A report on events that shaped the lives of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered over the past year

by the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA)

Barcelona-Johannesburg, September '99

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Acknowledgements Lisa Power and Micha Ramakers who wrote the 1996 ILGA Report, and whose charts have been very useful for the present edition. IGLHRC (International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission) for its collaboration in all ILGA Bulletins. Alejandra Sardá from Buenos Aires (Argentina). Kurt Krickler fron Vienna. The Euroletter editors Steffen Jensen, Ken Thomassen, Peter Bryld and Lisbeth Andersen. Other sources include Rex Wockner's International News, reports by ILGA member organizations, Bjoern Skolander's reports and Amnesty International-MLGC publications, Nigel Warner, Michel Engrasia, David Geer and Alan Reckie. We also want to thank Tom Hoemig from the ILGA office in Brussels. And the team of translators and writers from Barcelona: Michael Ingrassia, George Ellis, Carlos Sánchez and Luis Vradjali. Pere Cruells and Germán Sáez for the html version. A special thanks to the K6 Alliance, a canadian gay separatist group, for allowing us to use their data on the legal status of homosexuality. For more detailed information: http://members.xoom.com/ezekielk/k6/stat-eng.htm or write to kingsix@abacom.com. Gay Pride data have been made available by Hartmut Schönknecht, secretary of EPOA (European Pride Organizers Association) and Teddy Witherington, vice-president of IALGPC (International Association of Lesbian and Gay Pride Coordinators). Comisión de Solidaridad Internacional, CG-L Barcelona: Anna Hilgendag, Héctor Navarro, Enrique Góngora, John Moran. E-mail: intercgl@pangea.org - http://www.pangea.org/org/cgl/ilga

Equality
FINLAND EQUALIZES AGE OF CONSENT. The Penal Code establishes the age of consent at 16 for both heterosxual and homosexual relationships. (Euroletter-July '98)

FIRST FINNISH GAY DISCRIMINATION CASE WON. A British man living in Finland has won the nation's first anti-gay discrimination case under a 1995 which bans bias based on sexual orientation. Two people were found guilty of assault when they expelled a man for kissing his boyfriend in the bar. (Rex Wockner)

LATVIA. New criminal law does not distinguish between heterosexual and homosexual acts and sets 16 as minimum age of consent. (July 8, 1998-Euroletter)

FOUR COUNTRIES PROTECT GAYS CONSTITUTIONALLY. ECUADOR protects gays and lesbians under a new constitution from August '98 (Chap. 2 Art 23).

FIJI and SOUTH AFRICA also ban discrimination via their constitution. CANADA extends protection under a Supreme Court ruling (Section 15 of the Charter Rights and Freedoms, an annex to the 1982 Constitution Act). (Rex Wockner)

MS.CETINER GRANTED ASYLUM IN GERMANY. Romanian citizen Maria Cetiner, ex-convict, was granted political refugee status under Article 16 of the German Constitution. AI denounced her 3-year sentence for alleged seduction of a woman.

IN COLOMBIA TEACHING AND BEING HOMOSEXUAL ARE COMPATIBLE. Colombia's Constitutional Court abolished law from 1979 allowing the firing of teachers based on their sexual orientation. (Sept 98 Agencia AP)

ARGENTINA. MAR DE PLATA¬s ART '92 RULES UNCONSTITUTIONAL PROSECUTION OF TRANSGENDERS AND HOMOSEXUALS. A courageous tranvestite, Maggie, received a favorable sentence which effectively bans discrimination in the Buenos Aires province. (Homo Sapiens)

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS URGENCY RESOLUTION ON EQUAL RIGHTS FOR GAYS AND LESBIANS IN THE EU. On Sept 17 1998, the European Parliament adopted with a majority of 110 against 89 votes (6 abstentions) a resolution suggested by ILGA-Europe, reaffirming the Parliament's defence of the human rights of gays and lesbians. The resolution was motivated by the refusal, during the past few months, of the Parliaments of Cyprus, Romania and Austria to bring their anti-homosexual legislation in line with European human rights standards as demanded both by the EP in various previous resolutions and by the human rights bodies of the Council of Europe. (Euroletter-Sept 98)

SLOVENIA BANS WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION. Article 6 on the Law On Work Relations bans discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace. (Rex Wockner Oct 98)

COSTA RICA'S NEW ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAW. This central American country now has its own law protecting gays and lesbians which penalizes infringement. Suits have begun to be filed at the Court in San José. (Daniel Soto-Mayorga)

MEXICO, ARTICLE 201 DEFEATED. On December 12th the Chamber Deputies deleted from the Penal Code a paragraph making reference to "homosexuality" as a contributing factor in the corruption of minors. This reference was replaced by "sexual practices", placing homosexuality and heterosexuality on the same level. Patria Jimémez, former ILGA Women's Secretariat director and the only openly lesbian federal deputy, stated "we consider this law as an accomplishment for which we are very proud".

BRITISH COLUMBIA SCHOOLS CAN'T BAN GAY BOOKS. British Columbia's Supreme Court (Canada) ruled Sept 16 that Vancouver's school board in Surrey erred in banning books about gay relationships from kindergarten and first-grade classrooms. (Rex Wockner Dec 21 98)

SODOMY LAW REPEALED IN CHILE. Chile modified on Dec 23 '98 the Penal Code, the Code for Criminal Procedures, and the Law regarding Punishment repealing the section that criminalized same-sex relationships between consenting adults. The age of consent for same-sex activities was set at 18. ILGA members struggled over the years to obtain this accomplishment. (Rex Wockner/IGLHRC)

UNITED KINGDOM: DISCUSSION ABOUT LOWERING THE AGE OF HOMOSEXUAL CONSENT TO 16. On Jan 25 '99 the House of Commons approved a motion lowering the the age of consent to 16 and sent it to the House of Lords where it was subsequently blocked. (Gay News Press - Madrid)

BERLIN GAY HOLOCAUST VICTIMS TO HONORED. Holocaust memorial day services at the former Sachsenhausen concentration camp will remember homosexual victims of the Nazis, the first official commmemoration of the estimated thousands of gays persecuted during World War II. (Associated Press Jan '99)

ANDALUSIA: BLEAK PROSPECTS IN THE SPANISH PARLIAMENT. On February 11, 1999 the Andalusian Parliament formally received Identidad de Genero for a discussion of a motion introduced by PSOE(Socialist Party) dealing with transgender rights, especially the right to a sex-change surgery subsided by the Andalusian Health Dept. The motion was unanimously passed. The hope is that the central government in Madrid will do the same. (Cesar Leston, Fundación Triángulo)

SIRIAN NOMINATED FOR OSCAR. Openly gay British actor, Sir Ian McKellen, was nominated for best actor for "Gods and Monsters" on February 9th. The film is about James Whale, gay horror movie director. (Rex Wockner Feb 99)

AMERICAN EXPRESS CREATES GAY TRAVEL SERVICE. The large travel agency American Express announced on Feb 15, 199 that it will provide a toll-free number aimed at gays and lesbians to connect with gay travel specialists. (Rex Wockner Feb 99)

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT TO AID RURAL GAYS - Australia's Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission is teaming with the Australian Youth Foundation to create a network for rural gay-lesbian youth. (Rex Wockner Mar 1, 1999)

NEW ZEALAND'S GOVERNMENT DROPS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HOMOSEXUAL COUPLES IN ITS IMMIGRATION BILL Immigration Minister, Mr. Delamare, announced that his country will cease discrimination towards homosexual couples in immigration matters, effective March 29th. (Gay News Press-GAMA - Mar 1999)

SWEDEN: NEW LEGISLATION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION IN LABOUR MARKET BY RFSL - The Swedish Parliament voted on March 4, 1999 in favor of new legislation against discrimination in the labour market. One of the laws involves a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation. RFSL President, Christine Gilljan, welcomed this law but expressed her concern about the exception rules of the new legislation, which could allow religious schools to discriminate against homosexual teachers. According to RFSL religious ideology should never be an excuse to discriminate against homosexuals. (Rex Wochner - Mar 4, 1999)

SEVILLE, SPAIN - THE VII SPANISH ATTORNEYS CONGRESS SUPPORTS GAY AND LESBIAN WEDDING PETITION. For the first time this Congress invited on openly gay attorney to present a motion on gay and lesbian marriage. The attorney, Pedro Zerolo, is the president of the Gay and Lesbian Spanish Federation. The motion was passed. (Gay News Press, Miguel Angel Fernandez from Valencia, Spain - Mar 13, 1999)

AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE EXTEND BENEFITS - Australia's Federal Police extended work benefits to their homosexual employees and their partners. (Rex Wockner - Mar 22, 1999)

BRAZILIAN ACTIVISTS REQUEST A SUPPORT LETTER FOR PROGRESSIVE DECISION OF THE FEDERAL COUNCIL OF PSYCHOLOGY - On March 23, 1999 the Brazilian Federal Council of Psychology issued a resolution concerning the professional conduct of all Brazilian psychologists in relation to sexual orientation and in particular homosexuality. The resolution is groundbreaking in that it goes behind eliminating homosexuality from the list of pathologies to requiring psychologists to uphold non-discriminatory practices. The resolution also prevents psychologists from participating in curative therapies. (IGLHRC - Mar 23, 1999)

BRITAIN TO WELCOME GAY ASYLUM SEEKERS - A March 26th House of Lords ruling, opened the door to foreign gays seeking asylum from persecution based on "sexual identity". The verdict resulted from a case in which two women requested asylum to escape flogging or stonning for adultery. The House of Lords established that women from Islamic nations and gays from various countries could seek asylum in the UK under the "the particular social group" provisions of the 1951 Geneva Convention on Refugees. (Rex Wockner - April 5, 1999)

BRITISH COLONIES MUST LEGALIZE GAY SEX - "Britain will offer UK citizenship to the residents of its colonies on the condition that they end corporal punishment, legalize gay sex and tighten financial controls to prevent money laundering etc.", Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said. (Rex Wockner - Mar 29, 1999)

SWEDEN APPOINTS GAY OMBUDSMAN - The Swedish Government appointed a ombudsman on anti-gay employment discrminaiton affairs. (Rex Wockner - Mar 29, 1999)

