Queer News Hour 021209
UGANDA The Ugandan parliament is working on a law that would mandate the death penalty for HIV-positive gays and lesbians.
The law [...] would imprison anyone who knows of the existence of a gay or lesbian and fails to inform the police within 24 hours. It requires the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” – defined as any sexual act between gays or lesbians in which one person has the HIV virus.
The law decrees that anyone who is aware of but fails to report homosexual activity within 24 hours be sentenced to 3 years in prison, and that anyone defending the rights of LGB people be sentenced to 7 years in prison. Activists are calling upon the Commonwealth to address the matter in the upcoming summit and to suspend Uganda’s membership if the law passes.
The legislator who introduced the bill in the Ugandan parliament, David Bahati, is a member of the fundamentalist Christian church the Family. Members of the Family are very active in introducing anti-LGBT and anti-woman legislation in many countries, including the United States. The Ugandan president also appears to be closely affiliated with the Family. More about the US influence on Uganda’s anti-gay policies here, here and here.
CHINA The Chinese government plans to open a gay bar that may or may not serve refreshments to its patrons. What the bar will most definitely offer is education and information on the topic of safe sex between men. A group of gay volunteers will be hired to draw in the information-thirsty gay hordes.
THAILAND Thailand has implemented stricter gatekeeper measures for people seeking sex reassignment surgery. Those wanting surgery are now required to live one year as their preferred gender, undergo hormone replacement therapy and obtain the approval of two psychiatrists. Some fear these new measures will turn sex reassignment surgey into an underground business.
Adam Lambert
ARGENTINA A couple’s wedding was canceled after a judge blocked a previous decision that allowed the two men to marry. The couple obtained the initial autorization by suing the state when they were denied a marriage licence in April. The matter is now awaiting the attention of the Supreme Court. Same-sex civil unions are legal in some Argentinian cities but civil unions lack rights married straight couples are granted.
UNITED STATES American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert was dropped from ABC’s morning tv show following a late-night awards show performance that included simulated oral sex and Adam kissing another man. Lambert’s replacement on ABC’s family friendly morning show was Chris Brown who was recently sentenced to community service for assaulting his then-girlfriend, singer Rihanna.