I'd not thought of the ex-gay sadists in quite this light ...

Quote:All too often, ineffective or dangerous remedies, no longer saleable in the West, are exported to Africa. The notion that homosexuality can be 'cured' is just one example.

Drug dumping – when unreliable, useless or dangerous pharmaceutical products are donated to countries in the South – can make bad situations worse. For instance, during emergency relief operations, “Expired drugs (at the time of their arrival) and drugs close to expiry still comprise a large proportion of donations from non-governmental organisations, corporations, pharmaceutical industries and associations,” as pointed out in a World Health Organization (WHO) Bulletin in 2008 by Cristina P. Pinheiro.

Treatments now seldom used in the West may continue to be common in poorer countries. For instance, medicines effective against HIV but with dangerous, sometimes deadly, side-effects continued to be widely used in Africa years after they stopped being routinely administered to North American and European patients. Even when there are some benefits, it is questionable whether treatments no longer acceptable in the West should be regarded as good enough for people in other parts of the world.

Methods aimed at 'curing' homosexuality, which failed badly in the West, are now being peddled in Africa and elsewhere. And the discredited theories behind these methods are being used to try to justify harsh repression, for instance in Uganda, where parliament may pass a law inflicting life imprisonment on gays and lesbians, and jailing heterosexuals such as clergy, who do not inform on members of their congregations.

Quote:The debate over 'curing' gay and lesbian sexuality is sometimes portrayed as a source of tension between the 'liberal' West and the more socially conservative South. But much of the treatment of LGBT people in Europe and North America over the past eighty years or so has been far from liberal. It did however, become clear through bitter experience that attempts to change orientation were unlikely to succeed. Sooner or later, many of the Ugandans and others in the South who are keen to import such 'treatments' will find they do more harm than good. However, it is hard to estimate how many more people, both LGBT and heterosexual, will have had their lives wrecked.

Just occasionally I read something that I cannot believe is true, is from a reputable source.....

I dare say you will have heard of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the current legal challenge to Proposition 8, which outlawed gay marriage in the State of California. The challenge claims is that the ban on gay marriage is contary to the US Federal Constitution, and so if up held would lead to gay marriage in every state of the union and its recognition by the Federal Government.

This challenge is currently being head in the Federal District court in San Francisco by Judge Vaughn Walker. (Technically the hearings are over and we are waiting on judgement.) The San Francisco Chronicle claimed, on Sunday, that Judge Walker is gay, and had repeated that claim today. This seems to me rather implausible, could Judge Walker possibly believe that if he was publicly outed that people would think him impartial, could he possibly believe that it wouldn't come out and he could keep his private life private? Am I missing something here or ....?

Since we are going to have a general election in the next few months the views of party leaders ought to be scrutinised. Attitude has published Johann Hari's interviews with Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

Let's talk about sex: Johann Hari grills David Cameron over gay rights - UK Politics, UK - The Independent

is an interview with Mr Cameron in The Independent.

Quote:Is Cameron's reinvention convincing, in the flesh, and in the end? He is a former corporate PR man, so you would expect him to be able to deliver a convincing sales pitch – and he does. He does have some real progress to sell: he talks about getting the Tory conference to applaud gay marriage, and the selection of gay candidates, with passion. His defence of gay refugees and opposition to the blood donation ban went further than he has to politically. Yet there was enough evasion and dissembling in his answers to sow doubts. He didn't tell the truth about his own voting record, and he made ludicrously false statements about his anti-gay European allies. On the biggest obstacles facing gay people – the real, on-going violence – he had little to offer beyond words of condemnation.

David Cameron is a hazy cloud of charm and platitudes: no matter how hard you peer into him, you cannot find anything solid to focus on for long. There are flickers of apparently real pro-gay feeling, but they are soon followed by excuse-making for some of the most anti-gay politicians in Europe. Which is the real Cameron? On this issue, I suspect even he doesn't know. But over the next four years, we are all going to find out: the beaming lights of power will part this mysterious and contradictory fog.

I always thought that ex-gays were an American phenomenon, however today The Times has an article by an ex-gay about his new found heterosexuality. Its is interesting that unlike his American counterparts he does not seem particularly religious, but other than that I am still trying to decide what I think.

Would be interested to here your thoughts

The BBC is reporting that the Portuguese Parliament has voted in favour of gay marriage, specifically to remove references to gender within existing marriage legislation. Apparently this will then go to committee for detailed scrutiny, then back to parliament for a final vote and then to the Portuguese President for his signature. It is expected to pass these hurdles.

[img2=left]http://www.gayspeak.com/forum/images/news/tigerwoods.jpg[/img2]One of the women who reportedly slept with Tiger Woods is set to write a book claiming she saw him having sex with other men.

Sicillian model Loredana Jolie Ferriolo, the thirteenth woman linked to the golfer, has reportedly been trying to sell her story for $1 million.

RadarOnline.com reports that Ferriolo has graphically described Woods' alleged gay encounters.

She said the book would detail "his healthy appetite for arranged sex, threesomes, girls next door, girl-girl, and an answer to all the rumours surrounding Woods' sexuality".

Her representative told the website: "She is in talks with a number of publishing companies regarding a tell-all book deal."

There has been a lurid stream of allegations about Woods' extra-marital affairs since November, when it was reported he had an affair with nightclub manager Rachel Uchitel.

Thirteen women have now alleged they were sexually involved with him, although as yet, Ferriolo is the only one to allege he had sex with men.