BUFFALO,NEW YORK. Transgender people have the constitutional right to medical confidentiality which is not forfeited upon incarceration. U.S. Court of Appeals found that a corrections officer who told others in a prison that an inmate was an HIV-positive transgender violated the inmate's right to privacy and subjected her to cruel and unusual punishment. (New York Law Journal - Apr 5, 1999)

USA. New Hampshire is one step closer to shedding its distinction as one of only two that ban gays from adopting and serving as foster parents. A bill to repeal the law now was passed allowing gays to be foster parents. Only Florida has a similar law in the US, which bans gays, lesbians or anyone having a homosexual person as part of the household, from adopting a child. (Associated Press - Apr 6, 1999)

DANE WINS FIRST EMPLOYMENT CASE. A Danish citizen, 22, won Denmark's first anti-gay job discrimination case April, 14th. He proved he was fired from a center for troubled youth by producing a recording of the conversation in which his boss dismissed him. (Rex Wockner - Apr 19, 1999)

SPAIN - PLAZA & JANƒS PUBLISHING CORRECTS LAROUSSE ENCYCLOPEDIA HOMOPHOBIC CONTENTS. On the occasion of the International Book Day, Barcelona's Coordinadora Gay-Lesbiana (CGL) announced the publishing company modified the homophobic comments of its encyclopedia thanks to CGL lobbying efforts. (CGL - Apr 23, 1999)

SWITZERLAND BANS DISCRIMINATION. Swiss voters approved a new constitution April 18th that bans discrimination based on sexual orientation. Gays lobbied for the use of "sexual orietation" but had to settle for "way of life". (Rex Wockner - Apr 26, 1999) VALENCIA, SPAIN - CRIMINAL RECORDS FOR DANGEROUS SOCIAL BEHAVIOR WILL BE PART OF THE KINGDOM'S HISTORICAL TRUST. Valencia-based Col.lectiu Lambda announced that Spanish authorities decided to include former homosexual criminal records in the Kingdom's Historical Archives. (Gay News Press - Apr 26, 1999)

AUSTRALIAN HIGH COURT JUDGE COMES OUT. An Australian top court judge came out by listing his partner of 30 years in the 1999 edition of Who's Who in Australia. High Court Justice Michael Kirby is one of Australia's most respected intellectuals. (Rex Wochner - Apr 26, 1999)

FLEMISH OFFICIALS SUPPORT GAY YOUTH. The equal opportunities minister of Belgium's Flemish community has launched a campaign encouraging parents to accept their gay and lesbian children. (Rex Wockner - May 3, 1999)

IGLHRC AWARDS 1999. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) honored inspiring activists from South Korea, Burma and South Africa at its 1999 Felipa Awards ceremony in New York May 12th. The Felipa Awards are named in honor of Felipa De Souza, a Brazilian woman convicted and tortured by the Portuguese Inquisition in 1591 for having sexual relationships with other women. This year's recipients are Prudence Mabele of South Africa, Aung Myo Min of Burma (living in Thailand), and two organizations from South Korea, Kiri Kiri and Chingu Sai, who will the share the third award. Simon Nkoli (1957-1998) of South Africa received an honorary posthumous award. (IGLHRC - May 12, 1999)

JUSTICE PREVAILS IN COSTA RICA. Costa Rica's President denied permission to organize an international gay and lesbian summit festival in Quepos. In the face of this unfair decision, Movimiento 5, Asociación Triángulo, and various organizations and businesses filed a suit and subsequently won. (Triángulo Rosa)

DENMARK EXTENDS PARTNERSHIP RIGHTS. Denmark's Parliament voted 61 to 48 on May 20th to extend rights to gays and lesbian married under the nation's partnership law. Same-sex couples from Norway, Sweden and Iceland will be recognized as such when in Denmark. Non-Danes will be able to register in Denmark as same-sex couples if they have lived in the country for two years. Registered partners will be allowed to adopt each other's children unless the child was orginally adopted from a foreign country. The changes took effect July 1st. Bent Hansen, head of the Danish Association for Gays and Lesbians, said, "We welcome and accept this step toward total equality". Adoption of stepchildren recognizes the fact that gay and lesbian couples do have children. (Rex Wockner - May 24, 1999)

BRITAIN DROPPED SECTION 28. Prime Minister Tony Blair's government will scrap homophobic Section 28 of the local government act. British gay groups have battled the law since it was passed in the days of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Stonewall Exectutive Director Angela Mason indicated that ten years ago they felt sidelined politically but now they have joined the political mainstream as an influencial voice, right in the heart of the debate. (Rex Wockner - May 30, 1999)

CONTROVERSIAL MOVIE ABOUT INDIA. The movie titled "Fire" dealing with two women falling in love with each other in New Dehli has provoked controversy, since it is the first time that a movie from India featured two actresses playing lesbian leading roles. The Supreme Court of India ordered the government to protect the actresses and a movie director, who spoke in favor of the film. The actresses and the film director received threats from the right wing party, Si Sena. (Rex Wockner - Jun 1999)

IRISH LESBIANS ADVERTISE. Irish have erected billboards in Dublin, Belfast and other cities advertising a help line and urging parents to accept their lesbian daughters. The project was funded by the EU's New Opportunities for Women program. "It's a visibility campaign that's about trying to encourage some thoughts for those who are lesbian and their families", said Anita Thoma of the Lesbian Education and Awareness group. (Rex Wockner - Jun 28, 1999)

TAUNTED WORKER WINS SETTLEMENT. In what is believed to be Britain's first such case, London's Euromoney Publications was ordered June 17th to apologize and pay about $40,000 (US) to an employee who was harassed and apparently fired because he is gay. (Rex Wockner - Jun 28, 1999)

UNITED STATES: TWO STEPS FORWARD AND ONE BACK. NGLTF's Executive Director Kerry Lobel said in July 16th that there was still a long way to go, after the "Equality Starts At Home" campaign, in which hundreds of thousands participated in the 350 events. Some of the positive achievements in the legislatures which ended in July were: Missouri became the 22nd state to condemn hate crimes with a law including sexual orientation. This law also included gender identity, making Missouri the 4th state (after Minnesota, Califormia and Vermont) to include transgender people in its hate crimes legislation. Vermont passed a law granting the Attornery General the power to seek help for hate crime victims. Alabama condemned domestic violence with a law that would also be applicable to GLBT. (Gay News Press - Jul 1999)

GEORGIA. Georgian Parliament de-criminalised homosexual sex. (ex-USSR) (Davir Geer. July 1999)

Hiv/Aids
UK GAYS UNDERSERVED BY AIDS MONEY. Sixty-eight percent of Britons with AIDS and 60% of those recently diagnosed HIV-positive are gay men, but only 20% of government money spent to prevent HIV is targeted toward gay men, the National AIDS Trust revealed on 22 February 1999. It is possible that we are seeing needless cases of HIV infection in some areas due to a culture of institutionalized homophobia, said Trust spokesman James Fitzpatrick. (Rex Wockner. 22 February 1999)

IN UK, EDUCATION AFFECTS HIV STATUS. A new British study has found that gay men who are more educated are less likely to be HIV-positive. Results of a survey of 4000 men attending gay-pride festivals in London, Brighton, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds in 1997 showed that 7.6% of men who stayed in school through age 22 were HIV-positive, while those who attended school through age 20 had a 9.7% positivity rate. The rate was 11% for those who left school at age 18, 11.9% for those who left at 16, and 19% for those who quit school before age 16. (Rex Wockner. 16 March 1999)

HIGH COURT JUDGE SAYS HE HAS AIDS. Openly gay South African High Court Judge Edwin Cameron revealed on 20 April 1999 that he has AIDS in a statement included in an application for a seat on the Constitutional Court, the nations highest court. I am living with AIDS, Cameron, 46, said. The choice to speak is available to me... because I have a job position that is secure; because I am surrounded by loved ones, friends and colleagues who support me; and because I have access to medical care. For millions of South Africans living with HIV or AIDS, these conditions do not exist. They have no jobs, or their jobs would be at risk if they spoke out about their HIV. (Rex Wockner, 26 April 1999)

PANAMA TO PROVIDE AIDS TREATMENTS. Panamas national healthcare system, Caja de Seguro Social (CSS), agreed on 18 May 1999 to give people with HIV the latest combination of anti-viral treatments. The drugs will be provided both to people covered by the national plan and those who never paid into the system. About 1500 people are expected to receive treatment. Viral-load testing will be utilized to determine who receives the drugs first. The decision followed street protests, a Supreme Court ruling, and high-level CSS meetings. Hundreds of HIV-positives blocked streets in central Panama City in a May 13 demonstration. (Rex Wockner, 24 May 1999)

CHINA PROTECTS HIV-POSITIVES. A new regulation from the Chinese health ministry will prohibit revealing the name or address of someone with HIV or AIDS, China Daily reported on 21 May 1999. New rules will also forbid doctors from refusing to treat people with HIV, and will guarantee that people with HIV can work, study, marry and participate in social activities like anyone else. Officials believe about 400,000 Chinese have contracted HIV. (Rex Wockner. 31 May 1999)

SALVADORAN PWAs DEMAND DRUGS. Fifty people with AIDS blocked a street in downtown San Salvador, El Salvador, for two hours on 10 June 1999 demanding the government provide anti-HIV treatments. In early May 1999, a lawsuit over the matter was appealed to the Supreme Court, in front of which the protest took place. There are 2455 known people with AIDS in El Salvador, according to health officials. (Rex Wockner 21 June 1999)

DEATHS DROP, INFECTIONS RISE IN BRAZIL. AIDS deaths in Brazil dropped from 979 to 723 per 100,000 residents between 1995 and 1997 thanks to the new anti-HIV drugs, the Ministry of Health reported on 10 June 1999. The drugs are provided free at state health clinics. However, HIV infection rates are apparently on the rise. The number of people who contracted the virus in the first quarter of 1999 doubled to 10,224 compared to the last quarter of 1998, officials said. (Rex Wockner. 21 June 1999)

