansea nightclub has been accused of ejecting a gay couple who briefly kissed, according to Pink News. A student said that two men shared a "quick peck on the lips" at the nightspot Reflex—and were tossed out by a bouncer after other customers reportedly disliked it. Sherrie Deacon, a customer who was with the couple, has set up a petition at Change.org urging Reflex to apologize.
At least five men have been arrested in North Cyprus for committing "homosexual offenses," according to Care2.com . Former Finance Minister Michalis Sarris, 65, was one of those arrested, with the other individuals ranging in age from 17 to 29. During an Oct. 17 remand hearing in Nicosia, police said that they had to take testimonies from 20 more people, three of whom were missing. Several officials and organizations, including ILGA-Europe, have called for the men to be released. Unlike Cyprus, the Northern Republic still has laws against homosexuality.
In Russia, gay-rights activist Nikolay Alekseyev has stepped down as head of Moscow Pride, Advocate.com reported. Alekseyev, 34—the author of two books on gay rights in the U.S. Library of Congress—has fought homophobia for years and has endured slander and even kidnapping. Nikolai Baev, who succeeds Alekseyev, said the reason he is leaving "is totally personal. He just decided to change his activity and lifestyle, and he has a full right to this." Recent speaking engagements in California were canceled when anti-Semitic blog posts credited to Alekseyev were brought to light.
The Human Rights Campaign condemned remarks made by anti-gay extremist and disgraced psychologist Paul Cameron in Moldova, where he is speaking out against proposed non-discrimination legislation that would include sexual orientation, according to a press release. Among his anti-gay statements was one comparing homosexuality to pedophilia. "Paul Cameron's remarks aren't only false and offensive, they're also incredibly dangerous," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "We saw in Uganda the dangerous impact that Lou Engle's anti-LGBT rhetoric had on citizens there, and Cameron's incendiary and blatantly untrue lies put gay Moldovans at the same risk.
