Rocco72

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Vote: Five Most Iconic Musicians CNN's new arts and culture show 'icon,' in conjunction with music magazine 'Songlines,' has shortlisted 20 globally renowned musicians from the past 50 years. Vote for your favorite artists and we'll reveal the top five in 'icon's' interactive gallery at cnn.com/icon when our music show airs on August 25. To vote for Madonna visit edition.cnn.com/icon.music.vote Thanks to ljh With Madonna's birthday just right around the corner, let's give her a birthday gift by making her number 1 Rocco

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The Independant: “More Than 70 Countries Make Being Gay a Crime” The following excerpts from a story by The Independent: “A comprehensive study of global lesbian, bisexual and gay rights, seen by The Independent on Sunday, reveals the brutal – and, in many instances, fatal – price people pay around the globe for their sexuality. The research, which was conducted by the charity network the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), shows that 76 countries still prosecute people on the grounds of their sexual orientation – seven of which punish same-sex acts with death. Download ILGA's "Lesbian and Gay Rights In The World" Map “On a global scale, the nations doing something positive for gay rights are dwarfed by those behaving negatively. While 75 countries will imprison you if you are gay, only 53 have anti-discrimination laws that apply to sexuality. Only 26 countries recognise same-sex unions. “…ILGA’s study of global gay rights shows that…admitting to being gay is still a matter of life and death. In much of Africa, the past decade has seen the lives of gay people go ‘from bad to worse, the report says. More than 50 per cent of African states have taken action to criminalise homosexuality and religious homophobia is rife. The picture is not much brighter in Asia, where 23 countries have made being gay a crime. “Latin America and the Caribbean are also home to many governments with a similar outlook. In Jamaica, sex with another man is described in the statute book as an ‘abominable crime’. “Widney Brown of Amnesty International lists sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe as the regions which give them the greatest concern for gay rights. Ms Brown also warned against Western nations becoming complacent. ‘The US is the only country in NATO with a prohibition of being openly gay in the military.’ “Renato Sabbadini, co-secretary general of ILGA, said: ‘The unworthiness rests entirely on these states, for theirs is the shame of depriving a significant number of their citizens of dignity, respect and the enjoyment of equal rights.’” Read the full The Independent story >>

Posted on Advocate.com July 15, 2010 Argentina Passes Gay Marriage Bill By Advocate.com Editors In a debate that lasted well into the early hours of Thursday morning, Argentina's Senate voted 33-27 to make theirs the first country in South America to legalize same-sex marriage. Gay rights activists had predicted a close vote. According to reports, debate in Buenos Aires lasted until four in the morning. The subject of marriage has been a hot button issue in Argentina for the past several months. In December, Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre (pictured) became the country's first legally married same-sex couple because of a legal loophole. Freedom to Marry's Evan Wolfson issued the following statement early Tuesday morning: "Today's historic vote shows how far Catholic Argentina has come, from dictatorship to true democratic values, and how far the freedom to marry movement has come as twelve countries on four continents now embrace marriage equality. Argentina's vote for the freedom to marry marks an important advance for fairness and family values as more couples around the world will now share in marriage, with families helped and no one hurt. Today's vote adds momentum to the international movement to secure the freedom to marry for all loving and committed couples. "Key to Argentina's human rights achievement was strong leadership from legislators and the president. It is time we see more of our own elected officials standing up for the Constitution and all families here in the United States. America should lead, not lag, when it comes to treating everyone equally under the law." A NEW ARGENTINA, THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE, CANNOT BE, WILL NOT BE, AND MUST NOT BE DENIED!

Take the Test, Take Control! National HIV Testing Day~June 27 Find an HIV/STD test site 24/7: www.hivtest.org or text your zip code to KNOWIT (566948) And to my fellow friends outside of the US, please refer to your local sites to be tested. Early HIV diagnosis is critical, so people who are infected can fully benefit from available life-saving treatments. Currently, almost 40 percent of people with HIV are not diagnosed until they already have developed AIDS. That can be up to 10 years after they first became infected with HIV. Finding out whether you are infected with HIV is the first step to improving your health and the health of your partners and your family. Spread the word not the disease. Know your status, get tested!

www.gringomask.com Thanks to your involvement, the GringoMask has achieved its primary objective to raise awareness of the potential for racial profiling by enforcement of Arizona SB 1070. GringoMask was not a commercial product or intended to be a long term project, but a piece of satire to promote discussion and thought. In addition to raising awareness, the mask was used to promote dialogue between people of different opinions in the hopes of arriving at better solutions than SB 1070, and to show solidarity with Americans of every race and color across the country that found this law unfair in its targeting of a specific ethnic group even if only implicitly. We chose this mask because of its light-hearted nature and tongue-in-cheek approach much in the same vein as Jeff Foxworthy's shtick "You Might be a Redneck" or Carlos Mencia's "beaner" jokes. However, we in no way meant to offend anyone. We understand from your responses that some people might equate the word "Gringo" with an ethnic slur. We do not. It is simply a slang term used to describe Caucasians, and we don't assign any negative connotations to it. In fact, the mask communicates that looking this way will keep you above suspicion of being an illegal immigrant in Arizona, a positive thing not a derogatory one. We hope everyone will view the mask the way we do...a comical tool to convey a message and raise awareness about an issue that is important to all Americans. If the campaign has been taken in a different light by some, we sincerely regret the misunderstanding. Thanks for voicing your opinions and helping to get the dialogue going. We look forward to a better solution to the illegal immigration problem. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/new-face-of-immigration-miami-company-creates-gringo-707135.html

