Cuba to Consider Draft Gay Rights Bill in June

A draft gay rights bill is to be considered by the Cuban government in June, Mexican media is reporting:

"The media said citing Mariela Castro, the director of the governmental National Centre for Sex Education (CENESEX): 'a relevant resolution will be signed in the nearest future by the Ministry of Health, which will determine the procedure for such surgery.'

Mariela, who is president Raul Castro's daughter, also spoke recently with the BBC:

"A lot of homosexual couples asked me to not risk delaying getting the law passed by insisting on the word marriage. In Cuba marriage is not as important as the family and at least this way we can guarantee the personal and inheritance rights of homosexuals and transsexuals. I've seen changes in my father since I was a child. I saw him as macho and homophobic. But as I have grown and changed as a person, so I have seen him change...In the early years of the revolution much of the world was homophobic. It was the same here in Cuba and led to acts which I consider unjust. What I see now is that both Cuban society and the government have realised that these were mistakes. There is also the desire to take initiatives which would prevent such things happening again."

Cuban parliament set to consider gay rights bill [ria novosti]
Castro champions gay rights in Cuba [bbc]

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New York judge allows divorce trial for lesbians married in Canada.

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Hospital in Florida refuses lesbian and children to communicate with her dying partner of 18 years, tells them there is nothing they can do because they're in an anti-gay state.

Courtney Love blogs about the Oscars: "i was supposed to be at Eltons Party at i think noon or something and if we dont hiurry it will suck- i really dont want to get there ina crush of shit and stuff- wait my pr is outside im calling her hold on- okay i hope the disaster has been averted but m,y expirience with that party is that i do NOT want to see Paris dancing ona table i really really DONT and i dont want to stuff a stale slamon canape in my mouth and i really need to get laid so i m off to do so."

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Anti-aging substance found in bullfrogs: "Because it is water-soluble, the substance may be consumed in much more diverse ways than the oil-soluble tocopherol. You may put it in soft drinks, for example."

First 30,000 pages of 'Book of Life' revealed: "The immense online resource is designed to greatly enhance our understanding of the world's diminishing biodiversity. The creators of the database say it could have an impact on human knowledge comparable to that which followed the microscope's invention in the 1600s. It is designed to be used by everyone from scientists to lay readers. The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) - described as the "ultimate field guide" - is to encompass all six kingdoms of life, and even viruses - which many researchers do not consider to be living organisms."

Robert Buckley makes an impression on Lipstick Jungle.

The Academy's excuse for Brad Renfro death montage snub: not enough time to include everyone.

Cases of HIV/AIDS soar 45% in China from 2006 to 2007: "The staggering rise was put down to changing social attitudes and an improvement in data collection. The government had said late last year that 700,000 people were living with the virus, an increase from an earlier estimate of 650,000. The year before, China lowered its estimate to 650,000 from 840,000, despite warnings from international experts that the disease was spreading due to ignorance and because many people were too afraid or too poor to seek help."

Rent ends 12-year run on Broadway.

Gay porn twins arrested for string of burglaries in Philadelphia.

Gay Brazilians demand Fidel Castro ask for forgiveness for his persecution of gays and lesbians: "Grupo Gay da Bahia, the oldest homosexual non-governmental organization in Latin America, demands that the dictator Fidel Castro, before his death, recognizes and asks for forgiveness for the grave errors of the Cuban revolution responsible for the demoralization, persecution, imprisonment in concentration camps, forced labor, torture, deportation, and death of thousands of gays, transvestites and lesbians in Cuba."

Scientists: Prozac doesn't work.

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Fidel Castro Stepping Down as President of Cuba

Cuba's President and Commander in Chief Fidel Castro announced that he's resigning from power and will formally install his brother Raul as President this weekend:

"'I will neither aspire to nor accept the positions of president of the state council and commander in chief.' That means that for the first time since 1959, the 81-year-old will not be officially in charge in Cuba. The world's longest-serving political leader is leaving on his own terms, having survived efforts by 10 U.S. presidents to bring him down, including a disastrous CIA-backed invasion in 1961 and a missile crisis that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war in 1962."

Just who is Raul?

Speaking from Rwanda, President Bush said "I believe that the change from Fidel Castro ought to begin a period of a democratic transition. Eventually this transition ought to lead to free and fair elections, and I mean free and I mean fair. And we're going to help. The United States will help the people of Cuba realize the blessings of liberty."

