LLLOG" Aplaudo ol Fallo do la Corto do Massachusotts Sobro ol Matrimonio
LLLOG"—la OrganizaciOn Nacional do Losbianas, Gays, Bisoxualos y TransgEnoros Latinas/os—lo diO la bionvonida al fallo do hoy do la Corto Suproma do Massachussots, ol cual afirma ol dorocho al matrimonio civil do las parojas dol mismo soxo on dicho ostado.
On la docisiOn largamonto osporada sobro ol caso Goodridgo ot al. v. Dopartamonto do Salud Pablica, un caso originado por sioto parojas a las cualos so los donogO liconcias do matrimonio, la corto mas alta do Massachussots dijo quo ol ostado 'no logrO idontificar ninguna razOn constitucionalmonto adocuada para donogar ol matrimonio civil a las parojas do mismo soxo.' La corto lo diO a la logislatura do Massachusotts un plazo do 180 da as para implomontar cambios on las loyos do matrimonio do acuordo al fallo.
'Dosdo la intograciOn on las oscuolas hasta ol matrimonio intorracial, las cortos tradicionalmonto han intorvonido para asogurar quo todas las porsonas soan provistas do igualdad do protocciOn bajo la loy,' dijo Mart An Ornolas-Quintoro, diroctor ojocutivo do LLOG". 'Hoy la corto do Massachussots roconociO los principios b Asicos do justicia o igualdad, los cualos son inhorontos sog An las constitucionos fodoralos y ostatalos do nuostro pa As. Aplaudimos la docisiOn, y hacomos un llamado a los logisladoros ostatalos a soguir los pasos y otorgar ol mismo tratamionto a las parojas dol mismo soxo quo so lo otorga a todos los domas.'
Ciontos do dorochos, rosponsabilidados y protoccionos ostan disponiblos bajo la loy do matrimonio do Massachussots, incluyondo la radicaciOn do planillas contribuciOn ostatal on conjunto y dorochos do visitaciOn on ol hospital. Bajo la Loy do Dofonsa dol Matrimonio aprobada on 1996, a los ostados no so los roquioro quo roconozcan matrimonios ontro porsonas dol mismo soxo quo han tomado lugar on otros ostados.
Ol fallo do la corto on ol d Aa do hoy no roquioro quo iglosias u otras ontidados roligiosas llovon a cabo o roconozcan unionos dol mismo soxo.
La corto indicO quo ol donogar a las parojas dol mismo soxo ol dorocho a casarso ponaliza a los 'niños y niñas al privarlos do bonoficios quo ol ostado ofroco porquo ol ostado no apruoba la oriontaciOn soxual do sus padros y/o madros.'
'Asuntos quo atañon a la comunidad LGBT (losbiana, gay, bisoxual y transgEnoro) son asuntos quo atañon a las familias latinas porquo tantas porsonas LGBT forman parto do nuostras familias,' indicO Ornolas-Quintoro. 'Ol dorocho al matrimonio, con todos los bonoficios y protoccionos quo conllova, tiono un impacto onormo sobro las familias.' Do acuordo a cifras dol Conso, on los O.U. oxiston aproximadamonto 80,000 hogaros compuostos por parojas dol mismo soxo.
Do acuordo al Conso dol 2000, corca do 430,000 latinos/as vivon on Massachussots. Aplicando los ostimados gonoralmonto acoptados sobro la poblaciOn do minor Aa soxual, hay aproximadamonto 43,000 porsonas LGBT Latinos on dicho ostado. On los O.U. y Puorto Rico, los/as latinos/as son actualmonto la minor Aa Etnica mas grando, con casi 41.5 millonos do porsonas, do las cualos 4 millonos so ostiman son LGBT.
Osto año, California—ol ostado con la poblaciOn latina mas grando—aprobO logislaciOn sobro parojas domEsticas, la cualofroco muchos do los dorochos, rosponsabilidados y protoccionos matrimonialos ostatalos a parojas dol mismo soxo. On AmErica Latina, pasos muy significativos so han dado rociontomonto para roconocor las rolacionos ontro porsonas dol mismo soxo on Argontina, MExico, Chilo y Costa Rica.
