Malta Today: Conservative silence on LGBTIQ issues?

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/54297/conservative_silence_on_lgbtiq_issues#.VZDt4Bvs5he

The landmark civil union and gender identity bills have been hailed as revolutionary, and welcome, human rights breakthroughs for Malta by many. But how curious is it that there hasn’t been a concerted backlash to these key developments from conservative quarters, TEODOR RELJIC asks?

26 June 2015, 8:00am by Teodor Reljic



It seems as though Malta has become a progressive gender-equality mecca over the last couple of years. At least that’s what recent key LGBTIQ developments would have you believe. The passing of the civil unions bill, celebrated to colourful fanfare at St George’s Square in the spring of 2014, was seen by its supporters as a step towards ensuring Malta is in line with the ‘rest of the modern world’ – overly flexible as that term may be – and it had something of an edge to it since it also included adoption within its remit.

BBC News: Turkey Pride march hit with police water cannon

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33307028
29.6.2015

[Click here to watch the video]

Turkish police have fired water cannon, rubber pellets and tear gas at a gay pride event in Istanbul.

Earlier, organisers had posted a warning on Facebook that the local authority had banned the march because it coincided with the holy month of Ramadan.

Ben Bland reports.

Euro News: Istanbul Gay pride quashed by riot police, rubber bullets and water cannon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2tGlKF4P0M

Pink News: Congratulations! Supreme Court brings marriage equality across the US

https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/06/26/congratulations-supreme-court-brings-marriage-equality-across-the-us/
26th June 2015, 3:05 PM by Nick Duffy [69 reader comments]

The US Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right – paving the way for weddings in all 50 states.

The highest court in the US made a surprise early decision today on same-sex marriage, after hearing ‘mega-case’ Obergefell v. Hodges.

A ruling had not been expected until Monday from the nine Supreme Court justices, who are attempting to resolve a ‘split’ in lower courts on the issue – and as such could decide on the issue once and for all for the entire country.

Times: Pastor’s wife tried to ‘cure disgusting’ homosexual

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150621/local/pastors-wife-tried-to-cure-disgusting-homosexual.573325#.VYcDTLuowJx.facebook
Sunday, June 21, 2015, 12:45 by Ivan Martin



A 2011 protest outside the River of Love premises. On the left is River of Love evangelist Gordon Manché.

A gay man is claiming he was told his sexual orientation was “disgusting” and could be cured by a psychologist with ties to the Christian fellowship River of Love.

The 28-year-old, who asked to remain anonymous, said he had attended two counselling sessions with warranted psychologist Mariella Blackman when he came out to his friends and family seven years ago.

YouTube: Transmission and Prevention of HIV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqxu3jjh3LE



The modes of transmission of HIV are numerous. This animation describes the common and less common ways in which HIV can be transmitted from one person to another. While HIV is most commonly spread from an infected person through vaginal or anal intercourse, as well as intravenous blood exposure through the sharing of needles, there are practices and measures that you can take to help minimize the risk of becoming infected.

iNews Malta: Tibgħat lill-Ministru taqra l-Bibbja minħabba l-gays

http://www.inewsmalta.com/dart/20150616-tibg-at-lill-ministru-taqra-bibbja-min-abba-gays
Victor Vella | 20:49 | 16.06.2015



Waqt il-laqgħa ta' konsultazzjoni mas-soċjetà ċivili li saret illejla f'Kastilja fis-sensiela 'Gvern li Jisma'', u li fiha ħadet sehem il-Ministru Helena Dalli, spikka intervent ta' mara anzjana f'battibekk mal-Ministru dwar il-liġi tal-unjoni ċivili u d-drittijiet tal-persuni gay u lesbjani.

Il-mara, b'pitazz f'idejha, bagħtet lill-Ministru taqra l-Bibbja, waqt li ddikjarat li hi kienet taf persuna li kien kunjomu 'Gay' u lil dan tgħidx x'kienu jagħmlulu. Il-Ministru wieġbet għal dan billi qalet li meta kienet żgħira 'gay' kienet tfisser xi ħadd ferħan.

Pink News: Watch: Robin Williams stars as gay man in trailer for final film Boulevard

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/06/18/watch-robin-williams-stars-as-gay-man-in-trailer-for-final-film/
18th June 2015, 7:00 PM by Nick Duffy [reader comments]

Boulevard is the last film to star Robin Williams

A trailer has been released for Boulevard – the last film completed starring late actor Robin Williams.

The iconic Birdcage actor died by suicide in August last year, just weeks after the film Boulevard was shown to positive reviews at Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

Malta Today: Gay ‘conversion therapy’ could become a criminal offence

Helena Dalli says LGBT+ consultative council has been asked to draft proposals on the criminalisation of 'conversion therapy"

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/54144/gay_conversion_therapy_might_become_a_criminal_offence?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook#.VYCIl_ns5hd

16 June 2015, 8:48pm by Tim Diacono

Civil liberties minister Helena Dalli (Photo: Ray Attard)

Civil Liberties Minister Helena Dalli today said that the government 's consultative council on LGBT+ rights has been requested to draft proposals in lieu of a future Bill that would criminalise 'conversion therapy' of LGBT+ people.

