MAN MURDERED IN CRUISY VANCOUVER PARK
A gay man was found beaten to death Nov. 17 in Vancouver's Stanley Park, one of North America's cruisiest locations.
In an apparent hate crime, Aaron Webster, 41, was beaten with probably a baseball bat by three or four assailants, police said.
"This has all the earmarks of an attack that was prompted by the man's sexual orientation," said spokesman Scott Dreimal.
No suspects have been identified. Four witnesses to the assault said it was too dark to make out anything about the attackers.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said that if Webster's murder was anti-gay in nature, it would be the first such death in British Columbia history.
On Nov. 18, nearly 2,000 gays marched through the West End, Vancouver's gayest neighborhood, which abuts the huge, well-known park, chanting, "Justice will be done."
According to the gay newspaper Xtra! West, it was Vancouver's largest-ever gay protest.
"It was on par with the [ 1981 ] bathhouse raids in Toronto or the San Francisco community's response after [ gay city supervisor ] Harvey Milk was murdered," said longtime activist Don Hann.
PARTNERSHIP BILL
INTRODUCED IN COLOMBIA
A same-sex civil-union bill was introduced in Colombia's Senate Nov. 7 and passed out of committee Nov. 21 by a 9-to-1 vote.
The measure extends marriage rights to registered couples in areas such as inheritance, insurance, immigration, social security, loans, bereavement leave, healthcare decisions, conjugal visits, alimony and domestic-violence protection.
It also bans discrimination and incitement of discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity, mandates objective gay sex education in schools, and requires municipal health departments to address homosexuality and cooperate with non-governmental organizations that work on sexual diversity issues.
The International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission urges activists to lobby Colombia's Justice Minister, Romulo Gonzalez Trujillo, to support the measure. His address is Ministro de Justicia y Derecho, Avenida Jimenez No. 8-89, Bogota, Colombia. Fax: 011-571-596-05-00. E-mail: ministro@minjusticia.gov .co.
ANTI-GAY CONTEST
IN LATVIA
The Latvian publishing company Vieda has launched an essay contest on the topic of "Latvia without homosexuality."
Suggested themes include: "Isn't it high time we eliminated homosexuality?", "Homosexuality—a norm or Satanism?", "Does Latvia need to join the European Union that blasphemes the Holy Spirit by permitting same-sex marriages?" and "Homosexuality as a sign of degeneration and herald of the end of the world."
Gay activists and human-rights officials are not amused.
The National Human Rights Office denounced the contest as "discriminatory," "humiliating" and possibly criminal. The Homosexuality Information Center called it "scandalous" and said members were in "shock."
MEXICO CITY CONSIDERS PARTNER MEASURE
Mexico City's city council, the Federal District Legislative Assembly, will debate a domestic-partnership bill this month.
The measure, introduced by lesbian councilor Enoe Uranga, aims to "recognize and protect alternative lifestyles to the traditional nuclear family," according to a press release from activist groups supporting the proposal.
No specifics were provided. To help lobby for the measure, contact iglhrc@iglhrc.org .