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Politics | Religion

Pope promotes ultra-conservative cleric

Pope Benedict has made a controversial appointment, days after revoking the excommunication of a bishop who is a Holocaust denier. He promoted ultra-conservative cleric Fr Gerhard Maria Wagner to assistant bishop of the Austrian city of Linz. Fr Wagner is notorious for his extreme views - he has accused the popular Harry Potter novels of spreading Satanism, and described Hurricane Katrina as God's punishment for the sinners of New Orleans. He wrote in a parish newsletter that the death and destruction caused by the hurricane in New Orleans was divine retribution for the city's tolerance of homosexuals and permissive sexual attitudes. The future bishop said he was glad that Katrina destroyed not only nightclubs and brothels in New Orleans, but also five of the city's abortion clinics, reports BBC News.

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Politics | Religion | Homophobia

TV | Religion | Books

Sigourney Weaver in Prayers for Bobby

Sigourney Weaver stars in Prayers for Bobby

Prayers for Bobby is a TV movie based on the book by Leroy F. Aarons. The true story of the life and legacy of Bobby Griffith, a young gay man who killed himself due to his mother's and community's religious intolerance. Mary Griffith (Sigourney Weaver), a devout religious housewife who refuses to accept her teenage son Bobby (Ryan Kelley) being gay, begins a campaign to "cure" him. Until Bobby, in an act of pain and desperation, flings himself off a freeway overpass at the age of 20. Mary questions her faith and the beliefs she has been taught by the Church, and becomes a national crusader for gay and lesbian youth. Watch a trailer...

"Prayers For Bobby is the book kids give their parents when they come out. This will be another way for them to sit down with your family and say, 'I have something to talk to you about. Let's watch a Sigourney Weaver movie,'" said Sigourney Weaver.

Prayers for Bobby starring Sigourney Weaver (picture), Henry Czerny, Ryan Kelley (picture), Dan Butler, Austin Nichols, Scott Bailey (picture), Carly Schroeder, Shannon Eagen, directed by Russell Mulcahy, is set to air on January 24, 2009 at 9 pm on the Lifetime network.

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Homophobia | TV | Religion | Books

Politics

Obama will end DADT says spokesman

SF Gate reports that President-elect Barack Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said that Obama will end the 15-year-old "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that has prevented homosexual and bisexual men and women from serving openly within the U.S. military.

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Politics | Barack Obama | Homophobia

Society

Hotel employee Fired for being Gay

David Hill, a Tennessee hotel's director of human resources, said he was fired from his job for his sexual orientation and claims the owner who let him go dared him to sue, says WSMV Channel 4.

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Society | Homophobia

Society

Seattle Gay bars anonymously threatened

Eleven gay bars in Seattle received anonymous letters Tuesday threatening ricin attacks — in what some are describing as a hate crime, reports Seattle Times. The letters say, "I have in my possession approximately 67 grams of ricin with which I will indiscriminately target at least five of your clients. ... I expect them to die painfully while in hospital." A 12th letter was sent to the alternative weekly The Stranger, according to its Web site. That letter says the paper should be "prepared to announce the deaths of approximately 55 individuals." In a statement, the Seattle Police Department said it takes the threat seriously. It has seized the letters and is processing them and is coordinating efforts with the FBI and other federal agencies. Ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans that can be deadly if purified and then ingested or inhaled, say U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

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Society | Homophobia

Religion | Politics

Senegal jails Gays for 8 years

Nine gay men were each jailed for eight years by a court in Senegal, the highest such sentence in a country where homosexuality is outlawed. Homosexual acts are punishable with a maximum sentence of five years in Senegal where 95 percent of the population is Muslim. However, the judge in the case raised the sentence to eight years after taking into account their "membership of a criminal organisation". Most of the men belonged to an association set up to fight HIV/AIDS, reports AfricAsia.com

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Homophobia | Religion | Politics

Sports

British Football to Fight Homophobia

Plans to make a film to rid terraces of anti-gay chants have been confirmed by the British Football Association. Peter Tatchell, of gay rights group Outrage, praised the FA for backing the video "after years of lobbying" and hoped a host of players like David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand, Peter Crouch, Freddie Ljungberg, David James, Wayne Rooney, John Terry, Theo Walcott, Frank Lampard, Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Owen or Steven Gerrard, will be persuaded to take part. He said: "The plan is to feature big-name stars speaking out against homophobia, in order to make anti-gay chants look as stupid, ignorant and uncool as racist ones... We also want the FA to put it on YouTube and distribute copies to every school in the country... Our aim is to give homophobia the boot - to kick anti-gay prejudice off the pitch and out of the terraces... It will also be a world first, since no other football governing body has even attempted anything as upfront and bold". The video is due to be released later this year and could be shown in schools, cinemas, on television and at grounds, reports The Independent. "We expect the video to have a global impact and reach football fans all over the world; helping break down prejudice and thereby make the game a more welcoming and safe sport for gay players and spectators – not just in Britain but internationally," added Tatchell.

