THEGAYUK

Tag: Politics

The latest news, interviews, and views from the world of LGBT politics in the UK and internationally.

  • UK Government updates advice for LGBT travellers to Russia

    The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has updated its advice for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans travellers to Russia after new anti-gay laws take effect in Russia.

    After TheGayUK contacted the FCO on Friday last week, the Government has updated its advice for LGBT travellers to Russia.

    A Spokesperson for the FOC said:

    “We have updated our travel advice for Russia to reflect the new law and to give British travellers the information they need to make their own informed decisions about travelling to Russia. The travel advice can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/russia.”

    The advice on the FOC website includes a warning from the FCO against travelling to Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan and the districts of Budyonnovsky, Levokumsky, Neftekumsky, Stepnovsky and Kursky in Stavropol Krai.

    The news comes as 4 Dutch tourists were detained in Russia after being suspected of promoting homosexuality after the Russian government signed a law banning the promotion of “non-traditional sexual relationships”

  • Court appearance delayed for gay tourists arrested for “gay prop”

    The Russian LGBT Network (RLGBTN) have announced that up to four gay Dutch tourists have been arrested and detained by police.

    Writing on their Facebook wall, the RLGBTN stated that four Dutch nationals had been detained by police under charges of gay propaganda.

    In a statement the network said:
    Four Dutch citizens are accused of spreading “propaganda of non-traditional relationships among the under-aged” (that is, gay propaganda). 20th and 21st of July on the campsite called “Frigate”, a cultural event was held under the title “Youth for Human Rights Camp”. In its program there was included the performance of Kris van der Veen from Dutch LGBT-Groningen,http://www.lgbtgroningen.nl/. In addition, there were shown shots of a documentary telling about the Human Rights situation in Russia.
    On the 21st of July police officers and representatives of the Russian Federal Migration Service arrived at the campsite, questioned the participants and stated that the article 6.21.3 (“propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among the under-aged, spread by citizen of a foreign country”) was violated because in the video material there were interviews of under-aged people.
    The Dutch said that the testimony written in the protocole don’t reflect reality but they were anyway forced to sign in because, as police officers said, “that’s how Russia works”.
    The Russian LGBT Network and a Muurmansk-based LGBT organization “Maksimum” give judicial aid to the accused and provide them with information. The General Consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and international Human Rights organizations are kept informed about the situation.

    The court hearing will be held today at 14.30.
    The court hearing which was due for day (Monday 22nd July) it has been delayed.
    The Russian LGBT Network provides legal assistance.”

    The official and legal definition of ‘homosexual propaganda’ is currently unclear, however reports are emerging of arrests for kissing, holding hands, wearing or using rainbows.

    The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has also updated its advice for gay people travelling to Russia. On their website the DoFA states:

     

    “Homosexuality was illegal in the USSR up until 1993 when it was decriminalised. However, a federal law has recently been approved that prohibits the promotion of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality and transgenderism in the Russian Federation. Fines can now be imposed on those who provide information about the homosexual, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities to minors. According to the legislation, public displays of affection or activities regarded as counter to the law may also lead to fines, arrests and deportations.”

  • Three tourists arrested in Russia for “gay propaganda”

    The Russian LGBT Network (RLGBTN) have announced that three Dutch tourist have been arrested and detained by police.

    Writing on their Facebook wall, the RLGBTN stated that three Dutch nationals had been detained by police under charges of gay propaganda.

    In a statement the network said:

    “At the moment they were released from the police station. Police compiled reports on the violation of rules of stay in the territory of Russia and the violation of the law of the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors.”

    Court hearing will be at 9 a.m. (Moscow time) 22 July 2013.

    The Russian LGBT Network provides legal assistance.”

    The official and legal definition of ‘homosexual propaganda’ is currently unclear, however reports are emerging of arrests for kissing, holding hands, wearing or using rainbows.

    The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has also updated its advice for gay people travelling to Russia. On their website the DoFA states,

    “Homosexuality was illegal in the USSR up until 1993 when it was decriminalised. However, a federal law has recently been approved that prohibits the promotion of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality and transgenderism in the Russian Federation. Fines can now be imposed on those who provide information about the homosexual, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities to minors. According to the legislation, public displays of affection or activities regarded as counter to the law may also lead to fines, arrests and deportations.”

  • Gay tourists in Russia could be jailed or deported

    A warning for gay travellers and tourists thinking about venturing to Russia this year might need to rethink their plans after Russia passes anti-gay law.

    The new bill, now fully in effect could find openly gay visitors, detained for up to fourteen days, if found to be promoting homosexuality, although it is unclear what constitutes promotion.

    The new bill, now fully in effect could find openly gay visitors, detained for up to fourteen days, if found to be promoting homosexuality, although it is unclear what constitutes promotion.

    Skift.com has written:

    The law also contains a provision permitting the government to arrest and detain gay, or pro-gay, foreigners for up to 14 days before they would then be expelled from the country. That provision ought to send chills to anyone gay, lesbians, bisexual or transgender who is planning to attend or participate in the Winter Olympics.