VENEZUELAN HIGH COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF DRUG TREATMENTS On 20 July 1999, the Supreme Court of Venezuela ruled in favor of providing all Venezuelans and foreign residents with full anti-HIV drug treatment. The suit was brought by ACCSI representing 168 PWHAs. The court ruling stated that the Ministry of Health must facilitate clinical tests, including viral-load testing, develop and execute public information policies and provide all drugs for treating opportunistic infections. (Renate Koch, ACCSI. June 1999)

Human Rights
ROMANIA REJECTS LEGALIZATION OF HOMOSEXUALITY. Romanias Chamber of Deputies voted down full legalization of homosexuality on 30 June 1998, setting the nation up for a conflict with the Council of Europe and imperiling its hopes of joining the European Union and NATO. (Rex Wockner)

AUSTRIAN PARLIAMENT FAILS TO REFORM AGE-OF-CONSENT LAW. On 17 July 1998, Austrian Parliaments conservative majority (Christian Democrats and the far-right Freedom Party) voted down an amendment to a penal-code reform bill for the repeal of Article 209, the discriminatory age-of-consent law (18 for gay men and 14 for heterosexuals and lesbians).(Kurt Krickler, HOSI Wien)

DENMARK NIXES LESBIAN INSEMINATION. On 19 June 1998, the Danish Parliament voted 70-57 against lifting the nations ban on artificial insemination of single women, with specific mention of lesbian motherhood being unnatural and that children are harmed if they do not know their fathers. (Rex Wockner)

POLICE RAID MEXICAN GAY BAR. City police raided Tare, a gay bar in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico on 11 December 1998, and insulted, beat and jailed 14 patrons, activists said. The men were released after the owner of the bar paid a fine of 3800 pesos (US$389) on their behalf. The Mexicali Gay Pride Committee said it would no longer tolerate arbitrary police abuse. (Rex Wockner. 21 December 1997)

CLUB FINED FOR TRANY DISCRIMINATION. A gay bar in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada was fined $2000 (US$1311) on 13 January 1999 for banning Tawney Sheridan, a pre-operative male transsexual, from the womens restroom after female patrons objected to his presence. B.J.s Lounge owner Bruce Winkler said he may appeal the ruling handed down by the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal. According to the Tribunal: Transsexuals in transition who are living as members of the desired sex should be considered to be members of that sex. (Rex Wockner. 25 January 1999)

INDIAN LESBIANS ORGANIZE. Indian lesbians have formed an organization to respond to the ransacking by members of the right-wing Shiv Sena party of movie theatres showing Fire, a film with a lesbian theme. Organizers of the Campaign for Lesbian Rights said, The Campaign seeks to make lesbianism visible and dispel the myth that there are no lesbians in India, to create awareness about lesbian issues and concerns, and to develop public and state recognition of the rights of all lesbians to a life of dignity, acceptance, equality and safety. (Rex Wockner. 25 January 1999)

ILGA-EUROPE REGRETS EU COURT DECISION IN SAME-SEX PARTNERSHIP CASE. A Swedish man, employee of the EU Council of Ministers, married to another man under the Swedish registered partnership law, had asked his employer to treat him (and his partner) like his heterosexual colleagues (and their spouses) under the terms of the EU Staff Regulations, and thus claimed a household allowance. The Council refused, so he brought the case before the EU Court of First Instance, which rejected his suit on 28 January 1998. Though the EU Staff Regulations prohibit discrimination based on reasons of gender and, since April 1998, sexual orientation, the Court refused to apply the provision because the request for the household allowance was made before April 1998.

CROATIAN GAYS AND LESBIANS FOUND ORGANIZATION. On 5 February 1999, the first meeting of an independent gay and lesbian organization took place in Rijeka. Unfortunately, a half hour before the meeting was scheduled to begin at the City of Rijekas political parties building, Aldin Petric, the groups first elected president, was told by Zoran Dragicevic, a member of the influential PGS party, that the meeting could not be held in the building. The approximately 50 members and guests moved to the Palach club and held the meeting there. (Ales Pecnik, 1999)

COSTA RICAN BISHOP CLEARED. According to a court ruling of 6 February 1999, Roman Arrieta, Roman Catholic archbishop of San Jose, Costa Rica, did not violate a law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation when he denounced a planned gay-pride festival in August 1998. The gay group Pink Triangle had sued Arrieta for saying officials should block the event. Arrieta could have been sentenced to 60 days in jail. (Rex Wockner. 6 February 1999) CANADA NABS GAY EROTICA. Canadian Customs Officials in Sarnia, Ontario, confiscated a shipment of the US book Best Gay Erotica 1999 in January 1999 and informed the intended recipient, Publishers Group West Canada, that the books would be destroyed. Best Lesbian Erotica 1999 was also seized, but was later released. Canadian gays have battled Customs for more than a decade over imports of ordinary US erotica. (Rex Wockner. 15 February 1999)

GAY FILIPINOS SEEK HELP. The Progressive Organization of Gays in the Philippines (PROGAY) requested that letters be sent to bolster its fight against a new spate of anti-gay legislation. Bills introduced by Sens. Marcelo Fernan and Miriam Defensor Santiago would ban recognition of marriages between people of the same sex and marriages where one of the spouses is transgendered. (Rex Wockner, 15 February 1999)

GAYS SUE NEW ZEALAND RED CROSS.Zealandis Campaign for Human Rights filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission against the New Zealand Red Cross on 10 February 1999. CHR spokesman Michael Moore said that the Red Cross had violated the nations ban on anti-gay discrimination by not allowing an option for same-sex couples at their annual Desperate and Dateless Ball. (Rex Wockner, 15 February 1999)

ROMANIAN GAYS OPPOSE TV ADS. Although gay propaganda is illegal, Romanian TV is getting away with running ads for gay phone-sex lines, activists complained on 10 February 1999. When it involves making money, the state doesnt mind, but if we want to organize a demonstration to defend our rights, we are immediately accused of preaching, said the gay group Accept. The current law states: Same-sex relations taking place in public or resulting in a public scandal shall be punished by one to five years imprisonment. Enticing or seducing a person to practice same-sex relations as well as propaganda, association or other forms of proselytizing with the same aim shall be punished by one to five years imprisonment. (Rex Wockner . 15 February 1999)

ROMANIAN CHRISTIANS ATTACK THEATRE. Orthodox Christians threatened staff and destroyed posters at Bucharest, Romanias Nottara Theatre in protest against the gay-themed play Angels in America, police said 13 February 1999. Police were posted inside and outside the theatre to prevent disruptions. (Rex Wockner, 22 February 1999)

JAMAICAN GAYS AND LESBIANS ORGANIZE. A group of Jamaican gays and lesbians formed the organization Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexual and Gays (J-FLAG), which immediately brought the hostile reaction of the Kingston government, because the group demanded that the islands legal prohibition of gay and lesbian relations be repealed. Brian Wilson, spokesman of J-FLAG, said, ÒHomosexuality and discrimination against gays and lesbians are legitimate questions of human rights and should be treated as such. However, K.D. Knight, Jamaican Minister of Justice, told Reuters that the Government has no intention of repealing the law on homosexual activity. This law is based on a moral imperative that has not changedÓ. (Gay News Press. March 1999)

ISRAELIS PROTEST AGAINST MINISTRY OF EDUCATION FOR DISCRIMINATING AGAINST LESBIAN GROUP. A large crowd of gays and lesbians protested before the Israeli Ministry of Education after education authorities prohibited the Community of Lesbian Feminists (CLAF) from setting up a table at the Ministrys education fair. The Ministrys Education Secretary, Ozer Shiller, excluded CLAF because the ministry gives priority to procreating families. The theme of the fair was The Right to Respect and the Obligation to Respect. (Gay News Press. March 1999)

GAY AUTHOR SEVERELY BEATEN.American gay writer Robert Drake, 36, author of the novel The Man: A Hero for Our Time, was severely beaten by two anti-gays on 31 January 1999 in Sligo, Ireland. Police arrested Ian Monaghan, 21, and Glen Mahon, 22, for the attack, charging them with violating the Non-Fatal Offenses Against the Person Act. The pair told police that Drake had made a pass at one of them during a night of drinking, smoking cigars and listening to music, provoking them to punch and kick him. (Rex Wockner. 1 March 1999)

MARTIN LUTHER KING ESTATE TO SUE ANTI-GAY GROUP. The estate of Martin Luther King, Jr. has threatened to sue the group Stop Promoting Homosexuality International for using Kings photo in an anti-gay advertisement published in New Zealand prior to a huge gay hero parade. The ad, printed on 10 February 1999, in the New Zealand Herald, showed King, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi and a New Zealand human-rights leader above the words, ÒIt takes more than a parade to make a heroÓ. (Rex Wockner. 8 March 1999)

PORTUGUESE GAYS BATTLE BUREAUCRATS. The Portuguese governments new classification of disabilities lists homosexuality as a handicap of the heterosexual function. The government claims its categorizations were taken from the World Health Organizations 1976 International Disabilities Classification. Portugal uses the categories to analyze census data and other statistical information. (Rex Wockner. 8 March 1999)

ACTIVISTS ZAP BANK OF SCOTLAND. Members of the London direct-action gay group OutRage! zapped the Bank of Scotland booth at Londons Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition on 10 April 1999. The bank is launching a subsidiary in the US that will be 25% owned by anti-gay TV preacher and former US presidential candidate Pat Robertson, who is expected to promote the bank to members of his Christian Coalition and viewers of his 700 Club TV program. People should know what their money is funding, said OutRage!s Gordon Lee. Robertson is a politician who actively promotes racism, sexism and homophobia in a national political campaign. (Rex Wockner, 12 April 1999)

CHINESE STUDENT GROUP ATTACKED. Tongzhi Culture Society, the first gay/lesbian student group recognized by any Hong Kong university, received an unfriendly welcome on campus, the South China Morning Post reported. Another student group, the Alliance to Protect Ethics promptly put up posters denouncing TCS and admitting to tearing down posters and stealing and throwing away the groups publication. At a forum on 5 March 1999, the groups first formal activity, Sociology professor Chan Kin-man said, No one should stop others from choosing their sexual orientation. And no violence should be used. Students should enjoy freedom of expression. (Rex Wockner. 15 March 1999)