Malawi pardons jailed gay couple Page last updated at 16:14 GMT, Saturday, 29 May 2010 17:14 UK E-mail this to a friend Printable version Aid donors had put pressure on the government to free the pair A gay couple jailed in Malawi after getting engaged have been pardoned by President Bingu wa Mutharika. Mr Mutharika, speaking as UN chief Ban Ki-moon visited his country, said he had ordered their immediate release. Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga were given 14-year jail terms earlier this month after being convicted of gross indecency and unnatural acts. The case has sparked international condemnation and a debate about homosexuality in the country. Mr Ban hailed the president's decision as "courageous". "This outdated penal code should be reformed wherever it may exist," he said. The BBC's Karen Allen, in Lilongwe, says Mr Ban is trying to put pressure on parliamentarians to reform anti-homosexuality laws that date back to colonial times. 'Culture of hate'Correspondents say Malawi is a deeply conservative society where religious leaders equate same-sex liaisons with Satanism. ANALYSIS Continue reading the main story Karen Allen BBC News, Lilongwe The president has certainly gone against public opinion in pardoning the gay men. What we have seen recently is a boldening of public opinion against gay rights. But this issue is causing friction between Western governments and several African nations which have similar legislation. It will be interesting to see what the reaction is on the rest of the continent. There is talk of constitutional change in a number of countries across Africa which, theoretically at least, could see gay people protected. But so far, South Africa is the only country on the continent to legislate for gay rights. If public opinion does not change, it is unlikely many other countries will follow their lead. Mr Mutharika, who has in the past dismissed homosexuality as alien, said he had set them free on humanitarian grounds. "In all aspects of reasoning, in all aspects of human understanding, these two gay boys were wrong - totally wrong," he said after meeting Mr Ban. "However, now that they have been sentenced, I as the president of this country have the powers to pronounce on them and therefore, I have decided that with effect from today, they are pardoned and they will be released." Monjeza, 26, and Chimbalanga, 20, were arrested in December 2009 after celebrating their engagement. They have been in custody ever since. Their lawyers say the two men are likely to be freed by Monday. Our correspondent says there are plenty of people who were not sorry to see the men go to jail, many of whom will be slightly puzzled at the president's announcement. Gift Trapence, from the campaign group Centre for the Development of People, welcomed the decision. "We're very happy and we praise the president for his maturity, but there is still a long way to go to end the culture of hate," he said. External pressureAid donors and human rights groups have been putting pressure on his government to respect the rights of minority groups. The UK government, Malawi's biggest donor, said it was dismayed by the sentencing, and the US labelled it a step backwards for human rights. On Saturday, British popstar and Aids campaigner Sir Elton John wrote an open letter to Mr Mutharika in the UK's Guardian newspaper pleading for the release of the pair. "Their trial and harsh sentencing will have a perilous effect on our continuing efforts to combat Aids in Malawi and potentially reverse the gains we have achieved," he said. The two men were convicted under a law dating back to colonial rule by Britain. Many of Britain's former colonies have similar laws outlawing homosexuality; India overturned its anti-homosexuality law last year. In Uganda, MPs are debating whether to strengthen the laws to include the death penalty for some gay people - a move which has infuriated Western governments and rights campaigners.

http://www.wegiveadamn.org/ Malawi: Judge convicts gay couple By RAPHAEL TENTHANI – 10 hours ago BLANTYRE, Malawi — A judge convicted a gay couple in Malawi Tuesday of unnatural acts and gross indecency after a trial that drew worldwide condemnation of this southern African country's colonial-era laws on homosexuality. Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, had been jailed since their arrest Dec. 27, the day they celebrated their engagement with a party that drew crowds of curious, jeering onlookers. Blantyre Chief Resident Magistrate Nyakwawa Usiwa said the sentencing will take place on Thursday. The couple could be imprisoned for up to 14 years. Hearings in the trial also have drawn Malawians who have ridiculed the couple, an indication of views on homosexuality in this traditional society — and elsewhere in Africa. Homosexuality is illegal in at least 37 countries on the continent. In Uganda, lawmakers are considering a bill that would sentence homosexuals to life in prison and include capital punishment for "repeat offenders." Even in South Africa, the only African country that recognizes gay rights, gangs have carried out so-called "corrective" rapes on lesbians. Michaela Clayton of the South Africa-based AIDS & Rights Alliance for Southern Africa said not only were human rights being violated, but the fight against AIDS was being hurt. Gay people forced underground were unlikely to seek counseling and treatment for AIDS, she and other activists said. Clayton said gays and other minorities in Africa had in recent years become more assertive about their sexual orientation and about claiming their rights, which could have led to the backlash. "We have to keep on being strategic about the way we push this agenda forward," she said. Priti Patel of the Southern African Litigation Centre, an independent rights group, said Monjeza and Chimbalanga could appeal on the grounds that the laws under which they were prosecuted violate the country's 1994 constitution. But an earlier attempt by their lawyer to have the case thrown out on those grounds was rejected. Malawi's government has been defiant in the face of international criticism over the prosecution of Monjeza and Chimbalanga. Months before the verdict, Information Minister Leckford Mwanza Thoto said it was clear the two had broken the law. Malawi church leaders have backed the government, saying homosexuality is "sinful" and the West should not be allowed to use its financial power to force Malawi to accept homosexuality. Malawi relies on donors for 40 percent of its development budget. The controversy, though, has emboldened some human rights activists in Malawi. The Center for the Development of People was recently formed to fight for the rights of homosexuals and other minorities. Associated Press Writer Donna Bryson in Johannesburg contributed to this report. Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.