NORWAY COUNTS
759 GAY MARRIAGES
There have been 759 gay marriages in Norway since the nation's comprehensive registered-partnership law took effect in 1993.
The law grants more than 99 percent of the rights and obligations of heterosexual matrimony. Only adoption and church weddings are withheld from gay couples.
Seventeen percent of the gay weddings have been between a Norwegian and a foreigner, often from the U.S., Thailand or Sweden. Sixty-five percent of the partnerships are between men.
Males tied the knot at an average age of 37.3 and women at 38.5, several years later, in both cases, than the average for married heterosexuals.
SCOTLAND REPEALS SECTION 28
Scotland's newly created Parliament voted June 21 to locally repeal Section 28, a 10-year-old U.K. law that prohibits cities from "intentionally promot [ ing ] homosexuality" or teaching "the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship" in schools.
The vote was 99 to 17 with two abstentions.
Nicola Sturgeon of the Scottish National party commented: "A discriminatory and shameful piece of legislation that was imposed on Scotland by Westminster will today be repealed by the Scottish parliament ahead of other parts of the U.K. That says something about the state of Scotland that we can all be proud of."
Trish Godman, Labour MSP for West Renfrewshire, said, "After all the raised voices, this is a day for quiet pride as we point the way to a new and tolerant Scotland."
Legislation to scrap Section 28 in England has been stonewalled by the Conservative-dominated House of Lords.
RAINBOW COLUMN ERECTED IN BERLIN
A 15-foot ( 4.6-meter ) Rainbow Column was erected in Berlin's historically gay Nollendorf Square June 16.
It was paid for by neighbors and gay bar owners.
"The Rainbow-Column will become a landmark in this historic LGBT neighbourhood and will undoubtedly become a new, famous spot for visitors to Berlin from Germany and abroad!" supporters said in a press statement.
FRENCH LESBIANS LAUNCH MAGAZINE
Saying they are marginalized by France's main gay magazine, Têtu, a group of lesbians has launched their own publication, called Têtu, Madame, reported London's The Times.
In its first issue, Têtu, Madame said Tetu's claim to represent lesbians is a giant swindle.
Tetu Editor Thomas Doustaly responded by calling Tetu, Madame's Axelle le Dauphin a "spiteful ... little madame."
AUSSIE
PSYCHOLOGISTS
DENOUNCE
CHANGE THERAPIES
The Australian Psychological Society came out against therapies which attempt to turn gays straight.
The Australian Council for Lesbian and Gay Rights said the statement will be helpful in deterring mainstream churches from supporting so-called reparative therapy.
"The threat posed by groups advocating for therapies to change sexuality is significantly magnified when they dupe mainstream church groups into supporting their damaging and fruitless programs," said spokesman Rodney Croome.
MEXICO CITY HOLDS FIRST GAY FILM FEST
Mexico City's First International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival ran from June 23 to July 6 at the mainstream Plaza Condesa Theaters.
It was staged by the film distribution company La Otra Propuesta and the video production company Telemanita.
ACTIVISTS TARGET PANAMANIAN
AUTHORITIES
The International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission is asking activists to write protest letters to Panama's government over its refusal to register the nation's first gay group, the New Men and Women Association of Panama.
The Ministry of Government and Justice ruled that the association contradicts "moral and good habits."
Without legal registration, the group cannot own property, pay salaries or take part in legal disputes.
For sample letters contact sydney@iglhrc.org .
GAYS SUE SASKATCHEWAN
The Lesbian, Bisexual and Gay Pride Committee of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, has filed a complaint with the provincial Human Rights Commission over the province's refusal to proclaim June 24 as Saskatchewan Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Pride Day.
The province's Executive Council rejected the request because "a proclamation from the Government of Saskatchewan is intended to recognize activities that benefit all Saskatchewan people."
RAPE AGENCY
DISCRIMINATED AGAINST TRANS
The British Columbia Supreme Court in Canada ruled June 7 that Vancouver Rape Relief can be sued under the provincial Human Rights Code for refusing to accept a transsexual volunteer because she used to be a man.
Rape Relief tried to have Kimberley Nixon's complaint quashed by arguing that the Human Rights Code does not protect transgendered people from discrimination, but the court said "gender identity" protections are implied in the law.
The case will be heard by a tribunal in December.
AUSSIE GAYS
REPORT ASSAULTS
Four out of five GLBT people in the Australian state of Victoria have experienced some kind of anti-gay physical or verbal assault in the past five years, according to a new study by Attorney General Rob Hulls.
The report—based on data collected during 1999 from 929 GLBT people— contains recommendations for a series of anti-hate initiatives by Parliament, the police, religious leaders, the Equal Opportunity Commission and the Department of Education, Employment and Training.
LARGE TURNOUTS AT EURO PRIDES
More than 200,000 people turned out for Paris' gay-pride march June 24, led by gay Socialist mayoral candidate Bertrand Delanoe who is favored to win. according to pollsters.
"Whenever there is a demonstration for liberty, I'm there," Delanoe said.
The parade, which ended at the Place de la Bastille, featured 60 floats and demands for laws to ban anti-gay discrimination and legalize gay adoption.
France already has a partner-registration law that grants gay couples most rights of matrimony. There are similar laws in Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the U.S. state of Vermont.
t About 400,000 people attended Berlin's Christopher Street Day parade June 24, demanding passage of a comprehensive registered-partnership law.
A day earlier, the governing Social Democrats and Greens agreed on a rough outline of a bill that would grant all marriage rights except access to adoption. Opposition conservatives blasted the proposal.
The parade ended with a huge dance at the Brandenburg Gate.
t Thousands of people marched in Tel Aviv, Israel's gay-pride parade through Rabin Square June 23.
"You only see pictures of Israel when rocks are being thrown," marcher Kinneret Golan told AP. "I'm proud that despite everything we can still do this."
Marcher Anat Schumaker told reporters: "We're here and they can't do anything to stop us."
CANADIANS MARCH
Thousands walked in Toronto's Dyke March June 24 to the tune of Annie Lennox's "Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves."
"We're from China, we don't have this there," spectator Martin Wang told the Toronto Sun. "We can't understand it."
About 500 people marched in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 24.
"The last two years we changed significantly, from being militant to seeing the event as a celebration," Pride Day Co-chair Dan MacKay told the Halifax Herald. "We intend to keep moving in that direction."
There was a rally at Sackville Landing following the march.
THOUSANDS MARCH IN BRAZIL
Police said 120,000 people converged on Sao Paulo, Brazil's main financial avenue June 25 for the city's fourth Gay Pride Parade.
"We are going to march so that people see how many of us there are, how different we are from each other, and how we're just like the rest of the world," a parade pamphlet said.
Banners called for an end to hate crimes and prejudice.
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