GAYS, TRANYS PICKET PRINCE CHARLES. Gays and transvestites picketed Britains Prince Charles in Buenos Aires on 9 March 1999, demanding political asylum in the UK based on anti-gay persecution in Argentina. A petition for asylum, signed by 67 people, was received by embassy officials. It stated: As gay, lesbian, transvestite, transsexual and bisexual people, we are systematically arrested, beaten and even killed by the police ... We have come to seek political asylum because they deny us the right to work and live, and beat and repress us, as documented in the annual report of the Argentine Homosexual Community. (Rex Wockner. 15 March 1999)

INDIAN GAYS FORM NATIONAL NETWORK. Gays in India formed a national network called LGBT India at the Second Indian National Gay Conference held in Hyderabad in February 1999. Spokesman Ashok Row Kavi said the group will create a pink digest of friendly doctors, psychiatrists, hotels, STD clinics, HIV testing centers, ayurvedic and Unani practitioners and sympathetic religious leaders in every city where visible gay groups exist. (Rex Wockner. 29 March 1999)

ANTI-GAYS ORGANIZE IN BELARUS. An anti-gay conference in Minsk, Belarus, entitled The Pernicious consequences of International Projects of Sexual Education was attended by numerous government officials on 11-12 March. Organized by the nations Russian Orthodox Church and the European Humanitarian University, the conference attracted the chairman of the Constitutional Court and the health minister, among others. Local gay activists stated, The conference participants condemned the practice of using condoms and giving abortions as satanic influences. Among the authors of the pernicious projects are the World Health Organization, UNESCO and the UN. (Rex Wockner. 29 March 1999)

GAY AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL FORM NETWORK. Gay Amnesty International activists held their first international meeting on 26-28 March in London and formed a committee to combat human-rights abuses based on sexual orientation. Delegates from 25 countries on five continents attended the gathering. This meeting represents a major step forward in the status of LGBT human rights across the world, said activist Francisco Olivera of Argentina. (Rex Wockner, 5 April 1999)

CAYMANS WILL NOT LEGALIZE GAY SEX. The Cayman Islands government is up in arms over Britains plan to offer UK citizenship to the residents of its colonies if the territories end corporal punishment, legalize gay sex and tighten controls to prevent money laundering. The government said on 1 April: ÒWe abide by the views of the vast majority of Caymanians, who live in a Christian community based on firmly held religious beliefs that homosexuality should not be legalized. Last year, the Caymans denied landing rights to a cruise ship carrying 900 gay men. (Rex Wockner. 5 April 1999)

BRITISH MILITARY BOOTS GAY SERVICE MEMBERS. Sixty-five members of the British armed forces were ejected in 1998 for being gay, The Pink Paper reported on 2 April 1999. Forty-one were men and 24 were women. One was an officer. The majority served in the army. Britains military gay ban is currently under scrutiny from European courts. (Rex Wockner. 12 April 1999)

116 ANTI-GAY MURDERS IN BRAZIL. There were 116 anti-gay murders in Brazil in 1998, reports the Bahia Gay Group (GGB), which has kept violence statistics for several years. Seventy-three of the victims were gay men, 36 transvestites and seven lesbians. Most of the gay men were shot dead inside their own apartments, while the transvestites were killed mainly in the street, said GGBs Luiz Mott. Many of these crimes are committed with excessive cruelty, with many stab wounds, strangulation, suffocation and torture. Mott said arrests occurred in only 10 percent of the cases, and convictions resulted in only four percent. (Rex Wockner. 12 April 1999)

VOA BROADCASTS GAY CAUSE TO CHINA. Voice of America short-wave stations broadcast a 50-minute interview and call-in show on gay issues to the Peoples Republic of China on 24 March 1999. Longtime Washington, D.C. gay activist Frank Kameny was the guest. He answered questions from Chinese callers on everything from gay marriage and ex-gays to role-playing and the causes of homosexuality. VOA says tens of millions of Chinese listen to the program, called American Issues. (Rex Wockner, 12 April 1999)

POLICE, NEIGHBORS TERRORIZE LESBIAN CENTER. Police and neighbors are terrorizing Buenos Aires La Fulana Feminist Community Center for Women Who Love Women, the women reported. After complaining to police about disturbing noises, orgies, naked parties, weird people, even transvestites and immoral tortilla makers (a derogatory term for lesbians), a group of neighbors pounded and kicked at the centers door last month and grabbed and beat a woman who responded. They claimed music coming from the center was too loud. The police raided the center in mid-March and removed all the audio equipment. (Rex Wockner. 19 April 1999)

HOUSE OF LORDS KILLS SEX AT 16 AGAIN. For the second time in nine months, Britains unelected House of Lords killed a measure on 13 April to lower the age of consent for gay sex from 18 to 16, in line with that for heterosexual sex. The House of Commons, Britains elected house of Parliament, passed the newer measure in January. Baroness Janet Young of Farnsworth led the charge against sex at 16. This is a very important matter of social policy there is no human right to commit buggery, she said. This bill is just one more nail in the coffin of family life... Good parents do not want their sons to be encouraged to take up homosexual relationships at such an early age. (Rex Wockner. 19 April 1999)

GAYS CALL FOR PERTH MAYOR TO RESIGN. Gay organizations called for the Lord Mayor of Perth, Western Australia, to resign on 19 April after he reportedly refused to give an interview to the local gay newspaper, Westside Observer. Gay and Lesbian Equality spokesman John Derry told reporters that Lord Mayor Peter Nattrass is a man who has a history of antagonizing the gay community, and that gays are outraged and insulted by Nattrass snub. (Rex Wockner, 26 April 1999)

INTERNATIONAL TRANY LOBBY FORMS. Transgender activists gathered in Washington, DC on 25-27 May 1999, to create Gender Freedom International (GFI), the first US organization dedicated to promoting international transgender human rights. The group has a specific mission: to work with other international human-rights groups to leverage governmental reforms abroad by influencing US foreign policy. GFI president Sarah Fox said, Transgendered people are undoubtedly the most viciously and relently persecuted minority in American society, living their lives in fear and dealing with hate crimes, denial of services, and employment discrimination on a regular and frequent basis. However, life for a transperson in the US is remarkably good compared to life for many transpeople abroad. (Rex Wockner. 26 April 1999)

UKRAINIAN GAY GROUP DENIED REGISTRATION. Ukraines Our World Gay and Lesbian Center in Lugansk was denied registration by the Justice Ministry on 21 April 1999. The Lugansk Regional Department of Justice declared that the purpose of the public organizations activity (assistance for improvement of the social and psychological state of people of homosexual orientation and simultaneous reduction of the social tension toward this group of people in Ukrainian society) does not meet the requirements of the current law on public associations. The law reads: A public organization is an association of citizens for satisfaction and protection of their lawful social, economic, creative, age-related, national, cultural and other common interests. Our World has filed an appeal of the denial with a local court. (Rex Wockner . 3 May 1999)

3 DEAD, 70 INJURED IN GAY BAR BOMBING. Three people were killed and 70 were injured, 19 of them seriously, when a nail-bomb ripped through a gay bar in the heart of Londons gay Soho district on 30 April. The blast destroyed the Admiral Duncan pubs facade and roof. One victim was hurled 40 feet across Old Compton Street. A neo-Nazi organization called White Wolves claimed responsibility for the bombing in a phone call to the BBC. Home Secretary Jack Straw called the Soho bombing a terrible outrage committed by people with no humanity. (Rex Wockner, 3 May 1999)

GAYS PROTEST ISRAEL PRIZE. More than 100 protesters picketed the Israel Prizes in Jerusalem on 21 April, alleging that recipient Prof. Avraham Steinberg is a homophobe and a racist. Steinberg, head of medical ethics at Hebrew Universitys Hadassah School of Medicine, has written that homosexuality is criminally deviant, compared it to prostitution, condemned the use of condoms, and demanded that all gays be tested for HIV, the demonstrators said. Steinberg was honored for creative writing in the Encyclopedia of Medical Halacha. (Rex Wockner. 3 May 1999)

NAMIBIAN OFFICIAL SEEKS TO BAN GAY SEX. Namibias deputy home affairs minister, Jeremiah Nambinga, is seeking to criminalize gay sex because he believes its evil. Nambinga made his suggestion on 19 April during a budget debate in the National Assembly. Homosexuality is evil, anti-social and should not only be condemned, but should also be legislated against, Nambinga said. ÒHomosexuals are patients of psychological and biological deviationsÓ. (Rex Wockner. 3 May 1999)

TRANNIES LOCKED UP FOR QUEENS VISIT. Police in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, locked up 18 transvestites during the 7-10 May visit of Denmarks Queen Margrethe, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. The trannies were told the streets were being cleaned for the queens arrival. ABC said police acknowledged the arrests were illegal but also claimed they were investigating the transvestites for alleged thefts. (Rex Wockner. 17 May 1999)

THAILAND BANS TV TVs. Thailands broadcasting boss has ordered TV networks to curb appearances by transvestites and transsexuals, the South China Morning Post reported 19 May. Kulya Boonak said the proliferation of transgendered actors and characters on Thai programs promotes sexual abnormalities. A spokesman for Bangkoks Gay Group Against AIDS, Prakorn Pimthong, denounced the move, saying, Our appearance on television shows and soap operas cannot pose any influence on youth. (Rex Wockner. 24 May 1999)

THAI GAYS, TRANNIES PROTEST. Thirty gay and transvestite actors and activists picketed Thailands government media office on 10 June in protest against a new directive to limit appearances of transgendered actors and characters on television programs. Transvestites are common on Thai prime-time soap operas and game shows and the nation is considered to be relatively tolerant of homosexuals and transgendered people. (Rex Wockner. 14 June 1999)

TRANSVESTITE SHOT IN RIO DE JANEIRO. Carlos José Cruz, a 26-year-old transvestite, was shot three times in the neck and face after allegedly approaching the occupant of a car in Copacabana. Despite the fact that the murder took place in one of the busiest places in Copacabana, no one saw the license plate and the police were unable to make any arrests. Activists denounced gangs of jiu-jitsu fighters as fomenters of gay extermination and the assaults, threats and persecution by the homophobic police of Rio de Janeiro. (Gay News Press, 26 June 1999)