    The International Olympic Committee released a statement calling for the acceptance of all athletes due to attend Russia’s winter Olympics.

    The International Olympic Committee is clear that sport is a human right and should be available to all regardless of race, sex or sexual orientation,” the statement said. “The Games themselves should be open to all, free of discrimination, and that applies to spectators, officials, media and of course athletes. We would oppose in the strongest terms any move that would jeopardize this principle.”

    The official and legal definition of ‘homosexual propaganda’ is currently unclear, however reports are emerging of arrests for kissing, holding hands, wearing or using rainbows.

    The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has also updated its advice for gay people travelling to Russia. On their website the DoFA states:

    “Homosexuality was illegal in the USSR up until 1993 when it was decriminalised. However, a federal law has recently been approved that prohibits the promotion of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality and transgenderism in the Russian Federation. Fines can now be imposed on those who provide information about the homosexual, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities to minors. According to the legislation, public displays of affection or activities regarded as counter to the law may also lead to fines, arrests and deportations.”

    Actress Tilda Swinton was recently seen in front of the Kremlin holding a rainbow flag with a statement that read:

    “In solidarity. From Russia with love.”

  • Lords vote in Favour of Gay Marriage

    In an unprecedented and historic move, Peers in the House of Lords have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the same-sex marriage bill.

    After two days of heated debate in the House of Lords, Peers voted in favour of same-sex marriage, after Lord Dear, former Chief Constable of the West Midlands Police Force tabled a ‘wrecking’ and ‘fatal’ amendment potentially denying the same-sex marriage bill its second reading.

    Peers voted 390 votes to 148, a majority of 242 votes meaning that the Lords allowed the passage of the bill to the committee stage.

    Taking to Twitter human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell wrote,

    “Lords vote a landslide victory for love, marriage & equality: 390 in favour, 148 against. YOUR lobbying efforts helped us win. HUGE thanks

    “With this huge Lords victory, we are on schedule for the first same-sex weddings late this summer. Hurrah”

    The debate initially commenced on Monday at 3:00pm and continued until 10:45pm, it resumed on Tuesday afternoon and concluded with Peers voting.

    Stonewall Chief Executive Ben Summerskill said,

    “‘We’re absolutely delighted. We always expected a tough challenge in the House of Lords, and Lord Dear’s “fatal motion” – very rarely used – demonstrates the lengths to which a minority of peers are, sadly, still prepared to go to deny full equality to lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

    “In the last 24 hours alone, opponents of equality in the House of Lords have compared loving, committed relationships to incest and polygamy. Britain’s 3.7 million gay people don’t deserve to be second class citizens in their own country. A tough fight lies ahead and we’ll continue to work tirelessly every single day to get equal marriage through the Lords. At Stonewall, we fight to win.”

  • UK Government delay gay marriage vote

    A vote due to take place on Monday 3rd June to legalise same-sex marriage in the UK has been delayed by a day.

    The bill, which is to be voted upon in the Lords will now take place on Tuesday 4th June 2013 in the daytime after ‘supporters warned voting in the early hours could put the bill at risk’ reports Pinknews.co.uk

    Around 80 peers are due to debate the bill which raised concerns that the vote could have been delayed until 2.00AM.

    Speaking to Huffington Post, shadow equalities minister Baroness Thornton said, ‘significant number of peers who wanted to support the bill would not be “strong enough to stay until 3am in the morning”.

    The bill was debated and voted upon in the House of Commons and must be voted on in the House of Lords in order to become law.

  • 150,000 take to the streets in Paris against gay rights

    The number of people who attended an anti-gay marriage rally has been revised from the organiser’s estimation of 1 million down to 150,000

    Seen as a last-ditch attempt to derail the new bill that legalises same-sex marriage in France, thousands of protesters demonstrated.

    PinkNews.co.uk has reported the number of those taking part at around 150,000 whilst the rally’s organisers, La Manif Pour Tous (Demo For All) have reported extreme figures of one million demonstrators.

    The new bill, which was signed into law by President Francois Holland, has caused much controversy in France, after it made France the 14th nation to recognise same-sex marriage earlier in May 2013

    Thousands of riot police were mobilised after an increasing number of the crowd became violent, when illegal teargas canisters and fireworks were reportedly used as weapons.

    Around 50 people were arrested – and a vehicle was seized after masks, banners and smoke bombs were discovered inside.

    The Independent reports:

    About 200 young people, many of them masked, pelted police lines with bottles, stones, fireworks and flares. The crowd – led bizarrely at one stage by a lone bagpiper – chased and beat up TV crews and press photographers. Police and gendarmes responded with tear gas and baton charges.

    There were surreal battle scenes on the Esplanade des Invalides beside the foreign ministry as 200 gendarmes in riot gear formed into defensive squares to beat off attacks from running bands of protesters. Although a hard core of about 200 hard-right youths started the fighting, many hundreds of other, soberly dressed, middle-class protesters cheered them on.

  • Six quotes that made Harvey Milk Great

    Six quotes that made Harvey Milk Great

    Harvey Milk would have been 83 years old if Dan White hadn’t killed him in 1978. Today Harvey Milk Day is celebrated to remind us all how incredible his achievements were and to give all LGBT people around the world Hope.

