La Nación: Justice still due one year after the murder of gay Naval Sergeant

[Note by P. Attard: I have translated this article because I have found no reference to the case in English. This a very sad and important story. "Gay" Marriage was introduced in Argentina in July 2010 and Octavio Romero was going to be the first member of an Argentine Armed Force to marry a man. He was a sergeant at the Prefectura which is equivalent to a Naval Coast Guard / Frontier Police Force.]

Octavio Romero was murdered and his body was found in the River [Rio de la Plata] soon after asking permission to marry; Gabriel Gersbach, his partner with whom he lived for 12 years, has asked to be the plaintiff to know the status of the case

http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1481138-a-un-ano-de-la-muerte-del-suboficial-gay-de-prefectura-aun-se-espera-justicia

Monday June 11, 2012 | 18:11, By Veronica Dema, La Nación

Octavio, the slain officer (left), with Gabriel. Photo: File / Facebook Gabriel Gersbach

A year after the death of Octavio Romero, the first officer who worked at the Argentine Naval Police and who was going to become the first uniformed force to marry another man, his partner, his family and hundreds of friends and acquaintances are still seeking justice. Once the marriage equality law was approved, Romero asked his superiors for permission to marry Gabriel Gersbach, the person with whom he lived for 12 years. He went home happy with the news that they could get married in December; according to Gersbach when interviewed by La Nación. That was not possible: a short time later, Romero disappeared from his home and his body was found six days later, naked and beaten, in the waters of the River Plate, close to Vicente Lopez [situated on the outskirts of the city of Buenos Aires], paradoxically, the banks he had to guard.

Times: ‘Labour Party has learnt its lessons and evolved’

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20121007/local/-Labour-Party-has-learnt-its-lessons-and-evolved-.439914
Sunday, October 7, 2012

[Click on the hyperlink above to watch the video.]


Former divorce campaigner Deborah Schembri is an ex-Nationalist. She tells Christian Peregin Labour has changed and has its own policies which it will release in its own time.

Profile

Name: Deborah Schembri
Age: 36
Profession: Lawyer
District: 11 and 12
Residence: St Paul’s Bay
Status: Single

Independent UK: Psychotherapist who tried to ‘cure’ me of homosexuality has at last been struck off

Our writer, who uncovered gay "conversion" therapy in Britain, discusses his struggle with practitioners and British psychotherapy's regulating body

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/psychotherapist-who-tried-to-cure-me-of-homosexuality-has-at-last-been-struck-off-8197844.html
4.10.2012

Lesley Pilkington, the psychotherapist who tried to “cure” me of my homosexuality while I was undercover investigating so-called conversion therapy, has now, finally, after a two-and-a-half-year fight, been struck off.

The professional body under which she practiced – the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - has withdrawn her membership. She becomes the first therapist in history to be struck off after trying to convert a gay client to heterosexuality - despite decades of such abusive interventions by the profession.

Times: Marriage and cohabitation Bill

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20121005/opinion/Marriage-and-cohabitation-Bill.439737
Friday, October 5, 2012 by Ann Marie Mangion

The Bill regulating cohabitation is a step forward, finally regulating a reality that legally can be considered as non-existent, to the detriment of the persons concerned. But will cohabitation be at par with marriage? Is the Bill giving marital status to a cohabiting couple?

The Bill caters for persons who share an intimate relationship, that is, siblings living together or a couple of friends living together are not classified as cohabitants.

Independent: JPO satisfied with the parliamentary agenda

http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=151612
5 October 2012 by Keith Micallef

Independent MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando yesterday expressed his satisfaction that the Embryo Protection Bill and the Cohabitation bill, which have been in the pipeline for years, will finally be debated in parliament later this month. At least nine sittings will be dedicated to these two bills, which are set to be debated from 15 October onwards.

The former PN MP was speaking to The Malta Independent at the end of the House Business Committee yesterday afternoon, during which government and opposition failed to agree on a date to hold the debate on the privatisation of public car parks.

All Out: BREAKING: Crackdown in Ukraine

3.10.2012

Overnight, a few homophobic MPs fast-tracked an anti-gay bill in Ukraine. Join Ukrainians in calling the Head of Parliament to stop this dangerous law before its final vote. He already raised concerns on the bill following our international outcry and he has the power to stop it for good. Dear Patrick, Yesterday a few members of Parliament in Ukraine rushed an anti-gay bill through its first hearing – overnight so no one would have the time to say anything. These anti-gay MPs are trying to make it illegal for anyone to say or do anything deemed "too gay" in Ukraine. But this 'gay gag rule' can’t go into effect if the chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament, Volodymyr Lytvyn, refuses to sign it. A few weeks ago he already raised concern on the bill because of an international outcry. And he has the power to stop it for good. The homophobic MPs are fast-tracking the process and hoping we can't ignite the same global outcry that stopped the bill the first time. Let's show them how wrong they are! Will you sign now and push Lytvyn to keep thousands of Ukrainians from being forced into the shadows? www.allout.org/ukraine_gag Back in July, more than 122,000 All Out members around the globe got the Ukrainian Parliament to take the "homosexual propaganda" law off their voting agenda. The chairman of Parliament, Volodymyr Lytvyn, decided to stop the bill in its tracks to make sure it complied with, "all human rights and freedoms". But a few MPs brought it back quietly enough to avoid the international uproar it triggered a few months ago. They think we won't have enough time to trigger the same outcry. They are wrong. Call on Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament, to use its power to stop this horrendous anti-gay bill now: www.allout.org/ukraine_gag This terrible law makes it a crime for anybody to read, write, blog about, or declare any kind of support for gay rights in Ukraine. It also makes it almost impossible to continue health prevention work fighting diseases like HIV. www.allout.org/ukraine_gag Thanks for going All Out. Best, Andre, Guillaume, Joe, Leandro, Sara and the rest of the team at All Out. P.S. Don't forget to share the campaign with your friends so it goes viral. We need to get the word out ASAP: www.allout.org/ukraine_gag

All Out is bringing people together in every corner of the planet and of every identity - lesbian, gay, straight, bisexual, transgender and all that’s between and beyond - to build a world in which everyone can live freely and be embraced for who they are. Our mailing address is: Purpose Foundation 224 Centre St New York, NY 10013 Copyright © 2012 AllOut.org, All rights reserved.

