Kenyan President
Denounces Gays and Lesbians

"Kenya has no room or time for homosexuals and lesbians," President Daniel arap Moi told the Daily Nation newspaper, the Sapa-Panos news agency reported August 14

"Homosexuality is against African norms and traditions, and even in religion it is considered a great sin," he said.

Meanwhile, Kenyan Health Ministry spokesman Maina Kahindo has written off gays who are at risk for AIDS.

"Taking into account other modes of transmission of HIV/AIDS, homosexuality is negligible and should not take up our resources and time," Kahindo said. "We have other, far-more-pressing areas which affect the majority of our people and therefore need urgent attention."

The leaders of Zimbabwe and Namibia also have denounced gays.

Canadian Ruling Redefines Spouse

Canadian federal Justice Andrew MacKay ruled August 17 that the federal government is discriminating against gay employees with its "separate but equal" benefits program for "same-sex partner relationships."

Instead, the word "spouse" must be redefined so gay employees and their partners are included in the regular benefits scheme, MacKay said.

He called the dual system "appalling," explaining, "It is no more appropriate for the employer in this case to have established a separate definition for persons in same-sex relationships than it would have been for the employer to create separate definitions for relationships of persons based on their race, colour or ethnicity."

Partners of Canadian public servants began receiving benefits in 1996 following a human-rights tribunal ruling in a case brought by Stanley Moore, a foreign-service officer who had been denied spousal moving and housing benefits.

MacKay's ruling also granted human-rights officials the power to order the federal government to rework all laws, regulations and directives that discriminate against same-sex couples in the area of job benefits.