Recently, Raul Castro invited Cubans to offer their thoughts and to challenge government policies, leading Politburo member and Cultural Minister Abel Prieto to call for the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Said Prieto: "I think that marriage between lesbians, between homosexuals can be perfectly approved and that in Cuba that wouldn't cause an earthquake or anything like that."

With the news of Castro's resignation, that seems more likely than ever to be a possibility, however, taking note of Cuba's longstanding persecution of gays, one has to wonder if Prieto's statement is only a pipe dream.

The shot above is from a documentary on Castro by Oliver Stone that was shot for U.S. cable TV but never aired. You can view the first part of it, AFTER THE JUMP...

The rest can be viewed here.

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News: Madonna, Cuba, John McCain, Guantanamo, Marc Jacobs

Cuban Culture Minister Abel Prieto supports same-sex marriage: "I think that marriage between lesbians, between homosexuals can be perfectly approved and that in Cuba that wouldn't cause an earthquake or anything like that."

Lourdes: Madonna in training? Scientology meets Kabbalah at Malawi charity event. Rosie O'Donnell blogs over Tom Cruise: "my tommy was there / handsome as ever / he makes me smile / i love that guy."

Concerned Women for America pleased as punch that they soon may be able to discriminate against gays in Florida.

Marc Jacobs fashion house embroiled in bribery probe: "The former superintendent of Manhattan's 69th Regiment Armory, James Jackson, has been indicted on charges of demanding more than $30,000 to allow the space to be used by the designer and for other events. Marc Jacobs International allegedly made payoffs to Jackson through the designer's public relations firm, KCD Public Relations, to reserve the national historic landmark on key dates, New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said at a press conference Wednesday. Neither Marc Jacobs International nor KCD was accused in the indictment, which was unsealed Wednesday. Cuomo said the investigation was continuing to determine if payments to Jackson, who was a public employee, constituted a crime. While the designer is cooperating fully with the probe, it could face charges of its own. A spokesman for the attorney general's office told WWD, 'Marc Jacobs International is the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation by the attorney general and we cannot comment further.'"

Art and architecture group calls for entries on redesign of the White House.

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Top commander of detentions at Guantanamo Bay confirms existence of secret camp: "Somewhere amid the cactus-studded hills on this sprawling Navy base, separate from the cells where hundreds of men suspected of links to al-Qaida and the Taliban have been locked up for years, is a place even more closely guarded — a jailhouse so protected that its very location is top secret...Guantanamo commanders said Camp 7 is for key alleged al-Qaida members, who must be kept apart from other prisoners to prevent them from retaliating against long-term detainees who have talked to interrogators. They also want the location kept secret for fear of terrorist attack."

Florent restaurant being forced out of New York's meatpacking district. FLASHBACK: Destination Florent.

Who let Britney Spears out of the psych ward? Parents statement: "As parents of an adult child in the throws of a mental health crisis, we were extremely disappointed this morning to learn that over the recommendation of her treating psychiatrist, our daughter Britney was released from the hospital that could best care for her and keep her safe. We are deeply concerned about our daughter's safety and vulnerability and we believe her life is presently at risk. There are conservatorship orders in place created to protect our daughter that are being blatantly disregarded. We ask only that the court's orders be enforced so that a tragedy may be averted." Spears hits Beverly Hills hotel as if nothing ever happened.

Two gay guys: Why are some gay men so mean?

Sex it up: Big Brother 9 producers to turn off A/C in order to get contestants to strip. "When this group of 16 singles enters the house, they will be told they are being matched up with their ‘soul mate,’ a stranger who may prove to be their true love or their worst nightmare. Whether there is a love connection or not, once paired up, the Houseguests’ life in the game depends on their partner. They must strategize, plot and scheme together as a couple for a chance at the prize. These ‘lovebirds’ will live together as a couple meaning they will sleep in the same bed, hold Head of Household as a couple, be nominated for eviction as a pair, and if the time comes, say their goodbyes together upon eviction."

Caving to far right: McCain skips promised vote on economic stimulus plan.

Wayne Besen: How are we paving the way for the first gay president? "In order for our Obama to fulfill his or her potential, it is essential that the GLBT movement runs serious presidential candidates in the next election cycle. That's right, "candidates" in the plural – meaning we run a Democrat and a Republican. The Democrat would play the role of Jesse Jackson – a trailblazer that will lose badly, but earn respect and lay the groundwork for the future. This sacrificial lamb will be known as "the gay candidate," so when our gay Obama is finally ready – he or she can transcend sexual orientation and win – or lose – on the merits. It is also crucial we run a credible Republican, in order to articulate the case for gay rights in front of conservative audiences. This not only would make the other candidates uncomfortable in their gay bashing, but this candidate could serve as a role model."

