APRIL 21. 2006 lUStjOUtjg
legal recognition to couples
Colombians oppose recogni­
who are, for various reasons,
tion of same-sex unions.
currently denied it," said
ACT Chief Minister Jon
Bahamas Bans
Stanhope. “The ACT gov­
Brokeback Mountain
ernment is committed to
The Bahamas Plays and
equality.”
Films Control Board banned
Australia has a national
Brokeback Mountain March 30.
law limiting marriage to
A spokesman cited the film’s
Australian Capital Territory Chief
opposite-sex couplings, and
nudity, profanity and “extreme
Minister Jon Stanhope says his
government
is
"committed
to
equality."
Attorney General Philip
homosexuality.”
Ruddock said the federal
The board reportedly took
government will attempt to block the ACT from
action at rhe request of the Bahamas Christian
using federally licensed marriage celebrants to con­ Council. Gay groups and some media personalities
duct same-sex union ceremonies.
denounced the ban.
But Ruddock said the feds are OK with states and
territories granting same-sex couples the rights of
Canadian Tories Threaten
Same-Sex Marriage
marriage as long as the laws don’t “create confusion
Canada’s ruling Conservative Party will follow
over the distinction between marriage and same-sex
through on a campaign pledge to revisit the
relationships,” The Age newspaper reported.
nation’s legalization of same-sex marriage, Justice
Domestic Violence Law
Minister Vic Toews said April 5.
to Cover Gays in Taiwan
The government will engineer a “free vote” on
the matter in rhe House of Commons—meaning
Taiwan’s interior minister, Lee Yi-Yang,
Conservative members of Parliament will be per­
announced March 22 that the Domestic Violence
Prevention Law is applicable to same-sex couples,
mitted to vote their consciences rather than rhe
parry’s position. Other parties could choose to grant
The Taipei Times reported.
The determination was made public as legisla­
their MPs the same freedom.
Toews said the vote will happen “sooner rather
tors reviewed the law in a Judiciary Committee
meeting. Speaking in support of the move, legisla­
than later."
Parliament granted same-sex couples access to
tor Kuo Lin-Yung said gays “have been derided,
persecuted and constrained in the past, but now
full marriage last July, under rhe then-Liberal
rhev have begun to speak out [and] must now be
government. By that time, courts already had
forced legalization of same-sex marriage in nine of
equally protected bv rhe law.”
Canada’s 13 provinces and territories.
“[This] is about the Charter of Rights,” said
Cambodians March for Pride
then-Prime Minister Paul Martin. “In a nation of
About 400 people marched in the third Gay
minorities, it is important that you don’t cherry­
Pride parade March 31 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
pick rights. A right is a right.”
Parties and other events continued through the
Same-sex marriage also is legal in Belgium, the
weekend. The parade was organized by the Salt
Netherlands, Spain and Massachusetts. A court
Lounge bar and sponsored by Population Services
ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in South Africa
International, Family Health International and the
will take effect Dec. 1 unless Parliament makes the
Women’s Network for Unity, according to the
change sooner.
German Press Agency.
Foreign couples are welcome to marry in
AMERICAS
Canada, and only Quebec has any kind of waiting
period. ©
Colombian President Favors
A “closet" worth coming out of!
Gay Couple Rights
Compiled by REX W l XXNER, who has reported for
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe supports
the gay press since 1985. He has a bachelor's degree
granting gay couples spousal rights in areas such as
in journalism from Drake University and started his
inheritance and health care.
During a meeting with college students career as a radio reporter.
March 25, Uribe was asked, “Will you and your
political team support legislation to provide civil
rights and social security [health care] to same-sex
partners?”
He responded: “1 will be completely sincere.
First topic, marriage: No. Second topic, adoption:
No. Inheritance rights: Yes. Social security: Yes.”
Uribe added that he was prepared to grant
same-sex couples access to social security benefits
“immediately” and to pension benefits “gradually.”
The latter will take time “due to the country’s fiscal
problems,” he said, according to a report in El
Tiempo.
The government responded to Uribe’s com­
ments March 29 by throwing its support behind a
bill already pending in the Senate. The measure
grants gay couples access to spousal rights in the
areas of inheritance, division of property, health
care and pensions.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe supports
A recent Gallup pill found that 77 percent of spousal rights for gay couples but not marriage.
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