Malta Gay News Library

Malta Gay Pride Week

2013-06-12T19:40:00.001+02:00

June 2013

Malta Gay Rights Movement
32, Parish Street, Mosta, MST 2021Tel 21 430 009 - Mob 9925 5559 www.maltagayrights.org - mgrm@maltagayrights.org

MGRM would like to invite you to participate in this year's Pride Week events spread out between the 17th June and 22nd June.

Love is Love is the theme for this year’s Pride Week as Malta commemoratesthe 40^th anniversary of the decriminalisation of sodomy and moves ever closer towards the enactment of a Civil Union Bill that will hopefully grant meaningful recognition and rights to same-sex couples. The report recently released by the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) sheds light on the social and human rights situation of LGBT people in all EU countries including Malta.

Clearly, despite increased awareness, contempt, derision and discrimination continue to be an everyday part of the lives of LGBT people in family life, employment, education and in the provision of goods and services, all because of who we love. As stated so eloquently by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, ‘for generations LGBT people have been made to feel anything but free and equal. For far too long, their suffering was met with silence in the halls of power.’ Love is Love is a celebration of our identities and relationships and our claim to the promise, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of a world in which all persons, irrespective of their sexual orientation or gender identity enjoy the protection and recognition they deserve.

Click Here to view the Pride Week Posters - We encourage you to make the Pride Week posters your own. Feel free to download your favourites and bring them along with you to the March, use them on facebook or share them with your friends.

Pride Week: 17th to 23rd June

Film Festival:
17th June - Weekend - 9pm & St James Cavalier
18th June - Kinky Boots - 9pm & St James Cavalier
20th June - Jack & Diane - 9pm & St James Cavalier

19th June - 7.30pm - Reception/Launch of It Gets Better Video in collaboration with the US Embassy at Monaliza Lounge Valletta

21st June - WomenSpace -
Doors open at 9.30pm till 4am
Venue: Tac-cavett Farm Handaq
Tickets: 8 Eur (pre-sold) 10 Eur @ the door.
For tickets call: Sonja 99826693, Tracy 99443035 and Lizzie 99877987

22nd June - Pride March
Gathering @ 10.30am in Great Siege Square (in front of law courts)

Major study finds children of gay parents do as well or better than peers

2013-06-12T19:37:00.002+02:00

Major study finds children of gay parents do as well or better than peers
Research conducted in Australia at the University of Melbourne suggests that children growing up in families with gay parents matched other children on measures of self-esteem and emotional well-being, and exceeded them in health and family cohesion. The Australian Study of Child Health in Same-Sex Families included 500 children from across the country, making it the world's largest study so far of gay parents and their children. Salon (6/5), The Daily Mail (London) (6/6), The Age (Melbourne, Australia) (6/5)

http://www.salon.com/2013/06/05/worlds_largest_study_on_gay_parents_finds_the_kids_are_more_than_all_right/

WEDNESDAY, JUN 5, 2013 10:04 PM +0200

World’s largest study on gay parents finds the kids are more than all right

According to the report, the children of gay parents are doing equally well or better than the national average

BY KATIE MCDONOUGH

(Credit: Shutterstock)

According to preliminary findings from the world’s largest study on the issue, the children of gay parents are doing equally well or better than the children of straight parents on a number of key health and well-being indicators. (Not that it’s a competition or anything!)

Researchers at Melbourne University in Australia collected data on 500 children across the country and found that kids growing up in gay and straight families matched pretty equally when it came to self-esteem, emotional well-being and the amount of time they spent with parents; but when it came to overall health and family cohesion, the children of gay parents did even better than the national average.

Lead researcher Dr Simon Crouch attributed the findings to gay families fostering open communication as they endure challenges together, which helps children become more resilient. “Because of the situation that same-sex families find themselves in, they are generally more willing to communicate and approach the issues that any child may face at school, like teasing or bullying,” he said.

All Out: Russia: brutal murders

2013-06-12T19:33:00.001+02:00

Gay hate and violence increasing in Russia as government cracks down on gay rights organisations. Sign the petition before Coming Out faces trial in 5 days.

Dear Patrick,
Crisis in Russia: two brutal murders for being gay within weeks. One man was stabbed to death by neighbours, and a younger man was beaten to death with rocks after coming out.

The rise in attacks is happening asPresident Putin wages war on gays and lesbians. His government has banned Pride marches and is trying to bring in a new anti-gay law. And this Tuesday, a major Russian gay organisation will go on trial to fight closure.

Putin is getting away with the crackdown because there’s little international media attention and no real pressure from other world leaders.
But if we start with a massive petition, we can work to get the crisis on the to do list of every world leader and onto the front pages of newspapers.

Can you sign before the trial on Tuesday?
http://www.allout.org/russia-attacks

Putin has shown he’s sensitive to international pressure about his treatment of gay and lesbians. When he visited the Netherlands recently, he was greeted by a big protest and media coverage.

He was later forced to claim publicly that he doesn’t support discrimination. Russian human rights workers told the All Out office team that this led directly to their finally being given a meeting with the Ombudsman for Human Rights - a big boost to their work.

Sign now and share the petition with friends and family:
http://www.allout.org/russia-attacks
President Putin thinks gays and lesbians are an easy target to help him crackdown on human rights and democracy, in his quest to hold on to power. He sees them as a tiny minority who can't fight back.

But what if instead of facing only the handful of people in Russia brave enough to stand up to terrifying violence and state power, he faced a movement of millions of us?

We’ve spoken up together about Russia before, but All Out has grown fast in the last two years. There are now 1.6 million of us in every country in the world - and there’s nothing we can’t do together for love.
Please sign now:
http://www.allout.org/russia-attacks

Thanks for going All Out,
Andre, Guillaume, Marie, Hayley, Jeremy, Sara, Tile, Wesley and the rest of the All Out team.

PS: There’s so much we could do if we grew the biggest petition the world has ever seen against the crackdown in Russia. Deliver it to embassies in every country. Use it get journalists to write high-profile features criticising Putin. Use it as a rallying point for protests whenever Russian officials visit other countries. Sign here: http://www.allout.org/russia-attacks

SOURCES:
Man Stabbed To Death In Russian Village In Homophobic Attack, June 3rd 2013
http://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/man-stabbed-to-death-in-russian-village-in-homopho-9a7s
Deadly homophobia: Man ‘killed for being gay’ in Southern Russia, May 13th 2013
http://rt.com/news/man-killed-homophobia-russia-198/

Vladimir Putin says Russia does not discriminate against gays, April 9th 2013
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/vladimir-putin-says-russia-does-not-discriminate-against-gays090413
Russia's Putin annoyed about gay rights discussion, June 4th 2013
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2013/06/04/3037706/russias-putin-annoyed-about-gay.html

Support All Out!
We don't take money from governments or corporations, so the only people we have to listen to are our members. Our tiny team stretches every contribution to make them count.

All Out is bringing people together in every corner of the planet and of every identity – lesbian, gay, straight, bisexual, transgender and all that's between and beyond – to build a world in which everyone can live freely and be embraced for who they are.
This is a campaign of Purpose Action, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization.
Our mailing address is:
Purpose Action
115 Fifth Avenue
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USA
Copyright © 2013 AllOut.org, All rights reserved.

Times: Civil Unions Bill in Parliament after the summer recess

2013-06-12T19:24:00.001+02:00

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130606/local/civil-unions-bill-in-parliament-after-the-summer-recess.472709
Thursday, June 6, 2013, 07:06

The government will present a Bill on civil unions in parliament after the summer recess, civil rights minister Helena Dalli has announced.

The government, she said, was also working on the provision of more childcare service in line with electoral commitments.

Speaking at a dialogue meeting, she said the government was also making LGBT issues a priority. She stressed, however, that changes in the law do not mean life would automatically get easier for such people and it was important to raise awareness.

The minister was replying to comments on LGBT issues by Albert Gauci Cunningham from the floor, who referred to a project by the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality which promotes equal rights in school materials among others.

