NewsWrap for the week ending September 13, 2003 (As broadcast on This Way Out program #807, distributed 9-15-03) [Written by Cindy Friedman, with thanks to Graham Underhill, Fenceberry, Rex Wockner, and Greg Gordon] Anchored by Christopher Gaal and Cindy Friedman Australia's Senate this week approved a resolution calling on the federal Government to introduce a bill to extend legal recognition to gay and lesbian couples. Openly gay Australian Democratic Party Senator from West Australia Brian Greig offered the resolution to join the Senate's voice to the United Nations Human Rights Committee judgment announced last week. That quasi-judicial panel found that Australia had violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by denying pension benefits to a gay war veteran's surviving partner, and ordered the government to end its sexual orientation discrimination. As an "urgency motion," Greig's resolution had to be considered immediately, and after an hour of intense debate, it was passed with the support of the Opposition Australian Labor Party and Greens as well as his ADP. Greig called it "the strongest resolution in favor of gay and lesbian law reform ever to be debated or voted on in our Federal Parliament." But he went on to say, "We are unlikely to get any reform under [Coalition Prime Minister] Howard but it is now clear where all the minor parties stand and it bodes well for reform under a future ... Government." The Scottish Executive announced this week that it will neither support a private member's bill to create legal registered partnerships open to gays and lesbians nor introduce similar legislation of its own, but will leave the issue up to the UK. Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said the decision by Scotland's Labour-Liberal Democrat cabinet was unanimous, reflecting concern for an already-crowded Parliamentary agenda and for legal consistency across provincial borders. She said, "While I accept that for same-sex couples this is a very important issue -- it is not an immediate priority for the overwhelming majority of Scotland's people at this time." The British Government's partnership proposal is currently in the consultation stage and may be a couple of years away from enactment. Should it be adopted, Scotland will use a streamlined so-called "Sewel motion" to make it Scotland's law as well. But the Opposition Scottish National Party's Nicola Sturgeon said that "80% of the areas affected by civil partnerships" are under Scotland's authority, and she accused the Scottish Executive of "an abdication of responsibility." Gay rights activist and Green Member of the Scottish Parliament Patrick Harvie expressed "extreme disappointment". According to press reports, Cabinet members were quite critical of the quality of his civil partnerships bill off the record. He in turn accused them of "a lack of political courage." Full equal marriage rights for gays and lesbians have the approval of 57% of citizens of the 15 member nations of the European Union, according to an EOS Gallup Europe poll. That figure falls to 42% when the question is adoptions by same-gender couples. But responses are dramatically different among the 13 nations now on track to join the EU, with only 23% favoring marriage and 17% supporting adoption. The Roman Catholic Church continues its political campaign against legal recognition of same-gender couples, as clergy follow the lead of a July decree from the Vatican. This week the administrative committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops met and issued a statement declaring their "general support" for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would restrict legal marriage to one man and one woman. They also said that they "strongly oppose any legislative and judicial attempts ... to grant same-sex unions the equivalent status and rights of marriage -- by naming them marriage, civil unions or by other means." The statement did include a reminder that the church teaches that "homosexual persons ... must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity." The Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops also met this week, and issued a pastoral letter warning that opening legal marriage to gay and lesbian couples would "have a serious impact on society." The Canadian bishops wrote, "We remain convinced solutions can be found without proceeding to a radical redefinition of marriage. ... We reject the attempt of the State to reduce all intimate personal relationships to the same level, leading to the disappearance of the civil institution of marriage..." At a news conference, Bishops Council President Jacques Berthelet denied that restricting marriage to heterosexual couples is discriminatory, and said that the Government's draft marriage bill confuses equality with uniformity. The Church hopes the Supreme Court of Canada will agree to hear its arguments for keeping marriage het-only. But Montreal Archbishop Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte stole the show when he questioned whether the dangerous unknown consequences of marriage equality would open the door to incestuous relationships. Justice Minister Martin Cauchon later denied any connection between the two, noting that incest is a criminal offense and just as likely to occur under the present federal definition of marriage. Montreal's Anglican Archdeacon Peter Hannen also reacted, telling reporters, "I cannot imagine a statement from our house of bishops of the same kind as the Canadian Catholic bishops has done... you won't find the Anglican Church of Canada as a corporate body taking a stance in this campaign." Gays and lesbians are not taking the Catholic attacks quietly. In 70%-Catholic Slovakia, perhaps 100 picketers were among the crowd at the Bratislava airport for the arrival of Pope John Paul II. Banners included, "Do not discriminate against your neighbor" and "I have a different opinion, will you burn me?" The youthful protestors were confronted by the older faithful, sometimes violently, until a priest asked the latter to pray for them instead. In Hong Kong last month, the groups Rainbow Action and Youth Commune crashed a mass to demand an apology for an article in the church newspaper "Kung Kao Po" denouncing gay and lesbian marriage. Unsurprisingly, four Rainbow Action ringleaders were then denied the chance to make confession, and responded with a further protest of praying and singing outside the cathedral. But this week representatives of Rainbow Action and at least 6 gay and lesbian civil rights groups met privately for two hours with Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun. The unprecedented discussion could not alter the Church's position on marriage, but the delegates were surprised to discover that Zen is aware of anti-gay discrimination and supports both legislation and education to counter it. A further meeting is planned for more discussion of equality legislation. India's Government has finally responded to a court challenge to the constitutionality of the sodomy law there, which provides for punishments up to life imprisonment. The challenge was brought 2 years ago by the Naz Foundation, an AIDS prevention group whose work has been interfered with by police actions and by its clients' fears. The law is not specific to homosexual acts and in theory could even apply to married couples, as it criminalizes "voluntary sex against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal". The Government defended it to the Delhi High Court on the grounds that, "Indian society is intolerant to the practice of homosexuality/lesbianism," with a disapproval "strong enough to justify it being treated as a criminal offense even where the adults indulge in it in private." The Government also feared that repeal could "well open the floodgates of delinquent behavior and be construed as providing unbridled license for same." Additionally the Government claimed that the law has been used primarily not to punish gays and lesbians but to prosecute child abuse and sexual assaults. The "Hindustan Times" called the law "a strange irony for the land that produced the most ancient treatise on sex, the Kamasutra of Vatsayana," and noted depictions of homosexuality in myths and temple art. And finally... With "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" busting cable TV ratings records in the U.S. and going international, and a new TV season opening with a raft of shows with queer content, it's nice to see some of those rewards being reaped as well by pioneer Ellen DeGeneres. Just 6 years ago both she and the lead character of her sitcom "Ellen" came out to the world in a major "first". The TV world hasn't been the same since she broke down the closet door, but so far others have benefited far more than she, as first "Ellen" and then its successor sitcom "The Ellen Show" went under. This season she's back on the tube with a syndicated talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," that premiered this week. Opening ratings were solid, up an average of 17% from programming in the same timeslots last year. Ellen attracted an average of 5% more viewers than the lead-in programs and finished first or second for her timeslot in 17 markets. Interestingly, she fared best in Columbus, Ohio.