Charlotte Business Guild
Meeting Date:
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Program:
Annual Pool Party
Lake Norman
(home of a CBG member)
(Sponsored by Armin’s Catering)
Cost:
FREE CBG members, $10 non-members
(BYOB, Food Provided)
To get directions, call 704-565-5075
or email businessguild@yahoo.com.
www.charlottebusinessguild.com
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International News Notes
compiled by Q-Notes staff
Age of consent bill defeated
GIBRALTAR — The parliament of this
small British territory on June 18 voted down
a member’s bill to equalize the age of consent
for gay men, which is currently 18. The age of
consent for heterosexuals and lesbians is 16.
The decision by the parliament is in direct
defiance of the European Court uf Human
Rights and the European Union.
Gibraltar is a self-governing overseas terri
tory of the United Kingdom. Chief Minister
Peter Caruana has been under pressure fi-om
London to comply on equalizing the age of con
sent, in addition to other human rights issues
affecting the gay and lesbian community.
The bill, tabled by Daniel Seetham and
defeated 8-4, was put on the parliamentary
agenda at the very last minute.
Following the decision. Equality Rights
Group GGR Chairman Felix Alvarez described
the bill’s defeat as “not surprising.”
Alvarez said the reality of the situation is
“quite different” from what has been painted.
Alvarez said that a “clear majority” of the par
liament’s members are actually in favor of the
equalization.“The public must not be con
fused by the complicated manoeuvres which
have fudged the realities,” he said.
In London, internationally-renowned
activist Peter Tatchell lashed out at the decision.
“The opposition’s vote against the bill gives
a bad impression and contradicts its previous
support for gay equality,” Tatchell said.
— Andy Harley. UKGayNews.org.uk
Lesbian couple sues
MOSCOW — Two lesbians refused the
right to marry at a Moscow registry office in
May have filed an official complaint and are
suing for their right to marry.
The couple, Irina Fedotova-Fet and Irina
Shepitko, say they will take their complaint to
the City Court and then to the European Court
of Human Rights. Russia is a member of the
European Union.
“We intend to take the case to the highest
level,” Fedotova-Fet told The Moscow Times.
Leading Russian gay activist Nikolai
Alexeyev is backing the couple’s challenge.
While their case is winding its way
through Russia’s judicial system, the couple
will travel to Canada and plan to wed there. A
“loophole” in Russian family law might allow
their foreign marriage to be recognized.
“An article in the Family Code says that
foreign-registered marriages between
Russians must be recognized. It lists four
exceptions including bigamy and incest but
not same gender,” The Times reported.
“It’s sort of a loophole in the law that really
allows us to fight for this,” Alexeyev said.
The activist admits he doesn’t expect the
couple to win. Other gay activists have ques
tioned the couple’s and activist’s priorities.
“It’s not the most high-priority talks,
because the level of homophobia in society is
too high,” said activist Igor Petrov, chairman of
the Russian LGBT Network.
— Matt Comer. Q-Notes staff
Ambassador blasted for
Pride support
LONDON — The British ambassador to
Bulgaria has been slammed by a Bulgarian
conservative for his statement
of support to a Pride festival in
the nation.
Ambassador Steve Wilhams
(pictured) sent his
statement of sup
port to the organiz
ers of the Rainbow
Friendship Rally in
Sofia in mid-June.
The same festival
last year ended in
bloody riots as par
ticipants clashed
with police and far-
right nationalists.
“Celebrating
diversity is not
about promoting a
lifestyle,” Williams wrote. “It is about promot
ing respect for fundamental human rights. It
is about the very essence of our European
democratic values.”
The leader of the Gaurdia Bulgarian
National Alliance, a far-right, conservative
party, has condemned Williams’ interference.
“He should mind his own business and his
country’s business,” said Bojan Rasate.“He has
no right to tell Bulgarians how to live in
Bulgaria. Europe has been ruled by homosex
uals for a long time. We do not care how they
live, but we do not want them to impose their
pervert values on us.”
Britain’s ambassador to Poland, Ric Todd,
created a similar controversy when he publicly
backed a rally there.
The British government is backing their
ambassadors and regard the messages of sup
port as key to its human rights policies.
“We have had the policy for some time,” a
foreign ministry official said. “What’s new is
the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
[LGBT] Toolkit, which has raised the profile of
such activities a bit.”
Amnesty International’s United Kingdom
affiliate is putting pressure on the foreign
office to continue pushing for LGBT equality
in other nations.
— M.C.
Gay men still at risk
SYDNEY, Australia — An Australian health
group is warning that men who have sex with
men (MSM) continue to be most at risk of
contracting HIV, the virus which causes AIDS.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald,
64 percent of HIV cases between 2003 and
2007 were the result of male-to-male sexual
contact. Transmission of the virus through
heterosexual intercourse stood at 21 percent.
Officials with the Australian Federation of
AIDS Organizations said that of the hetero
sexuals infected with HIV, 60 percent of them
contracted the virus after sexual contact with
partners from high-prevalence countries,
such as those in southeast Asia and sub-
Saharan Africa.
“Over the last few years. Western Australia
and Queensland have detected concerning
trends among Australians travelling and
working in South East Asia and Papua New
Guinea and becoming infected there —
chiefly through unprotected sex between het
erosexuals,” federation president Graham
Brown told the Herald.
Approximately 16,000 people are living
with HIV in Australia. •
— M.C.
6 JUNE 27.2009 • ftNotes