17
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TAIWAN
aipei’s first gay forum, sponsored by the city
government, has been scheduled for Sept.
3, China Times reported.
The event will feature “noted homosexuals”
from Taiwan and around the world, including
American activists Michael Bronski and Nan
Hunter, according to the city’s Bureau of Civil
Affairs.
T
In preparation for the Taipei Homosexuality
Forum, the agency has printed pamphlets for the
general public explaining gay history and cul
ture and that homosexuality is biologically
based. It also has published a comprehensive
guide to the island’s gay groups and meeting
places.
The bureau also will sponsor a gala, a design
show and art shows at Warners Village Square
near City Hall in conjunction with the forum.
NORWAY
rond Giske, Norway’s minister of churches
and education, has upheld the hiring of the
nation’s first openly noncelibate gay preacher by
the Oslo Bishops Council of the state Lutheran
church.
He said Jens Torstein Olsen was the “best
qualified” person for the job. Bishops who dis
agreed with the hiring had appealed to Giske,
the formal employer of state church clergy, say
ing the appointment violated a 1997 decision by
the church’s national convention that preachers
with same-sex lovers could not hold “consecrat
ed” positions.
Murray Warren and Peter Cook, who have
lived together for 29 years, say Canadian law has
no prohibition against same-sex marriage. “Our
rights to be treated equally as citizens in a demo
cratic country and as a couple in a long-term,
loving relationship are being denied because of
our sexual orientation,” Cook told reporters.
Provincial Attorney General Andrew Petter
agrees. “In a modem society, there is no justifi
cation for denying same-sex couples the same
option to form marital bonds as are afforded
to opposite-sex couples,” He said.
O n July 20, Petter filed a petition with
the British Columbia Supreme Court
requesting a determination on whether the
federal common law that defines marriage as
a union between a man and a woman is con
stitutional in light of a recent federal
Supreme Court ruling that banned discrimi
nation based on sexual orientation.
W orks
Professional Service
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ontreal’s gay pride celebration, Divers/
Cité, which attracted 500,000 people last
year, has won a Tourisme Québécois Grand
Prize.
A total of 14 awards were handed out in the
Montreal region to four hotels, two restaurants,
two tourist attractions, two tourist events, one
outdoor recreation activity and three tourist
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The pride parade won in the category' of
“Tourist Event—Less Than $1 Million Budget.”
Officials said the parade is an “exceptional con
tribution toward promoting the image of the
Montreal area as a tourist destination.”
\
bout 59 per
cent of Nor
wegians would
accept a gay
king or
queen, a
Norsk
Gallup
poll has
found.
• > *.
UNITED KINGDOM
he sixth International Bisexual Conference
is scheduled for Aug. 24-28 in Manchester,
England.
Among the speakers will be Fritz Klein,
who organizers described as “the father of
modern bisexuality theory and research.”
Call 011-44-794-609-2727 or visit the
Internet site come.to/bicon for more
\
information.
T
KL
Two-thirds would have no problem with a
gay bishop in the state Lutheran church. Three-
fourths wouldn’t mind if the prime minister
were gay.
Telephone pollsters questioned 993 people
in early May.
CANADA
gay couple in British Columbia have filed
a complaint against the provincial govern
ment with the Human Rights Commission
because they can’t get married.
GUATEMALA
uatemalan police are abusing
\
transvestites, Amnesty Inter
national said July 18.
“There are strong indications
that Guatemalan police have sub
jected transvestites to systematic
abuse, including threats, harassment and rape,
which is tantamount to ‘social cleansing,’ ” AI
USA’s Michael Heflin said.
He also called for full investigations into the
recent murders of two transvestite sex workers
in Guatemala City—“the latest in a string of
[suchj murders that apparently began in October
1997.”
■ Compiled by R ex W O C K N E R , who has reported
for the gay press sirice 1985. He has a bachelor 's
degree in journalism from Drake University and
started his career as a radio reporter.
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