Myanmar held its first gay-pride celebrations May 17, according to AsiaOne.com . Approximately 400 people packed into the ballroom of a Yangon hotel for an evening of performances, music and speeches. Same-sex relations are considered illegal under the nation's colonial penal code; although it is not strictly enforced, activists say the law is still used by officials to discriminate and extort. Celebrations were slated to take place in four cities across the country.
The dog Pudsey—one-half of the act that won Britain's Got Talent May 12—apparently has a "gay lover," according to Pink News. Asheligh Butler, Pudsey's owner, said that the whenever the dog "sees Sam [her friend's male cocker spaniel], he is in love. He has a thing for him. Butler and Pudsey won 500,000 British pounds (about $803,000) for their joint dancing act.
Argentina's Senate passed a comprehensive transgender-rights bill May 9, and President Cristina Fernandez is expected to sign it into law, according to Advocate.com . The measure allows people whose gender identities don't match their physical traits to change their names and gender markers on public documents without gender-reassignment surgery or approval from a doctor or judge. The vote was 55-0, with one senator abstaining and more than a dozen declaring they were absent.
In Iran, four men—Saadat Arefi, Vahid Akbari, Javid Akbari and Houshmand Akbari—are set to be executed by hanging for sodomy under Shari'a law, according to Pink News. "I am horrified and saddened to have heard the news about these four men, not only with regards to the execution which is about to take place, but the fact that is beyond our control," London-based Iranian human rights lawyer Mehri Jafari said.
In England, Portsmouth police have started a new operation to target drive-by anti-gay abuse, Pink News reported. Apparently, people in passing vehicles have directed anti-gay language to people at gay and gay-friendly venues. Police officers have been deployed outside those venues, as well as in nearby vehicles.
Croatia Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic says that the country plans to recognize same-sex marriages, accoding to Business Spectator. "We are talking about registered partnerships, which is a somewhat higher standard than what we have now," Milanovic told reporters. The conservative Croatian Democratic Union has rejected the plan.
In 95 countries, LGBT-rights advocates honored the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) with ceremonies, memorials and other events, the Huffington Post reported. Observed each year on May 17, IDAHO has become an important day for millions of people around the world as they remember the victims of anti-gay violence and discrimination.
The General Synod of the Church of Ireland has passed a motion confirming its opposition to same-sex marriages, adding that heterosexual unions are the only "normative" context for a sexual relationship, Pink News reported. The motion stresses the reaffirmation of Canon 31, which partially states that marriage should be "a union permanent and lifelong [...] of one man with one woman." Eighty-one clery and 154 laity favored the motion; 53 clergy and 60 laity opposed it.
In St. Petersburg, Russia, approximately 150 counterprotestors faced off against a protest crowd of the same size in the city's official pride rally since a new anti-gay "propaganda" law took effect, Advocate.com reported. The Russian gay-rights organization Coming Out organized the Petrovsky Park rally to commemorate the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Police used a blockade to stop one side from charging the other; however, despite the police presence, counterprotestors reportedly assaulted two activists, as they were shot with a gas gun.
In Fiji, gay-rights activists are accusing police of homophobia after the first planned pride march through the nation's capital was cancelled at the last minute, News.com .au reported. Roshika Deo, a trustee of the group Oceania Pride, said the group received a permit last month to hold the march but was told the morning of the event that it was cancelled. Commissioner Ioane Naivalurua said that the police do not discriminate, maintaining that the cancellation was in the name of safety.
In Muslim-dominated Malaysia, Canadian Muslim woman Irshad Manji has launched a controversial new book on liberal Islam—despite government efforts to ban the event, according to Pink News. Manji, a lesbian, launched the book (Allah, Liberty and Love) in the capital of Kuala Lampur May 19 after two other venues decided not to host her. Manji also had problems in Indonesia, where local police shut down several events after a group held violent protests condemning her views on Islam and her sexual orientation.
Jenna Talackova—the first-ever transgender contestant to compete in the Miss Universe Canada pageant—lost the contest, according to the New York Daily News. Talackova, 23, competed with 61 contestants; she was among the final 12 contestants before failing to make the final five. Sahar Biniaz, 26, won the crown and advances to the international Miss Universe competition in December.
Malawi President Joyce Banda has stated her intention to repeal the country's ban on homosexuality, the Christian Science Monitor reported. However, this may be easier said than done; although foreign donors (which the country needs) may find the move attractive, many Malawians consider homosexuality a sin. Banda is also cracking down on other laws, including one that lets cabinet ministers to shut down newspapers.
