THEGAYUK

Tag: Anti-Gay

Read the latest news and analysis of anti-gay crime and policy in the UK and abroad. Browse THEGAYUK’s entire archive on news about anti-gay behaviours in the UK and abroad.

  • UK Leaflet: The Judgement Of God on Homosexualism Reveals Itself In AIDS

    An Anti-gay and abortion leaflet has left residents in Ely, Cambridge shocked and outraged.

    The leaflet which is titled Works of Darkness has been put through the doors of houses in Ely.

    Cambridgeshire Police have been notified.

    The leaflet contains paragraphs on fornication, contraception, euthanasia, homosexualism/lesbianism and divorce.

    For homosexuality, it reads: ‘Homosexuality is not inborn, it is a development disorder, a traumatised condition arising out of a dysfunctional family, or it is a lifestyle choice.

    ‘It is utterly opposed to the law of God and to nature, and should in no way be condoned or promoted.

    ‘Also, the adoption of children by gays and lesbians constitutes a form of child abuse. The judgement of God on homosexualism reveals itself in the AIDS/HIV virus.”

    According to Ely-News.co.uk one resident said, “I came home to find this vulgar, offensive thing on my doormat.

    ‘I find it extremely disturbing and I have reported it to the police. Whoever is responsible for delivering them needs to be dealt with immediately’

    Another resident said: I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I think whoever is responsible for these leaflets should be prosecuted by the police.’

    This is one of a number of leaflets that have been delivered to residents around the UK. In August residents in Brighton were outraged when similar hateful leaflets were delivered through their doors.

    A Spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire Police said, ‘Leaflets of a homophobic nature were distributed in Cambridge earlier this year. Additionally, similar material has been distributed in other areas of the county and indeed, the country.

    ‘Whilst it is acknowledged that many recipients will be offended by the leaflet’s content, Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights gives individuals the right to Freedom of Expression – the right to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideals without interference by public authority. This includes opinions which may offend, irritate, shock or disturb.

    ‘While the material being distributed earlier this week will in many cases offend, irritate, shock or disturb, the content, context and actions of the male concerned fall short of any criminality at this time.

    ‘We will however continue to monitor the situation both locally and nationally. Anyone who is approached or receives any of this literature should contact police by calling 101.’

  • Singapore Rules To Keep Anti-Gay Laws In Place

    A challenge to the law that criminalises homosexuality has today been dismissed by Singapore’s highest court, meaning that it’s still a crime to be gay in the country.

    Lim Meng Suang and Kenneth Chee Mun-Leon, a gay couple brought a case against Section 377A of the Penal Code in 2012, arguing that the provision, which outlaws gay sex, infringed on their rights. After initial losses at the High Court of Singapore, Mr Suang and Mr Mun-Leon appealed, and their case was heard along with fellow appellant Mr Tan Eng Hong in July 2014.

    Private same-sex sexual activity between adults has been illegal in Singapore since 1938, with the Penal Code that the British exported.

    NOTHING WE CAN DO.
    In the written ruling, handed down today, the judges said, ‘While we understand the deeply-held personal feelings of the appellants, there is nothing that this court can do to assist them. Their remedy lies, if at all, in the legislative sphere.’

    Jonathan Cooper, Chief Executive of the London-based Human Dignity Trust, which provided technical legal assistance to support the challenge, said, ‘This decision means that every gay man living in Singapore remains an unapprehended criminal.

    ‘And the criminalisation of homosexuality does not only affect men. The culture of shame and homophobia it fosters forms a shadow of oppression over Singapore’s entire lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community.

    ‘The decision of the Court of Appeal to maintain the country’s anti-gay law – a poisonous remnant of British colonial rule – is a great disappointment, if not a surprise.

    ‘The Singaporean Constitution does not protect basic rights such as privacy and dignity and is therefore very limited in comparison to other Commonwealth countries we work in, which show more promise for legal challenges.

    ‘There is nowhere to go from the Singaporean Court of Appeal, meaning that this judgment is final. We must now look to the Singaporean Government, where strong leadership and progressive legislative change is required to pave the only path forward for LGBTI people.

