june 17.2005 ’
news
Z anzibarian C lerics S tressed
A bout I ncreased H omosexuality
MOTHER DEAR'S
that has occurred so far only in the state of Rio
Grande do Sul. Mayor José Serra attended the
festivities and spoke at a post-parade concert
that featured several of Brazil’s best-known
singers.
Muslim clerics on the island of Zanzibar,
which is part of the nation of Tanzania, are upset
about an alleged increase in homosexuality
among young people. Dozens of imams met
•
May 27 to denounce the alleged trend.
C osta R ican C atholic H ierarchy
“The youths involved in gay and lesbian S upports P artner B enefits
business have been increasing in coastal areas
Costa Rica’s Catholic Church Episcopal
such as Mombasa, Dar es
Conference has come out in support
Salaam and Zanzibar,” said cler
of legislation to grant gay couples
ic Maalim Mziwanda Ahmed.
many of the rights and obligations of
“The government in collabora
marriage.
tion with the mufti’s office must
“If at the juridical level there are
do something.”
certain rights granted to other persons
The clerics blamed the sup
and these also can be granted to them
posed trend on Western tourists
[gays], I don’t see any problem with
allegedly enticing Zanzibarian
that,” said conference President Mon
Monsignor Patrick Jacquin
youth.
signor Francisco Ulloa.
Last year, Zanzibar enacted was injured during a scrap
Areas covered by the proposal
between activists and
its own gay sex ban, on top of
include inheritance, health insurance
security at Notre Dame
Tanzania’s ban. Gay male sex is Cathedral.
and property rights. The bill, drafted
punished with up to 25 years in
by the Center for Investigation and
prison and lesbian sex with up to seven years in Promotion of Human Rights in Central Ameri
prison.
ca, was presented May 26 to the Legislative
Assembly.
“Discrimination is present in the succession
AMERICAS
processes where, in case of a death without a
P anamanians P lan F irst P ride
will, real estate passes to blood relatives,” the
Panama will see its first Gay Pride parade center noted. “This lack of legal recognition also
June 25.
impedes obtaining other benefits such as pen
Organized by the New Men and Women sions and immigration status.”
Association of Panama, the 3 p.m. Parade for
Sexual Diversity will depart from the intersec T oronto U nveils G ay S tatue
tion of Vía España and Via Argentina and head
Several hundred people turned out in Toron
to Andrés Bello Park. The march has received to’s gay neighborhood May 28 for the unveiling
financial support from two gay
of a statue of openly gay 19th century city
bars, a Web site, a gay
magistrate Alexander Wtxxl.
tchotchke shop, Spain’s Trian
“We wanted to do a public art proj
gle Foundation and Grupo
ect,” Dennis O’Connor of the Church-
FSM, a corporation that owns
Wellesley Village Business Improvement
the trendy Madrid nightclub
Area told the Canadian Press news service.
Cool.
“We chose him because he has a connec
“Knowing
that
most
tion to our community and [to] this partic
marches of this type always
ular spot.”
start small—and then grow
In 1827, Wood, who is considered
into carnival-type parties—we George lacobescu of one of Toronto’s founding fathers, pur
chose a very short path for our Accept, a gay rights
chased the land around Church and
march, and we are not plan- group, was involved
Alexander streets, where the 2.5-meter
ning on having floats or any . with Romania's first
statue now stands.
thing like that,” ! said Javier GayFest Parade.
“People who have lived in this neigh-
Rodríguez of the organizing group. “We hope borhood have known and heard about him over
that many hetero friends and family will show the years...but it’s never been mainstream,”
up. We are inviting everyone. Hence the ‘sexu City Councilor Kyle Rae told the CP. “This now
al diversity’ character of the march.”
becomes part of all of everyone’s knowledge.”
After a rally at the park, the marchers will
Wixxl was mockingly known as “Molly,”
release 600 helium-filled balloons, 100 for each a derogatory term for homosexuals. In 1810, he
color in the rainbow flag. They are still looking got ensnared in a gay sex scandal and fled to
for about $400 in donations to pay for the bal Scotland for two years to avoid sodomy charges.
loons. For more information, e-mail He returned to Toronto in 1812, once the fuss
ahmnp@yahoo.com.
had died down, and continued his work without
any trouble.
2 M illion A ttend S ao P aulo P ride
Around 2 million people turned out for the
ASI A/PACIFIC
ninth Gay Pride parade May 30 in Sao Paulo,
Brazil, making it the world’s largest Gay Pride 400 M arch in S eoul
celebration. Police, orga
About 400 queers marched in the
nizers and media outlets
Gay Pride parade June 7 in Seoul,
agreed on the attendance
South Korea. The march was the cen
figure.
terpiece of the 15-day Queer Culture
The parade traversed
Rainbow Festival 2005, JoongAng
eight-lane, skyscraper-lined
Daily reported.
Avenida Paulista and fea
“Stereotypes against sexual
tured drag queens, go-go
minorities in Korea have almost dis
boys, giant rainbow flags
appeared,” said parade organizer Han
and trucks blasting music.
Chae-yun of the Korean Sexual-
“With this many peo London Mayor Ken Livingstone Minority Culture & Rights Center.
ple... the parade is a major called councilors banning the “This event was to help sexual
minorities become confident and to
step to strike people’s preju rainbow flag “Neanderthals.”
dice against gays,” Pedro Almeida of the Brazil protest against social prejudice.” JF1
ian Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender
Pride Parade Assentation told The Associated Compiled hy R ex WOCKNER, tvho*has reported for
Press.
the gay press since 1985. He has a bachelor’s degree
Marchers demanded passage of laws creating in journalism from Drake University and started his
civil unions for same-sex couples—something career as a radio reporter.
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