Castro: I'm responsible for past anti-gay persecution
In an Aug. 31 interview with the Mexican newspaper La Jornada, Fidel Castro accepted responsibility for Cuba's persecution of homosexuals decades ago.
From 1959, when the previous government was overthrown in an armed rebellion, until the 1970s, gays were branded counterrevolutionaries and forced into labor camps.
"Those were moments of great injustice," Castro told La Jornada. "A great injustice! ... If anyone is responsible, I am.
"It's a given that at that time, I couldn't occupy myself with this matter. I found myself immersed primarily in the October Crisis ( Cuban missile crisis ) , the war, political questions ( but ) I'm not going to toss the blame on others."
These days, Cuba stages official public LGBT events.
On May 15, hundreds of LGBT people marched in Havana's Vedado nightlife district in advance of the May 17 International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. They were led by President Raúl Castro's daughter Mariela, who heads CENESEX, the National Sex Education Center.
Other IDAHO events included workshops on LGBT issues and a huge, officially sanctioned outdoor drag show May 17 in the city of Santa Clara, 160 miles ( 258 km ) east of Havana.
Conservative British MP comes out
Foreign Minister denies being gay
Conservative British Member of Parliament Crispin Blunt, the government's minister for prisons and probation, announced Aug. 28 that he has separated from his wife of 20 years so he can embrace being gay.
A statement issued by his office said: "Crispin Blunt wishes to make it
known that he has separated from his wife Victoria. He decided to come to terms with his homosexuality and explained the position to his family. The consequence is this separation. There is no third party involvement, but this is difficult for his immediate and wider family and he hopes for understanding and support for them. The family do not wish to make any further public comment and hope that their privacy will be respected as they deal with these difficult private issues."
Blunt, 50, is a former Army officer. He has been an MP since 1997.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Minister William Hague released a statement Sept. 1 denying that he's been having an affair with a 25-year-old male
assistant, who nonetheless resigned because of what Hague called "untrue and malicious allegations" that the two are involved.
Hague, 49, acknowledged that he and the adviser, Christopher Myers, had "occasionally" shared a hotel room during the election campaign.
"In hindsight I should have given greater consideration to what might have
been made of that, but this is in itself no justification for allegations
of this kind, which are untrue and deeply distressing to me, to ( my wife ) Ffion and to Christopher," Hague said.
"Any suggestion that his appointment was due to an improper relationship between us is utterly false, as is any suggestion that I have ever been
involved in a relationship with any man," he said.
California Senate condemns Ugandan bill and U.S. religious groups
The California Senate passed a resolution Aug. 30 condemning the pending bill in Uganda that would jail gays for life and punish some with the death penalty. The vote was 21-14.
Introduced by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, and sponsored by Equality California, the resolution also "calls upon the United States Department of State to increase efforts to encourage the decriminalization of homosexuality in every country" and "encourages a more careful review of all United States funding and resources given to faith-based organizations in foreign countries" to ensure that U.S. money does not go to groups that disrespect human rights.
The resolution says that "some United States-based religious leaders have been fomenting fear and discrimination against the ... LGBT community in Uganda" and that "the links between some United States-based religious groups and the antigay bill ... have been well-documented."
"There is a growing movement, supported and funded by some United States-based religious groups, to further criminalize homosexuality
globally," the resolution states. " ( T ) he Senate calls upon the United States Department of State to censure American citizens and organizations who contravene American foreign policy by demonstrated exportation of fear and misinformation to other countries. ..."
EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors commented: "The U.S. government must do everything in its power to stop the bill before the Uganda ( parliament ) that would lead to the criminalization and even death of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Ugandans. The California Senate has taken an important step in passing this resolution, which will help raise awareness of the crisis in Uganda and will put the state on record in support of the U.S. government strengthening its efforts to end the criminalization of LGBT people worldwide."
Leno added: "It is egregious that radical religious leaders from our nation are working to spread fears about and discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Uganda. These deplorable actions have encouraged violence and even death against Ugandans. This resolution is a simple human rights appeal urging President Obama and our federal leaders to call for the decriminalization of LGBT people, not only in Uganda, but across the globe."
Uganda's "Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009" would imprison for life anyone
convicted of "the offense of homosexuality," punish "aggravated
homosexuality" ( repeat offenses or having gay sex while being
HIV-positive ) with the death penalty, forbid "promotion of homosexuality" and incarcerate gay-rights defenders, and jail individuals in positions of authority for up to three years if they fail to report within 24 hours the existence of all LGBT people or sympathizers known to them.
Tasmanian Parliament moves to recognize foreign gay unions
The Australian state of Tasmania's lower house of Parliament, the House of Assembly, voted Sept. 1 to recognize official same-sex unions and marriages that take place elsewhere in the nation or world.
The measure now moves to the upper house, the Legislative Council.
Australia does not allow same-sex marriage but three states and the
Australian Capital Territory have same-sex partner registration schemes.
Those partnerships also are recognized by the federal government for
purposes of all spousal entitlements associated with marriage.
The Tasmanian bill will recognize overseas same-sex marriages only as
state civil partnerships, not marriages, because Australian federal law
explicitly bans recognition of foreign same-sex marriages.
New South Wales passes gay adoption bill
The Legislative Assembly of the Australian state of New South Wales, where Sydney is located, passed a bill to legalize adoption by same-sex couples Sept. 2. The vote was 46-42, following two days of debate.
The measure permits church-affiliated adoption agencies to continue to
discriminate against gay couples without fear of prosecution.
One other state, Western Australia, and the Australian Capital Territoryallow gay couples to adopt together. The bill now moves to the upper house, the Legislative Council.
Derry sees first pride parade
Some 5,000 people took part in the first gay pride parade in Derry,
Northern Ireland, on Aug. 28. The procession traveled from Waterside
Railway Station to Guildhall Square. About 20 people gathered around Duke Street to protest the march.
Assistance: Bill Kelley