A practising Catholic has been appointed as the new chief executive of Stonewall, which is Britain’s largest gay rights organisation. Ruth Hunt has pledged to do more to win over “hearts and minds”. Announcing her priorities, Ms Hunt said she wanted to build on recent successes – including legal same-sex marriage – by helping change Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Gay rights’
Pacific anti-gay sex laws impede HIV prevention, reformers say
Tuesday, July 29th, 2014
Concerns have been expressed that laws against consensual sex between men in the Pacific region are undermining efforts to prevent and treat HIV. An international Aids conference in Melbourne last week was told about the problematic results of such laws. But men having sex with men remains illegal in more than one-third of all Pacific Read more
Anti-gay rights prelate investigated for sexual impropriety
Friday, July 4th, 2014
An American archbishop who has prominently opposed gay marriage is under investigation for alleged sexual relationships with other men. Archbishop John Nienstedt of Twin Cities, Minnesota, is being investigated by a prominent Minneapolis law firm hired by his archdiocese. Archbishop Nienstedt authorised the investigation himself. Numerous allegations have reportedly been received against Nienstedt, alleging he Read more
Gay rights row in St Patrick’s Day parades sparks beer boycott
Friday, March 21st, 2014
A boycott of three major beer brands has been called for over their support for gay rights in St Patrick’s Day parades. The Catholic League’s Bill Donohue called for a boycott of Guinness, Heineken and Sam Adams. This was after the first two brewers withdrew sponsorship of New York’s St Patrick’s Day parade . Sam Read more
African clergy link gay rights criticism to colonialism
Tuesday, March 11th, 2014Some African clergy have likened foreign criticism about gay rights on their continent to a new wave of Western colonialism. Support for government legislation criminalising homosexual acts and levying harsh penalties is widespread among Christians in Africa. A Kenyan religious scholar said homosexuality is not new in Africa, but open promotion and marketing of it Read more
Gay rights group allowed in Boston St Patrick’s Day parade
Tuesday, March 4th, 2014
A gay rights group will be allowed to march in Boston’s St Patrick’s Day parade in the United States. But it is unclear whether MassEquality will be allowed to carry signs or use slogans. Initially, one of the lead organisers of the parade, the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, denied MassEquality permission to join Read more
Gay rights magazine names Pope Francis its person of the year
Friday, December 20th, 2013
The Advocate, a leading lifestyle magazine which actively promotes gay rights, has named Pope Francis its person of the year. “If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge?” is the quote that earned the pontiff the title. The holy father’s made the statement during an interview with Read more
Pope Francis’ woman problem
Friday, August 9th, 2013
Last week, Pope Francis loosed a media tsunami by dropping a pebble of sanity into an ocean of religious angst. “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has goodwill, who am I to judge?” he told reporters on the flight back to Rome after his trip to Brazil. What did it Read more
Gay rights minister moving on
Tuesday, August 6th, 2013Prominent Christian minister and gay rights campaigner Rev Margaret Mayman has accepted a calling to a church in Sydney. Ms Mayman, who has been senior minister at St Andrew’s on the Terrace since 2002, will take up a position with Pitt St Uniting Church in December. She has been in discussions with the central Sydney Read more
Gay rights group trains Catholic teachers
Friday, May 24th, 2013
The gay rights group Stonewall, which campaigns for the legalisation of same-sex marriage, says it has been invited into several Catholic schools in England to give staff lessons on preventing “homophobic bullying”. After St Mary’s Primary Catholic School in Wimbledon, south London, confirmed inviting Stonewall to help staff address issues concerning homophobia and discrimination, the Read more