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Homophobia | Sports

Religion

Pope's Christmas Gift to Gays

In his Christmas greetings to the members of the Roman Curia, the Pope himself described behaviour beyond traditional heterosexual relations as "a destruction of God's work," reports the Telegraph. He said the Roman Catholic Church had a duty to "protect man from the destruction of himself" and urged respect for the "nature of the human being as man and woman." The pontiff added: "The tropical forests do deserve our protection. But man, as a creature, does not deserve any less." His remarks were immediately denounced as "totally irresponsible and unacceptable in any shape or form" by the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement. Its chief executive, the Rev Sharon Ferguson, said: "It is more the case that we need to be saved from his comments. It is comments like this that justify homophobic bullying that goes on in schools and it is comments like this that justify gay bashing. There are still so many instances of people being killed around the world, including in western society, purely and simply because of their sexual orientation or their gender identity. When you have religious leaders like that making that sort of statement then followers feel they are justified in behaving in an aggressive and violent way because they feel that they are doing God's work in ridding the world of these people." The Rev Dr Giles Fraser, Vicar of Putney and president of Inclusive Church, the pro-gay Anglican movement, said: "I thought the Christmas angels said 'Fear not'. Instead, the Pope is spreading fear that gay people somehow threaten the planet. And that's just absurd. As always, this sort of religious homophobia will be an alibi for all those who would do gay people harm. Can't he think of something better to say at Christmas?"

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Homophobia | Religion

Religion | Politics | Events

UN Gay Rights Declaration not signed by US

An unprecedented declaration seeking to decriminalize homosexuality won the support of 66 countries in the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, but opponents criticized it as an attempt to legitimize pedophilia and other "deplorable acts." The United States refused to support the nonbinding measure, as did Russia, China, the Roman Catholic Church and members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. The declaration, sponsored by France with broad support in Europe and Latin America, condemned human rights violations based on homophobia, saying such measures run counter to the universal declaration of human rights. "How can we tolerate the fact that people are stoned, hanged, decapitated and tortured only because of their sexual orientation?" said Rama Yade (picture), the French state secretary for human rights, noting that homosexuality is banned in nearly 80 countries and subject to the death penalty in at least six. Ms. Yade and the Dutch foreign minister, Maxime Verhagen, said at a news conference that they were "disappointed" that U.S.A. failed to support the declaration. Human rights activists went further. 3The Bush administration is trying to come up with Christmas presents for the religious right so it will be remembered," said Scott Long, a director at Human Rights Watch, reports the NY Times.

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Homophobia | Gay Marriage | Religion | Politics | Events

Politics | Religion

Obama defends choice of Anti-Gay Pastor

President-elect Barack Obama's announcement Wednesday that Pastor Dr. Rick Warren will give the invocation at the inauguration has set off a firestorm of criticism from liberal and gay rights activists. His selection by Mr. Obama further cements his place as one of the nation's preeminent religious leaders and also is seen as a clear sign to reach out to evangelical and conservative voters who didn't support him in last month's election. But it is Warren's strong opposition to abortion and particularly gay marriage which has many on the left up in arms over him being given such a prominent role in the inauguration. The Human Rights Campaign sent a strident letter to Mr. Obama, urging him to reconsider and calling the invitation "a genuine blow." "By inviting Rick Warren to your inauguration, you have tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place at your table," says the letter by Joe Solmonese, president of HRC. "We feel a deep level of disrespect when one of the architects and promoters of an anti-gay agenda is given the prominence and the pulpit of your historic nomination." Barack Obama responded to the growing controversy : "I am a fierce advocate of equality for gay and lesbian Americans. It is something that I have been consistent on, and I intend to continue to be consistent on during my presidency. What I've also said is that it is important for America to come together, even though we may have disagreements on certain social issues," reports CBS News.

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Politics | Religion | Barack Obama | Gay Marriage | Homophobia