Dr Dalli said teachers should take advantage of the current situation and use books perpetuating societal stereotypes to question whether they reflected society and ask their students if they knew of different family units, like single-parent families, gay couples and transgender people.

"We have a lot to work on when it comes to people's attitudes. It doesn't mean that just by passing a law, life automatically gets easier for transgender people," she said, referring to surveys showing that LGBT and transgender people are bullied at school.

At the moment parliament is discussing amendments to the Civil Code that would ensure that people who underwent gender reassignment surgery were recognised according to their acquired gender.

In the meantime the ministry is also holding discussions about the civil union law and the gender identity act.

Referring to Joanne Cassar's "martyrdom" after the previous government refrained from changing the law to recognise her as a woman following surgery, Ms Dalli said the new government has even won over the opposition. She noted that shadow minister Claudette Buttigieg's first words about the issue, following the Minister's presentation of the amendments in parliament, had been dedicated to Ms Cassar.

CONSUMER AFFAIRS

Anthony Licari, a lecturer at the University of Malta and the Institute for Tourism Studies noted that as public transport consumers, tourists should be considered like Maltese customers, and pay the same fee.

While agreeing from a consumer's perspective that everyone should be treated equally, Ms Dalli said this issue fell under the remit of the Transport Ministry.

Addressing another question about the subject, dR Dalli added that an operational review of the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority is also underway and this audit will define the road forward, with consumers topping the priority list. The audit will be completed in six weeks time.

Malta Today: Civil partnership bill expected after summer

2013-06-12T19:22:00.003+02:00

LGBT issues, consumer rights dominate consultation meeting with Minister Helena Dalli.

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Civil-partnership-bill-expected-after-summer-20130605
Wednesday 5 June 2013 - 21:08 by Raphael Vassallo

Social dialogue minister Helena Dalli

LGBT issues and consmer rights dominated tonight’s consultation meeting with Helena Dalli, minister for social dialogue, consumer rights and civil liberties: the third in a series of public dialogue sessions with the cabinet of ministers, held at the Auberge de Castille.

In reply to a question from the floor, Minister Helena Dalli confirmed that consultation is under way for a bill on civil partnerships for gay couples, in keeping with an electoral promise in the Labour Party manifesto.

A bill to this effect is expected to be presented in Parliament after the summer recess in September, Dalli revealed.

However, the minister explained that the government’s mandate does not extend to full marriage equality of the kind recently achieved in Uruguay, Brazil, New Zealand and elsewhere. Asked if government would reconsider this position if public opinion was found to be favourable towards such a law, Dalli appeared to hint at the possibility of a referendum: pointing out how ‘public opinion’ has to be gauged scientifically, and that a referendum was the method chosen in the case of assessing public opinion on divorce.

However, in subsequent comments to MaltaToday the minister clarified that it was not the government’s intention to put the issue of full marriage equality for same-sex couples to a popular vote.

Still on the subjetc of LGBT issues, Helena Dalli acknowledged that the education sector was encountering problems in the form of outdated school material that presented pupils with ‘ideal’family scenarios: examples included pictures in which he father was often portrayed as the main family breadwinner,while the mother was expected to stay at home and tend to the children.

The existence of single-parent families, same sex couples and gay or transgender family members was overlooked in educational material currently in use in Maltese schools. As this is not an issue that be can be overcome in the short-term, the minister encouraged educators to make use of this material to challenge exusting perceptions and traditional stereotypes.

She also aired her personal opinion that ideally, more inclusive material should be used in future: especially in primary schools, where such perceptions tend to be formed at an early, impressionable age.

“My generation had to unlearn much of what we were taught at school when we realised it no longer corresponded to the reality of the society in which we lived. I hope that future generations will not have to go through the same process.”

Dalli stressed the improtance of addressing these shortcomins within the educational sector: pointing towards statistics which suggest that 25% of transgender pergsons commit suicide at a young age, in part because of bullying at school, home or the workplace. The same survey also painted a bleak picture of violent hate crimes targeting this category.

Dalli also fielded a number of concerns pertaining to consumer rights: including the controversy surrounding different public transport fares for tourists. Dalli expressed her personal disagreement with the fare structure in its present form, but added that other ministries were involved in the sector andtherefore no decision could be taken before the views of all parties concerned were taken on board.

Representatives of NGOs who work with persons with disabilities also featured prominently at question time. Issues raised include the lack of a functional legal framework to guarantee full equality in schools and at the workplace, in spite of limited progress achieved in this regard under the previous administration.

Specific questions were also raised about the level of funding currently channelled towards NGOs active in this sector: in particular, the possibility of exploitation of vulnerable persons by NGOs which do not always supply the families concerned with information about the full spectrum of available services.

Some NGOs, it was claimed, even place undue pressure on parents who are often forced by sheer necessity to take a hurried decision. The minister was asked whether government would be willing to consider revising existing schemes to allow for the possibility of direct funding to the parents of persons with special needs.

Dalli acknowledged the validity of such a scheme, but questioned whether this would open new channels of abuse.

Elsewhere, the minister acknowledged that the situation regarding after-sales service provided by Malta’s retail sector left much to be desired, and that the consumer affairs authority may not be functioning as it should. Consumer protection levels remain low when compared to other EU member states; but the minister stopped short of committing herself to any legislation in this regard, and instead urged consumers to make choices based on the quality of the service provided.

Times: Commission in litany of reasons why the PN lost the election

2013-06-12T19:20:00.003+02:00

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130604/local/commission-in-litany-of-reasons-why-the-pn-lost-the-election.472559

Tuesday, June 4, 2013, 21:40

A commission tasked by the PN to investigate the causes of the party's electoral defeat has come up with a litany of reasons while saying that the PN needs to rekindle a ‘feel good’ feeling among the party supporters.

The commission, chaired by Ann Fenech, said the reasons for the defeat included public disappointment over the bus service reform, the City Gate project, the pay rise to ministers, arrogance and a lack of good communication with the people, divisions within the party, the situation in Mepa and the cost of living.

The party had not managed to reunite after John Dalli lost to Lawrence Gonzi in the PN leadership election (in 2008), the report says, with divisions becoming deeper with the disagreements by a number of MPs.

A number of people felt some ministers should have resigned when policies failed.

The fact that the Cabinet was small meant that ministers were too busy to meet people and keep a close-enough eye on civil servants, the report says. Customer care sections within ministries were also not effective enough.

Criticism was made over the past that tax cuts were 'too little, too late' and the Tax Compliance Unit was sometimes inhumane.

Other reasons were the party’s position on divorce, ‘sabotage’ by Labour-leaning civil servants and the absence of a clear policy on gay rights, hospital waiting lists and delays.

Voters were also irked by the appointment of parliamentary assistants to appease backbenchers, the appointment of certain people to boards, inefficiency at Arms (the water and electricity billing agency), the Enemalta oil scandal and the building of the Delimara power station.

The restructuring of Air Malta, Sea Malta and the dockyard also affected many people negatively.

The state of the roads, and the pro-government stance of the State broadcaster disappointed some people.

The Government's position on hunting did not please environmentalists or hunters while the PN's anti-racism stand on illegal immigration also failed to go down well with the electorate.

Former PN leader Lawrence Gonzi was deemed "too conservative" and was too taken up by the country's problems to focus on the organizational shortcomings within the party.

Furthermore, many people simply wanted a change of government, despite the national economy doing well.

The report also mentions "bloggers with Nationalist sympathies". It says that the PN was often blamed for what they wrote, even though some people felt these same bloggers were doing the work the party should have been doing. The PN could have dissociated itself from bloggers who were making personal attacks.

The commission said the PN underestimated the personality of Labour leader Joseph Muscat and the impact of the changes he made to his party even with seemingly superficial things like a change in logo and the idea of building a movement.

The commission said it received more than 2,500 emails and 120 letters and it conducted 135 interviews.

Among reasons why Labour won the election, the report mentions the resignation of former leader Alfred Sant, the death of Labour icon Dom Mintoff, the call for meritocracy and the setting up of a PL section for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender people.

