NewsWrap for the week ending December 21st, 1996 (As broadcast on THIS WAY OUT Program #456, distributed 12-23-96) [Compiled & written by Cindy Friedman, with thanks to Brian Nunes, Jason Lin, Ron Buckmire, Graham Underhill, Bjorn Skolander, Andy Quan, Kurt Krickler, Rex Wockner, Lucia Chappelle and Greg Gordon] The European Union summit meeting in Dublin failed to adopt human rights provisions proposed for the reform of the basic treaty constituting the EU. The proposals, which included explicit protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation, were prepared by the outgoing Irish Presidency of the EU, although the incoming Dutch Presidency is also expected to support their inclusion in further Intergovernmental Conference negotiations of the Treaty of Maastricht. Both the European Parliament and the Council of Europe have recommended the inclusion of human rights in the agreement, as part of a plan to make the international body more present and desirable for individual citizens. At this time, the single currency and other economic issues have dominated discussions, but the Treaty's revision is a lengthy and complex process involving multiple steps at different levels of government. ILGA , the International Lesbian and Gay Association, has promised to lobby vigorously throughout for gay and lesbian human rights protections in the EU. It won't be easy to gain the unanimous approval that current EU procedures require ... and even harder since the proposed human rights article is not just rhetoric, but provides for suspension of some privileges of EU membership if a country demonstrates repeated human rights abuses. The Bundesrat, the upper house of the Austrian Parliament, voted last week to accept a package of penal code reforms including decriminalizing the dissemination of positive information about homosexuality and the organizing of gay and lesbian groups. The repeal of those criminal code articles had previously been approved by the Nationalrat, the lower house. It's believed that passage in the Bundesrat would have been much more difficult except for the items being part of a larger overhaul of the penal code. The revised laws go into effect on March 1, 1997. The reforms represent 17 years of lobbying by gay and lesbian activists, whose work broke the laws just repealed. Their work is not done, however. They've still not achieved their primary target of equalizing the age of consent, which now prescribes 18 years for sex acts between men, compared to only 14 years for acts between women or heterosexual pairs. That reform proposal was defeated in the Nationalrat by a tie vote. A British case which may strike down discriminatory ages of consent is now before the European Court. Namibia's President Sam Nujoma inserted homophobic statements into a prepared speech in early December. He reportedly said, "all necessary steps must be taken to combat all influences that are influencing us and our children in a negative way. Homosexuals must be condemned and rejected in our society." Nujoma also made refereces to "purity" and "a healthy nation" while condemning homosexuality as "a foreign and corrupt ideology." Although the offensive remarks did not appear in the official transcript of the speech, to one informant it seemed as if they were also being read by Nujoma. The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation claims that the videotape of Nujoma's appearance before the Swapo Women's Council Congress has been erased. Namibia's gay and lesbian civil rights movement, almost completely invisible until now, came forward the day after the story broke to request a meeting with Nujoma. Their prepared statement asked that Nujoma refrain from what they called "public statements regarding issues you are not familiar with and which in return will have a detrimental impact on part of the Namibian population," and went on to say, "The gay community of Namibia strongly urges you not to marginalize and discriminate against us, nor incite the masses which could lead to regrettable deeds. We are prepared to meet you to clear up misconceptions regarding our sexual orientation, which we are proud of and not prepared to apologize for." Their statement also referred to a 1990 reassurance received from Prime Minister Hage Geingob that Namibia's Constitution would protect their human rights. The legal status of homosexuality in Namibia is apparently ill-defined. In a broadcast speech before a group of high school students in Haifa this week, Israeli President Ezer Weizman not only expressed his personal distaste for homosexuality, he performed stereotypical imitations that drew laughter from his audience. Of gays and homosexuality, Weizman said, "It is abnormal from a social point of view. I don't like it. What the public decides to do with them, it will decide through laws. There are those who tolerate the phenomenon. I know a lot of places where... I see someone and know exactly what he is." Paradoxically, Weizman complained that gays and lesbians have been receiving too much attention. In a phony high voice, he said, "It has become 'nice'." A national gay and lesbian organization immediately called for Weizman's resignation, as spokesperson Uzi Even said, "Weizman is no longer suited to be president. A man in his position should not deal with placing an