Malta Star: California law bans 'gay cure therapy'

http://www.maltastar.com/dart/20121001-california-law-bans-gay-cure-therapy
Tuesday, 02 Oct 2012, 06:49



California Governor Jerry Brown has signed into law a ban on therapy aimed at making gay teenagers straight.

When the law comes into effect on 1 January, the Golden State will become the first to outlaw the practice for people under the age of 18.

JCC: Detailed Analysis of the Malta Cohabitation Bill

4.9.12 by Joseph Carmel Chetcuti, View the entire paper [here].

SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS AND FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

It is respectfully submitted that:

• The title of the Bill is inappropriate,

• The Bill misleadingly gives the impression that it offers same-sex and different-sex partners some form of relationship registration when it offers nothing of the sort,

• The Bill offers no opportunity to parties for dispute resolution,

• The Bill seems to be troubled over any talk of ‘sexual intimacy’, as Clause 3 of the Bill makes all too obvious, the Maltese Bill cutting out any reference to the sexual nature of the relationship as contained in sub-section 172 (3) of the Irish Act,

• The Bill is heterosexist, fails to differentiate between different-sex and same-sex relationships, subordinates same-sex partners to spouses and former spouses, and applies the ‘traditional’ heterosexual model of a working husband and a stay-at-home wife which is out-of-sync with today’s reality,

• The Bill fails to distinguish between different forms of parenting, being not only disrespectful towards same-sex parents and their partners who take on the role of parenting but also an affront to children growing up and being nurtured in such relationships which is clearly not in the children’s best interests,

• The Bill fails to make a distinction between ‘cohabitation’ and ‘living together’, and is built on the wrong premise that a de facto relationships subsist only where the parties are cohabiting,

• The requirement that parties execute a ‘public deed’ before they can access certain rights, the introduction of the fault principle and the right to seek compensation for damages all amount to ways of penalising different-sex and same-sex de facto partners,

• The ‘next of kin’ provision lacks detail and fails to make clear how and when a same-sex and a different-sex partner is the ‘next of kin’,

• The Bill has taken large slabs from the Irish Act, creating the impression that the Bill is a ‘cut-and-paste job’ that has not been properly thought through and hurriedly put together, and

• Drafting of the Bill leaves a lot to be desired, reflects poorly on Malta’s legal culture, and should be the source of great shame and embarrassment to the Ministry of Justice, Dialogue and the Family.

The undersigned advocates the following course of action:

• that the Bill currently before the parliament be immediately withdrawn,

• that a new Bill be introduced in parliament to make provision for the recognition of relationships between same-sex and different-sex de facto parties (Bill 1) –

• without such relationships being required to emulate ‘traditional’ heterosexual models of a working husband and a stay-at-home wife,
• without such relationships being made subordinate to other forms of relationships and institutions (e.g., marriage), and
• irrespective of the living arrangements of the parties and their former marital status, and

along the lines of the Relationships Act 2008 (Victoria), the aim of such a Bill being to facilitate not impede same-sex and different-sex de facto relationships,

• that Bill 1 should not seek to regulate the registration of other forms of relationships where parties may be living together but not in an intimate sexual relationship,

• that a committee of jurists be set up to identify and report on those offending areas of Maltese law that discriminate against same-sex and different-sex de facto partners,

• that upon the tabling of the report, a Bill be introduced in parliament to do away with those offending areas of Maltese law that discriminate against same-sex and different-sex de facto partners (Bill 2), and

• that legal remedies be made available to same-sex and different-sex de facto partners either by incorporating them into Bills 1 or 2 or publishing them in a new Bill (Bill 3).

View the entire paper [here].

Gay Star News: UN votes for 'traditional values' above gay rights

Russia has passed a resolution at the United Nations which highlights traditional values: Experts say the Human Rights Council vote will be used against gay, trans and women's rights
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/un-votes-traditional-values-above-gay-rights270912
27 SEPTEMBER 2012 | BY DAN LITTAUER

Russia has won a vote in the United Nations today which promotes 'traditional values' above lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and women's rights.

In the resolution references to sexual orientation and transgender protection are actually removed from what is included in human rights.

Activists have said it makes demands for the UN to vote to decriminalize gay sex worldwide even more urgent.

The anti-gay Russian resolution was passed in the UN Human Rights Council today (27 September). It was backed by 25 countries with 15 against and seven abstaining.

Independent UK: California becomes first US state to ban Gay teen conversion therapy 'quackery'

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/california-becomes-first-us-state-to-ban-gay-teen-conversion-therapy-quackery-8191698.html
AP, MONDAY 01 OCTOBER 2012

California will become the first US state to ban a controversial form of psychotherapy aimed at making gay teenagers straight.

Governor Jerry Brown said he had signed a bill into law by Democratic senator Ted Lieu of Torrance, which Mr Lieu says will prevent children from being psychologically abused.