News

GOP Senators Reintroduce Bill to Protect Opponents of Same-sex Marriage

Max Greenwood March 8, 2018

A group of 22 GOP senators is reintroducing a controversial measure that would protect opponents of same-sex marriage from federal actions intended to curb discrimination.

The First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) would bar the federal government from taking any action against individuals who discriminate against same-sex couples or others based on “a sincerely held religious belief.”

The bill would also protect those who discriminate against marriages not recognized under federal law or individuals who engage in sex outside of marriage.

The measure was introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and 21 Republican co-sponsors, including Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Ted Cruz (Texas) and Orrin Hatch (Utah).

FADA was introduced in both the House and the Senate in 2015, but only received a hearing in the House.

The bill never advanced to a full vote, however, amid protests from Democrats and concerns among Republicans that then-President Obama would veto the measure if it reached his desk.

Supporters of the bill say that it is necessary to protect First Amendment guarantees, while opponents argue that it ultimately amounts to an attempt to legalize anti-LGBT discrimination.

Lee told BuzzFeed News in November 2016 that he planned to reintroduce FADA after President Trump took office.

As a presidential candidate, Trump indicated that he would sign the measure if it were sent to his desk, saying that it would “protect the deeply held religious beliefs of Catholics and the beliefs of Americans of all faiths.”

National/ News/ Top Stories

Hawaii Advances Ban on Gay ‘Cure’ Therapy for Minors

Nick Duffy March 7, 2018

Pride marchers in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Creative Commons photo/Daniel Ramirez)

Hawaii has advanced a ban on gay ‘cure’ therapy for minors.

The US state could become the latest to outlaw the use of so-called ‘conversion therapy’ to attempt to change the sexuality of minors.

Performing gay cure therapy on minors is already is illegal in nine US states and counting, as well as Switzerland, Malta, Taiwan, two Canadian provinces, and the Australian state of Victoria.

Experts overwhelmingly agree that attempts to cure sexuality are futile, misguided, and often extremely harmful. Attempts to force teens to repress their sexuality has been linked to depression, self-harm and even suicide.

State senators in Hawaii today passed SB 270, which bans efforts to “engage in or attempt to engage in sexual orientation change efforts on a person under eighteen years of age”.

The bill – tabled by Stanley Chang, Rosalyn Baker and Karl Rhoads – passed the state Senate, which is entirely controlled by the Democrats, by a vote of 24-1.

The lone vote against was Democratic Senator Mike Gabbard, the head of the so-called “Alliance for Traditional Marriage and Values” who previously waged a campaign to ban same-sex marriage in the state.

The bill notes: “the American Psychological Association convened a task force on appropriate therapeutic responses to sexual orientation.

“The task force conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed journal literature on sexual orientation change efforts. The task force concluded that sexual orientation change efforts are unlikely to be successful and involve risk of harm to lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals, including depression, suicidality, loss of sexual feeling, anxiety, shame, negative self-image, and other negative feelings and behaviors.

“The legislature further finds that children and adolescents who participate in these types of sexual orientation change efforts, which often use fear-based techniques, are given inaccurate scientific information regarding sexual orientation and gender identity and are also at risk of increased self-stigma and psychological distress.”

It adds: “The legislature additionally finds that sexual orientation change efforts are opposed by the country’s leading medical and mental health professional organizations, including the American Psychological Association, American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychiatric Association, National Association of Social Workers, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

“The purpose of this Act is to protect the physical and psychological well-being of minors, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth, against exposure to serious harms caused by sexual orientation change efforts by regulating the conduct of specific state-licensed persons who provide professional counseling to minors under the age of eighteen and prohibiting these professionals from engaging in, attempting to engage in, or advertising the offering of sexual orientation change efforts on persons under eighteen years of age.”

HRC Legislative Counsel Xavier Persad said: “We thank the state senators who voted to protect LGBTQ youth from the dangerous and inhumane practice of conversion therapy.

“Children across the Aloha State deserve to live their lives authentically, and they deserve to know that they are not broken or ill because of who they are. We are calling on the House of Representatives to swiftly pass this bill and send it to Governor David Ige’s desk for his signature.”

