International News

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS #855
September 13, 2010
by Rex Wockner
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Gays to march in Serbia
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Gays will march in Belgrade, Serbia, on Oct. 10 for the first time since 2001, when marchers in the first pride parade were beaten by nationalists, skinheads and soccer fans. Dozens of marchers and police officers were injured.

A planned pride march last year was canceled under pressure from police and the government, who said they couldn't protect the marchers from thousands of anti-gays who planned to attack the event.

Opponents of last year's aborted march had covered walls in the city center with graffiti that said, "We will get you," "Death to faggots" and "Blood will flow," and had spoken openly to reporters about the planned assault.

Following the parade's cancellation, the Swedish ambassador organized a "mini-pride" at his suburban residence. It was attended by about 50 people.

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398 same-sex marriages in Mexico City
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There have been 398 same-sex marriages in Mexico City since the groundbreaking law legalizing gay nuptials took effect March 11, city officials said Sept. 6.

Fifty-three percent of the marriages have been between men, and 41 foreigners have married a Mexican citizen of the same sex.

The nation's Supreme Court recently upheld Mexico City's same-sex marriage law and, in a second ruling, also upheld the part of it that legalized adoption by married same-sex couples. The court further ruled that Mexico's 31 states must recognize same-sex marriages from Mexico City.



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Aussie Olympic medalist punished for 'faggots' tweet
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Jaguar has dumped Australian Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice after she used the word "faggots" in a tweet. Rice won three gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and holds the world record in the 400-meter women's individual medley.

The car company ended its sponsorship deal with Rice, 22, after she tweeted "Suck on that faggots" in response to Australia's defeating South Africa in a Sept. 4 rugby match. Rice later deleted the tweet and apologized for causing "offense."

The company also reportedly took away the car it was letting Rice drive, which was valued at over $100,000.

Openly gay Australian rugby icon Ian Roberts reportedly called Rice an "idiot" and a "fool" for transmitting the tweet.

Openly gay Australian Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham, also a gold medalist, said he is friends with Rice and that she is "not homophobic" but did use "an extremely poor choice of words."

Mitcham, 22, also said that gays of his generation "don't find that term very offensive."

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EU-wide recognition of same-sex partnerships urged
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Members of the European Parliament, including the four presidents of the Parliament's Intergroup on LGBT Rights, told the European Union's commissioner for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship on Sept. 7 that much more must be done to uphold same-sex couples' rights as they move around the EU.

"Currently, same-sex couples in a marriage or civil partnership often lose custody, fiscal and consular rights when moving from one EU member state to another -- despite EU law guaranteeing freedom of movement," the Intergroup said.

A 2004 EU directive supports freedom of movement for citizens in same-sex unions, but it has seen "patchy application," the MEPs said. They urged Commissioner Vivian Reding, who is also vice president of the European Commission, to rectify the problems promptly.

In response to the MEPs' actions, the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association said that while the directive "encourages" equal treatment for same-sex partners, it does not obligate EU member states to recognize the civil status of same-sex partners from other EU nations.

As a result, "many same-sex couples effectively have their marriages and registered partnerships de facto voided when they exercise their rights to freedom of movement to countries that do not have an equivalent institution to their civil status," ILGA-Europe said.

That leads to problems with social security, survivor pensions, medical decision-making, parental ties and other matters, the group said.

In responding to the MEPs' complaints, however, Reding claimed that current EU law does mandate EU-wide recognition of other nation's official gay partnerships.

"If you live in a legally recognized same-sex partnership or marriage in country A, you have the right -- and that is a fundamental right -- to take this status, and the one of your partner, to country B. If not, it is a violation of EU law," she said.

"When is this going to happen? Now!" Reding added. "Not in five or 10 years. ... If there is no understanding (from national governments), then more harsh measures have to be applied."

She said she is working on the issues through bilateral meetings.

ILGA-Europe, however, disputed Reding's interpretation of the law, saying: "The response of the Commission was that the legislation is already ... providing for just recognition, and that matters of legislation around the recognition of same-sex partners is a domestic issue for the member states to resolve. (W)e cannot agree with the Commission that the Freedom of Movement Directive is already tackling the gaps that the MEPs highlighted. Many same-sex partners are in fact opting not to travel and reside in a number of EU countries due to the implications that non-recognition of their marriages/registered partnerships has on their lives."

Reding herself must "take political leadership on this issue," ILGA said, and "initiate actions requiring EU member states to mutually recognize each other's marriages and partnerships between the persons of the same sex."

"Only legally binding mutual recognition of such marriages and partnerships will ensure that the fundamental EU principle of freedom of movement will be fully applied to married or in-civil-partnership same-sex couples," the group said.

Five of the EU's 27 nations let same-sex couples marry and 14 offer them civil partnerships.

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Anti-gays march in Budapest
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Budapest saw a "heterosexual pride" parade Sept. 4. About 100 people marched the same route as this year's gay pride parade. The anti-gay marchers said they want the city to ban gay pride parades.

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