world briefs
NETHERLANDS
Following three murders of gay men in a forest
often used for cruising, the police department of
Rotterdam has created the “Gay Team,” a two-man
unit working exclusively on matters involving
sexual minorities.
Officers Wietse Lantinga and Dick Snaterse
focus on homophobic harassment, violence, black
mail, extortion, vandalism, and rape— and on get
ting to know the queer community, reported the
newspaper De Gay Krant.
“Many gay men are married and hide their
homosexuality,” Snaterse noted. “When they be
come crime victims, they don’t report it to the
police.”
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Four open gay men and lesbians and six clos
eted gay men and lesbians won seats in the Neth
erlands’ Parliament in the recent elections, De Gay
Krant reported May 28.
Those who “do not conceal their sexual iden
tity,” as the newspaper phrased it, are Anne Lize
van der Stoel, Ries Smits, Clemens Comielje and
Boris Dittrich.
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Legislation mandating testing o f so-called HIV
“risk groups” and foreigners awaits approval by
the Russian parliament, the newspaper Novaya
Yezhednevnaya Gazeta reported June 7.
The draft law authorizes police to identify
high-risk individuals and bring them in for forced
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T ▼ ▼ T
Three m embers o f the Tasm anian Gay and
Lesbian Rights Group walked into H obarth’s main
police station May 12 and presented officers with
prepared statements on their sexual behavior. The
move was made in an effort to force the Australian
government to overturn Tasm ania’s anti-sodomy
laws. The activists were not arrested, although
police officials say their statements will be inves
tigated with the possible result of future charges.
Tasmanian state law prohibits oral and anal sex
between men and carries a maximum 21-year
sentence.
THAILAND
A real estate com pany announced June 1 plans
to build an 800-home com m unity exclusively for
gay men.
The W achira Royal Valley company will erect
“Flora Tow n” 90 miles northeast o f Bangkok near
the town of Nakhon Ratchasima, project manger
Dejdiow Srichai told the Reuters news service.
"There are many, many gay men living in
Thailand now, and I think they would like a little
privacy and to live in beautiful surroundings,”
Dejdiow said.
The $ 10-million, 80-acre community is slated
to open in 18 months. Foreign gay men will be
welcome.
UGANDA
II
m w im i
laid out in the U.N. Declaration o f Human Rights.
In April, the Tasm anian Parliament rejected an
attempt to repeal the anti-sodomy law, with the
backing of the ruling Liberal Party government.
The U .N .’s decision is the first o f its kind and
could be o f far-reaching significance for human
rights activists around the world. In the United
States, there are some two dozen states which still
have anti-sodomy legislation on their books.
Tasmania, a sparsely populated island south of
Melbourne, is the only Australian state with this
type o f legislation. Civil rights activists are hoping
the U.N. decision will sufficiently embarrass the
Australian governm ent that it will intervene with
the state.
Sweden’s parliament legalized same-sex mar
riage June 7, by a vote o f 171-141 with 5 absten
tions and 32 absences.
• Sweden is the third country to allow gay men
and lesbians to marry. Denmark was first, in 1989,
and Norway followed, in 1993.
The law comes into effect the first o f 1995.
The margin of the win was a surprise to gay
activists, who thought they might win or lose by
two votes.
Leading liberal MP Barbro W esterholm, leader
of the parliamentary effort, received a standing
ovation when she appeared at the center.
As in Denmark and Norway, the law grants
same-sex spouses all rights of marriage except
access to adoption, artificial insemination, in-vitro
fertilization, and church weddings. And, as in the
other countries, one partner must be a citizen living
in his or her homeland.
A spokesman for Prime M inister Carl Bildt
welcomed the law, saying: “We accept homo
sexual love as equivalent to heterosexual. Love is
an important force to personal as well as social
development, and should therefore not be denied.”
The parliamentary debate lasted six hours.
Opponents said the law would affect too few
people to be worth the effort. Supportive MPs gave
thoughtful testimony on the situation o f lesbians
and gay men in society.
TASMANIA
After repeated failed attempts to change anti-
sodomy legislation in Tasmania, the United Na
tions Human Rights Committee has declared such
legislation a violation o f civil and human rights
Ugandan Catholic Bishop Edward Baharagate
denounced the governm ent’s condom distribution
program June 3, saying it promotes immorality and
will cause more AIDS deaths, reported the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control.
The government o f President Yoweri Museveni
has been handing out m illions o f free condoms,
calling them the cheapest and most effective way
to fight AIDS.
Catholic doctrine forbids sex acts that cannot
lead to pregnancy— including gay sex, masturba
tion and oral sex. The church permits only “natu
ral” birth control, wherein a woman monitors her
vaginal mucous to determ ine fertile periods of the
menstrual cycle.
UNITED STATES
Five members o f the Lesbian Avengers dis
rupted a formal dinner for the United Nations
Development Fund for W omen and demanded the
inclusion of lesbians in all its programs. The five
women paid $250 each to attend the dinner, while
50 other Avengers dem onstrated outside. There
are differing accounts o f the disruption, but Avenger
Michelle Cronk allegedly grabbed a microphone
onstage and read a list o f demands while the other
four Avengers handed out pamphlets. The five
women were forced to leave the dinner. The pam
phlet listed eight demands which included putting
lesbians at the top o f the UNIFEM human rights
agenda.
The Lesbian Avengers plan to follow up by
attempting to schedule a meeting with UNIFEM
official Liz Daly Byrne, according to Cronk. If the
meeting is set, the Avengers will have to send
representatives other than “the U.N. five,” who
were photographed and identified by U.N. secu
rity.
Compiled by Jann Gilbert and Rex Wockner