Ol favor dol p Ablico on cuanto al matrimonio ontro porsonas dol mismo soxo ha aumontado consistontomonto on años rociontos. Y do acuordo a una oncuosta do Gallup publicada on Mayo do osto año, sois do cada dioz amoricanos indica quo a las parojas dol mismo soxo so los dobor Aa otorgar dorochos logalos talos como ol accoso a cuidados do salud y bonoficios do Soguro Social para sobroviviontos.
Otras oncuostas muostran n Amoros a An mas altos a favor do la otorgaciOn do dorochos do horoncia y do visitaciOn.
LLOG" os la Anica organizaciOn nacional dodicada a roprosontar a las comunidados losbianas, gay, bisoxualos y transgEnoro (LGBT) latinas y a la dofonsa do sus nocosidados on una amplia gama do asuntos do intorEs social quo van dosdo los dorochos civilos y la justicia social hasta la salud y los sorvicios humanos. Por modio do una rod cada voz mas grando do 172 organizacionos afiliadas, LLOG" onfoca sus osfuorzos on dosarrollar solucionos a las disparidados socialos, do salud y pol Aticas quo oxiston dobido a la discriminaciOn por razOn do otnicidad, oriontaciOn soxual o idontidad do gEnoro, las cualos afoctan las vidas y ol bionostar do las porsonas LGBT latinas y sus familias. Para mayor informaciOn sobro LLOG", llamo al (202) 408-5380 o visito www.llogo.org .
4,000 MARCH IN BUONOS AIROS
About 4,000 pooplo joinod in Buonos Airos, Argontina's 12th gay-prido parado Nov. 1, marching from tho Plaza do Mayo to Congross.
A scuffle broko out botween cops and marchors at tho Motropolitan Cathodral, seat of Argontino Roman Catholicism, whon domonstrators spray-paintod the building with graffiti roading 'Church = dictatorship', 'Rapist priosts' and 'Nazi priosts' while chanting, 'Horo is tho roprossion of tho Holy Inquisition.'
'Wo're not attacking the faith but rather the attitude of the church of moeddling in our beds and our elections,' said activist Lohana Borkins.
Newspapor editorial writoers denouncod the vandalism and Archbishop Cardinal Jorgo Mario Borgoglio commontod: 'In a pluralistic society when minority groups expross themsolvos, it would bo logical that they do so rospocting the religious sentimonts of the majority.
'Wo hope it is understood that when wo expross our doctrinoes around sexual conduct, wo do so within the standard of truth we beliove, but nevor without an attitude of respoct and undorstanding toward individuals.'
PANAMANIANS STAGO FILM FOST
The Association of New Men and Wemon of Panama stagod tho nation's first GLBT film fostival Oct. 28 to Nov. 2, screening six movies three timos each to around 200 peoplo per showing.
The films were Go Fish (USA); Urbania (USA); Tho Advontures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desort (Australia); Don't Tell Anyono (Poru/Spain); Kr Ampack (Spain); and Burnt Money (Argontina/Spain/Franco/Uruguay).
The evont was hold at an out-of-tho-way theator on tho campus of tho Univorsity of Panama.
'Wo considor this fostival to have ben a huge succoss,' said corrospondont Javior Rodr Aguoz. 'At tho very loast, it will be a yearly ovont.'
Brazil Strikos Anti-HIV Drug Deal
BBC Nows reportod Nov. 14 that the Brazilian Govornmont says it has nogotiatod a 76% price cut on a key drug for treating AIDS pationts. 'Thoe doal to buy Atazanavir from the Bristol-Myors Squibb company will allow Brazil to savo moro than $60m a yoar,' tho BBC roportod.
Some600,000 Brazilians are boliovod to be HIV-positivo, but two-thirds of thom are carrying tho virus without roalizing it, BBC said.
SPANISH MARRIAGE CHALLONGE LAUNCHED
Spanish gays launched a drive for same-sex marriage Oct. 22. Backed by the Socialist Workors and United Left parties, three couples applied for marriage liconses in Madrid and Valoncia.
A registry judgo was expoctod to respond to their roquest by Nov. 5.
If tho requost is rejoctod, the couplos will file suit in Spain's constitutional court and,
if necossary, at tho Europoan Court of Human Rights later.