The Labour slogan Malta Taghna Lkoll (Malta for All), the call for unity and the well-funded Labour campaign also contributed significantly.

The report says that Labour's "fourth floor" - which was criticised during the election as the place where Dr Muscat's clique met - created an open environment in which everyone enjoyed working, similarly to the PN's headquarters in the past.

Among various recommendations, the commission said there should be a limit of 10 years for ministers, the party leader and Prime Minister to ensure renewal, among many other administrative recommendations.

See the executive summary by clicking the pdf below.

Attached files: PN report

Independent UK: Peers vote convincingly FOR same-sex marriage

2013-06-12T19:10:00.003+02:00

http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/wreckers-routed-as-lords-backs-gay-marriage-bill-8644639.html
5.6.2013 by Andrew Grice

Plans to legalise same-sex marriage cleared their crucial hurdle in the House of Lords last night, with peers rejecting a move to “kill the Bill” which will implement the move.

The first gay weddings are now expected to be held in July 2014 after the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill survived an attempt to block it after a heated two-day debate in the Lords.

A wrecking amendment was defeated by 390 votes to 148 and the measure was then given a second reading.

Opponents of the move will table amendments during the Bill's committee stage in the Lords, in the hope of winning further safeguards for churches and public servants such as registrars who oppose same-sex marriage.

But last night's big majority will reduce the prospects of them succeeding, and jubilant supporters hope the Bill will now survive largely intact.

Lord Alli of Norbury, a gay Labour peer, welcomed "a stunning victory for equality". He said: "There can be no doubt that the public, the House of Commons and now the House of Lords are in favour of marriage equality. Those opposed to this Bill should listen to the overwhelming voice of the majority, not just in both Houses of Parliament, but across the country."

Ben Summerskill, chief executive of the gay equality pressure-group Stonewall, said: "We're absolutely delighted. We always expected a tough challenge in the House of Lords."

He said the rarely used "fatal motion" tabled by opponents showed the lengths to which a minority of peers were still prepared to go to deny full equality to lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

He added: "In the last 24 hours alone, opponents of equality in the Lords have compared loving, committed relationships to incest and polygamy. Britain's 3.7 million gay people don't deserve to be second-class citizens in their own country."

But critics warned the fight is not yet over. Bob Woollard, chairman of the Conservative Grassroots group, said: "We recognise that others, whilst having reservations about the Bill, were reluctant to take the unusual step of voting it down at this stage. We urge the House of Lords to fulfil its constitutional role to give full and proper scrutiny to this Bill. There is still time for the Government to reconsider this un-Conservative proposal and we look forward to continuing to make the leadership aware of the deep reservations amongst the grassroots about the political and practical implications of this Bill."

Last night's decisive vote was a boost for David Cameron, who was praised by some Labour peers for his "courage" in pressing ahead with gay marriage.

The Prime Minister hopes that now the Bill has received big majorities in both Houses of Parliament, the heat will go out of the debate. He believes that gay marriage will be accepted once it has been introduced, just as opposition to civil partnerships faded quickly after they were allowed.

Although peers do not normally vote against a Bill on its second reading, Lord Dear, a cross-bench peer and former Chief Constable of the West Midlands, tried to stop the measure in its tracks with his wrecking amendment.

He told peers the proposal could "completely alter the concept of marriage as we know it", saying the Bill was "ill-thought-through" and had no democratic legitimacy.

It was so "fatally flawed" that it was incapable of sensible amendment and should be sent straight back to "the drawing board", he argued.

Lord Vinson, a Tory peer, warned that same-sex marriage could create a "moral mess" by fundamentally altering the "most important social structure ever known to mankind". He added: "Fifty years ago those who criticised Christ were persecuted; today those who promote Christ are prosecuted. We need the sort of legal protection that was given to conscientious objectors in the last war – a war that was fought to allow the very freedoms of expressions and thought that are under attack today."

Meanwhile, Baroness Stowell of Beeston, a Government whip and equalities spokeswoman who won praise for her speeches in the debate, said the legislation was a "force for good" which would strengthen the institution of marriage.

She said that if further changes to the Bill were necessary to make protections for religious organisations clearer, the Government would consider doing so.

Lords at war: What they said

Lord Birt: "This brave Bill brings us one historic step closer to a better world."

Lord Mackay: "I conclude that the union... in this Bill is not the institution of marriage but a new and different institution which deserves a name of its own."

Lord Vinson: "If we mix up values and edges are no longer defined, it is like mixing many paints together. The end result is a dull, amorphous moral mess.

Lord Collins of Highbury: "My husband and I have taken every opportunity given to us to celebrate our 16-year relationship on an equal footing in civic society."

Lord Glenarthur: "I fear for the future of family life if this Bill is passed."

Lord Eden: "This bill... is damaging, divisive and destructive."

Baroness Thornton: "It is the personal testimonies, not just of those lords who faced discrimination... but all of those who have spoken of the love and strength they have found through their partners, civil partners, husbands and wives to secure our resolve."

PN: Rapport dwar ir-Riżultat tal-Elezzjoni Ġenerali 2013 b'ħarsa 'l quddiem

2013-06-05T21:05:00.000+02:00

31.5.2013, Il-Partit Nazzjonalista fil-Gvern fis-snin 2008 – 2013
Ara r-rapport kollu [hawn].

L-EWWEL TAQSIMA - Għaliex tilef il-Partit Nazzjonalista?

Id-drittijiet tal-persuni omosesswali
Inħass li l-Gvern naqas milli jifforma politika ċara dwar id-drittijiet tal-persuni omosesswali u kien żball li l-liġi li tirregola dan il-qasam tħalliet fuq l-ixkaffa għal ħafna snin u għalhekk deher insensittiv.

IT-TIENI TAQSIMA - Għaliex rebaħ il-Partit Laburista?

LGBT
Il-ħolqien tal-grupp LGBT fi ħdan il-Partit Laburista kien l-ewwel messaġġ li l-Partit Laburista kien qed ikun miftuħ għal kulħadd.

BBC News: New bid to find HIV vaccine begins in London hospital

2013-06-04T19:24:00.002+02:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22719391
30 May 2013 Last updated at 14:19 GMT

By Jane DreaperHealth correspondent, BBC News

Scientists handle thousands of blood samples every year at the HIV vaccine laboratory in London

A fresh effort to find a vaccine for HIV is beginning at laboratories in a London hospital and two centres in Africa.

Scientists are recruiting 64 healthy adult volunteers for the trial, which is expected to take up to two years.

The work will be split equally between London, the Rwandan capital Kigali and Nairobi in Kenya.

This early trial is being run by the International Aids Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), a non-profit organisation.

The principal investigator, Dr Jill Gilmour, who has worked at the laboratory at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital since its founding in 2001, says she is optimistic that the Aids virus can eventually be tackled with a vaccine.

'Formidable beast'

The virus is now 30 years old, and the search for a vaccine has proved elusive so far.

“Start Quote

I believe it's not if, it's when we will have an effective HIV vaccine”

Dr Jill GilmourIAVI human immunology laboratory

However, an American-backed trial in Thailand found in 2009 that a combination of two vaccine prototypes was 30% effective in preventing HIV infection.

Follow-up trials are being planned with the aim of improving those initial results.

In the IAVI trial, volunteers who are free of HIV and not at risk of catching the infection will receive a combination of two vaccines.

One of them is derived from a weakened version of Sendai, a flu-like virus that infects rodents. It will be administered through nasal drops.

This is because in the early stages of infection, both HIV and Sendai affect the mucosal tissues, which are found in the nose and also in the genital area.

Dr Gilmour said: "I believe it's not if, it's when we will have an effective HIV vaccine. There is now strong scientific data to support that position.

Dr Jill Gilmour is a founding member of the laboratory, which began work in 2001

"We will get there but vaccine development takes time. It's not for the faint-hearted.

"Bear in mind that with polio, it was 45 years from discovering the virus to getting an effective vaccine.

"HIV is a formidable beast with sneaky tricks. It changes every time it divides, so it's highly variable. And it can integrate into your own cells, so your immune system can't see it."