A string of states have proposed laws on the issue, which have overwhelming backing from Democrats but are still largely opposed by GOP politicians.

A bill was greenlit in Washington state last week.

The European Parliament last week voted to condemn gay ‘cure’ therapy and urged member countries to ban the harmful practice.

The EU body voted by 435 to 109 to adopt text calling on member states to outlaw the discredited practice.

It says: “[The European Parliament] welcomes initiatives prohibiting LGBTI conversion therapies and banning the pathologisation of trans identities and urges all Member States to adopt similar measures that respect and uphold the right to gender identity and gender expression”.

It is the first time the Parliament has made the specific disavowal of conversion therapies.

The vote came on an amendment to the Parliament’s annual report on the situation of fundamental rights in the EU, which was later adopted.

The Intergroup’s Sirpa Pietikäinen MEP noted that only a small number of EU member countries “have explicitly banned LGBTI conversion therapies” to date.

The MEP continued: “The UN Committee Against Torture, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Human Rights Committee have already condemned the practice of conversion therapy in several countries.”

National/ News/ Top Stories

‘Jihadist’ shocks court by suddenly confessing to killing two men he thought were gay

Josh Jackman March 7, 2018

A man who said he was trying to start a “jihad” has pleaded guilty to murder and terrorism – before surprising the court by suddenly confessing to killing three other people.

Ali Muhammad Brown, 34, admitted to murdering 19-year-old Brendan Tevlin of New Jersey during jury selection.

Then, without encouragement, he confessed to killing three men on the other side of the country, in Washington – two of them because he believed they were gay.

He had been charged after three deaths in the Seattle area, according to NBC News.

One man was shot dead in April 2014, while two others were gunned down outside a nightclub two months later.

Prosecutors have said that Brown confessed to killing the two men in June 2014 “because he believed they were homosexual.”

The killings, prosecutors said, showed “an extreme level of violence.”

If Brown were to be convicted of these killings, he could be given the death penalty.

The prosecutor’s office said: “In his statement to the court today Brown admitted that the killings were a part of what he described as a ‘jihad.’”

Brown, who is already serving 35 years in prison for armed robbery, will be sentenced on May 1.He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

Jamel Semper, who led the prosecution in New Jersey, said Brown “grievously harmed families and terrorised entire communities across the country.

“This defendant is no martyr.

“He’s just an admitted terrorist who will now spend the rest of his life in prison.”

Prosecutors said Brown made the confession in full knowledge that it would not get him a reduced sentence.

Acting County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino said: “We did not negotiate with this defendant.

“From the beginning, our position has been that he had to plead to all the charges or we would go to trial and let the jury decide.”

As well as admitting to the four killings, Brown pleaded guilty to first-degree terrorism, first-degree carjacking, first-degree robbery, unlawful possession of a handgun and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

In 2005, Brown was convicted in federal court in Washington of conspiracy to commit bank fraud in connection with a plot which targeted several banks from 2002 to 2004.

The year before that, Brown was one of at least 13 people living in Washington who were accused of pursuing the fraud scheme as part of a plot to illegally move people into the US from Gambia.

Local/ News

Santa Rosa #2 on List ofU.S. Cities with the Highest Rate of Same-sex Married Couples

Ariel Jao March 6, 2018

The exact number of same-sex married couples in the U.S. is unknown (the Census Bureau is still working toward making improvements to this measurement), but federal tax returns provide perhaps the closest estimation. After all, about 96 percent of married tax filers file jointly, according to the Tax Policy Center. A new report from the center estimates in 2015 — the year same-sex marriage was legalized across the U.S. — there were 250,450 same-sex married tax filers (about 0.48 percent of all married tax filers), up from about 131,080 in 2013 and 183, 280 in 2014 (when same-sex marriage was only recognized in some states).

“Same-sex joint filers are generally younger, higher income, less likely to claim dependent children (especially for male couples), and more geographically concentrated than are different-sex filers,” according to the Tax Policy Center’s new report.