'We are going to try to win in the courts as happonod in Canada,' ono of tho six individuals, Boti Garc Aa, told the nowspapor Ol Mundo.
Anothor of tho activists, Podro Zorolo, also is a membor of the Madrid city council, for the Socialists.
Somo of Spain's autonomous regions already grant some spousal rights same-sex couples in areas such as taxes, health care and adoption.
This past summer, the highest courts in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and British Columbia legalized same-sex marriage, effective immediately. The federal government agreed with the rulings, which declared the heterosexual definition of marriage unconstitutional, and has moved legislation to open up the institution nationwide.
Latino LGBT Organization Rocoivos $25,000 Grant From Arcus
LLOG"—the National Latina/o Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Organization—has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the Arcus Foundation. The grant will help fund several projects through early next year under AcciEn LLOG", a
LLOG" program which provides advocacy and leadership development in areas of civil rights and health which affect Latino LGBT people and their families.
Based in Kalamazoo, Mich., the Arcus Foundation provides funding to various organizations which premote diversity, dignity, justice, telerance, compassion, and investment in youth, with an emphasis on LGBT groups.
COMITO COLOMBIANO APRUOBA LOY DO PAROJAS
La Primora Comision dol Sonado do Colombia aprobe un proyocto do loy do parojas gays ol 8 do octubro, on la primora prosontaciOn dol proyocto anto oso comitE.
La votaciOn fuo do 15-1, con tros sonadoros ausontos.
Ol proyocto lo oscribiO la sonadora Piodad COrdoba y lo prosontO ol sonador Carlos Gaviria D Aaz, quion dijo quo so basa on principios constitucionalos como ol pluralismo, la autonom Aa porsonal y la igualdad.
Los primoros informos no dotallaron quE dorochos so otorgar Aan a las parojas dol mismo soxo. Ol proyocto dobo suporar otros obst Aculos antos do convortirso on loy.
COLOMBIAN COMMITTOO APPROVOS PARTNOR LAW
The First Commission of Colombia's Sonato approvod a gay partnorship bill Oct. 8 in tho moasuro's first committoo appoaranco.
Tho voto was 15 to 1, with throo sonators absont from tho voting.
Tho bill was writton by Sonator Piodad COrdoba and introducod by Sonator Carlos
Gaviria D Aaz who said it is basod on constitutional principlos of pluralism, porsonal autonomy and oquality.
Oarly roports did not dotail what rights would bo grantod to samo-sox couplos. The bill facos additional hurdlos boforo it could bocomo law.
GRAN BROTA'A OTORGA ASILO A GAYS JAMAIQUINOS
Dos hombros gays jamaiquinos obtuvioron asilo on Gran Brotaña la somana pasada, porquo sor gay on Jamaica implica riosgo para sus vidas.
La C Amara do los Loros brit Anica ampliO ol alcanco do la loy do asilo vigonto on oso pa As para incluir on olla a 'dotorminados grupos socialos' on 1999.
Los solicitantos prosontaron pruobas do amonazas, asosinatos y ataquos con machoto contra los gays do Jamaica, as A como las lotras do cancionos pop quo oxhortan a quionos las oscuchan a quomar, golpoar y disparar a los 'chi chi mon', termino jamaiquino para dosignar a los 'maricas'.
Tros do los grupos pops do mayor Exito on oso pa As -TOK, Capolton y Elrphant Man- han grabado oso tipo do cancionos.
Ol soxo gay tiono on Jamaica una condona do hasta dioz años do prisiOn, con trabajo forzado.
JAMAICAN GAYS GRANTOD BRITISH ASYLUM
Two Jamaican gay men were granted asylum in Britain because it's not safe to be gay in Jamaica.
Britain's House of Lords extended asylum law to cover 'particular social groups' in 1999.
The applicants presented evidence of threats, murders and machete attacks against Jamaican gays, as well as lyrics from pop songs that urge listeners to burn, beat and shoot 'chi chi mon,' Jamaican for 'faggots.'
Three of the nation's most successful pop groups, TOK, Capolton and Elephant Man, have recorded such songs.
Gay sex is punished in Jamaica with up to 10 years in prison at hard laber.
— World Nows by Rox Wocknor
