FEBRUARY 3. 2006
sex marriage.”
A second document refused to confirm that
Kakucska was single.
The Netherlands ultimately let the couple mar­
ry anyway, when presented with the Australian
refusals and Kakucska’s affidavit that he was single.
Gay activist Rodney Croome of the Australian
Coalition for Equality called the government’s
actions “mean-spirited and bloody-minded.”
President Vaclav Klaus to reject a same-sex partner­
ship hill that has passed the lower house and awaits
consideration in the Senate.
The letter said such a law would “weaken family
life” and “cause chaos in values.” It was signed by
Czech officials of the Roman Catholic Church,
Orthodox Church and eight Protestant churches.
Observers believe the bill is unlikely to pass in
the Senate regardless.
U.N. Rejects Gay Groups
Euro Parliament Demands
Clampdown on Homophobia
The United Nations Economic and Social
Council has rejected the applications for consulta­
tive status submitted by the International Lesbian*
and Gay Association and Denmark’s National
Association for Gays and Lesbians.
The council’s Committee on Non-Governmental
Organizations dismissed the requests Jan. 23 with­
out even holding the customary hearing.
The applications were opposed by Cameroon,
China, Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Senegal,
Sudan, the United States and Zimbabwe. Voting
not to dismiss the applications were Chile, France,
Germany, Peru and Romania. Abstaining were
Colombia, India and Turkey. Côte d’Ivoire was not
present for the vote.
“It is an absolute outrage that the United States
has chosen to align itself with tyrants—all in a sick­
ening effort to smother the voices of lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender people around the world,”
said Matt Foreman, executive director of the U.S.
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. “Apparently
Iran, which President Bush has deemed part of the
‘axis of evil,’ is a suitable partner when it comes to
discriminating against gay people.”
1LGA said, “The Bush administration found fit
to vote alongside countries they have considered
international pariahs in all other contexts.”
And the group’s co-secretary general, Rosanna
Flamer-Caldera, said the council’s refusal to hold a
hearing was “a clear violation of due process and an
attempt to discriminate against LGBT NGOs on
procedural grounds.”
A coalition of 40 organizations, led by the
Human Rights Campaign, Human Rights Watch,
the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights
Commission and NGLTF, wrote Jan. 25 to U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice calling “for an
explanation of the vote which aligned the United
States with governments that have long repressed
the rights of sexual minorities.”
1LGA had council status from 1993 to 1994 but
was stripped of it after a scandal, orchestrated by
the U.S. right wing, in which a
small number of ILGA’s member
organizations were accused of not
taking a strong enough stance
against pedophilia.
Achieving consultative status
is the only way nongovernmental
organizations can participate in
discussions among member states
at the United Nations. Nearly
3,000 groups have the status.
The European Parliament passed a resolution
Jan. 17 demanding that its 25 member states clamp
down on homophobia, protect queers from discrim­
ination and extend them equal rights. The vote was
468-149 with 41 abstentions.
The resolution was aimed in particular at
nations such as Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and
Romania where governments, religious leaders and
anti-gay organizations have stepped up oppression
of the gay community in recent years. The docu­
ment cited “a series of worrying events... in a num­
ber of EU member states...ranging from banning
Gay Pride or equality marches to the use by leading
politicians and religious leaders of inflammatory or
threatening language or hate speech, failure by
police to provide adequate protection or even
breaking up peaceful demonstrations, violent
demonstrations by homophobic groups and thy
introduction of changes to constitutions explicitly
to prohibit same-sex unions.”
The parliamentarians urged the European
Commission “to ensure that all member states...are
correctly implementing Directive 2OOO/78/EC {estab­
lishing a general framework for equal treatment in
employment and occupation} and to start infringe­
ment proceedings against those member states that
fail to do so.” They also told the commission “to con­
sider the use of criminal penalties in cases of viola­
tion” of directives based on Article 13 of the
European Community Treaty, which empowers the
Council of the European Union to ban discrimina­
tion based on sexual orientation and other factors.
Call me today for the attention you deserve.
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Pope Blasts Same-Sex Unions
In a Jan. 12 speech to political leaders from the
Rome area, Pope Benedict XVI spoke against gov­
ernment recognition of same-sex unions, calling it
a grave mistake.
“It is a serious error to obscure the value and
function of the legitimate family founded on matri­
mony, attributing to other forms of unions improp­
er legal recognition, for which there really is no
social need,” Benedict said.
The day after his
remarks, about 40 gay
activists staged a protest
outside Vatican City’s St.
Peter’s Square. The next
day, around 1,000 people
rallied in Rome, demanding
legal recognition of same-
sex relationships. ©
Czech Churches
Oppose Partnership Bill
Ten religious denominations
published a letter on the Czech
Bishops Conference Web site
Jan. 16 urging Parliament and
JUSt|OUt 19
Czech President Vaclav Klaus is
being pressured by churches to
oppose a partnership bill.
Compiled by R ex
WOCKNER, who has reported
ft* the gay press since 1985.
He has a bachelor’s degree in
journalism from Drake
University and started his
career as a radio reporter.
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