“NewsWrap" for the week ending January 24, 2009 (As broadcast on "This Way Out" program #1,087, distributed 1-26-09) [Written by Greg Gordon, with thanks to Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley] Reported this week by Rick Watts and Tanya Kane-Parry Nigeria’s House of Representatives has unanimously passed new legislation banning same-gender marriage, according to a report this week on the British Web site “Pink-news-dot-com.” The bill "prohibits marriage between persons of [the] same gender, solemnization of same and other matters related therewith." Representatives said that both Islam and Christianity, the prominent religions in the West African country, condemn homosexual acts. One lawmaker, Igo Aguma, said that the bill would help curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country. “Young children are already victims of being lured into this cruel and unimaginable act,” he said. But Leo Igwe, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Humanist Movement, said the legislation would undermine the country’s efforts to fight the disease, calling it “a step backward for Nigeria's democracy and a breach of the nation's human rights obligations... At a time when many civilized nations are taking measures to abolish all forms of discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual orientation, we humanists call on President Musa Yar'dua not to sign this oppressive and retrogressive bill into law." Nigeria already punishes "c arnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature or permits a male to have carnal knowledge of him" with up to 14 years in prison. But the biggest news this week, generally celebrated around the world as well as in the U.S., was the inauguration of America’s 44th President, Barack Obama. LGBT people were among the millions who attended various events in the Capitol leading up to his swearing-in on January 20th. In perhaps an ironic final symbol of the 8 years of bungling by Obama’s predecessor, Bush-appointed Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts tried to administer the Constitutionally mandated 35-word presidential oath of office from memory, but didn’t get it exactly right. So, with what an Obama spokesperson called “an abundance of caution,” the nation’s first African-American President re-took the oath of office the next day. Perhaps the most high-profile and visible moment for LGBT people during the events was the inclusion of a lesbian couple in the entourage of "everyday Americans" that traveled by train with the families of then-President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. on January 17th. The couple Lisa Hazirjian and Michelle Kaaiser from Cleveland were interviewed on “CNN” afteer they got off the train, and attended a number of other inaugural events with the group, including the Neighborhood Ball one of 10 Inaugural galas - where they were intro duced and danced with the Obamas. While many other LGBT people participated in the historic events, the national media generally kept them invisible. Openly gay New Hampshire Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson was invited to deliver the invocation at the star-studded “We Are One” concert on January 18th at the Lincoln Memorial, but HBO’s 2-hour broadcast of the event began after Robinson’s appearance. Several different choral groups backed up such stars as Bruce Springsteen and Garth Brooks during the concert, and while only the Navy Glee Club was identified during the broadcast, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington with red ribbons in their lapells even had a solo moment during the performance by Josh Groban andd Heather Headley of the original British anthem given U.S. words... [“My Country ‘Tis of Thee” sound]. President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama smiled and waved as the Lesbian and Gay Band Association, lead by a prominent identifying banner, marched by their reviewing stand during the post-Inaugural Parade... [sound]. The band was the 80th contingent in a 103-group procession that marched up Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. Viewers watching C-SPAN saw them, but MSNBC and CNN cut to commercials just seconds before the Band arrived. Outspokenly homophobic Pastor Rick Warren of Orange County, California’s Saddleback Church spoke in general terms of “justice for all” during his Inaugural invocation20 whose choice by Obaama to deliver it was much criticized - and even praised the selection of Bishop Robinson to deliver the “We Are One” invocation earlier in the week. And while his Inaugural speech didn’t specifically mention LGBT people, Obama spoke of the “promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.” Linda Holtzman, who came from Philadelphia for the inauguration, told the “Washington Blade” LGBT newspaper that Obama’s swearing in “for the first time made me feel patriotic.” She may have echoed the feelings of the vast majority of Americans by saying that the best scene of the day was “when you saw Bush get on a helicopter and fly away." And at noon on Inauguration Day, the White House website, white-house-dot-gov, was updated to reflect the new president's priorities. The civil rights area repeats Obama's campaign