AUSTRALIA – An Australian TV presenter criticized for on-air remarks he made about Sydney’s Mardi Gras festival has made a public apology. Ron Wilson, a presenter for Channel Ten, was interviewing Mardi Gras festival co-chair Peter Urmson, when he asked him, “On the night some of the spectacles you’re seeing, I’m assuming, would even make…
ISRAEL – Singer Dana International, one of the most famous transgender celebrities in the world, is once again going to represent Israel in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, after being selected by Israeli TV viewers. The 39-year-old star, real name Sharon Cohen, will perform her new song “Ding Dong” in the competition, being held in…
MOZAMBIQUE – Compared to some African nations, the Republic of Mozambique has strong equality credentials. In an encouraging step forward, the country’s Justice Minister at the UN, Benvinda Levi, has said that homosexuality was not illegal in Mozambique. LAMBDA, an LGBT association in Mozambique which is not currently recognized by the state, welcomed the statement…
SWEDEN – A gay couple from Germany achieved a first last week as they married on an airplane between Stockholm and New York. They wed on board a SAS flight, a Scandinavian airline owned by the governments of Norway, Denmark and Sweden, which all recognize gay marriage. SAS has been conducting heterosexual weddings in the…
TURKEY – Halil Ibrahim Dinçdag˘, 35, who was forced by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) to leave his position as a professional soccer referee, has said he will continue with his legal battle against the TFF. Dinçdag˘ was barred from officiating matches in 2008 after his medical report showed that he had been excused from…
ISRAEL – Dori Spivak, an attorney and former Civil Rights Association chairman, has become the first openly gay judge to be appointed in Israel. Spivak, the deputy director of the Tel Aviv University’s law clinics and a longtime gay rights activist, has made no comment on his new job despite his appointment receiving widespread praise…
IRELAND – Irish Fine Gael politician Lucinda Creighton has been heavily criticized for her views on gay marriage. Despite being a party spokeswoman for equality issues, Creighton wrote on Twitter recently that she did not believe gay couples should be allowed to marry. She also said she “fully supports” civil partnerships but that “marriage is…
BOTSWANA – A politician in Botswana has stated that he agrees with Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe’s views on homosexuality. Pono Moatlhodi, who is the deputy speaker of the Botswana National Assembly, told a January meeting on HIV prevention that he would “never tolerate” gays and lesbians. The Botswana Gazette reported that Mr Moatlhodi said: “On…
ITALY – Outspoken Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has gone on record as saying that gay couples will never be permitted to marry. “Gays will never have marriages equal to traditional family values because there is only one family. This government will not allow singles or gays to adopt,” said Berlusconi at a Catholic conference…
POLAND – A group of gay Polish soccer fans have requested that organizers of the 2012 European Soccer Championships provide separate seating for gay spectators to protect them from harassment and violence. According to the Associated Press, the group Teczowa Trybuna 2012 (Rainbow Stand 2012) have said, “During trips to matches of our beloved clubs…