The trial is early work known as Phase I, meaning that the aim is to ensure the vaccine is safe and induces an immune response.

Dr Gilmour added: "Delivering the vaccine into the nose has public health benefits, because we're not using needles.

"If we see strong immune responses, we go into the larger second phase of testing whether the vaccine is effective in reducing transmission or lowering the load of the virus.

"The Sendai product is modified from a virus which affects rodents, including hamsters. From our perspective, it's a bonus that this virus has lived in the human environment without causing us harm."

The hospital laboratory in London freezes and analyses many thousands of blood samples

The IAVI laboratory at Chelsea and Westminster handles almost 100,000 blood samples a year and has supported more than 20 other vaccine trials.

Its work includes sending test kits to sub-Saharan African countries at the heart of the Aids epidemic, carefully tracking the thousands of blood samples that it holds and ships elsewhere, and ensuring the data and paperwork from trials is rigorously monitored, so the results from different sets of tests can be pooled.

Jason Warriner, clinical director at the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "We welcome investment in the search for a vaccine against HIV. This research is in its very earliest stages. Clinical trials take several years to complete and, even if the vaccine passes this first stage of tests, more research will be needed over the course of many years.

"Although an HIV vaccine has so far remained stubbornly out of reach, we now understand how to prevent transmission better than ever before.

"A combination of widespread condom use, regular testing for HIV, and getting those with the virus onto the right treatment, could drastically reduce HIV within a generation."

Times: LGBTQQ, embracing differences

2013-06-03T18:44:00.001+02:00

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130603/thezone-social/lgbtqq-more-tolerance-and-understanding.472323
Monday, June 3, 2013, 07:58 by Velislava Hillman

Paul Caruana Turner [Click on the hyperlink above to watch the video.]

What it's like to be a lesbian or gay in Malta?

What difficulties members of LGBTQQ - lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning - are faced with on the island, at work, at university, on the street?

Watch the interview with Paul Caruana Turner, a law student, who forms part of LGBTQQ organisation; hear about what the organisation stands for and why it is important to educate society on the different sexual orientations its members may have.

Independent: Necessary and Contingent Dichotomy in Human Sexuality

2013-06-03T18:41:00.003+02:00

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-06-02/opinions/necessary-and-contingent-dichotomy-in-human-sexuality-1731723264/
Sunday, 02 June 2013, 08:57 , by Michael Asciak

I would like to carry on where I left off last week on the subject of human sexuality. But before I turn my attention to the subject matter contained in the title, I would like to make a very important clarification regarding natural law.

Many people think that natural law means looking at what happens in the natural world, the world of biology, physics and chemistry, and applying the principles therein evident to law and ethics. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth and those that conceive of natural law in this manner are completely mistaken or have never taken the time to study its real meaning.

Nature does, of course, teach us issues about ethics but not in the way many people think. Nature teaches us to look at the reason inherent in nature itself which is not a haphazard happening running headlong and unfolding in a haphazard fashion. Nature has a rationality all of its very own and it is towards this that we look for guidance. We ourselves are products of this nature and as such we are the epitome of rationality in the world in which we live. The real emphasis of natural law, therefore, has very little to do with nature itself per se and a great deal to do with our human reason. It has mostly to do with the norms that emanate through our use of our specific human reason.

In discussing human sexuality, and laying down ethical norms regarding concerns on human sexuality, we have to be very careful to identify what these norms of behaviour should be. There is a norm in human sexual behaviour, and the civil constructs within society that it has elicited, for the protection of the spouses themselves and their natural offspring. We may call this the necessity or regularity of events – which are facts that could not have been otherwise. Contingent facts are thought of as facts that might not have been. Necessary factors are those factors which, the world being as it is, are the way they had to be. They are necessary factors because something that might have been otherwise would have been otherwise, had things been otherwise. Contingency or emergencies only find their application within the context of necessity. In simple language, necessity constitutes the rule, contingency is the exception which proves the rule and exists within it. It is ultimately ethically wrong and unreasonable to make the exception the rule!

Last week I wrote about the effects of same-sex marriage versus those of civil union. This week I would like to concentrate on the health and well-being of children within heterogeneous and homosexual marriages or civil unions. Many reports are bandied about lauding the equality of raising children within a homosexual relationship as a necessary fact versus that in a heterosexual one. The fact is that, just as there are reports saying that this has no effects on the health of the children, there are other reports that state exactly the opposite. The reports stating that there are no adverse effects when children are raised in an openly homosexual household constitute an affront to natural reason itself but are also academically charged with critical flaws of design, bias, inadequacy, lack of controls and a failure to account for confounding variables – a including the short time-frames. So at best we are in a conundrum which I doubt we should ignore or to which we should haphazardly expose our children. I have even read pro-reports saying that, given that raising children in homosexual families does in fact give rise to higher homosexual activity and experimenting among themselves, this should not in any way be of concern, because in a society that is accepting and more tolerant, this behaviour would be tolerated and accepted as a norm by all.

I would like to quote from one letter written by several paediatricians under the tutelage of the Executive Director of the American College of Paediatricians (Vicki Tucci, 2006) in a paediatrics magazine. “Child-rearing studies have consistently indicated that children are more likely to thrive emotionally, mentally and physically in homes with two heterosexual parents...Homosexual partnerships are significantly more prone to dissolution than heterosexual marriages, with the average homosexual relationship lasting only two to thee years. Children reared in homosexual households are more likely to experience sexual confusion, practice homosexual behaviour and engage in sexual experimentation... and $are at increased risk of mental health problems including major depression, anxiety disorder, conduct disorder, substance dependence, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts”. The – opposite – beneficial effects of being raised in intact families with father and mother parental roles are underlined.

The study goes on to state that homosexual households (2000) comprised less than one per cent of all households and most did not contain children. The number of children living full-time in a home with homosexual partners is between 0.2 per cent and 0.04 per cent. This means that the numbers are very small and also that most people involved in a homosexual union have no intention of raising children as a matter of fact. I believe the norms here are obvious for everyone to see. Does this mean that there are no contingencies where a homosexual household would be in a position to raise a child? This would depend very much on the best interests of the child concerned, considering the surrounding circumstances of the particular case. However this should never constitute the norm or necessary factor.

When I was at school learning Italian (and all other disciplines), we were taught that nouns ending in “o” should always be preceded by the article “il” as a norm. That is until the word “mano” appeared which needs the article “la”! That is the exception that proves the rule, but should it ever be made to constitute the norm? What would happen to the norm if that were to become the rule? We would have confusion. I do not wish confusion for society.

BBC News: First gay couple wed in France amid tight security

2013-06-03T12:26:00.002+02:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22706351
29 May 2013 Last updated at 17:23 GMT

The moment Vincent Autin and Bruno Boileau said "oui" at Montpellier city hall [Click here to watch the video.]

Two men have become the first gay couple to wed in France, just days after President Francois Hollande signed the same-sex marriage bill into law.

Vincent Autin and Bruno Boileau said "oui" in the southern city of Montpellier amid tight security.

Mr Hollande had warned he would not accept any disruption to the ceremony.

The new legislation has proved controversial and sparked violent protests.

The anti-gay-marriage lobby, backed by the Catholic Church and conservative opposition, argues the bill undermines an essential building block of society.

“Start Quote

Love yourselves, let's love ourselves, because it's important”

Vincent AutinGay rights activist

The ceremony was broadcast live on French TV.

The Socialist mayor of Montpellier, Helene Mandroux, conducted the ceremony, announcing "I now pronounce you united in marriage."

Her announcement was met with applause from the guests, as Frank Sinatra's 'Love and Marriage' was played.

Earlier in the ceremony, Ms Mandroux said marriage was about "the same rights for everybody".

The law legalising gay marriage was "a stage in the modernisation of our country", she added.

Mr Autin made a short speech after the ceremony thanking supporters. He frequently broke down in tears, reports AFP. "Love yourselves, let's love ourselves, because it's important," he said.

Montpellier residents express their view on the wedding [Click here to watch the video.]

