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Gay Magazine's Web Site Shut Down |
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By Rex Wockner International News Report Taiwan Gays Win Sauna Case
Three men arrested in a Taipei, Taiwan, gay sauna have been
cleared of all charges.
On December 20, 1998, a squad of policemen forcibly entered the AG Club and arrested two men found caressing each other in a private compartment, charging them with "obscenity in public." The officers then ordered the men to strip and pose for sexually suggestive photographs, which were used as evidence. A personal trainer working at the facility was also arrested, for allegedly providing sexual services. Taipei District Court Judge Wu Chui-hung dismissed all the charges, telling the Taipei Times: "When things such as this happen, the only thing that the court can do is render a not guilty verdict. This is a decision of law, but it can do little to correct the wrongs that have been done to the defendants." Wu added that the charges against the personal trainer were "groundless." "He did nothing wrong, but only tried to stop the police from arresting his customers," Wu said. Gay Magazine's Web Site Shut Down
Netbenefit acted after receiving a letter from lawyers representing the London-based gay newspaper The Pink Paper which reportedly alleged that Outcast was preparing to publish something that might defame The Pink Paper. Under British law, ISPs are legally responsible for content that passes through their servers.
"NetBenefit will not reinstate our services without a written assurance from a solicitor that we will never publish anything defamatory. That is an impossible demand: no reputable solicitor will guarantee what Outcast will be doing years into the future - - it is self-evidently impossible. NetBenefit know this, of course, so this is a simple case of censorship." The Pink Paper did not respond to requests for comment. A temporary Outcast Web site is online at www.gay-news.org.uk/outcast/. |
The Web site of the British gay magazine Outcast was shut down
March 29 by its Internet service provider (ISP), Netbenefit.
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