Even though Canada's Supreme Court inserted sexual-orientation protections into Alberta's human-rights act April 2, the mayors of Edmonton and Calgary still say they will not proclaim gay- pride week.

Edmonton Mayor Bill Smith said, "There's only one judge in the supreme court here [in my office]. It's nothing I'm going to debate. My position is that I'm not going to proclaim gay-pride days. It has nothing to do with discrimination."

Calgary Mayor Al Duerr told reporters: "Nothing has changed from that perspective. We do not proclaim a special day on any issue perceived as divisive within the community."

In Ontario, the provincial Human Rights Commission has fined mayors up to $10,000 for refusing to issue gay-pride proclamations.

ISRAEL BANS ANTI-GAY HARASSMENT

The Israeli Knesset passed a law last month that bans anti-gay sexual harassment and other anti-gay actions in the workplace and all other facets of life.

Violators face civil and criminal penalties as high as two years in prison.

"Sexual harassment" is defined, in part, as "a despising or humiliating attitude that is shown toward a person regarding his sex or sexuality, including his sexual orientation."

GERMAN LESBIAN MAY STAY WITH NAMIBIAN LOVER

The High Court of Namibia granted a German lesbian residency April 3 based on her long-term relationship with her Namibian lover and her contributions to Namibian society.

The ruling overturned a decision by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

In her lawsuit, plaintiff Liz Frank argued that the ministry's Immigration Board had violated her constitutional rights to equality, privacy, freedom from discrimination and protection of her family.

Namibian President Sam Nujoma has denounced gays on at least two occasions. In April of 1997 he said homosexuals "should not tamper or disturb our civil society by coming outdoors to do their business." In December of 1996 he said: "Homosexuals must be condemned and rejected in our society. All necessary steps must be taken to combat all influences that are influencing us and our children in a negative way."

Contributing to this week's report: Max Mejia

Rex Wockner's weekly international news reports dating back to May 1994 can be searched at http://www.wockner.com.

The reports in their original form are archived at http://www.qrd.org/qrd/www/world/wockner.html, which also archives Wockner's Quote Unquote column and some of his longer gay-press articles.