Thousands march in Delhi Pride
An estimated 2,000 people joined a Pride festival in Delhi, India, Nov. 27 and 28.
The event was the first gay festival since homosexuality was decriminalized last year.
The previous two pride marches saw activists take to the streets to demand more rights, but this year’s event was more of a celebration of sexuality.
Carrying rainbow flags and signs, organizers said that gay people were lining the streets to celebrating having a place in a still-conservative Indian society.
Participants followed a route from Barakhamba Road to Jantar Mantar in central Delhi.
One marcher, 18-year-old Pooja, said: “I do not know or care about how social acceptance has changed after the high-court verdict. But yes, I have changed. I feel more confident and I know that I am not doing anything wrong since the law of the land does not have a problem with it.”
Teen lesbian fights deportation
An 18-year-old lesbian living in Wales said she fears being deported back to her home in Egypt because of the harsh conditions gay people face there.
Shrouk El-Attar fled Egypt with her mother and brother when she was 15. They reside in Cardiff, where she has since come out as a lesbian and embraced Christianity over Islam.
However, her mother’s request for asylum was rejected, which means El-Attar will also have to leave the country unless her own application for asylum as an individual is approved. In her application, she said she does not want to return to Egypt because of the antigay persecution she faces if she returns. She wants to stay in Wales to go to school, but she said if she returns to Egypt, she will be forced to change her appearance and marry a man.
While homosexuality is not illegal in Egypt, some gays and lesbians have been charged with and convicted of breaching public decency. The government has also been pressured to alleviate its antigay stances.
Kenyan PM: Gays should be arrested
An official with Kenya’s largest gay-rights organization said there is panic among its members following remarks made by Kenya’s prime minister that homosexuals should be arrested.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga made the remarks at a rally Nov. 28 in the Nairobi slum of Kibera.
“Any man found engaging in sexual activities with another man should be arrested,” he said. “Even women found engaging in sexual activities will be arrested.”
Odinga said that because a census showed an equal split of men and woman, there was “no need” for homosexuality.
“This kind of behavior will not be tolerated in this country. Men or women found engaging in those acts deserve to be arrested and will be arrested,” he said to a cheering crowd.
Odinga also decried suggestions that Kenya’s new constitution would technically legalize same-sex marriage. Critics had argued that the wording of some laws would make gay marriage and abortion legal.
However, the prime minister said: “Those were lies from leaders who wanted to confuse Kenyans to reject the new law, the Constitution is very clear on that matter. It does not state anywhere that same-sex marriage is legal in Kenya.”
Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya board member Nguru Karugu said Nov. 29 the office has received calls from concerned members, some of whom are HIV-positive and fear they will be arrested when they collect life-prolonging medicine from government clinics.
Odinga’s spokesperson said the prime minister was quoted out of context.
Homosexuality is illegal in the country and can be punished by up to 14 years in prison.
Australian gay MPs call for marriage
Two openly gay MPs in Australia have backed calls for gay marriage.
Sen. Penny Wong and Greens leader Bob Brown spoke about why gay people should be given full marriage equality.
Wong, appearing at a recent party conference, introduced a motion in favor of same-sex marriage.
“I will be advocating for our party to support equality including in relation to marriage or same-sex couples and I do so because I have a deeply held commitment to equality,” she said.
The finance minister was criticized earlier this year for failing to show support for the issue.
Meanwhile, Brown, whose party is pushing for a change in the law, said that although he strongly supports marriage equality, he has not considered getting married to partner Paul Thomas.
“Paul and I registered our partnership in Tasmania surrounded by a group of friends,” he said. “It’s not something that I’ve really considered.”
Prime Minister Julia Gillard plans to allow her party a conscience vote on the issue at next year’s conference.
A recent poll carried out for the Greens found that 57 percent of the public favored changing the law to allow same-sex marriage.
Of the 37 percent who were against the change, 16 percent were opposed and 21 percent were strongly opposed.
Larry Nichols can be reached at [email protected].