October 1st, 1997 to October 7th, 1997

World Roundup

by Rex Wockner

British MP comes out
Britain's junior minister for the environment, Labour MP Angela Eagle, came out of the closet publicly Sept. 11.

The 36-year-old representative for Wallasey in northwest England is the first openly lesbian cabinet-level official in British history.

"I have a long-term and very happy relationship," Eagle said. "I happen to be with a woman."

Eagle announced her orientation in order "to get a handle on this job and to make sure I can do it properly. Now I am at the stage where I just need to get things sorted so I can just concentrate on my work," she said.

Gays win in Japan's first gay-rights lawsuit
Gays won Japan's first gay-rights lawsuit Sept. 16. The Tokyo High Court ruled that the city Board of Education discriminated against the gay group Occur in 1990 by refusing to let its members hold an overnight study meeting at a city-run youth hostel.

Tokyo's District Court reached the same conclusion in 1994 but the city appealed. The High Court awarded Occur $1,333 in damages.

"The rejection was unconstitutional as it denied gay people equal access to the public facility," the High Court said. "The city government should have given due consideration to homosexual people, and its indifference and ignorance will not be tolerated."

The court said young people are capable of understanding homosexuality and that education should be provided if confusion or tension results from the presence of homosexuals in public facilities.

Government agencies are "obligated to pay careful attention to the situation of homosexuals as a minority and to guarantee that their rights and interests be upheld," the court said. "Indifference and ignorance regarding homosexuality are inexcusable on the part of persons in the position of wielding governmental authority."

Lawyers for the city argued that letting gays sleep overnight in youth hostels would "cause disorder" because hostel rules require that "men and women ... sleep in separate rooms. [A]llowing gay people in the same room, who are likely to have sex, would cause troubles to other guests," they said.

Occur spokesman Masaki Inaba commented: "We are happy with the ruling because it stated clearly the Tokyo government's rejection was illegal. ... Discrimination against homosexuals is prevalent, and today's ruling gives hope for homosexuals."

The city has until Sept. 30 to decide whether to appeal to the Japanese Supreme Court.

ILGA releases sex-law stats
Gay-male sex is legal in 108 of the world's 210 nations, according to figures released by the International Lesbian and Gay Association.

Lesbian sex is legal in 147 countries.

Eighty-three nations ban gay-male sex while only 44 prohibit lesbian sex.

ILGA was unable to determine the legal status of homosexuality in 19 nations.

In most of the 39 nations that ban gay-male sex but not lesbian sex, male legislators simply forgot to include women in their laws.

Thai teacher colleges lift gay ban
The Rajabhat Institute, which operates 36 Thai teacher colleges, has lifted its year-old ban on gay students, "apparently under pressure from foreign ... non-governmental organizations," reported the Bangkok Post.

But the institute simultaneously proposed a new rule banning "sexually abnormal" people. Rajabhat Council member Wanlop Piyamanotham said sexual abnormalities include copulation with inanimate objects, exposing oneself in public and deriving pleasure from sadomasochistic acts.

The earlier gay ban resulted from a misunderstanding of the nature of sexual deviance, Wanlop said.

"The institute misunderstood and used the wrong word," he said. "That's why it seems to violate human rights. The best way is to single out sexually abnormal people."

To do that, the institute will use a sexual-abnormality screening test that Wanlop claimed was developed by the World Health Organization.

"Sexual deviants are not always sexually abnormal," he said. "Sexual abnormality is worse. They can't be good teachers-they're emotionally abnormal."

Comments on the policies can be e-mailed to Sukavich Rangsitpol, Minister for Education and Chairman of the Rajabhat Institutes Council Ministry of Education, bumrung@emisc.moe.go.th; and Mr. Charoon Choolarp, Secretary General of the Rajabhat, at sutichai@oric.rajabhat.ac.th. Both men can be reached by fax at 011-66-2-282-9241.

Singapore gay group ordered to cease activity
The Singapore gay group People Like Us has exhausted all appeals in the effort to be officially registered and the government has ordered the group to cease operations.

Under law, "Any person who is or acts as a member of an unlawful society, or attends a meeting of an unlawful society, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $3,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or both."

PLU members can no longer speak to the media but a U.S.-based Web site tells their story: http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/3878.

Aussie Sen. nixes gay tax returns
Australia's Senate has voted down an amendment to the Income Tax Assessment Act that would have recognized same-sex couples.

Australian Council for Lesbian and Gay Rights spokesperson Rodney Croome accused senators of hypocrisy, pointing out that their own same-sex partners are recognized for superannuation and travel allowances.

South African gays file suit against laws
South Africa's National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality and the national Human Rights Commission have filed a High Court suit against several laws that ban gay sex.

They hope to delete the common-law offense of sodomy, the common-law crime of unnatural offenses between men, a Criminal Procedure Act measure that allows anyone to arrest anyone else they suspect of committing sodomy, a Security Officers Act sodomy ban and a Sexual Offences Act ban on gay sex.

Although South Africa's new constitution is the only one in the world to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, many older laws still discriminate against homosexuals.

Named in the case are the minister of justice, the minister of safety and security, and the attorneys general. Justice Minister Dulah Omar opposes the lawsuit. He said courts should clarify sodomy statutes but not delete them.

Ontario city extends benefits
The City Council of Kingston, Ontario, has voted 8-3 to extend spousal benefits to gay employees.

"This is a moment to say that everybody is inclusive in our community," Mayor Bennett told the local newspaper.

Small B.C town stages parade
About 250 people turned out over Labor Day weekend for the second annual gay-pride parade in Nelson, British Columbia, pop. 8,113.

The town is 40 miles north of the Washington/Idaho state line.

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