Extra security

Mr Autin, a 40-year-old gay rights activist, met his 30-year-old partner in 2006.

Some 600 guests were invited and 150 media crews were accredited for the ceremony, the BBC's Christian Fraser, in Paris, reports.

Several businesses and well-wishers sent wedding presents to the couple.

Extra police were drafted in amid fears the extreme-right might also attend, our correspondent added.

On Sunday, at least 150,000 demonstrators took to the streets of Paris to denounce the same-sex marriage bill, which was signed into law on 18 May.

Earlier, the Constitutional Council ruled that same-sex marriage "did not run contrary to any constitutional principles," and that it did not infringe on "basic rights or liberties or national sovereignty".

Timeline: Gay marriage in France

May 2012: Election of President Hollande, who makes gay marriage his flagship social reform
January 2013: At least 340,000 join protests in Paris as National Assembly begins debate on gay marriage bill
April: Senate approves bill, two months after the assembly had passed it
17 May: Constitutional Court dismisses legal challenge
18 May: Bill signed into law by President Hollande

Some officials indicated they had objections to carrying out gay wedding ceremonies.

"I will find a balance between freedom of conscience and breaking the law," said Philippe Brillault, the Mayor of Le Chesnay in western Paris.

"We will retain our freedom while respecting the law - and that is in no way homophobic. And I will delegate any marriage to a socialist councillor who has agreed to conduct them."

But it is not clear what will happen if, in smaller communes, all officials are against gay marriage and refuse to take part, observers say.

Mr Hollande and his governing Socialist Party have made the legislation their flagship social reform since being elected a year ago.

Opinion polls have suggested that about 55-60% of French people support gay marriage, but only about 50% approve of gay adoption.

France is now the 14th country to legalise gay marriage after New Zealand last month.

It is also the ninth country in Europe to allow same-sex marriage after legalisation in the traditionally liberal Netherlands and Scandinavia, but also in strongly Catholic Portugal and Spain. Legislation is also moving through the UK Parliament.

BBC News: HIV inner shell structure revealed

2013-06-02T11:29:00.003+02:00

Researchers have for the first time unravelled the complex structure of the inner protein shell of HIV.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22708437
30 May 2013 Last updated at 06:56 GMT

HIV escaping from a white blood cell

The US team, reporting in Nature, also worked out exactly how all the components of the shell or 'capsid' fit together at the atomic level.

Until now the exact structure had proved elusive because of the capsid's large size and irregular shape.

The finding opens the way for new types of drugs, the researchers from the University of Pittsburgh said.

It was already known that the capsid, which sits inside the outer membrane of the virus, was a cone-shaped shell made up of protein sub-units in a lattice formation.

But because it is huge, asymmetrical and non-uniform, standard techniques for working out the structure had proved ineffective.

Computer model of HIV capsid structure

The team used advanced imaging techniques and a supercomputer to calculate how the 1,300 proteins which make up the cone-shaped capsid fit together.

Critical interactions

The process revealed critical interactions between molecules in areas that are necessary for the shell's assembly and stability.

These potential vulnerabilities in the protective coat of the viral genome could be exploited by scientists designing new drugs to tackle the problem of HIV resistance, the researchers explained.

Study leader Dr Peijun Zhang, associate professor in structural biology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine said: "The capsid is critically important for HIV replication, so knowing its structure in detail could lead us to new drugs that can treat or prevent the infection.

"The capsid has to remain intact to protect the HIV genome and get it into the human cell, but once inside, it has to come apart to release its content so that the virus can replicate.

"Developing drugs that cause capsid dysfunction by preventing its assembly or disassembly might stop the virus from reproducing."

She added that the fast mutation rate of HIV made drug resistance a big problem.

"This approach has the potential to be a powerful alternative to our current HIV therapies, which work by targeting certain enzymes."

Prof Simon Lovell, a structural biologist at the University of Manchester, said not only had the researchers managed to achieve something that was very difficult, they had also found some really interesting results.

"The big problem with HIV is that it evolves so quickly that any drug you use you get drug resistance which is why we use a multi-drug cocktail.

"This is another target, another thing we can go after to develop a new class of drugs to work alongside the existing class."

All Out: You can't cure gay [Banning Mobile phone Apps]

2013-06-02T11:24:00.005+02:00

Wow – after just 24 hours the gay 'cure' app has disappeared from iTunes! Now only Google is left with the harmful app still available in their online store.
Apple's amazing response came after more than 37,000 of us asked Apple and Google to pull the dangerous app "Setting Captives Free" from their online stores. Now, over 60,000 people have joined in asking Google to do the right thing. Join them by signing now: www.allout.org/gaycureapp

Google has a great reputation for doing what's right, and if even more of us speak out they'll pull the app. If we all pitch in right now, we can get "Setting Captives Free" off of the two most popular places to download apps within 48-hours.
Help set a powerful precedent for others who want to push their harmful practices and make people think being gay is a disease or a sin. Sign now:
www.allout.org/gaycureapp

Source: Apple pulls app that claimed to 'cure' homosexuality - TechHive 30 May 2013
http://www.techhive.com/article/2040348/apple-pulls-app-that-claimed-to-cure-homosexuality.html

Why are Apple and Google distributing an app that tries to 'cure' people of being gay?

Tell Apple and Google to pull the anti-gay "Setting Captives Free" app from their stores immediately!

Sent May 30

There's a new app available in both the Apple iTunes Store and Google Play called "Setting Captives Free" that thinks it can 'cure' people of being gay. The 60-day course tells gay people they are not "born this way" and offers to help find "freedom from the bondage of homosexuality."
Multiple people have reported the app but it's still available for download – even by young people. We need to get Apple and Google to pull it before anyone else is taken in by its lies and hate.
Apple has rejected ex-gay apps like this in the past, and Google has yanked some for violating their user agreement, which bans hate speech. They shouldn't be making it easier for anti-gay groups to get away with their lies in this case either.
Will you sign the petition asking Apple and Google to pull the app from their stores immediately? If thousands of us sign right now, it will generate massive media buzz and pressure these major global companies, who are proud of their pro-equality brands, to act quickly.
Tell Apple and Google – drop "Setting Captives Free" now before anyone else gets hurt:
www.allout.org/gaycureapp
It's almost funny that anyone thinks an app can 'cure' someone from being gay. But it's not a joke – gay cure therapies are dangerous and prey on vulnerable people.
Major health organizations like American Psychiatric Association and Pan-American Health Organization, as well as many governments, have denounced all gay 'cure' practices as dangerous and discriminatory. There's overwhelming evidence that these so-called treatments can cause terrible harm to lesbian, gay, bi, and trans people, or anyone forced to try to change who they are or who they love.
Apple and Google should be stopping hate like this at their gates. If "Setting Captives Free" gets away with it, soon others will be pushing their dangerous 'pray away the gay' practices further. We need to make it clear to these powerful global companies that they have to act fast and to pull this dangerous app and others like it from their stores immediately.
Ask Apple and Google to stop the hate and drop the app today:
www.allout.org/gaycureapp
All Out members are known for standing against dangerous gay cures all over the world. Because we've spoken out, officials in Argentina, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and beyond have denounced gay cures. It's getting harder for anti-gay opponents to push their 'cure' agenda through governments, so now they're resorting to corporate channels.
Will you join in sending Apple and Google a clear message that they can't allow "Send Captives Free" to use their stores to spread the wrong-headed and dangerous message that being gay is a curable disease.
Sign now: www.allout.org/gaycureapp
Thanks for going All Out,
Andre, Hayley, Jeremy, Joe, Sabelo, Sara and the rest of the All Out team.

SOURCES:
Mobile App Puts Ex-Gay Therapy In The Psalm Of Your Hand - Queerty, 29 May 2013
http://www.queerty.com/mobile-app-puts-ex-gay-therapy-in-the-psalm-of-your-hand-20130529/#ixzz2UhCMkVbk
Apple Bans 'Ex-Gay' Christian App That Promised to 'Cure' Homosexuality - NY Magazine 23 February 2013
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2011/03/apple_bans_app_that_promises_t.html
Google Play Developer Program Policies
https://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html

Independent UK: Nigeria officially passes ban on gay marriage

2013-06-02T11:07:00.001+02:00

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/nigeria-officially-passes-ban-on-gay-marriage-8638515.html
AP THURSDAY 30 MAY 2013

Lawmakers in Nigeria have passed a bill banning gay marriage, setting prison terms of up to 14 years.

