Aug 11, 2006   | COMMENTS     

CAPETOWN, South Africa — South Africa is expected to legalize same-sex marriage by the end of this year in accordance with a Constitutional Court ruling, despite division among the country’s citizens on the matter, the South African newspaper the Independent reported Aug. 2. The Constitutional Court ruled last year that Parliament has until Dec. 2 to amend section 30 (1) of the Marriage Act that references only husband or wife. The omission of the words “or spouse” in the Marriage Act was inconsistent with the Constitution because it does not permit same-sex partners to enjoy the same status as heterosexual couples, the court ruled. Deputy Minister of Justice Johnny de Lange said during an Aug. 1 briefing that the proposed legislation on same-sex marriages has polarized South Africans and there were already calls from some religious leaders to amend the Constitution to stop the unions, the Independent reported. Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said the draft bill would be discussed by the cabinet governance and administration cluster on Aug. 14 and would go to the full cabinet the following week. Parliament would then take up the bill by Sept. 1.

Gays face brutal attacks,‘honor killing’ in Iraq

LONDON — Gay men and children forced into same-sex prostitution are the targets of brutal attacks and murder by Shia militias in Iraq, according to an Aug. 6 report in the Observer newspaper. Fundamental Islamic groups in Iraq consider the men and children “immorals.” Homosexuality is seen as so immoral that it qualifies as an “honor killing” to murder someone who is gay. Section 111 of Iraq’s penal code protects those who kill others acting against Islam, such as being gay, the Observer reported. Iraqi gays are desperately seeking asylum in the United Kingdom due to the ongoing violence. Ali Hili, who runs the Iraqi LGBT group out of London, said he used to have 40 volunteers in Iraq but after recent raids by militia in Najaf, Karbala and Basra, he has lost contact with half of them. They move to different safe houses to protect their identities, he told the Observer. One victim includes 11-year-old Ameer Hasoon al-Hasani, who was forced into prostitution. He was kidnapped by policemen last month and his father found him three days later shot in the head.

Neo-Nazis in Chile attack gay man, friends

SANTIAGO, Chile — A 27-year-old gay man and his three friends were attacked by a group of neo-Nazis July 29 in the affluent neighborhood of Las Condes, the Santiago Times reported. This assault is the latest of several neo-Nazi attacks against minorities, the newspaper reported. The gay man and his friends were attacked around 11:30 p.m. by a group of skinheads in military clothing who first verbally insulted the gay man before beating him. The alleged victim suffered multiple bruises and cuts on his face and was taken to a nearby hospital. Antonio Leal, president of the Chamber of Deputies and a leader in the Party for Democracy, wants neo-Nazis banned in Chile and wants the government to implement a hate crimes law. Last month, thousands of Chileans gathered in front of the La Moneda presidential palace in the center of Santiago for the city’s first Gay Pride Parade.

Amsterdam Gay Pride suffers drop in foreign visitors

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — Amsterdam’s traditional canal boat parade, the highlight of the annual Gay Pride festivities, attracted nearly a quarter of a million visitors, police said, fewer than in previous years, according to media reports. Tourism expert Stephen Hodes said the loss was significant because gay tourists tend to spend more and stay longer than heterosexual tourists, the French news agency Agence France-Presse reported. A survey of gay American tourists found the city had dropped from first to fifth on the list of favorite destinations, AFP reported. The drop in numbers came as Amsterdam tries to maintain its image as a tolerant destination for gay tourists despite some high profile attacks on gay people. The Gay Pride event, traditionally held in late June, was delayed this year after difficulties with the organization of the event.

Belarus defends searching diplomat’s home for gay porn

BELARUS, Russia — Searching the apartment of a Latvian diplomat suspected of distributing gay pornography did not violate his diplomatic immunity, according to a Belarusian prosecutor, the Baltic Times reported Aug. 2. Belarus deputy chief ...