COUNCIL OF EUROPE PRESIDENT IS ANTI-GAY. The new president of the Council of Europe is a homophobe, says Homosexual Initiative Vienna. Walter Schwimmer was elected on 23 June by a vote of 138-136 over Brit Terry Davis. In 1996 in the Austrian Parliament, Schwimmer voted against repeal of Penal Code Articles 200 and 221 which prohibit gay organizations and positive information about homosexuality. In 1996 and 1998 he also voted against repeal of the discriminatory age of consent for gay men. (Rex Wockner. 28 June 1999)

ANTI-GAY POLICE IN MEXICO. David Sánchez, PRD congressman, denounced the aggressive tactics of the Mexican police after they launched a 20-day campaign against 14 bars and nightspots frequented by the gay community. With the pretext of searching for drugs and weapons, the bar customers were assaulted, robbed and in some cases beaten. Sanchez and 8 witnesses and victims filed a complaint with the authorities denouncing the methods used. (Gay News Press, 30 June 1999)

GAY SOLDIER BRUTALLY KILLED. Barry Winchell, 21, was brutally beaten with a baseball bat at the Fort Campbell military camp in early July 1999. Before dying, Winchell allegedly said he had been beaten by his fellow soldiers. Kerry Lobel, executive director of NGLTF, demanded that the military authorities carry out a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of the murder. The Legal Defense Center of Members of the Armed Forces sent a team to Fort Campbell to investigate the circumstances of the incident. (Gay News Press. 27 July 1999)

NGLTF WARNS THAT RELIGIOUS-PROTECTION LAW MAY ENDANGER GLBT CIVIL RIGHTS. The Religious Liberty Protection Act passed on 15 July by the US House of Representatives will make it easier to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation and family or matrimonial status according to Kerry Lobel, executive director of the NGLTF. The owners of apartment buildings could protect their rights by denying the civil rights of future tenants. Lobel stated that the Senate should now clarify the law so that civil rights are not violated by the new law. (Gay News Press, 28 July 1999)

DOMESTIC PARTNERS BANNED FROM ROYAL VISITS. Domestic partners – gay or straight – were banned from Queen Elizabeths get-togethers at Buckingham Palace last week after two male priests kissed at a reception for her chaplains and former chaplains. According to the London Times, the Duke of Edinburgh and Lord Camoys, the lord chamberlain, were particularly outraged by the incident. Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, had been the driving force behind a liberalization of palace policies that allowed the male partners of Culture Secretary Chris Smith, singer Elton John, actor Sir Ian McKellan and others to attend royal functions. (Parents Network, 25 July 1999)

Politicians
ZIMBABWE. Zimbabwean Gay Group Blasts Banana. The group Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) forcefully denounced former Zimbabwean President Canaan Banana on 28 January 1999, for defaming gays despite, having been sentenced to prison with labor on 11 counts for forcing himself sexually on aides, bodyguards, a cook and a gardener – all males. (Rex Wockner)

DENMARK. Gay Danish Ambassador and Husband Meet Queen of Denmark. Australias new ambassador to Denmark, Stephen Brady, 39, presented his lover, Peter Stevens, to Danish Queen Margrethe on 15 February 1999, the Danish foreign ministry reported on 25 February. According to the ministrys chief of protocol, Soeren Haslund, Homosexual couples in Denmark are invited to official ceremonies as are heterosexual couples, even by the royal palace. Denmark was the first country in the world to legalize gay civil marriages, in 1989. (Rex Wockner, 1 March 1999)

Danish Politician Marries Gay Lover. Former Danish health minister and current European Parliament member Torben Lund, 49, married his boyfriend, sociology student Claus Lautrup, 28, at Copenhagen city hall on 13 March 1999. Lund, a leader of the Social Democratic party and the nations first openly gay cabinet-level official, won a seat in the European Parliament in the June 1999 election. (Rex Wockner, 22 March 1999)

ISRAEL. Netanyahu Says Palestinians are Anti-Gay. In a letter to the World Congress of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Jewish Organizations dated 5 April 1999, Benjamin Netanyahu, ex-Prime Minister of Israel, said that Yasser Arafats Palestinian Authority has a negative attitude toward gays. He attached a clipping from the Hebrew newspaper Yerushalayim entitled, Palestinian Police Chief Maligns Homosexuals, in which Chief Ghazi Jibali denounced a Palestinian policeman who was executed in February for sodomizing a 6-year-old boy. (Rex Wockner. 12 April 1999)

MALAYSIA. Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Jailed. Sacked Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was sent to jail for six years on 15 April 1999 for interfering with police investigations of allegations he had sex with the wife of a staff member and with his male driver. Ibrahim has denounced the charges as a political conspiracy to keep Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in power, an analysis that is shared by Amnesty International, which condemned the sentencing. (Rex Wockner. 19 April 1999)

AUSTRALIA. Gay Mayor Elected in West Australia. John Hyde, Western Australias first openly gay mayor, got 70% of the vote to win the top seat in the town of Vincent, a Perth inner-city municipality. (Rex Wockner. 10 May 1999)

Transsexual Elected in Australia. Australia elected its first transsexual politician in early May 1999 when Leigh Varis-Beswick, 49, won a seat on the town council of the rugged West Australian mining town of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, the Australian Associated Press reported. (Rex Wockner. 17 May 1999)

CANADA. Svend Robinson Demoted. Openly gay Canadian Member of Parliament Svend Robinson was demoted by his New Democratic Party (NDP) on 9 June 1999, for introducing a petition from 1000 atheists and humanists who want to remove a reference to God from the Charter for Rights and Freedoms. NDP leader Alexa McDonough said Robinson should have tabled the petition quietly, not in front of cameras, and she removed him from the partys front bench back to the fifth row of seats in the House of Commons. Rex Wockner. 21 June 1999.

UK. MP Acknowledges his Bisexuality. British Member of Parliament Ron Davies acknowledged he is bisexual on 13 June 1999, following continued hounding from tabloid newspapers after an incident last October in which he was mugged in a well-known gay cruising park. In a statement issued by his office, Davies, 52, said, In order to put a stop to the intolerable stream of lurid and inaccurate stories, I am left with no alternative but to confirm that I am, and have been for some time, bisexual. (Rex Wockner. 21 June 1999)

MEXICO. Subcomandante Marcos Supports the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community. In a press release issued on the occasion of the Gay Pride March in Mexico City in June 1999, Subcomandante Marcos of the Zapatista Liberation Army expressed his support for sexual difference and demanded respect and recognition for the rights of the gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual community. (Alejandra Sardá, Servicio Electrónico de Noticias. 6 July 1999)

Religion
JAPANESE GAY COUPLE "GETS MARRIED". In an apparent first, two Japanese men got married at a Shinto Shrine, the facility's priest reported January 20th. This union was performed in a prefecture west of Toyko by the priest, Hirohiko Nakamura. Regional Shinto headquarters officials said they disapproved of Nakamura's action. (Rex Wockner - Jan 25, 1999)

SPAIN: MADRID ARCHBISHOP HEADQUARTERS' "ALFA Y OMEGA" MAGAZINE ATTACKS AIDS CAMPAIGN. Alfa y Omega magazine published an editiorial attacking the President of the Madrid region for the unethical Madrid AIDS campaign, and was denounce by Fundaci—n Tri‡ngulo. The President rejected the criticism, stating the regional government's task is to conduct an AIDS prevention campaign and therefore they will go on. (Gays News Press - Jan 26, 1999)

SPAIN: COGAM'S RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS COMMISSION MEETS WITH MARDID'S AUXILARY BISHOP. A group of representatives from COGAM's Religious Affairs Commission met with Monsignor Romero to facilitate an interview between COGAM and Madrid's Archbishop Cardenal, Monsignor Rouco Varela. COGAM is one of Spain's major homosexual organizations and the leading group in the Madrid region. Ana Segura is the president. (Gays News Press - Jan 26, 1999)

NORWAY LESBIAN RETAINS CHURCH POST. A lesbian clergywoman barred from the pulpit for marrying her homosexual partner was allowed to resume preaching in a dispute that threatens to split Norway's state church. Gay marriages are legal in Norway, with all the rights of heterosexual marriages except church weddings and the right to adopt. The state Lutheran church ruled in November 1997 that clergy who enter homosexual partnerships could not hold jobs that require ordination. However the bishop, Rosmarie Kohn, announced that she would not follow that ruling; and so the lesbian clergywoman would return to her chaplain's post. (Associated Press - Feb 1, 1999)

CANADA. The Winnipeg Council of Rabbis says a decision by one of their peers to perform same-sex and interfaith marriages "will lead to a communal suicide". However, Rabbi Michael Levenson disagreed, stating that the United States in more tolerant of same-sex and interfaith marriages. He said he has performed many such ceremonies in Chicago and sees a need for his service in Winnipeg. (Canadian Press - Feb 2, 1999)

NEW YORK. A regional board of the Presbyterian Church voted overwhelmingly to allow ministers in 95 churches to bless gay couples. The ministers were given the freedom to unite same-sex couples, but the ceremonies are not called marriages. The vote, which is expected to be appealed through the church courts, could reignite the debate over such unions. (New York Times - Feb 3, 1999)

700,000 AT SYDNEY'S MARDI GRAS. Xena: Warrior Princess (Lucy Lawless) was among the 700,000 participants who turned out for the Sydney G & L Mardi Gras grand parade February 27th. More than 200 floats paraded in the two-hour, two-and-a-half kilometer procession. Favorite contingents included the Monica Lewinskies, smoking cigars and wearing semen-stained blue dresses. Mardi Gras attracted a record $ 800,000 (US$ 503,000) in corporate sponsorship this year from, among other giants, Coca-Cola, Qantas Airlines, Stolichnaya Vodka and Telstra phone company. (Rex Wockner Mar 1, 1999)

SPAIN: METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH CONDUCTS IN MADRID ITS SECOND GAY WEDDING. On April 3rd the homosexual church, Iglesia de la Comunidad Metropolitana (aka MCC) held a ceremony to marry two homosexuals, using the Catholic Church Roman Ritual of Marriage. (Gay News Press - Apr 12, 1999)