Nigeria’s House of Representatives passed the bill in a voice vote. The Senate previously passed the bill in November 2011.

The bill is now expected to be signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan.

It also criminalises registering gay clubs or organisations, as well as “public show of same-sex amorous relationships”.

Independent: No to Same Sex Marriage: Yes to same civil rights

2013-06-02T10:43:00.000+02:00

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-05-29/opinions/no-to-same-sex-marriage-yes-to-same-civil-rights-1707704321/
Wednesday, 29 May 2013, 09:21 , by Martin Scicluna

Many in the gay community have castigated me for failing to recommend the immediate introduction of same-sex marriage in Malta in my report, “Same Sex: Same Civil Entitlements”. As the Lead Author of the report, two considerations were at the forefront of my mind when I wrote it. The first was the need to bring about long over-due social justice for homosexuals in our society. And the second was to make proposals which would stand a chance of achieving a large measure of national and political consensus.

The arguments on grounds of social justice are clear-cut. Same-sex couples in Malta currently have no way of gaining legally recognised status for their relationships. The lack of legal recognition means that they are denied access to most of the rights or responsibilitites that are given to married couples to reflect the commitment they have made to each other. For a same-sex couple, there are many difficulties that arise from the law’s failure fully to recognise committed same-sex relationships.

There are two solutions to remedy this state of affairs: either the introduction of same-sex marriage, or a civil partnership scheme.

The argument adduced by those who favour marriage equality for all – both heterosexual and homosexual – is founded on the understanding that the right to marry should be recognised for everyone (so called marriage equality) without discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. It is viewed by some, but not all, as a fundamental human right in and of itself.

The inclusion of same-sex marriage in national legislation, it is averred, would not have any long-term negative impact on the institution of marriage, but would simply extend its benefits throughout society. Marriage equality for all would provide legal recognition to same-sex couples, ensuring the enjoyment of all rights and obligations enjoyed by married men and women.

On the other hand, those who oppose such a solution argue that this approach flies in the face of one of the most important purposes of marriage, which is for the procreation of children and the creation of a family, made up of a man and a woman. However, this argument overlooks the fact that there are many people who get married who are infertile, too old or too ill to procreate, but are still allowed to be married. It would clearly be wrong to argue that they should be excluded from marriage. Yet, that is what is asserted in the case of same-sex couples.

There are many heterosexual couples, such as widows and widowers of a certain age, who grow sufficiently fond of each other to live together in a new marriage and find that the arrangement orders their entire relationship, including their financial, domestic, fiscal and inheritance affairs. Others marry to express their loving commitment to each other while knowing that one has a medical condition that makes procreation unlikely or impossible. Those in favour of same-sex marriage question whether it is acceptable to say that love has no meaning except in a reproductive context. Having children has never been a condition for marriage.

The major argument in favour of same-sex marriage is that if marriage is considered intrinsically to be such a good thing for heterosexual couples then, in logic, committed same-sex couples should not be excluded from this institution. Homosexuality is not a threatening social reality, but one to be accepted and accommodated. Gay people have the same need and capacity for love and partnership as heterosexuals.

While the arguments on grounds of social justice are clear, as Lead Author of this report I had to bear in mind also the national policy realities. It is a truism, albeit a cliche, that politics is the art of the possible. As Lead Author, therefore, I also had to weigh this factor in the scales in making recommendations on the most viable way ahead.

The issue turned essentially on how ready Maltese society would be to accept the logic of the argument that marriage, which has hitherto always been staunchly regarded as a relationship between a man and a woman, could in future be between two men or two women.

It is clear that the concept of marriage has not remained unchanged. For example, if Christian marriage were still as it was two thousand years ago it would be possible for a man to marry a twelve year-old girl he had never met, to own a wife as property and dispose of her at will, or to imprison a person who married someone of a different race. But such practices are no longer acceptable in Europe. The legal definition of marriage has evolved constantly over time.

Nevertheless, despite the changing nature of marriage and the cold logic adduced in favour of marriage equality, the clinching argument to my mind was that same-sex marriage per se was one step too far for Malta at this time. Ending unfair discriminatory treatment of same-sex couples is one thing, which most fair-minded people are prepared to recognise. But given the symbolic meaning of marriage in Maltese society, allowing homosexual couples to marry would be quite another. This is a fair argument that probably reflects majority opinion in Malta. It should be respected.

The alternative solution, therefore, was the introduction of a civil union scheme which would aim to give homosexual couples the same civil rights as everybody else. The overriding practical consideration in the formulation of such a scheme would be the need for civil unions to deliver the significant majority of the rights and obligations that heterosexual marriage confers.

I concluded that the introduction of civil unions would make a major difference to the currently vulnerable legal position of same-sex partners by giving them the opportunity to gain legal recognition for their relationship and by achieving concomitant rights and responsibilities. Their civil rights in respect of all the key legal elements that underpin married heterosexual couples would be largely protected.

The legal limbo into which they have been thrust would be removed and the risk of offending the sensibilities of a large majority in present-day Maltese society would be avoided.

A civil union relationship with an intrinsic package of rights and responsibilities would provide legal recognition for same-sex couples who choose to make such a commitment. Couples who register as civil partners would thereby gain most of the civil rights and responsibilities currently denied them.

Although there are strong arguments for introducing the concept of same-sex marriages, I therefore concluded that it would be both premature and impolitic in the Maltese context to seek to introduce them at this time. Note that the word I have just used is “premature,” not “immature”. It is utterly misleading to accuse me of saying that Maltese society is immature.

I am personally convinced that in due course, once the benefits of civil unions have demonstrably been seen as not threatening to Maltese society, marriage equality for homosexuals and heterosexuals will come about. This has been the story in the United States and elsewhere in Europe, where in the last few years many states have introduced same-sex marriage laws, mostly following a period when civil partnership was the only option.

MGRM: Pride March Invitation [22 nd June]

2013-06-02T10:28:00.004+02:00

Pride Week 2013 - Love is Love

The Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM) would like to invite you to this year’s Pride March. This year’s event is planned to take place on Saturday 22^nd June 2013, gathering at 10:30am in Great Siege Square, Valletta.

Pride is a symbolic manifestation which is held in many different cities around the world. It aims to increase the visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons and their integral role in the societies where they live.

Love is Love is the theme for this year’s Pride Week as Malta commemorates the 40^th anniversary of the decriminalisation of sodomy and moves ever closer towards the enactment of a Civil Union Bill that will hopefully grant meaningful recognition and rights to same-sex couples. The report recently released by the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) sheds light on the social and human rights situation of LGBT people in all EU countries including Malta.

Clearly, despite increased awareness, contempt, derision and discrimination continue to be an everyday part of the lives of LGBT people in family life, employment, education and in the provision of goods and services, all because of who we love. As stated so eloquently by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, ‘for generations LGBT people have been made to feel anything but free and equal. For far too long, their suffering was met with silence in the halls of power’. Love is Love is a celebration of our identities and relationships and our claim to the promise, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of a world in which all persons, irrespective of their sexual orientation or gender identity enjoy the protection and recognition they deserve.

This is the tenth consecutive year that this event is being organised and your participation is a clear sign of your commitment to respect for diversity and equality in Maltese society and around the world.