While married same-sex couples tend to have higher incomes, the income of male couples was more than 40 percent higher than that of straight couples and female couples. The average adjusted gross income of male couples in 2015 was about $165,960, versus $118,415 for female couples and $115,210 for different-sex couples. Male same-sex couples with dependent children had an average income of $264,000, more than double that of female couples and straight couples with dependent children.

Same-sex couples, the report notes, are more likely to be of working age and to live in major metropolitan areas and coastal states where incomes and living costs are relatively high.

When the data broken down by state (and the District of Columbia), D.C. is the breakaway winner with same-sex couples making up 4.17 percent of all married couples, followed by Massachusetts and Vermont, which both came in at 0.99 percent. North Dakota came in last at 0.13 percent.

The report also broke down the data by city (technically U.S. Community Zones, or CZs) to find those with the largest share of same-sex married couples. Here’s the report’s top 10 list:

1. San Francisco, CA

The San Francisco skyline in May 2015. David Paul Morris / Bloomberg via Getty Images file

13,220 married same-sex couples (1.52 percent)

The percentage of same-sex marriages in this LGBTQ-friendly city is nearly 12 times the the rate of Provo, Utah (0.13 percent), the city with the lowest share of married gay couples.

2. Santa Rosa, CA

Pinot noir vineyards along Mark West Station Road are turning a golden color on October 7, 2017, near Santa Rosa, California. George Rose / Getty Images

1,416 married same-sex couples (1.25 percent)

Known for its wineries, this northern California city was included in US News’ 2016 list of top “20 Retirement Communities for LGBT Seniors.”

3. Seattle, WA

Seattle’s Space Needle and the downtown skyline. Carl Larson / Getty Images

9,281 married same-sex couples (1.09 percent)

Seattle is one of the cities with the largest number of same-sex female couples, totaling 2,112 in 2015. In November 2017, the city elected its first lesbian mayor: former U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan.

4. Boston, MA

The Boston skyline Charles Krupa / AP file

9,458 married same-sex couples (1.04 percent)

Massachusetts was the first state in the union to legalize same-sex marriage. It did so in May 2004, more than 10 years before gay marriage became legal across the U.S.

5. Portland, OR

Portland, Oregon Portland Oregon Tourism Bureau

4,006 married same-sex couples (0.97 percent)

Portland is one of the few U.S. cities where the number of female marriages (1,584) outnumbers the number of male marriages (1,049).

6. Miami, FL

Downtown Miami’s skyline on Friday March 11, 2016. Andrew Innerarity / for NBC News

5,131 married same-sex couples (0.92 percent)

Chock-full of gay nightlife, LGBTQ events and beautiful beaches, Miami was labeled the “greatest gay destination in America” by Thrillist last year.

7. Albuquerque, NM

Hot air balloons soar over the Rio Grande during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta on October 4, 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Christian Petersen / Getty Images

1,248 married same-sex couples (0.90 percent)

Albuquerque was ranked as one of the most LGBTQ-friendly retirement places in 2018 by SeniorAdvice.

8. San Diego, CA

The San Diego Convention Center, with its sail-like roof, is surrounded by the downtown skyline, Embarcadero Park (foreground), the Marriott Marina, and San Diego Bay. Joan C. Fahrenthold / AP

4,845 married same-sex couples (0.88 percent)

This LGBTQ-friendly city was the first city in America to have a street named after gay civil rights icon Harvey Milk.

9. New York, NY

New York Skyline, Manhattan, Summer night, then the Twilight start to show over the Buildings. Tobias Ackeborn / FlickrVision via Getty Images file

13,892 married same-sex couples (0.84 percent)

New York, America’s most populated city, has the largest number of same-sex marriages in the U.S. at 13,982.

10. Portland, ME

A fishing boat leaves the dock on July 21, 2012 in Portland, Maine. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

1,111 married same-sex couples (0.83 percent)

While it may not get the gay-friendly credit often bestowed upon cities like San Francisco and New York, Portland was voted the eighth “gayest city in America” by The Advocate in 2012.

News/ State

Equality California Endorses Candidates in State Assembly Races

Samuel Garrett-Pate March 6, 2018

Today, Equality California announced the endorsement of three strong pro-equality candidates for the California State Assembly.

