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Singapore Gays Plan Congress Lesbian Mayor Appoints Her Lover |
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By Rex Wockner International News Report Brazil Had 169 Anti-Gay Killings in 1999
There were 169 anti-gay killings in Brazil last year, the Grupo
Gay da Bahia reported May 2.
The murder rate was highest in the states of Sao Paulo and Pernambuco, the biggest city of which is Recife. "These statistics are only the tip of the iceberg," said anthropologist Luiz Mott, human rights secretary of the Brazilian Association of Gays, Lesbians and Transgender Persons and author of the study. "As there are no government statistics on hate crimes, we can only base our information on newspaper reports and the Internet. The data suggests that it would be more realistic to conclude that one gay, lesbian or transgender person is violently murdered every day in Brazil, victim of machismo and homophobia." Singapore Gays Plan Congress
It is also illegal for a male to abet or procure "an act of gross indecency" with another male. Past attempts to register gay organizations have been rejected without comment. More recently, the episode of Ally McBeal in which the Ally and Ling characters kiss was banned by state TV. Lesbian Mayor Appoints Her Lover Jaci Taylor, the new mayor of Aberystwyth, Wales, appointed her lover, Felicity Roberts, as her mayoress May 5, the BBC reported. The two women, both 55, have been together for 20 years. "It does take a lot of guts to make a decision like this, but everyone has a place in society and everyone is equal whether it is in terms of sexuality, race or culture," Taylor said. "It shouldn't really be an issue. There are more important issues like getting a better life for people. [We] have never hidden the fact we are together. Everyone we know has accepted us as a couple." Conservative Party Chairman Aubrey Palmer was taken aback by the announcement. "It is going to cause quite a storm in Aberystwyth because it is not normally something we associate with this town," he said. "Things like this don't normally happen here. I think it just degrades the position of mayor." Aberystwyth, population 8,636, is a holiday resort, rural and regional services center, and a principal stronghold of Welsh culture. It is home to the National Library of Wales. |
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