For further information please contact MGRM on 9925 5559 or visit our website at:www.maltagayrights.org or email us on mgrm@maltagayrights.org

Best regards,

Gabi Calleja

MGRM Coordinator

Independent: On Human Sexuality

2013-06-01T12:30:00.001+02:00

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-05-26/opinions/on-human-sexuality-1682014213/
Sunday, 26 May 2013, 08:30 , by Michael Asciak

Much has been written and said lately about human sexuality. Some of it stems from reason, much of it from pure emotivism. Sex and procreation have gone together since the times before humans appeared on earth. Sexual reproduction evolved as an advantageous type over asexual reproduction because it endowed the species with genetic variation and therefore better able to withstand natural holocausts and avoid extinction. When humans evolved into the higher order mammals that they are, they received the sexual baggage that all other mammals had. Being sexual creatures that consisted of two equal but different genders to the species, they necessarily complemented each other anatomically in copulation and this led to the generation of their offspring. So does practically every higher order biological creature save the lower order species. Even plants contain gender! Human sexuality has existed since the existence of human beings but sexual reproduction itself preceded it by several million years. Since the human species is the only highly self-reflective species on earth, the nature of its sexuality does not hinge solely on procreation but also on agapic mutual sharing of love and emotions. One end of our sexuality does not exist without the other. So it has been for hundreds of thousands of years, generation after generation. It does not make any sense to look at human sexuality without both of these finalities closely intertwined.

I write this to put natural law and reason into perspective before we move on to deal with the issues with which we were recently preoccupied. Homosexual feelings occur when one gender experiences sexual arousal or attractions towards members of the same sex instead of the opposite sex as is of course the natural norm complementing intercourse and procreation. People seem to think that all of us are either completely homosexual in our orientation or completely heterosexual. In fact, studies have shown that none of us is either the one or the other. Psychologist Alfred Kinsey developed a scale from 0 to 6 where the 0 represents absolute heterosexuality and the 6 represents absolute homosexual feelings. The reality is that very few if anybody, is either on the 0 or the 6 scale. People find it hard to realize or accept that we are all somewhere in between in our sexual orientations, with people below 3 being mostly heterosexual, people above 3 being mostly homosexual and those on 3 having equal attractions to both sexes. Our sexual orientations are the products of our nurturing environment and probably our genetic heritage too. Either way no person is to blame for his or her sexual orientation whether it is natural or nurtural or both. Sexual action of course is another matter. Whereas sexual orientation is not directly willed by the individual, sexual action and choices can in fact be directly willed and there is a matter of choice, at least for those who are not at the extreme ends of the scale, in what type of sexual activity they indulge in. It is also known that sexual orientation can change with age. It is well documented that youths often exhibit quite profound traits of homosexuality that become much less profound as they grow older and more mature.

I am writing all this to dispel the impression that sexuality is an all or none phenomenon and that there is no issue of will involved in the matter at all, at least for those close to the centre of the scale spectrum. For those at the extremes it is more difficult of course. Intolerance for either choice should be out of the question!

As I have written previously, I am not against society making efforts to creating space within society to validate the relationship between two homosexuals and engender tolerance. One of course can discuss what forms this may take. The gross mistake is, of course, when society starts to equate the relationship between two homosexuals or transgender persons with marriage itself. This is not possible because the nature of the homosexual relationship is intrinsically different and it can never be open to procreation both of which are an essential component of marriage itself. People will of course speak about natural rights and wanting to be equal to others here. The point remains one can always be equal to another in rights but often never in physical fact. The calling of these rights as natural rights is also a misnomer and a mistake because natural rights are necessarily and intrinsically built on natural law itself (John Finnis; Hadley Arkes). They can at best be called civil rights or positive rights but not natural rights and are therefore not fundamental, as they do not arise from reason and nature.

I am very much afraid that granting rights to homosexuals to marry would be followed by the next step that leads them to ask for procreative rights, thereby necessitating the intervention of a third person in the sexual act thereby leading to the production of children with three rather than two parents, using surrogacy or the donation of gametes. This is not an ideal situation for the child even if it may seem like solving the problems of the homosexual or transgender couple. Prevention is always better than cure and this type of scenario should be avoided in society ab initio at all costs and should not be equated with adoption, which is an extraordinary situation where the interests of an orphaned or abandoned child are paramount. However ordinarily, regularly and necessarily the best interests of the child are always to be raised by its own natural parents. There are of course contingent exceptions but these should remain as such, just exceptions and should not ever constitute the rule. The issue of whether children regularly raised by homosexuals are at no risk to their health compared to children raised by heterosexuals is still highly contested and by no means a closed case. At best we may say we do not know. At worse common sense tells us that there is a natural law distinction here. Either way something is wrong with our reasoning. Distinctions drawn by the mind and emotions are not necessarily equivalent to distinctions in reality! Law is nothing other than a certain ordinance of reason for the common good, promulgated by the person who has the care of the community. Either way, should we rush in where angels fear to tread and take a chance with the life of our own beloved children?

Malta Today: Anti-gay marriage protest in France turns violent

2013-06-01T12:28:00.001+02:00

Nearly 100 people arrested in Paris when a protest against a new French law allowing same-sex marriage turned violent.

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/world/Anti-gay-marriage-protest-in-France-turns-violent-20130527
Monday 27 May 2013 - 09:22

Several hundred thousand opponents of same-sex marriage took to the streets of the French capital to demonstrate against the reform, which was signed into law by President Francois Hollande last week.

While the rally was peaceful throughout much of the day, police said they arrested 96 hardline opponents to the gay marriage law.

Police said those arrested were detained for refusing to disperse or for occupying private property.

Large park grounds around the Les Invalides monument were full of protesters waving pink and blue flags, while far-right activists hung a banner on the ruling Socialist Party headquarters urging Hollande to quit.

The protests, which began as a grassroots campaign strongly backed by the Roman Catholic Church, have morphed into a wider movement with opposition politicians and far-right militants airing their discontent with Hollande.

Although they have failed to block gay marriage, the protesters hope their renewed show of force will help stop or slow down further laws some socialists want allowing assisted procreation and surrogate motherhood for gay couples.

Jean-Francois Cope, leader of the opposition UMP party, marched in the demonstration and urged young protesters to join his party to keep up pressure on the left-wing government.

"The next rendezvous should be at the ballot boxes for the municipal elections," he said, referring to local polls due next year where conservatives hope to profit from the protest movement's unexpectedly strong mobilisation.

Once the bulk of protesters had gone home, clashes erupted between hardliners wielding sticks and riot police, filling the Invalides Esplanade with tear gas.

Police said 150,000 marched on Sunday while protest organisers said a million people took part.

Malta Today: Lesbian drama scoops top prize at Cannes Film Festival

2013-06-01T12:27:00.002+02:00

Intimate love story about two young French women wins the Palme d’Or for best film at renowned Cannes Film Festival.

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/magazinedetails/magazine/film/Lesbian-drama-scoops-top-prize-at-Cannes-Film-Festival-20130527
Monday 27 May 2013 - 09:52

Actresses Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux in 'Blue is the warmest colour'

Blue is the Warmest Colour, an intimate love story about two young French women, has won the Palme d'Or for best film at the Cannes Film Festival.

The three-hour coming-of-age movie has attracted attention for its explicit sex scenes as well as the acclaimed performances of actresses Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux.

Exarchopoulos plays a 15-year-old who falls in love with an older woman, played by Seydoux.

Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche, it won rave reviews in Cannes but also shocked some critics. Variety magazine said it contained "the most explosively graphic lesbian sex scenes in recent memory" while the Hollywood Reporter said the "sprawling drama" would "raise eyebrows" as it crossed the barrier "between performance and the real deal".

Some had questioned whether the sex scenes may make it too explicit for the top prize.

But director Steven Spielberg, who chaired the jury, told reporters: "I think it will get a lot of play... I think this film carries a very strong message, a very positive message."

In an unusual move, Spielberg awarded the prize to the two lead actresses as well as the director.

Accepting the prize, Abdellatif Kechiche said: "I should like to dedicate this film to the wonderful youth of France whom I met during the long period while making this film.

"Those young people taught me a lot about the spirit of freedom and living together."

Times: Protest over gay marriage laws [in France]

2013-06-01T10:52:00.003+02:00

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130526/world/protest-over-gay-marriage-laws.471364
Sunday, May 26, 2013, 19:02 by PA

Tens of thousands of people protested against France's new gay marriage law in central Paris today.

