Nepal should legalize gay marriage, says a committee charged with implementing a 2007 Supreme Court ruling to improve LGBTI rights in the south Asian country, Gay Star News reported. The committee, led by former Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Population Laxmi Raj Pathak, finally submitted its report more than four years after its formation. The committee also advised changes to the criminal and civil code bills tabled in parliament, which include discriminatory provisions against LGBTI people.
In Ghana, a well-known event promoter was brutally beaten by a mob because of his sexual orientation, according to Gay Star News. Kinto Rothmans was lured into the ambush by a man named Salim, whom he had told he loved. During the attack, Rothmans was forced to confess his desire to have sex with Salim in a video that has since gone viral in the west African country, along with a photo of Rothmans dripping in blood. Among those expressing their disgust with the attack was well-known Ghanian singer Efya.
Singer-actor Nick Jonas will headline the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Party in Australia on March 7, On Top Magazine noted. The event will also feature performances by Jessica Mauboy, Jake Shears, Dan Murphy, Betty Who, Courtney Act, David Morales and Paul Mac. Jonas currently plays Nate Kulina, a gay MMA fighter, on DirecTV's Kingdom, which returns for its second season in the spring.
Five companies and individuals on both sides of the Atlantic have helped initiate the ".LGBT" domain. The pioneering companies/people are #Boom Magazine ( www.boom.lgbt ), The Original LGBT Expo ( www.expo.lgbt ), legal expert Angela Giampolo ( www.lawyer.lgbt ), Out Now ( www.OutNow.lgbt ) and digital media company PinkNews ( www.pinknews.lgbt ). Dublin-based global domain-registry operator Afilias announced ".LGBT," the first and only top-level domain dedicated to the LGBT community, according to a press release from #Boom Magazine.
Transgender samba queen Piu da Silva was recently murdered in Brazil, Gay Star News reported. Her tortured corpse was found in late January after the first alarm had been raised by friends and family. Moreover, a video turned up later that showed da Silva pleading with her unseen attackers. Gay-rights group Grupo Gay de Bahia contends that one LGBTI person is killed every 28 hours in the country.
Italy's highest appeals court has rejected same-sex marriage, Gay Star News reported. The Cassation Court has said there is nothing in the Constitution that requires the government to extend marriage rights to LGBTI people. However, it did say same-sex couples should have the same rights as unmarried Italian opposite-sex couples.
In Ireland, former Fianna Fail minister Pat Carey has revealed he is gay—and said he was inspired to come out by Health Minister Leo Varadkar, who also recently came out about his sexuality, the Irish Mirror reported. Carey, a 67-year old former Gaeltacht minister, said he "didn't have the courage" to speak about the issue previously. However, Carey said he chose to speak publicly about the issue, as he is worried that "soft support" for gay marriage will have faded before May's referendum about mandating marriage equality.
German local authorities refused two gay refugees asylum because they consider Uganda a safe place to live for LGBTI people, according to Gay Star News. Kyabangi and Sekulima ( their last names omitted ) fled Uganda because they were threatened and fell victim to homophobic attacks. Kyabangi said her first girlfriend was shot in the street; Sekulima was an aspiring manager when he lost his job because his boss found out that he is gay, and he has been attacked multiple times.
A bill to legalize same-sex marriage was introduced in Congress of the Mexican state of Baja California, according to SDGLN.com . The bill would amend the state constitution to remove the ban on gay marriage in order to comply with rulings by the federal Supreme Court that have overturned such bans as unconstitutional. The bill will head to the Committee on Governing, Legislation and Constitutional Matters, overseen by PRD ( Party of the Democratic Revolution ) Deputy Roberto Davalos Flores, who represents Tijuana District 12.
An image of a gay couple embracing won the prestigious World Press Photo Award, highlighting the plight of sexual minorities in Russia, according to the Business Standard. Danish photographer Mads Nissen shot his winning picture of "Jon and Alex" in a bare room in Saint Petersburg, with only a brown curtain as a backdrop. Organizers said at least a quarter of all pictures reaching the penultimate round of the 58th edition of the contest were rejected because they were digitally enhanced.
One of the stars of one of Russia's biggest sitcoms has come out as gay, Pink News noted. Odin Biron stars in the Russian version of Scrubs, titled Interny ( Interns ), in which he plays a U.S. exchange student at a Russian hospital. The actor—who is originally from Minnesota and who is dating a Kazakhstani director—said he wanted to do his best "to make this count" by coming out.
