24
aprii 1£. 2004
PïïTTÏïlneivs
access to ordinary marriage and the
additional rights that come with it.
“Lesbian and gay couples are being
s* „
fobbed off with second-best partnership
rights,” the Gay and Lesbian Humanist
Association said.
Spokesperson Terry Sanderson
asked: “Why are gay couples required
to sign a different register to everyone
Michael Cashman (left) and Kursad Kahramanoglu
else? Why is the government inventing
blame Vatican and Islamic arm-twisting for the delay
a whole new structure of partnership
of a U .N . gay rights resolution
registration when there is a perfectly
good one in place already— called mar
IN T E R N A T IO N A L
riage? The government makes great play about
groundbreaking resolution on gay rights
its efforts to give equality to gay people, yet it
has gone to enormous lengths to avoid giving
was scuttled again this year March 29 at
the 60th session of the U.N. Commission on
equality."
Human Rights in Geneva.
Sponsored by Brazil, the resolution “express
R U S S IA
es deep concern at the occurrence of violations
committee of the lower house of Russia’s
of human rights in the world against persons on
Parliament, the State Duma, rejected a
the grounds of their sexual orientation” and
measure to recriminalize gay sex April 1.
“calls upon all states to promote and protect the
Russia decriminalized homosexuality in 1992
human rights of all persons regardless of their
shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union. Legis
sexual orientation.” Brazil opted to withdraw
lators said the proposed ban would have been
the measure before it came up for a vote, saying
unconstitutional because the Russian Constitu
Muslim nations and the Vatican had enough
tion guarantees the inviolability of private life
clout to defeat it.
and private and family secrets, according to a
At last year’s session, the vote was postponed
report from the Interfax wire service.
for a year because of opposition from Muslim,
African and Latin American countries, Vatican
ECUADOR
City, China and India. The United States had
cuadorian gay activist Patricio Ordonez
been expected to abstain.
Maico was knifed in the chest and back
“Millions of people across the globe face
March 12 in the Quito office of the gay group
imprisonment, torture, violence and discrimina
Friends for Life- Foundation by a person who
tion because of their sexual orientation,” Mem
shouted, “I’m going to kill you, you son of a
ber of the European Parliament Michael Cash-
bitch.”
man said after Brazil’s backdown. “It’s depressing
The attack happened a week after Ordonez
when religions can succeed in denying ordinary
spoke at an international human rights meeting
men and women their universal human rights.
about a complaint he has filed against National
Both the Vatican and the conference of Islamic
Police officers who allegedly assaulted, sexually
states should hang their heads in shame for hav
abused and threatened to kill him. Amnesty
ing reduced their beliefs to the gutter of bigotry
International urged its supporters March 19 to
and discrimination."
appeal for Ordonez’ protection.
A statement released by several gay and gay-
friendly nongovernmental organizations attend
ing the session expressed “disappointment.”
“Around the world, {queers] face serious
human rights abuses on a daily basis,” the groups
said. “For years, special rapporteurs have noted
instances of death, electroshock therapy, flog
ging, torture, multiple rapes and other egregious
rights violations based on sexual orientation and
gender identity. This resolution is urgently
needed to send a clear message that lesbians,
gays, bisexuals, transgender and intersex people
are not less than human and that our rights can
not be violated with impunity.”
Kursad Kahramanoglu, International Les
bian and Gay Association co-secretary general,
voiced dismay at what he called Vatican and
Islamic arm-twisting.
“This unprincipled alliance of the Vatican
and Organization of the Islamic Conference in
the U.N. has already twisted the arms of many
countries to almost the breaking point in the
p4st,” he said. “The lukewarm support from
some of the traditional supporters of LG BT
rights has also contributed to the feeling of iso
Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez
lation of the Brazilian government.”
Zapatero says Spain will extend marital
rights to same-sex couples
U N IT E D K IN G D O M
ay couples in England and Wales will
gain a long list of marital rights by regis
S P A IN
tering their relationship if the government’s
pain’s new Socialist prime minister, José Luis
Civil Partnership Bill, unveiled March 31,
Rodriguez Zapatero, said March 18 that the
becomes law. Spousal rights and obligations
nation will give same-sex couples all the rights
would be extended in areas such as immigra
of marriage.
tion, benefits, pensions, inheritance, property
"We are going to present a bill to set gay
and tenancy rights, parental responsibility,
unions on the same footing as marriage," he told
court testimony, hospital visitation and acci
Telecinco TV. “From a semantic point of view,
dent compensation.
marriage may be a concept that does not cover
Some gay activists have denounced the bill,
this type of union, but it will have the same legal
arguing that same-sex couples should have
effects.”
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