--------- IW T iT f l n e w s The Natural Gift Late-night television host Tamara Tonite, whose legal name is Rob Pater­ son, plans to fight for transgender rights, euthanasia and lesbian access to fertility clinics, among other causes. “Every per­ son on this earth deserves to be treated no better and certainly no less than any other person,” she told The Australian. ----- february 16.2001 * J u s t a a t j jg Intimidated by the typical jewelry stores? Now you have someone on your side. bout 35,000 people and 80 organi­ zations joined in Melbourne’s Mid- summa Pride March on Jan. 21. The parade went down Fitzroy Street in the St. Kilda area. The biggest cheers went to the Peo­ ple Living with AIDS contingent and to the gay police employees group. State Health Minister John Thwaites was also a crowd-pleaser, local media reported. A IX ) rragrances Custom Scenting Arom atherapy Women and Mens skin Care Bath • Spa • fo o t Care Home Fragrance ZIMBABWE G ift Baskets ormer Zimbabwean President Ca­ naan Banana was released from rename the state Drag Queensland ? Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison on Jan. 29 Greens and Left Party but are opposed by the after serving eight months for sexually assaulting minority Christian Democrats. The right-wing and sodomizing male members of his staff. Moderatema Party supports all the changes Among those he intimidated into having sex except for international adoption. were his bodyguard, cook and gardener. The committee’s recommendations were pre­ Banana was president from 1980 to 1987. sented to the minister of justice. Several months The incidents came to light starting in 1995, of debate will take place, then the government when former Banana aide Jefta Dube shot to will introduce legislation in parliament, which death a fellow policeman who had taunted him should cast a vote on the matter early next year. by calling him “Bananas wife.” _ Dube testified that he THE NETHERLANDS and Banana had sex un- oman Catholic priests in the Netherlands countable times during a f are surprisingly pro-gay, a survey by De Gay period of three years. The f r * - ♦ Krant has found. The magazine mailed a ques­ first time, Dube said, he was tionnaire to 783 parishes and got a response drugged and woke up from 339 of them. naked with a smiling A total of 42 percent of the responses were Banana saying, “We anonymous. Only one priest said gays are not helped ourselves.” welcome in his church. O ther victims A total of 95 percent said sexually active described a sce­ gays are welcome to take communion— a viola­ nario in which tion of church teaching. A total of 56 percent Banana would said they would bless a homosexual union in ask them to play their church, and 83 percent said they would do cards, offer them so in private. a drink, put on Canaan Banana Catholic teaching maintains sexually active music, insist on teaching them to dance, then gays are living in “mortal sin.” The soul of an kiss and fondle them while dancing. individual who dies without confessing and being absolved of a mortal sin is condemned to hell, the church teaches. CHINA he city of Chengdu, capital of the Chinese During life, anyone who has committed a province of Sichuan, has passed a law ban­ mortal sin and has not been absolved of it is barred from receiving communion. Receiving ning HIV-positive people from getting married communion while living in mortal sin is itself an or working as surgeons or kindergarten teachers. additional mortal sin. It will take effect in May. The church’s anti-gay doctrines are based on The law also requires police to force-test prostitutes, drug users and members of other so- its beliefs that sexual acts are permissible only between opposite-sex spouses and that those called high-risk groups within five days of an arrest. It further requires separate jail cells for acts must be open to the possibility of pregnan­ HIV-positive inmates and mandates testing for cy. As such, birth control, oral sex and mastur­ any resident who has been out of the country for bation are also mortal sins. more than a year. CYPRUS The legislation has been denounced by the wo men who claimed they had sex with Chengdu Workers Daily newspaper and the U nit­ Cypriot Orthodox Bishop Athanassios of ed Nations’ AIDS program. Chengdu has 38 Limassol were jailed for three months Jan. 25 for officially registered HIV-positive citizens. committing defamation. SWEDEN Costas Savva, 30, and Manolis Ilia, 34, admitted they had lied in exchange for money he Swedish Parliament’s Committee on Homosexuality and Children recommend­ from Athanassios’ enemies, who allegedly want­ ed Jan. 31 that registered same-sex couples be ed to prevent him from becoming the church’s permitted to adopt children, including kids from next leader. Athanassios endured months of allegations until a Major Holy Synod— only the foreign countries. second ever to convene in Cyprus—cleared him The panel also said lesbian couples should have access to state-funded artificial insemina­ of the accusations in November. j n tion technology. Sweden has a registered part­ Compiled by R ex WOCKNER , who has reported nership law that already grants gay and lesbian for the gay press since 1985. He has a bachelor’s couples every other right of marriage. degree in journalism from Drake University and The recommendations are supported by the Social Democrats, Centre Party, People’s Party, started his career as a radio reporter. F R T T T James Giardino m anager Cards & Wrapping I want you to always have a wonderful experience when it comes to selecting a piece of jewelry. I specialize in custom design at the most affordable price. I want to be your new downtown jeweler! Whatever the occasion ECCENTIAL lotions & oils 710 NW 2 )rd Avenue • 1 + 8 - 97+8 5658 SE Hawthorne Street • 156-7976 C o m rr vi VIJeffiTHo«vnt