    ‘The Singaporean Government must see, as the international business community will, that archaic homophobic laws frankly have no place in a modern hub of global finance and commerce.’

    ‘The stakes are high for multinational companies with a presence in Singapore, whose gay employees are currently at risk of prosecution simply for being who they are.

    ‘Employers with a commitment to equality and diversity face a difficult dilemma.’

  • German Gay Rights Activist Attacked in Belgrade.

    German gay rights activist who took part in a gay rights conference in Belgrade, Serbia, was severely beaten on Saturday 13th September 2014, suffering life threatening head injuries. The name of the victim has not yet been released, but reports from the Serbian Police, gay rights activists and the German Ambassador confirm the story, according to the Associated Press.

    Jovanka Todorovic, from the Labris Gay and Lesbian Group, told the Associated Press that the man was attacked and beaten around the head with a glass ashtray, whilst his attackers shouted “we don’t want foreigners in Belgrade”. The attack left him with internal bleeding and head injuries.

    Heinz Georg Wilhelm, the German ambassador to Serbia, stated that the man was “awake, but that it [was] still too early to say something”. He added that “If it’s true that the attacker said that he does not want foreigners in Serbia; that gives a new xenophobic dimension to the whole incident”.

    Protesting the attack, hundreds of gay rights supported marched in downtown Belgrade on Saturday, carrying signs saying “Stop the Violence” and “Your Policies, Our Blood”. Anti-riot police were present to protect the demonstrators.

    The incident comes two weeks before the first gay pride march to take place in the city since disturbances between police and anti-gay far-right groups halted the events four years ago.

    The Interior minister, Nebojsa Stefanovic pledged that police will identify the attackers, confirming that he has ordered an intensive investigation so that the attackers are brought to justice. The BBC reports that three men have been arrested, but no further details are known.

    Serbia has repeatedly pledged to protect human rights as it seeks membership of the European Union.

    Serbian officials have previously prevented LGBT-Rights demonstrations, claiming that they could not control the anti-LGBT violence, but whether this may impact on their inclusion in the EU remains to be seen.

  • Brighton Gay Scene Targeted By Anti-Gay Leaflet Campaign

    Hateful leaflets, which condemned “homosexualism”, were posted through the letterboxes of Brighton households ahead of Brighton’s Pride event.

    An investigation is underway in Brighton today after a number of leaflets condemning homosexuality were posted through the letterboxes of residents in the Hanover area before Brighton’s pride which took part this past weekend.

    The leaflet in parts states, ‘The practice of homosexuality is both blasphemy against God and rebellion against nature.

    ‘It [is] abundantly evident that a penis is made for a vagina, and not for an anus. An anus is in fact designed solely for defecation.

    ‘Homosexuality, as well as being a sin and a vice, is essentially a neurosis, a pathological condition, the result of several factors including childhood experiences.

    ‘Homosexualism has become a cult, and by the indoctrination of school children and regular propaganda through the media, it seeks converts.

    ‘The general acceptance of homosexuality(…) will only lead to a continuing degeneration and corruption of morals, and the disintegration of family life. There is no such thing, and never can be any such thing as ‘gay marriage’.

    ‘If the practice of homosexuality is acceptable, then in time any form of sexual deviation, perversion and experimentation will be acceptable, including the progressive lowering of the age of consent, taking it below the age of puberty, and thus legalizing paedophilia.’

    A number of people in the area said that they had seen a ‘sinister looking monk’ delivering the leaflets.

    A spokesperson from Brighton’s police force said,

    ‘Police received reports on Wednesday, July 30 that homophobic leaflets had been delivered in the Hanover area of Brighton.

    ‘The PCSO for the area made contact with those who had reported the leaflets and the LGBT team at Brighton police station were made aware.’

  • BREAKING: Uganda court strikes down anti-gay law

    The BBC is reporting that the Constitutional Court in Uganda has annulled the anti-gay law, which was introduced earlier this year.

    The law, which was introduced this year, has been widely condemned by world leaders, including President Obama, who called it ‘odious.’

    The UK’s deputy PM Nick Clegg, said that the anti-gay law, was ‘abhorrent’.

    The law, which included lesbians for the first time, could see anyone conducting same-sex relationships or promoting homosexuality facing life imprisonment.

