And the consequences of the hate

[sparkindarkness]

And, from hate speech we move on to it’s child – the discrimination

Sadly it seems, in addition to not supporting same-sex marriage, Australia will also not allow Australians to get married in other countries either

On the good side, Tasmania turned round and said “screw that” and recognises same-sex marriages performed overseas

In British Columbia, Canada, a 17 year old teenager was pushed into leaving her church, a church she has been a member of all her life, because the ministers there could not abide her support for gay rights.  I applaud her courage and her integrity – and curse the men who did this to her

Russian Gay activist Nikolai Alekseev was arrested and disappeared for several days When he was released it seems he says he was kidnapped and drugged by Russian Security Agents.  In the interim, friends received false text messages purporting to be from him. The story is harrowing and more than a little frightening.

An MP for the Faroe Islands, Jenis av Rana has refused to dine with Icelandic PM Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir because she is a lesbian damn, I guess a modicum of professionalism is too much to ask

A US Navy Specialist has been discharged for being gay – because they found pictures of his boyfriend on his phone. But, hey, don’t worry – they don’t investigate people for being gay! McCain said so!

Another member of the US Navy faced a barrage of anti-gay harassment. He, not unsurprisingly, does not go on record as being gay – but it also highlights how hard it makes it for victims of such attacks to report them in the atmosphere of DADT

In Florida, Attorney General Bill McCollum not only wants to spend looooads of money fighting gay adoption – but he also wants to stop gays fostering. Why doesn’t he just establish like a 10 mile buffer zone between the kiddies and us? Just to be safe? They could catch teh gay after all

A public library in Burlington County, New Jersey has removed all copies of Revolutionary Voices: A Multicutural Gay Youth Anthology Why? Because it’s “child pornography.” Ye gods, I have not the words

In Memphis, City Councillor Janis Fullilove, has received death threats for trying to end anti-GBLTQ discrimination. Feel the love!

In Salt Lake city, an LGBT centre has been hit by unoriginal anti-gay grafitti.  The presumption to exist offends some people so much it seems

An Anglican school in Dallas has joined a chain of schools refusing kids whose parents are gay. Her lesbian parents make her an unfit student – how grossly horrible is this to do to a child?

Christine Judd worked as a teacher for 12 years and was praised for her work. Then she married another woman – and was sacked. The idea of throwing away a great teacher for the sake of prejudice? These people put dogma ahead of the wellbeing of children again.

In Poland, there is protest over a text books used in schools that protrays homosexuality as an illness and even pushes the idea that GBLTQs can and should change and become “normal.“  The Polish government pretty much hand waved the whole thing

Then we had the Polish Equality Minister out a gay man on television AND speaking in favour of employers being able to sack gay employees Wow, she sounds nearly as good as our Equalities Minister!

Lady Gaga is bisexual and has made several pro-gay tweets in her campaigning. Apple objects to that.

Sadly, such censorship is not uncommon – T-Mobile has been blocking gay websites (and not just adult ones) You can actually reach straight porn sites – but a GBLTQ news site? Nope, that’s adult! Nor are they the only mobile provider doing this

Google’s new google instant also is protecting our delicate little minds. “Lesbian,” “bisexual” and “transsexual” are blocked from the instant search feature – to protect the kiddies. “Fag” and “dyke” are allowed, however

In Ontario, a library is also getting in on the action, blocking those nasty GBLTQ websites.  For a library to do so is even more problematic in my eyes, as a library often represents the only internet access poor people can reach – and one of the few sources of GBLTQ resources.

And finally, be at peace my friends for Indianapolis bakery, Just Cookies is stalwartly refusing to create those dastardly items, gay cupcakes!

And, inevitably, the violence

In Kingston, Jamaica, several homeless GBLTQ people were shot at in the street.  Thankfully no-one was hit – but the circumstances, as described, are only getting worse.

The Trans Muder Monitoring Project has reported that there has been a deeply depressing 93 trans murders in the first half of 2010

In Atlanta, Durand Robinson, an organiser of Black Gay Pride has been shot and murdered Another tragic loss.

In Honduras, a policeman has been convicted for stabbing a trans woman as iof there weren’t enough reasons for them not to trust the police

The Bridges McRae policeman who beat Duana Johnson, a transgender woman has pleaded guilty in a new trial. Took far too long

In Israel, a young gay man was kidnapped by his relatives who then beat and threatened him to try and make him lead a “normal life.” It is horrific that one of the most powerful and deadly – and certainly soul destroying – sources of homophobia can be our own nearest and dearest – our own family can be the source of so much hatred.

Terry Majette in New York attacked a transgender woman – and it’s not the first time for him

In San Francisco there has been a gay bashing on the public transit system Again a group attack on one man

In Manchester, in perhaps one of the most boggling examples of anti-gay violence, soap actor Danny Miller who plays a gay man in Emmerdale was attacked. Attacking actors because they play GBLTQ characters? Honestly the world, it makes no sense.

In London, a gay man was attacked Again by a gang of men

In Spain, a British gay man was attacked by a gang of 7 – another homophobic attack and another gang to do it. He was left with broken ribs and head injuries.

In Brighton, 3 men launched a homophobic attack against another man.

In New Orleans, a gay man was attacked by a group (AGAIN) of men screaming homophobic slurs