“As we continue to forge a California and world that is healthy, just and fully equal for all LGBTQ people, it is critical that we elect strong allies with a proven track record of supporting LGBTQ equality, women’s rights, and social justice,” said Rick Zbur, Executive Director of Equality California. “We are pleased to announce the endorsement of three candidates for State Assembly who will lead the way in advancing these goals in their capacity as elected officials.”

The candidates endorsed by Equality California are as follows:

Assembly District 45

Equality California endorses Tricia Robbins Kasson in the special election for Assembly District 45, which will be held on April 3. Assembly District 45 includes Calabasas, Encino, Hidden Hills, Northridge, Woodland Hills, and most the western San Fernando Valley. Kasson is currently the Economic Development Director for LA City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield and has promised to provide focused leadership in Sacramento to advance LGBTQ civil rights, advocate for communities in the San Fernando Valley, and fight bullying and harassment in the workplace and schools.

“As a proud daughter of the San Fernando Valley, Tricia Robbins Kasson understands the unique needs of her community, and will fight to advance LGBTQ equality and increase economic opportunity for our community, ” said Rick Zbur, Executive Director of Equality California. “As the Economic Development Director for L.A. City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield and a professional planner, Kasson has worked to spur job growth, provide affordable housing, and tackle homelessness. She is committed to supporting legislation that would require LGBTQ cultural competency training for teachers, law enforcement, and healthcare workers. We are confident that as a member of the State Assembly she will be a strong champion of LGBTQ equality and social justice.”

Assembly District 54

Equality California endorses Sydney Kamlager in the special election for Assembly District 54, which will be held on April 3. Assembly District 54 encompasses parts of the Westside of Los Angeles, including Baldwin Hills, Culver City, Century City, Crenshaw, Mid-City, West Los Angeles, and Westwood. Kamlager is the District Director for California State Senator Holly J. Mitchell and current president of the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees. In her role as Community College Trustee, Kamlager has supported numerous initiatives to fight LGBTQ discrimination and help LGBTQ students prosper in a safe and welcoming environment, including by establishing and implementing a Transgender Sensitivity Curriculum to guide sensitivity training for employees, staff, and stakeholders at all nine colleges within the district, and by supporting the development of curriculum for students.

“Sydney Kamlager has a demonstrated record of advancing LGBTQ equality and social justice, and supporting efforts to assure that LGBTQ students can thrive in safe, welcoming environments,” said Rick Zbur, Executive Director of Equality California. “As a member of the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees, Kamlager has fought to provide additional tools and protections for LGBTQ students. In partnership with TransCanWork, she authored a resolution which established a Transgender Sensitivity Curriculum for employees, staff, and stakeholders at all nine colleges in the district and is working with the Academic Senate to shape effective curriculum for students. If elected to the Assembly, she has pledged to sponsor and support legislation and initiatives that strengthen LGBTQ equality, provide affordable healthcare, and expand access to HIV/AIDS care and prevention programs.”

Assembly District 72

Equality California endorses Josh Lowenthal for Assembly District 72, which includes parts of Huntington Beach and northwest Orange County. Lowenthal is a business owner, entrepreneur, community advocate, and son of current Congressman Alan Lowenthal. Throughout his life, he has been a staunch proponent of LGBTQ equality and an ally to our community, having sponsored LGBTQ events, and supported numerous progressive organizations and LGBTQ candidates.

“Josh Lowenthal has been a tremendous advocate for LGBTQ civil rights and social justice in his community,” said Rick Zbur, Executive Director of Equality California. “As a business owner and entrepreneur he has prioritized increasing LGBTQ representation in the workplace and working with LGBTQ-owned businesses. As a community advocate and ally, he has a history of supporting progressive organizations and LGBTQ candidates. We look forward to working with him in the Assembly to advance LGBTQ equality and increase opportunity for members of our community.”

###

Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization. We bring the voices of LGBTQ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve. www.eqca.org

National/ News/ Top Stories

Gay Man Shot Dead in Vicious Attack

Josh Jackman March 6, 2018

A gay man has been killed in a brutal attack outside a nightclub.