    The gay community in Uganda have suffered huge harassment since the introduction of the anti-gay law, which was introduced by MP David Bahati and signed into law by the Country’s President Yoweri Museveni

    Activists reportedly cheered as the law was pronounced ‘null and void’.

    More to follow

  • Gay police officers are worried about impact on their career

    Gay and lesbian police officers sometimes fear the consequences of revealing their sexuality as they rise through the ranks, it has been revealed.

    Some senior police officers are worried that coming out may impact on their career prospects and that homophobia still exists within some policing teams.

    At the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales annual conference in September, officers from across the country will discuss encouraging the service to be more accepting of diversity, ensuring gay and lesbian officers who would like to be out can be and the benefits of this to police officers and communities, in a session titled: “Taking the uniform out of the closet.”

    Mike Gallagher, the association’s lead on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) policing, said: ‘It must be emphasised that homophobia is not accepted in policing. The police service has come a long way, as has society, and that has to be acknowledged. But there is more to be done.

    ‘We want colleagues to feel they can be themselves at work. Sadly some police officers and staff are not confident to be out in their police forces, particularly as they rise through the ranks. It is of course a choice – and for some officers it is a conscious decision – but some fear homophobia still exists in areas of policing.

    ‘We need to improve the confidence of some LGBT communities in policing and having role models – senior gay and lesbian police officers being confident and open about their sexuality – would help this.’

    He added: ‘We need a police service that reflects the public we serve – this will help gain trust and confidence in communities but also in fighting crime. And this will also bring a diversity of thinking to the many policing challenges the service currently faces.’

    TWO FIFTHS OF GAY SUPERINTENDENTS EXPERIENCE DISCRIMINATION
    A survey of senior police officers – carried out by the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales – has revealed four out of 10 lesbian or gay superintendents and chief superintendents say they have “experienced discrimination in the policing workplace” during their careers.

    One respondent to the survey said: ‘Discrimination by some senior officers exists, but it is at a subtle underlying level.’
    Another added: ‘As a senior leader I would love to be openly gay.’

    A total of 27 of the association’s 1,300 members – who include senior operational commanders and leaders delivering local policing, specialist investigations and operations and support services within police forces – took part in the survey.
    Responding to the survey’s findings, Mr Gallagher, a Met officer, added: ‘The fact that 40 per cent of our gay and lesbian members have experienced discrimination in their careers is frustrating and unacceptable.
    ‘It is very disappointing that we are still talking about this as an issue in 2014. We need to do better. And we can.’

    Ruth Hunt, chief executive of Stonewall, said: ‘Here at Stonewall we know that people perform better when they can be themselves, so it’s fantastic to hear the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales proactively encouraging LGBT employees to be themselves at work while emphasising the fact that homophobia will not be accepted in policing.’

  • Belarus on the brink of replicating Russian anti-gay laws

    Europe’s last dictatorship to replicate Russia’s “anti-homosexual propaganda” law, claim anti-discrimination activists in Belarus.

    Concerns that Belarus plans to enact an “anti-homosexual propaganda” law, of the type enacted in Russia in 2013, were raised at a meeting convened by the London-based Equal Rights Trust (ERT) in collaboration with the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC) last week. A draft of the law has not been released, but work on a bill on protecting children from propaganda of homosexuality has been included in a presidential decree concerning the legislative agenda of parliament.

    The meeting, held in Minsk on 22 July brought together leading civil society groups from around the country to discuss equality law reform and agree on guiding principles for a model equality law that would bring Belarus in line with international standards.

    Dimitrina Petrova, Executive Director of Equal Rights Trust, said: ‘While in Minsk I saw signs that Belarus may be starting to distance itself from Moscow in the wake of the annexation of Crimea. Yet, at the same time, we learn that the country plans to replicate Russia’s homophobic law, relying on populist calls to defend children from “propaganda of homosexuality”.

    ‘Belarus, despite its pariah status, has a good record on promoting equality for women, disabled persons and others. We urge the government to resist the wave of homophobia issuing from Russia and uphold its track record on issues of equality.’