VATICAN: CATHOLIC CHURCH TO CENSOR TEACHINGS ON HOMOSEXUALITY. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (formerly the Holy Inquistion) has barred a nun and a priest, founders of the New Ways Ministry in Washington, from teaching homosexuals. In their book, Building Bridges: Gay and Lesbian Reality in the Catholic Church, Sister Jeannine Gramick and Father Robert Nugent critize the Catholic Church's position in this matter. The Vatican issued a press release on the Congregation's behalf declaring the contents of the book unacceptable from the perspective of Catholic morality. (Gay News Press - May 1999)

NEW YORK: MOSLEM AL-FATIHA FOUNDATION HOLDS FIRST MEETING IN NORTH AMERICA ON MEMORIAL DAY. Al-Fatiha Foundation, an international moslem organization of GLBT and the sexually confused and friends, held their first meeting on Memorial Day at the New York Gay & Lesbian Community Center. 60 people attended from United States, Canada, England and The Netherlands. Issues debated dealt with homosexuality and Islam, human rights of GLBT and HIV positive moslems, and immigration and right of asylum. (Anissa Helie - Jun 1999)

US: BAPTISTS AGAINST CLINTON'S SUPPORT FOR GAYS AND LESBIANS. The Miami Herald, published June 17th: The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest U.S. Protestant group, rejected President Clinton's decision to declare the month of May, National Gay Pride Month. The Convention publicly reproached the President for backing homosexuals in contradiction to the Word of God. They, however, deplored attacks perpetrated around the country against homosexuals. (Gay News Press - Jun 30, 1999)

Same-sex couples
FIRST HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAGE CONTRACT WITH FULL LEGAL RIGHTS. On 11th December 1998, the first homosexual marriage contract with full legal rights took place in a Notary Office in Santa Fe de Bogot‡, and through a public document called Òescritura pœblicaÓ (public scripture). The document was drafted by gay Colombian lawyer German Humberto Rinc—n Perfetti and it included several verdicts concerning gay and lesbian issues from the Colombian Supreme Court. (GLBT Student Support Service - Indiana University - 20 December, 1998)

GOVERNMENT ENDS DISCRIMINATION IN IMMIGRATION RIGHTS TO SAME SEX COUPLES. The office of Immigration Minister Hon Tuariki Delamere announced on 22 December the Government's decision to end discrimination against same sex de facto couples who seek to emigrate to New Zealand. Until now, same sex couples had to prove 4 years of duration of their relationship (unlike the 2 years for heterosexuals) or wait 4 years for the deferral period on applying a second time. These amendments, effective as of March 1999, will comply with the 1993 Human Rights Act that prohibits dscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. (Queerplanet - 22 December, 1998)

DUTCH CABINET APPROVES BILLS FOR GAY MARRIAGE AND ADOPTION. The Dutch Cabinet approved 13 November a bill to allow adoption by same-sex partners. And on 11 December the Cabinet approved a bill to allow same-sex couples to marry. The existing Registered Partnership will not be abolished by the bill. ( Parents Network, 31 January 1999)

BULGARIAN GAYS DEMAND RIGHT TO MARRY. Several dozen Bulgarian gays on February 1 published in Sofia a petition demanding the right to marry their partners if the state considers itself a democracy. ÒA state cannot call itself democratic if people like us are marginalized, insulted and forced to segregateÓ, the signataries wrote in the daily 24 Tchassa. (Associated France Press - 1 February, 1999)

USA. ILLINOIS AN ORDINANCE WOULD PROVIDE HEALTH AND OTHER BENEFITS FOR SAME SEX COUPLES. A measure sponsored by County Board commissioner would extend to same sex couples health and family-leave benefits provided to married Cook County employees. (Chicago Tribune - 3 February, 1999)

CAPE HIGH COURT RECOGNISES GAY AND LESBIAN IMMIGRATION RIGHTS. Three judges of the Cape High Court ruled 12 February that the Aliens Control Act unfairly discriminates against lesbian and gay couples. The case follows a dispute between the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality and the Department of Home Affairs about the status of same sex couples with regard to immigration rights. The decision is to be confirmed by the Constitutional Court. (NCGLE - 22 February, 1999)

FEDERAL POLICE RECOGNISES SAME SEX RELATIONSHIPS. The Australian Federal Police oficially recognised same sex relationships in the institution by extending spousal benefits to the partner of its newly appointed liaison officer, Alan Scott. (QueerNet - 12 March, 1999)

CONGRESS APPROVES BAN ON GAY MARRIAGE. The Puertorican Congress passed a hardly debated bill banning recognition of homosexual marriage that already had been voted in Senate. The bill states that Òany marriage between same sex persons or transsexuals celebrated in other jurisdictions will not be valid or recognised by law in Puerto Rico.Ó (El Nuevo D'a - 16 March, 1999)

CZECH CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES PASSES A BILL GRANTING PARTNERSHIP RIGHTS TO GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES. The bill passed second reading in the Czech Republic's Chamber of Deputies March 31. The vote was 88 to 80 with 13 abstentions. A final vote is expected in May before going to the Senate. (Rex Wockner's International News Service - 19 April, 1999)

USA. NEW HAMPSHIRE A LAW REPEALS THE STATE'S BAN ON GAY ADOPTION. New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen signed a law May 3 repealing the state's ban on gays adopting and being foster parents, leaving Florida the only state with a similar ban. The repeal takes effect July 2. (Foster's Daily Democrat - 3 May, 1999)

NEW SOUTH WALES EXTENDS GAY RIGHTS. The Upper House of the Australian state of New South Wales passed the Property Relationships Legislation Amendment Bill May 26 granting gay and lesbian couples the same property, inheritance alimony and medical decision as heterosexual de-facto couples. The law also covers non-sexual couples, such as an adult child caring for an aging parent. (Rex Wockner - 13 May, 1999)

FIRST GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES TO REGISTER. Seven lesbian and gay couples registered as long-term partners with the city of Hamburg on May 6, the first to take advantage of an unprecedented law in Germany offering symbolic recognition for same sex couples. Some rights, such as hospital visitation and housing, are granted. ÒAnother step must now follow on the federal level in the form of legal security for same sex partnershipsÓ, said Parliament member Lutz Kretschmann. (Rex Wockner's International News - 10 May, 1999)

FRENCH BILL TO GRANT LEGAL STATUS TO UNMARRIED COUPLES REJECTED. For the second time May 11 French senators rejected a bill giving legal status to unmarried couples. The Senate -dominated by the right- rejected the Civil Solidarity Pact (PACS) without debate. However, the government wants the bill to become law by next fall. (Associated Press - 11 May, 1999)

ALBERTA PASSES GAY ADOPTION. New legislation that grants adoption rights to gay and lesbian couples was passed by the Legislative Assembly of the Canadian province of Alberta May 13. In passing the Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, legislators replaced the word ÒspouseÓ with the words Òstep-parentÓ in the Child Welfare Act --thereby sidestepping the opposite-sex definition of spouse. (Rex Wockner - 17 May, 1999)

FIRST GAY MEN IN CANADA TO RECEIVE SURVIVOR BENEFITS. Two Nova Scotians have become the first gay men in Canada to receive survivor benefits under the Canada Pension Plan Act. For more than four years Wilson Hodder and Paul Boulais have been fighting the definition of spouse under the act. Until yesterday, they were unable to claim the benefits under the plans of their deceased partners. (Parents Network - 6 June, 1999)

CANADA'S SUPREME COURT RULES ON DISCRIMINATORY DEFINITION OF THE TERM 'SPOUSE'. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled May 20 that Ontario's family-law definition of ÒspouseÓ as a person of the opposite sex is unconstitutional. The 8-1 ruling means hundreds of provincial and federal laws with similar wording will have to be changed. (Parents Network - 13 June, 1999)

CANADA DEFINES MARRIAGE HETEROSEXUALLY. Canada's House of Commons voted 216-55 June 8 to define marriage as between a man and a woman. The vote came three weeks after the Canadian Supreme Court rewrote the definition of the word ÒspouseÓ to include gay couples. Justice Minister Anne McLellan said before the vote: ÒThis Government has no intention of changing the definition of marriage or legislating same sex marriageÓ. (Rex Wockner International News - 14 June,1999)

DANISH PARLIAMENT EXTENDS RIGHTS OF GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES. The Parliament voted 61 to 48 May 20 to extend the rights of gay and lesbian couples who get married under Danish registered partnership law. The extension includes registered gay couples from Norway, Sweden and Iceland, who will be recognised as such in Denmark, and non-Danes, who will be able to register their partnership in Denmark after 2 years' residence. Registered partners will be able to adopt each other's children unless the child was originally adopted from a foreign country. (Parents Network - 20 June, 1999)

QUEBEC EQUALIZES GAYS. A law unanimously passed June 10 by the National Assembly of Quebec gives gay and lesbian couples the same rights as common-law heterosexual couples. The law alters 39 provincial laws and regulations and makes Quebec the first province in Canada to remove all discriminatory distinctions between homosexual and heterosexual couples. (Rex Wockner International News - 21 June, 1999)

NAMIBIAN COURT GRANTS PARTNER RIGHTS. Judge Harold Levy of Namibia's High Court ruled June 25th that lesbian partners have the same rights as heterosexual couples. During the hearing, Judge Levy brought up the Constitution's guarantee of the freedom to trade and contract. His decision came in the case of German lesbian Liz Frank, who was fighting to stay in Namibia with her Namibian lover Elizabeth Khaxas. (Rex Wockner's International News - 5 July, 1999)

SCOTLAND'S PARLIAMENT MOVES TOWARDS EQUALITY WITHIN THE INSTITUTION. Scotland's Parliament granted travel allowances to the domestic partners of homosexual and heterosexual members June 13. Partners will be reimbursed for up to 12 journeys a year between their homes and Edinburgh. (Parents Network - 25 July, 1999)

Accomplishments and new groups
GAYS AND LESBIANS ORGANIZE IN JAMAICA. Gays and lesbians in Jamaica formed an organization called the - Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG), and drew immediate hostility from the government by calling for repeal of the island's ban on gay sex. "Homosexuality and discrimination against gays and lesbians are legitimate human-rights issues which must be treated as such", J-FLAG spokesman Brian Williamson said. (Rex Wockner Dec 21, 1998)

