24 April 2014 - News Digest on LGBTI Rights

Articles

Liberia: A Decisive Position Now for Same Sex Marriage
By All Africa, 23 Apr 2014

 The high priority given equal rights for homosexuals in United States Foreign Policy activities may not have gone down well with many African nations. President Barrack Obama had instructed his officials to "ensure that US diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of lesbian, gay, and transgender persons" around the world. In consonance with the foregoing, legal, moral and financial support would be boosted for gay rights organizations, while emergency assistance would be sent to groups or individuals facing threats, and asylum in the US would be offered to people forced to flee anti-gay persecution in their countries. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton referred to discrimination against homosexual and transgender people as "one of the remaining human rights challenges of our time," further emphasizing that it was a violation of human rights when governments declare it illegal to be gay, or allow those who harm gay people to go unpunished.

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The archbishop of Toronto blasts Catholic-school teachers for plans to march in the WorldPride parade.
By Advocate, 23 Apr 2014

 An association representing Catholic-school teachers in Ontario plans to send a delegation to WorldPride 2014 Parade in Toronto this June, prompting criticism from some church leaders and parents. The archbishop of Toronto, Cardinal Thomas Collins, called the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association’s decision to participate in the parade "wrong." OECTA's president, James Ryan, told the publication that openly LGBT teachers, staff, and students may choose to march in the parade, but "there will be no float or anything like that." He said those teachers who choose to march "and the OECTA leadership have an inadequate and mistaken understanding of their faith,” according to the Catholic Register.

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Zimbabwe: Gays and Lesbians Hit Back At Mugabe Over Hate Speech
By All Africa, 23 Apr 2014

ZIMBABWE'S gays and lesbians have hit back at State President Robert Mugabe's anti-gay comments on Independence Day, accusing the veteran leader of fanning hatred towards the group by ordinary Zimbabweans. In his independence speech, Mugabe threatened unspecified action on gay rights groups operating in his country and further threatened to expel diplomats found supporting gay activities in Zimbabwe. Mugabe insisted homosexuality was a European practice and urged the West to desist from any attempts to impose the practice on Africans. The 90 year-old leader said he was aware of a gay organisation which was going around Zimbabwe's universities enticing youths to join them. A fierce critic of homosexuals, President Mugabe further said gay rights did not fall under any category of rights insisting "no right could derive from an inhuman act". But in an interview with NewZimbabwe.com early this week, Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe director, Chesterfield Samba condemned Mugabe's comments saying they tended to incite fellow citizens against them.
 
 

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UK Government: ‘Schools should not promote any sexual orientation'
By Pink News, 23 Apr 2014

 The government has reiterated its warning against schools introducing Section 28-style policies targeting the “promotion” of homosexuality by saying they should not promote any type of sexual orientation in the classroom. This week at the National Union of Teachers’ annual conference in Brighton delegates discussed last summer’s revelations that more than 45 schools had polices in place targeting the “promotion” of homosexuality. The Independent reports Deborah Glynn, from St Helens, Lancashire, cited research by the British Humanist Association (BHA) to the conference on Tuesday which, she said, showed that there are many schools bringing this wording back into their policies.

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