    Of particular concern to participants was an alarming rise in homophobic hate speech in Belarusian media. In the past 12 months alone, more than 200 publications have used homophobic language or terminology, inciting violence and discrimination and even equating homosexuality with paedophilia, zoophilia and crime. Some media reports went so far as to call for the LGBT community to be quarantined, while others said that it threatened the territorial integrity of Belarus.

    The Equal Rights Trust has been supporting civil society in Belarus to promote equality law reform since 2011. In November 2013, ERT published “Half an Hour to Spring: Addressing Discrimination and Inequality in Belarus”, the first comprehensive report on the enjoyment of the rights to equality and non-discrimination in the country, which recommended, among other things, the adoption of a comprehensive equality law.

    To read a summary of ERT’s report in English click here
    To support Equal Rights Trust and its work in Belarus visit www.equalrightstrust.org

  • Bachmann: Gays Working Towards Multiple Marriages And Child Molestation

    During a radio interview, US Republican representative, Michelle Bachmann said that gay people were pushing for multiple marriages and to repeal age of consent laws.

    In the interview, Michele Bachmann, who is infamous for her anti-gay views said that gay people not only wanted to be celebrated but to ultimately change laws to allow for multiple marriage and the repeal of age of consent laws, so that adults could have sex with children.

    https://soundcloud.com/rightwingwatch/bachmann-child-rape-result-of-gay-rights

    She argues that the gay community’s ultimate goal was too ‘not allow for diversity of opinion on this issue, because they don’t wanna be celebrated, they want to force everyone, to not only to agree with them but to also to have to finance their agenda.’

    Continuing she said that the gay community was working to, ‘abolish age of consent laws, which means we will do away with statutory rape laws so that adults will be able to freely prey on little children sexually. That’s the deviance that we’re seeing embraced in our culture today.’

    Earlier this week Bachmann said there was a ‘chance’ that she would run for Presidency again in 2016 after a failed attempt in 2012.

  • Commonwealth gay kiss: “They should be burned alive”

    In case you’ve been asleep for the last day or so, the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony took place last night. In amongst the usual song and dance of such an affair, something relatively insignificant happened: a person kissed someone.

    This would usually go without comment, except for the fact it was two men; one of them being John Barrowman. I’m no massive fan of Barrowman’s attention-seeking antics, but even he does not deserve this delightful tweet from Twitter user @Looney_Ent: “This is disgusting, they should be burned alive. Commonwealth Games ceremony gay kiss #nohomo #nohomo #nohomo”

    The Twitter community dove into action, reporting the offending tweet to Twitter and the Metropolitan Police. In the face of such backlash, and following warnings from the ever-delightful @FleetStreetFox, the homophobic tweet has been removed and replaced with a barbed apology.

    Unfortunately, I couldn’t reach John Barrowman for comment.

  • Gay Archie comic book to be banned in Singapore

    An issue of the ‘Archie’ Comic Books has been prohibited in Singapore, which features a same-sex marriage.

    Earlier in the week we reported that the ever-popular comic hero character Archie is killed in the final issue of the comic, after taking a bullet aimed at his gay best friend Kevin Keller.

    However authorities in Singapore have banned an earlier issue that featured a same-sex wedding in Archie: The Married Life Book Three.

    Male same-sex sexual activity is illegal in the Southeast Asian republic – although it is reported that the law is not generally enforced. Those convicted of male on male sexual activity could face up to two years in prison, fines or even canning.

    Archie: The Married Life Book Three has been taken off the shelves following a complaint to the Media Development Authority, which found it not to conform with ‘social norms’ and ‘breached their content guidelines’, reports Reuters.

    Three other books have been banned in Singapore over gay story lines, which include: And Tango Makes Three, which is a story inspired by two real life male penguins, who raise a chick in Central Park. The White Swan Express: A Story About Adoption, a book that focuses on a lesbian couple’s adoption story and Who’s In My Family: All About Our Families, which looks at different family groups.

  • Burger King Feels The Wrath Of Homophobic Customers

    Burger King Feels The Wrath Of Homophobic Customers

    After Burger King announced that they would sell the Proud Whopper yesterday hundreds of customers have taken to the companies Facebook book to complain.

    (more…)