The law came into force over a week ago, but organisers decided to go ahead with the long-planned demonstration to show their continued opposition as well as their frustration with President Francois Hollande, who had made legalising gay marriage one of his keynote campaign pledges in last year's election.

Marchers set off from three separate points across Paris, and by early evening they filled the Invalides esplanade just across the Seine River from the Champs Elysees.

Police estimated around 150,000 people took part in the demonstration, but march organisers claimed on their Twitter account that more than one million people did.

A similar protest in March drew about 300,000.

Around 5,000 police were on duty because previous anti-gay marriage protests have seen clashes between far-right protesters and the police.

Independent UK: Pakistani women marry in Britain's first Muslim lesbian partnership

2013-05-31T23:01:00.001+02:00

Lesbian couple took vows at Leeds registry office earlier this month before immediately applying for political asylum, it is claimed

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/pakistani-women-marry-in-britains-first-muslim-lesbian-partnership-8632935.html

26.5.2013 by CHARLOTTE PHILBY

Two former students from Pakistan are believed to have become the first Muslim lesbian couple to marry in a civil ceremony in Britain.

Rehana Kausar, 34, and Sobia Kamar, 29, took their vows at a registry office in Leeds earlier this month before immediately applying for political asylum, it was claimed.

Relatives of the couple said the women, who studied in Birmingham, had received death threats both in the UK and from opponents in their native Pakistan, where homosexual relations are illegal.

During the ceremony the couple reportedly told the registrar that they had met three years ago while studying business and health care management at Birmingham, having travelled to the country on student visas, and had been living together in South Yorkshire for about a year.

Ms Kausar, originally from Lahore, also holds a master’s degree in economics from Punjab University.

“This country allows us rights and it’s a very personal decision that we have taken. It’s no one’s business as to what we do with our personal lives,” she was quoted as telling the Birmingham-based Sunday Mercury newspaper.

“The problem with Pakistan is that everyone believes he is in charge of other people lives and can best decide about the morals of others but that’s not the right approach. We are in this state because of our clergy, who have hijacked our society, which was once tolerant and respected individuals’ freedoms.”

Homosexual sex is illegal under Pakistani law. There are also no laws prohibiting discrimination or harassment on the basis of sexual orientation.

In recent years in Britain, some Muslim gay and lesbian couples have opted for a nikah, an Islamic matrimonial contract, which is officially the reserve of heterosexuals. These services, conducted in Arabic with additional duas – prayers – are not recognised in the UK unless accompanied by a civil ceremony. Homosexuality is strictly forbidden in the Islamic faith and the notion of same-sex marriage is abhorrent to many Muslims.

A relative of one of the women told the Sunday Mercury: “The couple did not have an Islamic marriage ceremony, known as a nikah, as they could not find an imam to conduct what would have been a controversial ceremony. They have been very brave throughout as our religion does not condone homosexuality. The couple have had their lives threatened both here and in Pakistan and there is no way they could ever return there.”

Ruth Hunt, deputy chief executive for Stonewall, said: “There is a very cautious step towards social visibility for some gay men in Pakistan but lesbians are completely invisible. Pakistan is not necessarily a safe place for couples to be open about their love.”

The Home Office said it was unable to confirm any details about their political asylum request.

Independent UK: Blue movie wins the Palme D’Or – but will Britain get to see it uncut?

2013-05-31T22:55:00.001+02:00

Blue is the Warmest Colour triumphs at Cannes

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/blue-movie-wins-the-palme-dor--but-will-britain-get-to-see-it-uncut-8633039.html
SUNDAY 26 MAY 2013 by KALEEM AFTAB, CANNES

A film described by some as a graphic lesbian drama and by others as a moving love story won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes film festival.

Click here or on 'view gallery'

Blue is the Warmest Colour by the Tunisian-French director Abdellatif Kechiche was the overwhelming favourite to win the award. The film about a lesbian relationship between two French teenagers features an explicit six-minute sex scene between actresses Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos.

Variety magazine described it as “the most explosively graphic lesbian sex scenes in recent memory” while the The Hollywood Reporter said the “sprawling drama” would “raise eyebrows” as it crossed the barrier “between performance and the real deal”.

The Cannes accolade presents a dilemma for British film censors, and the director, over whether to cut to make the film marketable to a wider UK audience. Kechiche, 52, has indicated he would be willing to remove racier scenes to meet censor approval. “We wouldn’t want the film not to be screened because of one scene,” he said at the weekend. “But, of course, that wouldn’t apply if it were the whole thing.”

Kechiche is the first director born in Africa to win the top prize at Cannes. His is also the first explicitly gay-themed film to take the top honour.

In Blue is the Warmest Colour, freely adapted from the graphic novel by Julie Maroh, 15-year-old Adele’s (Exarchopoulos) life changes when she meets Emma (Seydoux), a young artist, and they start dating. The three-hour film is an intimate study of the highs and lows of a relationship. Apart from some comments by Adele’s friends little is made of the fact that the relationship is same-sex.

The romantic drama, the longest in the competition, was immediately hailed as a “masterpiece” by critics. The jury agreed, despite it being headed by family entertainment maestro Steven Spielberg. Cannes rules state films can only be awarded one prize, but Spielberg announced the jury wanted to take the exceptional step of awarding the Palme d’Or to Kechiche and both actresses.

The Best Actress prize went to The Artist’s Bérénice Bejo for her role in The Past by Asghar Farhadi. The French star plays a morose woman caught between her Iranian husband and her new lover, whose wife is in a coma.

The Best Actor prize was awarded to 76-year-old Bruce Dern for Nebraska, in which he plays an ageing father travelling with his son.

Best Director was awarded to Mexican Amat Escalante, for the violent Heli, while the much-admired Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis had to settle for the Grand Prix.

Independent: Same-Sex Marriage

2013-05-31T22:51:00.002+02:00

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-05-21/letters/same-sex-marriage-1643249665/
Tuesday, 21 May 2013, 08:26

Żminijietna – Voice of the Left, Richard Mifsud

In reaction to the Public Policy Insitute's (TPPI) statement that Malta is not ready for same-sex marriage, Żminijietna - Voice of the Left believes that Maltese people are not inferior to people in other countries which are introducing same-sex marriages.

TPPI is discriminatory when it saying that Malta is not ready for same-sex marriage and that this policy would be one steps too far. It does not make sense to speak of equality in family and social policy while only allowing opposite-sex partners to marry.

Żminijietna joins other leftist, progressive and green forces which call for the introduction of same-sex marriage as a basic right in terms of equality. We applaud the French Government which has joined other governments around the world, also including Left wing Governments in South America, in the introduction of same-sex marriage.

Right-wing conservatives who want to block same-sex marriage should be opposed.

Malta Today: US Boy Scouts vote to end ban on gays

2013-05-31T22:49:00.003+02:00

The Boy Scouts of America organisation votes to welcome openly gay scouts, ending a divisive ban.

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/world/US-Boy-Scouts-vote-to-end-ban-on-gays-20130524
Friday 24 May 2013 - 08:44

The Boy Scouts of America has said it will allow openly gay youths to join the organisation while maintaining a ban on adult leaders, after a vote at its annual meeting in Texas.

The resolution will go into force on January 1 next year.

Sixty-one percent of the estimated 1,400 delegates to the meeting in Grapevine, Texas voted to end the ban that for decades has barred open homosexuality in the movement.

"The Boy Scouts of America will not sacrifice its mission, or the youth served by the movement, by allowing the organisation to be consumed by a single, divisive, and unresolved societal issue," the BSA said in a statement, adding that there were no plans to further review the issue.

"While people have different opinions about this policy, we can all agree that kids are better off when they are in Scouting."

The text said "no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone."

The 103-year-old institution, famed for its outdoor training programmes and support of wholesome virtues, has close links to the country's conservative and religious heartland.

The group, which is separate from the Girl Scouts of the USA, counts 2.6 million boys in its membership.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2000 in favour of the Boy Scouts, saying that the prohibition against openly homosexual members was part of its right as a private organisation to free association.

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