Ta’Ron Carson, 24, left Aura in Kansas City near closing time and said goodbye to his friend, when a black SUV pulled up and two armed people got out.

They shot Carson to death.

Police are investigating whether the homicide, which happened in the early hours of Sunday, was a hate crime.

Carson’s friend Brittany Bronson heard the gunshots as she got to her car after saying her farewells to him just seconds earlier.

“I just thought someone was shooting in the air,” she told Fox 4 News.

“You don’t imagine things – seeing things like that, ever, especially not your friends.”

Bronson turned around, and watched helplessly as her friend, who was also known as Rio, died.

Through tears, she said: “I saw my boy, I saw Ta’Ron, I saw Rio, I saw my boo.

“I saw him on the ground. I saw him. I saw him go.”

Bronson said her friend was special.

“He loved himself, and in loving yourself you are able to love so many more people,” she said.

Another of Carson’s friends, D. Rashaan Gilmore, said: “In gay vernacular, particularly in black gay vernacular, there is a term called ‘beating your face,’ and so Rio would always be beat for the gods.

“That is just powder, pad, getting your face together, because he was beautiful.”

He added: “The beauty of Rio is that because of how he lived his life, it helped to free others to live their lives in that way.

Gary Junior also paid tribute to his friend, telling The Kansas City Star: “Ta’Ron was always himself.

“He was not ashamed of his sexuality. He did not hide himself from anybody. He was really about standing up for the LGBT community.”

Junior said Carson had not argued with anyone at Aura, and had left on good terms.

“There was nothing to say he was leery about anything,” he said. “He gave everybody hugs and said goodbye.”

Aura’s owner Stuart Salomon agreed, saying: “It was peaceful and docile,” he said. “Kids with glow sticks and hula hoops. Not a single person thrown out. Not a cross word.”

Breyana White said she had known him for nearly a decade, having met at Northeast High School, where Carson was made senior class president in 2011.

“He was really just like the life of the party,” said White.

“He was really outgoing, always welcoming to people, always, like, open to meeting new people. He just made sure everyone was happy and kept smiles on their faces.”

She added: “I’m still in disbelief.

“Kansas City lost a great person. They lost someone who was just full of life. He was just all about positivity.

“He was a good dancer. We always would just have fun.”

International/ News/ Top Stories

Ugandan LGBTQI Activists Announce Plans for Pride following Crackdown

Meka Beresford March 6, 2018

LGBTQ+ activists in Uganda have announced plans to run a Pride event this year after a violent crackdown in 2016 which saw police raids and arrests at the event.

Ahead of the 2016 Pride, government officials warned that they would arrest anyone that took part.

Simon Lokodo, the Minister of State for ‘Ethics & Integrity’, likened LGBTQ+ people to paedophiles in the statement in which he warned people would be apprehended.

He said: “We are aware that there are inducements, including money, being offered to young people to promote the practice.

“We wish to emphasise that whereas the promotion of homosexuality is criminalised under the Penal Code, there is no violence against the LGBT community in Uganda – contrary to some claims made loosely by proponents of this movement.”

Despite emphasising the lack of violence, organisers of the Pride officially cancelled it out of fear of physical harm.

*Entebbe, Uganda. 2015 (ISAAC KASAMANI/AFP/Getty Images)*

“It is with very heavy hearts and deep-felt sadness that we announce the cancellation of Pride Uganda 2017.

“Following the Police raid and interruption of the Pride parade last year, extra precaution was taken in organising this year’s festival,” the statement read.

Despite the last Pride being “officially” cancelled, many Pride-goers still went to the event but they were broken up by police and some were arrested, including organiser and executive director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), Frank Mugisha.

Any hope for a Pride event in 2017 was completely dashed after Lokodo promised “arrest, even violence”.

Living conditions for LGBTQ+ people are reportedly getting slightly better in the country, with activists reporting fewer people being “arrested, put in police cells and tortured”.

Activist Isaac Mugisha, from Uganda, told The Daily Beast that he and other LGBTQ+ activists were now trying to work with straight allies to ensure Pride events could go ahead without being raided.