INDIAN NATIONAL GAY CONFERENCE (YAARIAN '99). February 13th & 14th 1999 the second major conference of gays in India was celebrated in Hyderabad, hosted by SAATHI. Representatives came from Mumbai, Bangalore, Calcutta, Pune and even from rural Orissa. The conference Action Plan was lengthy and ambitious. (Ashok Row Kavi, Chairperson of Humsafar Trust Feb, 1999)

GAYS PROTEST ISRAEL PRIZE. More than a hundred protesters picketed the Israil Prizes in Jerusalem April 21st, alleging that recipient Prof. Avraham Steinberg is a homophobe and a racist. Steinberg, head of medical ethics at Hebrew University's Hadassah School of Medicene, has written that homosexuality is criminally deviant, compared it to prostitution, condemned the use of condoms, and demanded that all gays be tested for HIV, the demonstrators said. (Rex Wockner May 3, 1999)

GAY BAR OPENS IN CAMBODIA. Cambodia has its first gay bar, The Tamerind, reports London's Gay Times. (Rex Wockner May 10, 1999)

EUROSLAVIA GROUP FORMS. A new organization called Euroslavia hopes to unite gays and lesbians from Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Yugoslavia and Macedonia (the nations of the former Yugoslavia). The group wants to demonstrate that homosexuality knows no borders, said the Swedish gay newspaper, QX. (Rex Wockner Jun 14, 1999)

MONGOLIAN GAY & LESBIAN GROUP FORMED. Mongolian's first gay & lesbian's rights group, Tavilan or Destiny, formed this spring as a result of accusations of "police harassment and improper sentencing procedures that violated civilian rights." Last May, Tavilan opened a small office in central Ulanbator to begin building an organization to counter such problems. (Robert C. La Mont Jul 6, 1999)

MEXICO: NEW GAY & LESBIAN GROUP TRANSCENDS U.S.-MEXICAN BORDER. Located in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, the GLTB group, called NAWI, covers the Mexican state of Chihuahua and the U.S. states of Texas and New Mexico. (Gay News Press Jun 30, 1999)

60 ATTEND SRI LANKAN IMPROMPTU CONFERENCE. 60 attended Sri Lanka's second National Gay Conferenc last June. With funding from a Dutch foundation, they distribute rubbers and safe-sex information and offer counceling and treatment for sexually transmitted dieseases. Gay male sex is banned in Sri Lanka under threat of 12 imprisonment. Lesbian sex is not illegal. (Rex Wockner Jul 5, 1999)

ILGA
12th WORLD CONFERENCE ON AIDS IN GENEVA. ILGA attended the World Conference on AIDS on June 3rd through July 3, 1998. ILGA Latin America had a display stand distributing many materials from ILGA members. Representatives of ILGA participated in and organized the Community Forum and a workship about prevention for gay people and men having sex with other men. ILGHRC invited an ILGA representative to join them in a meeting with the UN Human Rights Commission.

CONFERENCE ON TRADE UNIONS, HOMOSEXUALITY AND WORK. About 170 people and delegates from trade unions and GLTB groups attended the first international Conference on Trade Unions, Homosexuality and Work in Amsterdam from July 29th to July 31, 1998. The Conference was successful, producing agreements that would involve trade unions in promoting GLBT rights in the workplace. Also, some important trade unions attended the Conference, such as UNISON from UK and CGIL from Italy. ILGA supported this Conference, with the ILGA Co-Secretary General Jordi Petit giving a speech at the opening ceremony about how gay and lesbian rights are human rights.

ILGA AT THE GAY GAMES. During the Gay Games celebrated during the first week of August 1998 in Amsterdam, ILGA collaborated in the Human Rights Workshops program organized at the University of Amsterdam by the HIVOS Foundation and Amnesty International(AI). Through HIVOS it was possible to give a significant number of scholarships, and in this way many activists from countries around the world attended the workshops program. At the beginning of the Gay Games events, HIVOS and AI presented the film, "Outlawed¬. Finally, at the end of these workshops a declaration was adopted about gay and lesbian rights and AIDS. During these days ILGA distributed to the attendees Bulletins in both English and Spanish as well as brochures and member registration forms in four languages, explaining the mission of ILGA.

20TH ANNIVERSARY OF ILGA. At the last day of the Gay Games, August 8th, occurring on the 20th Anniversary of ILGA, two important events took place. At midday, the City of Amsterdam offered a reception celebrating the 20th Anniversary. This celebration was held in the Friendship City of the Gay Games, Amsterdam, and was attended by 200 people. Speeches were given by HIVOS, the Sports Director of the City of Amsterdam and both Co-Secretaries General of ILGA. A very large representation of activists from around the world enjoyed this friendly reception. In the afternoon ILGA presented the 3rd Human Rights Annual Report, delivered by the Co-Secretaries General. This 3rd Annual Report denounced the rate of homophobic murder throughout the world, a murder every 3 days, especially occurring in countries such as Mexico and Brazil. The Annual Report emphasized that ILGA obtained the NGO consultative status in the Council of Europe beginning January 15, 1998. At that moment, 86 countries considered homosexuality legal, while another 86 countries regarded it illegal. This report was widely distributed.

REPORT PRESENTED IN BARCELONA ABOUT HOMOSEXUAL MEXICAN MURDERS. The journalist, Arturo Diaz, member of the Mexican Commission Against Homophobic Hate Crimes, presented to the Spanish press the report about 125 homophobic murders committed with impunity in his country. The press conference was sponsored by Coordinadora Gay-Lesbiana. The City Hall of Barcelona supported this Commission, and Barcelona's Mayor Maravillas Rojo officially received them. El Pa's, an important Spanish newspaper, published the Commission's report about these crimes in its national and international editions (Aug 16, 1998).

ILGA. The 20th ILGA-European-Conference took place at the end of Octobre 1998 in Linz/Austria. It was the first Europen Conference under the new constitution, which marked a remarkable step in the regionalisation of ILGA. With nearly 70 participants from 27 countries it was a rather small conference. But it showed the biggest number of participants from the transition countries in Middleast and East Europe which ever attended an ILGA annual conference. Among them were two delegates from Albania, who came for the first time to an ILGA conference. And as a guest from out of Europe, a visitor from Egypt also took part in the discussions and workshops. (21-25 OCT 1998)

SEMINAR IN TURIN. The trade union CGIL organized a seminar about work, homosexuality and transgender which was held at their headquarters in Turin between Sept 17 and Sept 18, 1998. ILGA was invited to participate in this event.

HISTORICAL MEETING: ILGA MEETS UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, MARY ROBINSON. For the first time, ILGA representatives were officially received by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, on October 8, 1998, in the UN Headquarters located in Geneva. The ILGA members present at this meeting were Jennifer Wilson and Jordi Petit, Co-Secretaries General, and Kurt Krickler from the ILGA Europe Board. During this meeting ILGA proposed to introduce the right of non-discrimination for sexual orientation as a human right in all new treaties or international conventions about human rights. Secondly ILGA proposed that the UN needs to create an official world report on the situation of GLBT rights. Finally, ILGA proposed the establishment of an ongoing liaison with the UN. Ms. Mary Robinson described her function as a catalyst for human rights and promised to introduce the right of non-discrimination based on sexual orientation in all seminars and debates promoted by her. She indicated she would study ILGA's proposals and intended to establish an exchange of information between the UN and ILGA. ILGA representatives gave Ms. Robinson the ILGA Manifesto - Gay and Lesbian Rights are Human Rights, as well as the ILGA's 3rd Annual Report. After this historical meeting, a press conference was held at the UN Headquarters in Geneva attended by a large number of journalists. The ILGA representatives indicated that this meeting was a success due to the institutional recognition conferred on ILGA by the UN. During this press conference, ILGA denounced some countries where the death penalty is still applied against homosexuals. ILGA also condemned the homophobic murders occurring in countries such as Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala, Bolivia, ... French television broadcast this meeting throughout Europe, and articles and interviews were published in Mexico (La Reforma newspaper)

ILGA DEMANDED A VATICAN APOLOGY FOR HOMOSEXUAL PERSECUTION DURING INQUISITION. ILGA Co-Secretaries General Jennifer Wilson and Jordi Petit indicated the the results of the Vatican's symposium on the activities of the Holy Inquisition were disappointing, especially the failure to list the number of victims during that period, stating that the Vatican owes this debt to mankind. Therefore, ILGA demanded a formal apology from the Catholic hiearchy for the persecution and death of thousands of homosexuals caused by the Inquistion. (Nov 1, 1998)

VATICAN LABELS GAY MARRIAGES AS "SIGN OF REGRESSION". The Vatican newspaper harshly condemned the Dutch, French and Catalonian partnership laws as "moral disorder" and the legalisation as a "project against mankind". ILGA regarded this as an inadmissible interference in the democratic political process of these countries. (L'Osservatore Romano. Dec 21, 1998)

ILGA CONDEMNS THE LONDON HOMOPHOBIC BOMB STRIKE AS AN ATTACK AGAINST DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS. On May 1st, the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) issued a press release stating its concern and deep sorrow for casualities resulting from the bombings in London. They called for the international community to join against intolerance under the slogan, "LESBIAN AND GAY RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS". The bomb strike in London, the third in a series aimed at minorities, is an assault on human rights and the entire society, therefore society should react as a whole.

ILGA AT THE HAGUE INTERNATIONAL PEACE CONFERENCE. ILGA was the only gay and lesbian international federation invited (since ILGA is the only g@l international federation, this has little meaning here. ILGA was the only queer group invited.) to participate in the International Peace Conference in The Hague, May 14 & 15, 1999. Co-Secretaries General Jennifer Wilson and Jordi Petit attended an important meeting organized by the World Citizen Foundation, which included several world NGOs. The goal of this meeting was to establish ties among the various NGO's around the world. The project aim is to work together monitoring for human rights and democracy in the globalization process. It was an excellent opportunity to network with many other international NGOs.

HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE. Around 250 delegates attended the Human Rights Conference, Vienna +5, in June 1998 in Ottawa, Canada. The ILGA delegation was represented by Orlando Montoya, Co-Secretary General of ILGA Latin America, and Alejandra Sard‡, Director of ILGA Women's Secretariat. The successful conclusions of the Conference incorporated non-discrimination for sexual orientation in the areas dealing with work, torture, psychiatric hospitalization, impunity regarding murders and refugees. The Conference also adopted a resolution to protect intersexual persons. The ILGA delegation solicited the inclusion of people who work for GLBT rights in the Declaration about Protection of the Human Rights Defenders.

ILGA PROTESTS AT THE SWEDISH ACADEMY. During ILGA's Executive World Board meeting which took place in Stockholm the last week of July 1998, Co-Secretary General Jordi Petit sent a letter to the Swedish Academy and the Nobel Institute protesting the homophobic declarations of the Spanish writer and Nobel Prize winner, Camilo José Cela.

ILGA AT EUROPRIDE. ILGA Executive World Board members participated in the activities and the demonstration of Europride which occurred in Stockholm the last week of July 1998. The Co-Secretaries Generals gave speeches at the beginning of the demonstration.

ILGA CONDEMNS THE MURDER OF MATTHEW SHEPARD. After the attack on Matthew Shepard in Colorado on October 12, 1998, ILGA's Co-Secretaries General denounced this murder in a declaration, and also made note of the other homophobic assaults around the world. The Co-Secretary General of ILGA, Jennifer Wilson, said in an article published in the ILGA Bulletin titled, "Enough!": "Countries reporting on Matthew's murder should ask themselves why there are so many gay and lesbian hate crimes and why there is no existing legal protection."

THE PASSING OF SIMON NKOLI NOV 26 1957 - NOV 30 1998. Simon Nkoli died from complications related to AIDS. He was probably the most well-know GLBT African activist in the world. Nkoli was tried for treason during the South African Apartheid regime and was a member of the ILGA Executive World board until his death. Gays and Lesbians of Witwatersrand (GLOW), the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality (NCGLE), and the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) mourned the great loss of a good friend and fighter for justice and freedom. Simon Nkoli was the founder of GLOW, Township AIDS Project, Positive African Men's Project, and the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality, member of ILGA's Executive World Board, honorary citizen of New York City. He received the Stonewall Equality prize in London in 1995 and was honored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in the United States.

ILGA MANIFESTO '98: On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ILGA Co-Secretaries General Jennifer Wilson and Jordi Petit were proud to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of ILGA's reception of NGO consultative status from the Council of Europe and widespread support in the form of signatures and endorsements from NGO's and celebrities throughout the world for its Manifesto "LESBIAN AND GAY RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS". Among the many celebrity and NGO signatures, ILGA wanted to specially thank Amnesty International (AI), World Association for Sexology (WAS), Red Latinoamericana de lucha contra el SIDA (LACASO), Mr. Manuel Marn, Vice-President of the European Commission, Mr. Gutiérrez, European Parliament's Vice-President,Patria Jiménez, Mexican Deputy, Spanish trade unions CC OO and UGT, Italian trade union CGIL, and the Brazilian journalists union, to cite a few, and the support received from countries such as Colombia, South Korea, Cuba, El Salvador,Greece, India, Kazhastan, Lithuania, Nicaragua, Poland, Russia, Venezuela. (ILGA Dec 10, 1998)

Some of the last year’s GLBT Pride gatherings
40,000 AT MELBOURNE PRIDE. Melbourne, Australia's 4th Gay Pride parade attracted 40,000 people in the St. Kilda neighborhood. The 2 kilometer procession featured 85 contingents. The loudest applause was for PFLAG and Dykes on Bikes. The gay rainbow flag flew over St. Kilda's Town Hall all week. (Rex Wockner Feb 2, 1999)

PRIDE '99: THIRTY YEARS FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT TO LOVE. Thirty years after the Stonewall riots,the lesbian and gay movement around the world has achieved important advances, ILGA Co-Secretaries General Jennifer Wilson and Jordi Petit said. On the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of the Lesbian and Gay Pride Celebrations, ILGA called for solidarity for the international GLBT community, as 86 countries still penalize homosexuality. ILGA has worked for the right to love during the past 21 years. (Jun 26, 1999)

200,000 AT HERO PARADE. The 9th annual gay Hero parade attracted a record 200,000 people and 58 floats to Auckland, New Zealand. Prime Minister Jenny Shipley opened the festivities with a speech urging celebration of diversity. Corporate sponsors included Durex, Qantas, Pepsi and Lion Breweries. (Rex Wockner Feb 15, 1999)

BELFAST CITY HALL WELCOMES GAY PRIDE. The City Council of Belfast, Northern Ireland, voted to allow the use of the City Hall for the launch of Gay Pride June 12th. The opening reception was hosted by the new Lord Mayor of the city, elected just days prior to the event. (Rex Wockner May 17, 1999)

EUROPEAN PRIDE ORGANIZERS ASSOCIATION GIVE PRIDE ATTENDANCE FIGURES. Participants at Pride, Parades, Marches, and demonstrations 1999 as of August 30th, 1999: Arnheim/NL: 10.000
Barcelona/Spain, 26 June: 700 plus 900 at open-air-festival; 4 July: 6.000 at Pride party (Marbella beach & sports palace)
Belfast/Northern Ireland: 500
Berlin/Germany - Pride march, 26 June: 150.000 plus 200.000 visitors / participants at street festival afterwards (total: 350.000)
- 7th g/l city festival 19-20 June: 350.000 (2 days)
Bielefeld/Germany: 2.000
Budapest/Hungary: 500 plus 2.500 participants during various events (for 4 days)
Brussels/Belgium: 8.000
Cologne/Germany: 45.000 plus 700.000 visitors / participants at street festival afterwards (total: 745.000)
Copenhagen/Denmark: 5.000
Derry/Nothern Ireland: 300
Dresden/Germany: 300
Edinburgh/Scotland: 4.500 plus 1000 visitors; 6.500 at festival afterwards (total: 12.000)
Frankfurt/Germany: 8.000 plus 70.000 at street festival afterwards (total: 78.000)
Friedrichshafen: 100 plus 400 at concert afterwards
Hamburg/Germany: 15.000 plus 70.000 at stret festival afterwards (total: 85.000)
Jena/Germany: no parade, 1.000 at street festival; 150 at commemoration in KZ Buchenwald
Karlsruhe/Germany 5.000 plus 10.000 visitors
Kiel/Germany: 300
Leeds/England: 8.000
Lisbon/Portugal 10.000
London/England: 30.000 plus 70.000 at festival afterwards (total 100.000)
Madrid/Spain: 30.000
Magdeburg/Germany: 500
Munich/Germany
- Parade, 17 July: 50.000 plus 100.000 visitors
- street festival after parade (17 July): 140.000
- pumps race, 18 July: 30.000
Paris/France: 220.000 (Parade and festival together)
Portsmouth/England: 1.500 at festival
Rome/Italy: 10.000
Stockholm/Sweden: 15.000 plus 20.000 visitors on the streets
Tel Aviv/Israel: 10.000
Warsaw/Poland: no parade, 1.000 total during 5 days of events
Vienna/Austria: 35.000 plus 65.000 at street festival afterwards (total: 100.000)
Zurich/Switzerland: 5.000

InterPride's partial listing of international events figures:

Reno, Nevada USA	6,000 (First Parade)
San Francisco	750,000
Tel Aviv	10,000
Sao Paulo	30,000
Toronto	750,000
Chicago	250,000
New York	700,000
Salt Lake City	20,000
Boston	130,000

Data on 1999 GLBT Pride Public Attendance
For more information please contact:
European Pride Organisers Association
EPOA Office/Secretary
Tel: +49-30-392 5311. Fax: +49-30-392 4319
E-mail: hartmut.schoenknecht@t-online.de

Africa

Americas

Country	Lesbians	Gays
Antigua & Barbuda	Not mentioned	Illegal
Argentina	Legal	Legal
Aruba	Legal	Legal
Bahamas	Illegal	Illegal
Barbados	Illegal	Illegal
Belize	Legal	Legal
Bermuda	Not mentioned	Illegal
Bolivia	Not mentioned	Not mentioned
Brazil	Not mentioned	Not mentioned
Canada	Legal	Legal
Cayman Islands	Not mentioned	Illegal
Chile	Not mentioned	Illegal
Colombia	Not mentioned	Not mentioned
Costa Rica	Legal	Legal
Cuba	Legal (-)	Legal (-)
Dominican Republic	Legal	Legal
Ecuador	Legal	Legal
El Salvador	Not mentioned	Not mentioned
Falkland Islands / Malvinas	Not mentioned	Legal
French Guyana	Legal	Legal
Greenland	Legal	Legal
Grenada	Illegal	Illegal
Guadaloupe	Legal	Legal
Guatemala	Not mentioned	Not mentioned
Guyana	Not mentioned	Illegal
Haiti	Not mentioned	Not mentioned
Honduras	Legal	Legal
Jamaica	Not mentioned	Illegal
Martinique	Legal	Legal
Mexico	Not mentioned	Not mentioned
Netherlands Antilles	Legal	Legal
Nicaragua	Illegal	Illegal
Panama	Not mentioned	Not mentioned
Paraguay	Not mentioned	Not mentioned
Peru	Legal	Legal
Puerto Rico (USA)	Illegal	Illegal
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Not available	Not available
Saint Lucia	Illegal	Illegal
Surinam	Legal	Legal
Trinidad and Tobago	Illegal	Illegal
Turks and Caicos Islands	Not mentioned	Illegal
United States of America	see below	see below
Uruguay	Not mentioned	Not mentioned
Venezuela	Legal	Legal

United States of America

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Middle East

Equal Treatment Measures for Lesbian and Gay Men

State of the World in 1999:

Anti-discrimination laws

Partnership laws

Constitution

Summary

Legal Status of Homosexuality in 1998 / 99:

All over the world: 212 Countries (excluding USA)

• ILGA Administrative Office
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  B-1000 Brussels
  Belgium
  e-mail:ilga@ilga.org
  
• Jordi Petit ILGA Co-secretary General
  
• Jennifer Wilson ILGA Co-secretary General
  
• International Commission. Coordinadora Gai-Lesbiana
  

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