In Israel, new research shows that the suicide rate among the country's LGBT youth is relatively high, according to Pink News. A study of 1,134 teens shows that 20 percent of gay youngsters surveyed had attempted suicide—112 times the rate of the general population. Dr. Chana Bar Yosef, the study's director, said, "The suicide rate among religious homosexuals is the highest because they experience more distress when confronting their families."
LGBT market specialist Out Now has released its top 20 gay travel destinations for 2013, according to Advocate.com . New York City tops the list, with some of the other cities on the list including Rio de Janeiro (2), San Francisco (5), Paris (6), Los Angeles/West Hollywood (10), Hong Kong (12), Barcelona (14), Rome (18) and Miami (20).
In Turkey, a gay teenager's father and uncle reportedly murdered him in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir, Pink News reported. The boy—who has only been named as RA—is said to be 17, and his family had known about his sexuality. RA had been living with a friend's family because he had allegedly been exposed to violence by his own family because of his sexual orientation.
For first time in Israel's history, two Jewish men who were married abroad have filed for divorce at rabbinical court, according to YnetNews.com . The couple are Prof. Uzi Even—the first openly gay member of Knesset (Israel's parliament)—and Dr. Amit Kama. They had a civil-marriage ceremony in Canada eight years ago, becoming the first Jewish Israeli male couple to marry each other. Even is attempting to marry another man, but must divorce Kama first; however, the rabbinical court has never recognized same-sex marriages.
Japan is starting its own "It Gets Better" campaign, thanks to increasing pressure to address bullying and teen suicides, the Wall Street Journal reported. Fumino Sugiyama, co-founder of the project, said it "will aim to save as many sexual minority youth as possible by delivering our message that it's OK." The Japanese government recently mentioned for the first time in its annual national policy to prevent suicide the need to offer special support for the gay community.
In Australia, the entire student body of Adelaide's Wirreanda High School marked Wear It Purple Day—which supports LGBT youth—by pledging to ban the use of the word "gay" in a derogatory way, according to Gay Star News. More than 800 students signed a banner with the slogan, "Pledge: It's not okay to say 'It's gay.'" Another Adelaide high school became the first to institute a similar measure earlier this year following the establishment of a gay-straight alliance group in 2011.
In Chile, Army General Juan Miguel Fuente-Alba has apologized for an anti-gay directive one of his senior generals made, Gay Star News noted. General Christian Chateau recently urged recruiters to avoid certain people who were "morally and intellectually" prepared for service, including criminals, drug users, the mentally ill—and gay people. Fuente-Alba said, "I offer my sincere apology to any person who may have felt affected by the unfortunate expressions." LGBT-rights activists want Chateau to resign.
Clarke Carlisle, the chair of Britain's Professional Footballers Association (PFA), recently talked with eight of its top soccer players about coming out of the closet, Gay Star News reported. However, Carlisle said none of them followed through despite considering it. Although the PFA has 4,000 members, there are no out players in the UK.
In Vietnam, Pham Le Quynh Tram has become the first transgender woman to be legally recognized by authorities as a woman, according to Advocate.com . A decision granted by the administration of her town allows Pham Van Hiep (her birth name) to redefine her sex from male to female and to legally change her name. "I can't believe that this is true," Tram said, who had reassignment surgery in 2008. "I cannot describe my happiness of living with my true sex."
Australian football player Jason Ball has come out of the closet—and wants his football league to show an anti-homophobia ad during its major championship game, Advocate.com reported. Ball's campaign on Change.org recruited more than 16,000 supporters in five days. Ball said he thought that coming out to his teammates could have opened him up to bullying; however, the other players welcomed him, saying that his sexual orientation wasn't an issue for them.
In Cuba, activist/journalist Francisco Rodriguez has issued a call for LGBT individuals to be included in the Sept. 15-24 census being conducted on the island, according to the Havana Times. Known colloquially as "Paquito el de Cuba," Rodriguez has protested what he calls "homophobic research." However, authorities currently have no intention of collecting data on the Cuban LGBT community.
In Ireland, pending legislation in Ireland would allow transgender people to amend their birth certificates to reflect their gender more accurately, according to an Advocate.com item. However, the measure would also require transgender people who are currently married to divorce and re-enter into a same-sex civil partnership. Broden Gambrione, the director of Transgender Equality Network Ireland, said, "This proposal shows no respect for Ireland's married trans families. The idea of forcing a happy couple to live apart and divorce is unimaginable."