“The momentum is now so different to 2015. Then just a handful of LGBTS gathered. Now we are looking at hundreds of people wanting to gather for a Pride event,” Isaac Mugisha said.

End LGBT genocide flag — *Ugandan men hold a rainbow flag reading “Join hands to end LGBTI genocide” at Ugandan Pride 2014 (ISAAC KASAMANI/AFP/Getty Images)*

Frank Mugisha (who is not related to Isaac) added that “things are not looking so bad so far.

“Learning from last year our idea is to start planning early for Pride 2018.

“Our visibility is still very important to us, and we are hoping to have Pride this year, and a much bigger event,” he said.

However, he explained that it is still a very real fear that a Pride event could be raided by police.

“Even with the efforts to sensitize states’ institutions and lawmakers there is still so much discrimination and violations of LGBT persons going on here,” he said.

Some LGBTQ+ activists argue that the country is no safer than two years ago.

Adrian Jjuuko, executive director of Human Rights and Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF), said: “From my perspective, I do not think any progress has been made, particularly in LGBT organizing. To the contrary, the situation seems to be worsening since 2016.”

Ugandan President Museveni signed the draconian Anti-Homosexuality Bill in February 2014. The law called for repeat offenders to be sentenced to 14 years in prison and to make it a criminal offence not to report someone for being gay.

However, the country’s Constitutional Court later struck down the bill, finding that the speaker of parliament acted illegally by moving ahead with a vote on the law despite at least three lawmakers objecting to a lack of quorum.

Despite this, it still remains illegal to be gay in Uganda.

National/ News/ Top Stories

Toronto Police Find 7th Victim in ‘Gay Village’ Serial Killer Case

Associated Press March 6, 2018

Toronto police have found a seventh set of remains related to the investigation into alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur and have released a picture of a bearded, darker skinned dead man.

Detective Sgt. Hank Idsinga said Monday they could not identify the man in the picture and are now seeking the public’s help.

“I do not want to release this picture and I’m doing so as a last resort,” he said.

Idsinga declined to say how police obtained the picture of the dead man.

He said they showed the picture to members of the gay community but could not identify him. Many of the other alleged victims have been darker skinned and of South Asian or Middle Eastern descent who frequented the “Gay Village” area of Toronto.

Det. Hank Idsinga stands with a photo of an unidentified man who may be seventh victim of Toronto serial killer, at a news conference at Toronto Police headquarters on March 5, 2018. Chris Young / Canadian Press via AP

Idsinga said they’ve now found the dismembered remains of at least seven individuals this year in large planters at a home where McArthur did landscaping work and stored objects. It’s not clear if the remains of the seventh man are of the same man seen in the picture released by police.

He said they realize how difficult it might be for a relative or friend to see the picture and realize the man is deceased.

“I’ve never done this before,” he said about releasing the photo. “I do it with great hesitation. It is obviously a key piece of evidence that we have that we are releasing, but we feel by releasing it, hopefully we can identify him and close off that area of the investigation.”

Investigators have identified three sets of remains so far — 49-year-old Andrew Kinsman, 50-year-old Soroush Mahmudi and 40-year-old Skandaraj Navaratnam.

Bruce McArthur appears in a photo posted to his Facbeook account. Facebook via Reuters

McArthur, 66, is charged with first-degree murder in their deaths, as well as the presumed deaths of 44-year-old Selim Esen; Majeed Kayhan, 58; and Dean Lisowick, either 43 or 44. Police have said they believe there are more victims.

Dr. Michael Pollanen, Chief Forensic Pathologist for the Province of Ontario, said the causes of death are pending further studies.

Investigators have not yet released complete details, but McArthur is believed to have met his alleged victims in the Gay Village and on gay dating apps for older and large men with names such as “SilverDaddies” and “Bear411.”

Police are looking at unsolved missing person cases to determine if there are connections to McArthur and are running down tips that have come in from around the world.

McArthur, a grandfather and former mall Santa Claus, has not entered a plea. His case is due back in court March 14. Edward Royle, a lawyer for McArthur, has previously declined to comment on the case and didn’t respond to a message seeking comment on Monday.