    (C) BIGSTOCK

    “It takes no compromise to give people their rights…it takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no political deal to give people freedom. It takes no survey to remove repression.” – Harvey Milk

    “If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.” – Harvey Milk

    From a tape recording he made when he predicted his assassination:

    “All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.” – Harvey Milk

    On the rights of the young:

    “Hope will never be silent.” – Harvey Milk

    “The only thing they have to look forward to is hope. And you have to give them hope. Hope for a better world, hope for a better tomorrow, hope for a better place to come to if the pressures at home are too great. Hope that all will be all right. Without hope, not only gays, but the blacks, the seniors, the handicapped, the us’es, the us’es will give up. And if you help elect to the central committee and other offices, more gay people, that gives a green light to all who feel disenfranchised, a green light to move forward. It means hope to a nation that has given up, because if a gay person makes it, the doors are open to everyone.” – Harvey Milk

    Tape recorded, said in the last year of his life.

    “All men are created equal. No matter how hard they try, they can never erase those words. That is what America is about.” – Harvey Milk

  • Overwhelming support for same-sex marriage

    Landslide support for Same Sex Marriage Bill in House of Commons, with the Bill passing its third reading by 366 votes to 161.

    MPs have again voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill. Moments ago the Bill passed its Third Reading vote in the House of Commons by 366 votes to 161 – a majority of 205. The Bill will extend the legal form of marriage to lesbian, gay and bisexual people and permit religious denominations to celebrate such marriages should they wish. It now heads to the House of Lords for debate in June.

    In a statement Stonewall Chief Executive Ben Summerskill said,

    ‘This evening’s vote shows MPs are on the public’s side, as poll after poll shows a clear majority of people in Britain support equal marriage. Now that the Bill has cleared the Commons without any of the wrecking amendments tabled by opponents, we hope peers will show the same respect to public attitudes.

    ‘Sadly in recent weeks several peers have expressed deeply unpleasant views about gay people. Stonewall expects one of our toughest fights yet ahead of us. We’ll continue to work tirelessly every day to help secure this final modest measure of legislative equality.’

    The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill passed its Second Reading with a majority of 225 votes on 5 February. MPs rejected a wrecking amendment – by 375 votes to 70 – during the Bill’s Report Stage in the House of Commons on 20 May.

  • Gay marriage wrecking amendments fail

    Wrecking Amendments fail in marathon parliamentary debate on Gay Marriage.

    MPs in the House of Commons rejected an amendment tabled by those opposed to marriage equality, which would have prolonged further voting on the forthcoming bill to legalise same-sex marriage in the UK

    The amendment tabled by former families minister Tim Lougton MP, would have extended the option of civil partnerships to straight couples, which many supporters of same-sex marriage fear would delay or scupper the same-sex marriage bill altogether.

    The amendment was rejected by 375 votes to 70.

    Ben Summerskill from Stonewalls wrote in a statement,

    ‘The amendment, tabled by vocal opponents of equality, would have resulted in significant delays to the Bill’s implementation. Tonight’s (20th May) success means that the Bill has survived all of the attempts made thus far to undermine it.

    ‘Tomorrow (2st May) the Bill will have its Third Reading in the Commons before it heads to the House of Lords where, as always, we expect a very tough fight.”

    Equal Marriage and #AggressiveHomosexuals began trending on Twitter last night during the parliamentary debate after Sir Gerald Howarth MP, stated that,

    ‘…I fear the playing field is not being levelled I believe the pendulum is swinging so far the other way, and there are plenty in the aggressive homosexual community who see this as but a stepping stone to something even further…’

    Sir Gerald did not elaborate on what further steps would be.

  • UK Tops The List Of Best Place For LGBT People To Live In Europe

    UK Tops The List Of Best Place For LGBT People To Live In Europe

    To mark the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (17 May), ILGA-Europe launches its Rainbow Europe package reviewing the human rights situation and assessing what life is like for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people in Europe in 2013.

    Best places to be gay in Europe 2013

     

    At the national level, we see that developments are at times taking completely opposite directions. Some countries are moving towards marriage equality, better protection mechanisms against discrimination and violence, ensuring easier and more humane procedures for legal gender recognition. However these advances are often accompanied by a social backlash, including increased violence. In other countries, the most worrying development is the introduction of more restrictive and discriminatory measures such as the laws banning ’homosexual propaganda’.

    The UK managed to achieve 77% towards what the ILGA describes as ‘Respect of human rights – full equality’

    At the bottom of the list is Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia with just 8% and 7% respectfully.

    Best places to be gay in Europe 2013

    Martin K.I. Christensen, Co-Chair of ILGA-Europe’s Executive Board, said:

    “Our Rainbow Europe package clearly shows that full respect of LGBTI people’s human rights remains a long-term aspiration rather than a goal which will be reached in a near future. Not a single country in Europe fulfils 100% requirements of our Rainbow Map. In many countries, the fight is still for fundamental civil and political rights that most of us living in democratic societies take for granted. And it is particularly worrying that some of these countries are in the EU.”