Another woman claims to have a sex tape of the disgraced star but porn producers Vivid Entertainment say they cannot ascertain whether it is him.

[img2=left]http://www.gayspeak.com/forum/images/news/gaymarriage.jpg[/img2]Next Monday, a federal court will examine for the first time whether the US constitution allows states to ban gay marriage.

The case, brought by two gay couples who argue that California's ban violates their constitutional rights, will be heard on January 11th and is expected to last two to three weeks.

It has divided gay rights activists, some of whom say the move is premature and destined to end in failure.

If the case is successful in the San Francisco district court, it is deemed unlikely to succeed in the Supreme Court, where conservative judges have been keen to support all pro-gay initiatives other than marriage.

More than 30 US states explicitly ban gay marriage. If the case is successful, it would reverse years of such legislation.

Gay marriage was legalised in California in May 2008. However, the voter initiative Prop 8 defined marriage as being between a man and a woman in November 2008.

The argument that the ban is unconstitutional was rejected by California's Supreme Court in May last year.

The gay couples in this case are Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, of northern California, and Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, who live in southern California. They are being represented by Ted Olson and David Boies.

Olson and Boies acted on opposing teams in the Bush v Gore case of 2000. The choice of the pair, with Olson a conservative and Boies a liberal, is seen to make the point that the lawsuit is a human rights issue rather than a case of left against right or Democrat against Republican.

The pair are expected to counter arguments that anyone can marry so long as they choose a partner of the opposite sex. They will also argue that civil unions are not adequate or equal to marriage and that banning gay marriage is not a legitimate government interest.

Tomorrow, US District Judge Vaughn Walker, who is overseeing the case, will hold a pretrial hearing on whether to televise the trial.

Under a new pilot programme introduced last month, cameras will be allowed into courtrooms in Western states during civil, non-jury cases for the first time.

Although the two gay couples and their representatives are keen to have the trial broadcast, gay marriage opponents have said witnesses may be intimated and lose the right to a fair trial.

Attorney Theodore Boutrous, who is on the Olson-Boies legal team, wrote to Walker arguing that the concerns over intimidation were "utterly unsubstantiated and groundless speculation".

He added that the case was of "such transcendent importance that every Californian should be afforded an opportunity to view the proceedings".

[img2=left]http://www.gayspeak.com/forum/images/news/eltonanddavid.jpg[/img2]Elton John has spoken for the first time about supporting Eminem in his battle to quit drugs.

Eminem revealed last May that the veteran singer offered him advice on how to rid himself of the painkiller addiction which developed during his break from the limelight in 2005.

John, 62, has also recovered from his own drug problems, having checked into rehab in 1990 to recover from his addiction to drugs and alcohol.

Speaking to Danny Baker on his Radio 5 Live show at the weekend, John said: "I've been helping Eminem in the last 18 months and he is doing brilliantly.

"When you give it up, you tend to think everybody else has given it up, but of course it is just as prevalent as it ever was. And nowadays pills, such as downers, are even more damaging."

John and his civil partner David Furnish recently said they were concerned about George Michael, saying his friends had approached them to ask for help with his alleged drug problems.

Michael later retaliated that the pair should keep their noses out of his business.

John said: "I'm there if people want my help. If people ask for help you can tell them where they should go, but there is no point advising someone if they don't want to do it."

"People used to tell me to clean my act up and I didn't want to know," he said.

"And I know that George has been very vocal in the papers saying that Elton should shut his mouth and how he is sure I would love him to come and bang on my door and ask for help."

Of his own 16-year drug addiction, John said: "I didn't want anybody's help. I used to get very annoyed. In fact, I didn't speak to some close friends for a year because they dared to tell me I was being an idiot."

Police in the US are investigating a detective who appears to draw his gun during a mass snowball fight on the streets of Washington DC.
The video appears to show the detective holding a gun in his left hand as he begins to approach a large group of people, which had gathered for the snowball fight.
People in the crowd can be heard saying "he has a gun".
Police say they are looking into reports that the plain-clothed police officer stepped out of his own vehicle and drew his weapon after his car had been hit by snowballs.
The video was provided by Reason.TV, a libertarian organisation in the United States.

Lawmakers in Mexico City have become the first in Latin America to legalise gay marriage.
City legislators passed the bill 39-20, with five abstentions. The city's mayor is now widely expected to sign the bill into law.
Gay marriage is only allowed in seven countries and some parts of the US. Certain parts of Latin America allow civil unions for same-sex couples.
The Catholic Church and conservative groups had opposed Mexico City's move.
The bill calls for a change in the definition of marriage in the city's civic code - from the union of a man and a woman to "the free uniting of two people".
Regional differences
Lawmaker David Razu had proposed the change to give same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples regarding social security and other benefits.
Mexico City's legislature is dominated by the leftist Democratic Revolutionary Party, which has already legalised abortion and civil unions for same-sex couples.
Spokesman Oscar Oliver told AFP news agency that city legislators were now taking up a measure in the bill that would allow married same-sex couples to adopt children.
A handful of cities in Argentina, Ecuador and Colombia permit gay unions.
Uruguay alone has legalised civil unions nationwide and allowed same-sex couples to adopt children.
Last month, an Argentinean court narrowly blocked what would been the continent's first gay marriage.
In a last-minute challenge, a court referred the case to the country's Supreme Court, which is due to rule on the issue.

BBC News - Mexico City backs gay marriage in Latin American first