"Such therapies harm people and breach their human rights," Dalli said in the latest public consultation session 'Gvern li Jisma'. "People should be allowed to live as they were born and many Western countries are starting to realize how damaging conversion therapies can be,"she said.

Times: Policy on trans, gender variant and intersex students unveiled

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150616/local/policy-on-trans-gender-variant-and-intersex-students-unveiled.572787
Tuesday, June 16, 2015, 14:54 by Ivan Martin

State schools should not impose particular uniforms or facilities on gender variant students but allow them to choose a uniform according to whichever sex they identified with, according to a new government policy.

Unveiled today, the Trans, Gender Variant and Intersex Students in Schools Policy instructs government schools to allow students transitioning from one gender orientation to another, to wear a uniform congruent with their own gender identity.

Times: Ban therapy to convert gays, says MGRM head - ministry looks at legislation

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150615/local/ban-therapy-to-convert-gays-says-mgrm-head-ministry-looks-at.572578
Monday, June 15, 2015, 08:50



The Evangelical practice of turning gay men and women straight or urging them to suppress their sexual orientation is harmful and should be banned, according to the head of the Malta Gay Rights Movement, Gabi Calleja.

Ms Calleja said the practice had been outlawed in several countries and she hoped Malta would follow suit, because this could have negative effects on those made to undergo such unorthodox therapies.

TouTube: Human Rights Above Religion - Tooji

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMMeHWgi1pA

Times: Preacher: I know how to cure the ‘mentally ill’ gays

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150614/local/preacher-i-know-how-to-cure-the-mentally-ill-gays.572393

Sunday, June 14, 2015, 08:30 by Ivan Martin

A controversial US Evangelist believes homosexuality is an illness, civil unions do not really exist, and he believes gays can be cured.

Bishop Tom Brown was a special guest at evangelist church River of Love last Friday evening. In the US, he has been accused of spreading hate speech by a reputable civil rights group several times since 2011.

His church is listed alongside such unsavoury organisations as the American Nazi Party, The All Whites Network and Aryan America. Mr Brown, however, shrugs it off saying he was not consulted prior to appearing on the list.

Like many evangelists, Mr Brown has some controversial views about homosexuality. However, this weekend he is in Malta to preach, and among other things will explain how he believes it is a full-blown mental disorder.

The World Health Organisation and the American Psychological Association both insist there is no evidence that sexual orientation is caused by anything at all and most attempts to find any causes have been largely inconclusive.

Confronted with research findings that suppressing sexual orientation can have serious negative health implications, Mr Brown was dismissive.

“You’re just making this up,” he said, before giving a series of unreferenced statistics, including how gay men live shorter lives, are more depressed, and more likely to kill themselves than any other minority.

Listen to some of his comments [by click on the link] above. More in The Sunday Times of Malta and the e-paper on timesofmalta.com Premium.

Guardian: Gay in Putin's Moscow: why the city is pinker than you think

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/jun/13/gay-putin-moscow-life-nightlife-clubbing-law-lgbt
LGBT nights are easy to find and Grindr reaches into the heart of the Kremlin itself. But two years after the law banning ‘homosexual propaganda’, can being gay in the Russian capital really be much fun?

Saturday 13 June 2015 07.00 BSTLast modified on Saturday 13 June 201515.43 BST
Chris Michael, Judith Soal and Maeve Shearlaw in Moscow [Comments 284]

 

Russian men kiss in Moscow in 2012, a year before the 2013 law banning ‘gay propaganda’. Photograph: EPA

“Moscow is like a small European city in the mid-90s,” says Anton Krasovsky. “Everybody knows everybody. Everybody knows who’s gay, even if nobody’s out.”

Well, not nobody. In 2013, when the Duma was debating a new law outlawing “gay propaganda”, Krasovsky was a beloved Russian TV personality, working for a news channel he’d co-founded called Kontr TV. At the end of a wide-ranging discussion on the proposed legislation, Krasovsky said, on air: “I’m gay. And I’m just as much a human being as President Putin, or Prime Minister Medvedev, or the members of the Duma.” Less than a week later, Krasovsky was no longer working for Kontr TV, the clip was removed from the archives and his face had been scrubbed from the website.

Times: Colour and humour in Gay Pride parade

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150530/local/colour-and-humour-in-gay-pride-parade.570303
Saturday, May 30, 2015, 15:59



City Gate in Valletta was transformed into a vibrant sea of colours this afternoon as the annual Gay Pride celebrations kicked off.

Today's activity was the annual march, with many of those present carrying balloons and posters - some with good humoured messages. Some wore extravagant costumes, replete with leotards and fishnet tights.