News

In Brentwood, a Family is Torn Apart

Henry Giardina March 5, 2018

Elad and Andrew’s story spans across years, countries, and continents. The two met in Israel, forming a relationship that would lead to their marriage in 2010. The couple wanted to settle in the United States, but the Defense of Marriage Act stood in their way. Instead of compromising, they moved to Canada to begin a life together. In 2016, their twin sons were born through surrogacy. Elad served as Ethan’s biological father, Andrew was Aiden’s. But the family wanted to move back to Andrew’s hometown of L.A. to be closer to his family. Seeking American citizenship for the children, Elad and Aiden visited the American Consulate in Toronto, where they were asked for DNA tests to prove their parentage. As a result, only one twin was allowed citizenship. Ethan, by virtue of being Elad’s biological son, was not. Elad’s Israeli citizenship meant that his son could only live in the U.S. on a tourist visa at the age of 16 months.

The case has created a flurry of outrage and interest from human rights groups around the country, many of which feel that the problem is due to LGBTQ+ discrimination. The family is currently living in Brentwood, preparing to fight the case on a national stage. Immigration Equality, an organization with a 99% win rate, has decided to take on the case.

Immigration Equality’s Executive Director, Aaron C. Morris, will be serving the Dvash-Banks family as their attorney.

“[We’re fighting for] the idea that you are born and raised in the United States, and you leave for another country, fall in love, and get married, and children that you have as a product of that marriage are U.S. citizens from birth.” Said Morris in a press call. “This has been the law for more than 20 years…if you’re an opposite-sex couple and you walk into an embassy abroad, you have two things. A birth certificate and a marriage license. You literally walk out with that child as a U.S. citizen. What’s happening with same-sex couples is that the U.S. government is creating an additional unconstitutional burden. And that requirement, which is not articulated in the law in any way, is a state department policy that was created around the same time as the end of the Defense of Marriage Act. That policy is to require a biological link to a United States citizen. Unlike opposite-sex couples, when a same-sex couple walks in with the very same pieces of evidence…they’re required to either establish a DNA relationship, or that they gave birth to the child. This requirement is illegal as a matter of Supreme Court law. It also creates an unconstitutional burden that our couples could not overcome.”

Andrew, whose extended family still lives in L.A., wanted his relatives to be able to see the twins grow up firsthand. When he and Elad received the news from the American Embassy, their plans were dashed.

“Being a father is everything for me,” says Elad, who despaired of ever being able to have children as a young gay man growing up in a society with limited media representation of queer families. “How am I going to explain this to him when he grows up? ‘You’re different from your brother?’ “

At this time in America, with Republicans holding the majority voice in our government, issues of immigration and LGBTQ+ rights are coming newly under fire. With Trump seeking to roll back protections for immigrants and DREAMers alike, children of foreign-born gay parents like Ethan are looking at a hard-fought, upward battle when it comes to securing their equal rights as well as their citizenship.

Immigration Equality plans to fight Elad and Andrew’s battle in court. If you’re interested in finding ways to help, sign the couple’s MoveOn petition at: https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/demand-equal-treatment-1.

International/ News/ Top Stories

How One Gay Man Fled from Russia to Belarus

Jasmine Andersson March 3, 2018

Peter* had set up a Skype account just to speak to PinkNews.

Even though it has been six months since he left Russia to embark upon a new life in Belarus, he has to be cautious, and won’t tell me his real name.

Since Russia’s gay propaganda law came into action in 2013, a spate of attacks against the country’s LGBT+ community have a affected the gay, bi and lesbian community’s right to an education, a job, and even the right to their life.

An according to Peter, even sharing a post advocating for gay rights can result in your arrest.

“Everyone knows everything about you. You can go to jail just for reposting stuff on social media,” he said.

The story of exile began for Peter* when the Russian’s neighbours began to gossip about Peter and his boyfriend.

Living in a small Russian town near Moscow, the 32-year-old found that news quickly spread about his sexuality.

*St. Petersburg LGBT demonstration, 2013 (OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP/Getty Images)*

“People in the city saw us and the gossips told everyone around the city. After that everyone in the community knew,” he said.

