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         =   INTERNATIONAL NEWS #287 - Oct 25, 1999  =  
         =             (c) Rex Wockner               =   
         =============================================  

--> U.S. DENOUNCES MUSEVENI

The U.S. State Department Oct. 15 denounced Ugandan President
Yoweri Museveni's Sept. 27 announcement that the nation's
homosexuals will be arrested for "abominable acts."

Museveni said: "I have told the CID [Criminal Investigations 
Department] to look for homosexuals, lock them up and charge
them. Even the Holy Bible spells it out clearly that God created
Adam and Eve as wife and husband, but not men to marry fellow
men."

In a written statement, State Department Deputy Spokesman James
Foley said: "The United States views with deep concern and
consternation the reported comments by Ugandan President Yoweri
Museveni on September 27 threatening the arrest of homosexuals
based on Ugandan legislation barring homosexual activity. We
would view the arrest and imprisonment of persons based on their
sexual orientation as a serious human rights violation,
regardless of whether such arrests are sanctioned by Ugandan
legislation."

Foley continued: "Uganda is party to the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, as well as to international conventions on civil
and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights.
Although they do not specifically address sexual orientation,
Uganda's participation in these conventions entails a broad
commitment to respect the rights of individuals in general. We
urge the Ugandan government to ensure that none of its citizens
face harassment or detention as a result of their sexual
orientation."


--> GAY PROTECTION BILL INTRODUCED IN ITALY

An anti-discrimination bill introduced in parliament by Italy's
minister for equal opportunities would, among other things, ban
discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The law would apply to political, economic and social life, and
would include a ban on workplace bias.

Violators could be punished with up to three years in prison and
a fine of 2 million lira (US$1,125).


--> TOP UK FAMILY JUDGE FAVORS GAY ADOPTIONS

The president of Britain's High Court Family Division, Elizabeth
Butler-Sloss, said Oct. 15 that gay couples should be allowed to
adopt children.

"Over the years, all the research has shown that for some
children this turns out to be the best that can be available for
them," she said. "We should not close our minds to suitable
families who are clearly not within the old-fashioned approach." 


--> MOST BRITISH ANTI-GAY ATTACKS NOT REPORTED

A new survey has found that 82 percent of anti-gay attacks in
Britain are never reported to police.

The National Advisory Group study questioned 2,600 gays and
lesbians, 56 percent of whom had been the victim of a homophobic
incident.

Most of those who did not notify police said they feared
officers' reactions.

The poll data was released at a conference in Oxford called
"Challenging Homophobia -- Changing Culture."


--> LESBIAN GROUP FINED FOR TRANNY DISCRIMINATION

The Vancouver, Canada, organization Lesbian Connections was fined
$2,030 by a British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal Oct. 15 for
banning a pre-op transsexual from its drop-in center.

Susan Mamela was told not to come back in March 1997 following an
argument over the nature of womanhood. Mamela considers herself a
radical lesbian-feminist who is "female" but is not a "woman"
because of the socio-political baggage attached to the idea of
"woman."

The tribunal said the organization injured Mamela's dignity,
feelings and self-respect.


--> MISHIMA OUTING BOOK BANNED

Tokyo District Court last week upheld the banning of a book that
outed Japan's most famous novelist, Yukio Mishima.

The book, "Sword and Winter Red" by Jiro Fukushima, reprinted 15
of Mishima's love letters to Fukushima. It was banned in 1998 10
days after it went on sale when Mishima's son and daughter sued
for copyright violation. About 90,000 copies had been sold.

The District Court also ordered the author and publisher to pay
Mishima's family five million yen (US$47,150) in damages.

Mishima committed suicide in 1970.


--> NEW ZEALAND HERO PARADE POSTPONED

New Zealand's biggest gay event, the Hero Parade, will be
postponed from February till November 2000 due to financial
problems.

Hero Trust Co-chair Sean Lofts told the New Zealand Herald: "A
parade in February 2000 was unachievable. ... Moving the parade
to November allows the organisation time to concentrate on a
strategic plan that is fiscally responsible and enables time to
reconnect with our communities." 


--> ONTARIO POLITICIANS ACKNOWLEDGE SEX WITH HIV-POSITIVES

In the midst of a health department campaign to obtain an escort
agency's date book in order to warn customers who had sex with
HIV-positive prostitutes, two Ontario politicians have
acknowledged having sex with men who were HIV-positive.

Member of the Provincial Parliament George Smitherman said Oct.
19 he'd had sex with HIV-positive men but since he used a condom
there was nothing to be concerned about.

Gay Toronto city councillor Kyle Rae was the first to challenge
the health department's presuppositions by saying that he, too,
has had safe sex with HIV-positive men.


--> UKRAINIAN GAY BAR RAIDED

The Kiev, Ukraine, gay bar Kletka was raided at 3 a.m. Oct. 22 by
15 policemen and four officers from the Anti-Organized Crime
Squad.

Patrons were forced to stand facing the wall for four hours and
some were relieved of their cash, according to a report from the
gay Our World Center in Lugansk. They were also threatened with
compulsory psychiatric examination and some were telephoned the
next morning at their places of employment.

The police claimed the club had violated the nation's Law On
Meetings and Actions by engaging in unspecified "unauthorized
actions."

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