entire community outside the law in a democratic state." A Kuwaiti police officer said while arresting seven gay Filipino hair dressers, "The presence of gays and their actions cannot be tolerated," according to the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait. The gay men are being held at a deportation center and are expected to be deported next week. While the precise charges against them have yet to be reported, it seems they're alleged to have run so-called massage services out of their hair salons. Kuwait has been carrying out a campaign to eliminate "undesirable elements" from the country. The Philippine Embassy says that's due to the increased influence of traditional Muslims in the Kuwaiti legislature since the recent election there. Spanish activists now believe they can expect legal recognition for unmarried couples, both heterosexual and same-gender, before the close of the century -- if the current Popular Party government can only outlast the procedural bureaucracy. Previously, activists had steadily lobbied the Socialist Party for legal partnerships and made some real progress, only to find themselves starting over again when the government changed hands at the beginning of this year. The government is a little shaky, with no majority except as a 3-way coalition, but all 3 are currently interested in supporting a partnership measure, as are several other parties. The draft version of the partnership law submitted to the Parliament by the Socialist Party would recognize unmarried partners for purposes of pensions, inheritance, and other fiscal matters and benefits. The draft rejects adoption rights for gay and lesbian couples, as do the partnership laws of Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Ontario's highest court has given the provincial legislature a one-year deadline for law reform to eliminate discrimination between unmarried heterosexual and same-gender couples. The ruling came December 18 in the case of lesbians "M" and "H," as the court granted M standing to sue H for support following the dissolution of their four-year relationship. H's counsel had argued that Ontario's Family Law Act specifies that a couple is a man and a woman, leaving H immune to M's claim. The high court, known as the Court of Appeal, decided by 2-to-1 that the Act is discriminatory, and gave the legislature one year in which to change it. The Ontario legislature has previously rejected proposals for comprehensive law reform to grant equal recognition to same-gender couples, instead allowing a series of federal and provincial judicial decisions to chip away at the current law item by item, at considerable taxpayer expense. The Court of Appeal offered the one-year window in the belief that a comprehensive legislative solution was more appropriate. If the legislature fails to act, the ruling will go into effect with a gender-neutral redefinition of common-law marriage. Justice Louise Charron wrote in the majority opinion, "The inclusion of same-sex cohabitees ... would only serve to further the desirable goals of the legislation." Mentioned among those desirable goals was relieving the state of having to support those who, like M, have lost the support of a partner on whom they were economically dependent. In dissent, Justice George Finlayson denied that discrimination caused any disadvantage to same-gender couples, saying that heterosexual couples are "not only the traditional, but also the basic social structure for the procreation of children." And finally ... "Queer as a three-dollar bill" is an old expression reflecting the fact that there is no such thing as a $3 U.S. note. There's also no such thing -- just yet -- as a eurounit, the proposed single currency of the European Union, but when there is, it won't bear the likeness of a known or suspected gay man, no matter how famous. When a committee met to develop the design of the paper money, a series of famous names were suggested as possible portrait subjects for it, instead of the national heroes or heads of state who usually grace the notes of more traditional political units. One of them was Leonardo da Vinci, perhaps the most extraordinary mind the human species has ever produced, but his nomination was reportedly shot down because "it was feared that the old tale about his homosexuality might be dragged up," as one committee member told the media. Also nominated and rejected was Shakespeare, although not on the grounds of his oft-speculated homosexuality, but because of the anti-Semitism of "The Merchant of Venice." In fact, there seemed to be someone with a reason to reject just about anyone, until the group realized that with 15 countries and only 7 denominations, half of the constituent nations were bound to be displeased. It was at that point that the committee threw out the portrait idea altogether and turned to maps and -- several committee members being architects -- buildings. -----------*-------------- Sources for this week's report included: The Associated Press; The Daily Telegraph/London; The Jersalem Post/Israel; Reuter News Service; United Press International; The Windhoek Advertiser/Namibia; EuroQueer Digest; and cyberpress releases from HOSI Vien/Austria; the International Gay & Lesbian Association; and Fundacion Triangulo por la Igualdad Social de Gais y Lesbianas/Spain.