pledges on LGBT issues: expansion of federal hate crimes protections; enactment of a comprehensive workplace anti-discrimination law covering both sexual orientation and gender identity; opposition to a federal marriage amendment and repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act; federal recognition of all the rights that states confer through domestic partnerships, civil unions, or marriage; repeal of the “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy that bans service by openly-lesbigay personnel; and gay-inclusive HIV prevention efforts. Obama has alread y signed an executive order rescinding a ban on funding for family planning groups in foreign countries. Services by many of these organizations include comprehensive sexual education, access to contraceptives, and information about abortions. Known as the global gag rule, it had denied U.S. funding to family planning organizations that even advised clients about those services. It was initially put into force by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 but was rescinded by Bill Clinton in 1993. George W. Bush reinstated the policy in 2001 when he first took office. As the new Obama administration begins its challenging work, at least 10 high-level LGBT appointees appear poised to join the effort. Nancy Sutley, who has been Deputy Los Angeles Mayor for energy and environment, was named as chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality in mid-December. In Los Angeles, Sutley was credited with increasing municipal use of wind and solar power and reducing the number of diesel trucks serving the port. Fred Hochberg will reportedly become the head of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. The Bank is the nation's official export credit agency, helping to finance distribution of American goods to international markets. Hochberg has long been active in Democratic and gay circles in New York, and led the Small Business Administration during President Bill Clinton's second term. The “Washington Post” reported that John Berry, director of the Smithsonian's National Zoo=2 0in Washington and a former assistant secretary of the Interior under Clinton, is in the final stages of vetting for the post of director of the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees the federal civil service workforce of about 3 million people. The Obama transition team announced the appointment in early January of Bradley J. Kiley as director of the Office of Management and Administration, basically overseeing the day-to-day functioning of the West Wing. Kiley was a deputy assistant in that office in the Clinton administration, and more recently served as vice president of finance and operations at the Center for American Progress, a liberal policy research and advocacy organization. The LGBT “Advocate” newsmagazine has reported that Brian Bond, who formerly headed the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and also worked for the Democratic National Committee, will become the deputy director of the White House Office of Public Liaison. That office oversees the administration's relationship with a wide variety of constituencies. Bond is expected to be the key White House go-to guy on LGBT issues. Dave Noble, who served as director of LGBT voter mobilization in the Obama campaign, is widely reported to be the president's choice for White House Liaison to NASA. Noble previously led Capitol Hill lobbying efforts for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and has also worked for the National Stonewall Democrats. Karine Jean-Pierre, who was a regional political director in the Obama campaign, has been tapped to be the White House liaison to the Labor Department. She joined the campaign after serving as the Washington press secretary for Congressman Anthony Weiner, a New York City Democrat. Vice President Joe Biden's director of administration will be Moe Vela, a Denver Civil Service commissioner who advised then-Vice President Al Gore on Hispanic Affairs from 1996 until 2000. David Media, who most recently worked at the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign, which aims to increase American investments in oversees development and diplomacy, will serve as First Lady Michelle Obama's deputy chief of staff. And Anthony Bernal, who did scheduling and advance work for Clinton and Gore, will be director of scheduling for Dr. Jill Biden, the vice president's wife. And finally, France’s Secretary of State for Parliamentary Relations came out to “Agence France Presse” this week ahead of the publication of his memoirs. 57-year-old Roger Karoutchi is a close personal friend of French President Nicholas Sarkozy and is a former Member of the European Parliament and Senator. "Yes, I have a life," he told AFP. "I have a partner and I'm happy with him. As I'm happy, I see no reason why I should hide that." Karoutchi becomes the first openly gay government minister in France. The Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë, is probably the most prominent openly gay person in French politics. He’s a possible Socialist candidate for the preside ncy in 2012. Get instant access to the latest & most popular FREE games while you browse with the Games Toolbar - Download Now!