Although he had lived in his hometown for as long as anyone could remember, his life as a gay man started to become difficult as pressures from religious groups and the government mounted.

“Everyone knows me everywhere. In the city when I worked, everyone knew, no matter where I went or no matter what I did,” he said.

Since the introduction of the gay propaganda law, the little protections LGBT+ Russians had have now dissipated.

In order to survive, Peter started to take lower paid work as a programmer, as his sexuality was used as a bargaining chip for him to take lesser paid work.

“I couldn’t find work or live my life normally. There’s a forum where gay freelancers and programmers are listed. Everyone in the community online and offline knew me,” he said.

“I wasn’t beaten, but I was discriminated against. I identify as gay, and I’ve never hidden it. That’s why there were problems. There’s a website that writes about every programmer and freelancer there, and they outed me. After that, it was even hard to get work through unofficial channels.

“I would get lower paid work, when I could,” he added.

The stress of not being able to find paid work was compounded by the hostile reactions Peter faced from his family, which left him with no other options: he would have to move.

“My family knew about my sexuality, and were incredibly negative about me. One of the main reasons I left Russia was because I had so little support from my family there,” he said.

The pressure started to take its toll on Peter and his boyfriend.

After moving to a different city in the hope that life would improve, the relationship started to fall apart.

First, we lived together in a different city first, and moved together. But it may have been a different city, but the same attitudes remained. We couldn’t get work, and we were scared of being attacked. That’s when my boyfriend left me, and said “I don’t need this.” It’s really hard, and not everyone can manage to keep a relationship going under that pressure,” he said.

Now alone, Peter decided to ask a friend for advice on how to escape Russia, and decided to enter Belarus.

The post-Eastern Bloc nation of Belarus lies to the left of Moscow.

The landlocked country, which shares borders with Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, is home to 9.5 million people – 800,000 more people than in London.

Around 8.3% of the country is made up of Russian migrants, and Russian is spoken as the country’s official language.

With its close ties to Russia, it was a feasible place for Peter to flee.

“You can access Belarus without a VISA or passport,” he said.

“It takes about two days to get to Belarus on the train. It took another three days on the car so we could get away from the border. You can go to Belarus without even a passport – it’s easier to enter even than Ukraine, which made the decision for me,” he said.

But unfortunately for Peter and other Russian LGBT+ asylum seekers, it shares a lot of the same hostilities.

In a recent anti-gay crackdown in October 2017, two gay night clubs were shut down in the country, with riot police taking the clubgoers’ data.

One of the people in the club was arrested in the process.

The crackdown was said to have been a direct order from the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko.

The Belarussian leader, is described as “Europe’s last dictator” remarked that it is better to be a dictator than gay.

“When I got there, friends took me in and helped me out. They even helped me with money and work when I first arrived. In Belarus, it’s more tolerant than in Russia,” he explained.

“I still can’t work properly, but at least I know I won’t be killed here. It’s not so tolerant, it’s old-fashioned, but they won’t kill you, like what happened in Russia,” he added.

Apart from with a small group of friends, Peter now lives his life in the closet, disclosing his sexuality only when he feels it is safe.

“If anyone found out about my sexuality, they might get aggressive, or even start a fight. There is not one way people react. There are only two ways, but in Russia, there’s just one: aggression all of the time. Some people are really easy about it here, some people are ridiculously aggressive. But in comparison to Russia, it’s a lighter load to bear,” he added.

But, similar to other post-Eastern Bloc LGBT+ asylum seekers from Russia, Peter is concerned that time is not on his side, and a move out of the country is essential to his survival.

“I try to hide my sexuality now, but as I am facing a small community just like before, it’s only a matter of time before people find out,” he said.

“I am working to save money to get out of Belarus. I want to go to the EU, an English-speaking country, where people are more tolerant,” he said.

But while the UK continues to reject thousands of LGBT+ asylum seekers from entering the island, it appears that the plight of Peter and other LGBT+ Russian asylum seekers’ right to life may fall elsewhere.

*Peter’s name has been changed

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