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Cuban leader Fidel Castro tips Clinton-Obama ticket to win election: "The word today is that an apparently unbeatable ticket could be Hillary for president and Obama as her running mate."

The Beckhams hit the beach in Malibu.

LROQ in Los Angeles spins "Lean Like a Homo": " The song is sung by an effeminate male, who raps about anal sex, poppers, and desiring actor Zac Efron's penis. Some of the lyrics include 'Asscheeks up, spread them wide... That's how we live, party, and play, every single day for the gay.' The song appears to be a takeoff on Latino performer Down AKA Kilo's 'Lean Like a Cholo.'"

Katie Couric headed to Iraq and Syria to lift ratings of the CBS Evening News: "Anchor travel is expensive and in this case dangerous. News orgs do it to goose ratings, draw attention to the story or the newscaster, or secure higher-profile interviews than a correspondent could. But Couric herself was critical of the notion of traveling for the sake of travel before she started the CBS job last summer. Couric said in August '06 that she would only undertake such trips, 'if I feel strongly that my presence will advance a story, that I'm not just window dressing to show that I'm at a particular story, which I think does happen quite frankly in certain situations.'"

Rich bitch: Leona Helmsley leaves her dog $12 million in will. Two grandchildren get nothing for "reasons that they are aware of".

Los Angeles and the Mojave Desert seismically linked, say researchers: "This claim from a new study might come as a surprise to L.A. residents, who have been shaken by the 1994 Northridge quake, the Whittier quake in 1987 and numerous other temblors big and small. But even the Northridge quake, the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history at the time, was 'a drop in the bucket' compared with the massive jolts expected during high seismic activity, said researcher James Dolan of the University of Southern California."

BoiFromTroy lines up College Football's hottest men.

Hungarian radio station fired two employees after they published a photo on the station's website depicting State Secretary Gabor Szetey, the first openly gay Hungarian politician, standing outside Auschwitz wearing a pink triangle.

What's gay on TV this season? AfterElton has a preview: "The bad news is that by our count, not a single new scripted network show features a gay character in a lead or supporting role. Several shows have hinted they may add a gay character at some point in the future, but as for now there are no new characters for gay viewers. There are, however, two transgender characters on new shows and one is played by a transgender actress."

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Cuba May Trounce USA on Gay Rights

USA Today reports that Cuba may soon be a more progressive country than the United States when it comes to the rights of its citizens to marry:

Ricardo Alarcon, president of Cuba's National Assembly recently said that he expects the government will soon legalize gay marriage or civil unions: "We have to abolish any form of discrimination against those persons. We are trying to see how to do that, whether it should be to grant them the right to marry or to have same-sex unions. We have to redefine the concept of marriage. Socialism should be a society that does not exclude anybody."

Gay culture in TV and film have helped to transform the nation's attitudes, the article argues.

A top judicial leader agrees that discrimination against gays has to go. Ruben Remigio Ferro, president of Cuba's Supreme Court: "Because of our historical heritage, Cuban society has been intolerant of homosexuals. But there has been a change in thinking. We are developing a program to educate people about sexual orientation. But it is not a problem that has been solved."

With Canada allowing gay marriage, parts of Mexico enacting civil unions, and now the possibility of Cuba moving forward, the U.S. may soon find itself swallowed by progress. Change appears to be on the march, but when will it get here?

When it comes to gay rights, is Cuba inching ahead of USA? [usa today]

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News: FMA, Gay Vito, Gay in Cuba, Abbé Pierre

Sen. Wayne Allard and Rep. Marilyn Musgrave are giving up on attempts to revive an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would ban gay marriage. Allard: "If we thought there was a decent chance to bring it to the floor for debate, I would, but with the new Congress, I'm not sure we will ever have that opportunity."

Remember Joseph Gannascoli aka gay Vito from The Sopranos? He's getting ready to host his own diet radio show: "The radio show has an odd seventies vibe; 1976 Olympic superstar Bruce Jenner is even mentioned in promotions. There is no possible way Gannascoli will not be wearing a velour tracksuit during the interviews."

French Catholic priest Abbé Pierre, a champion of the homeless who angered the church by voicing his support for gay adoption and gay marriage, dies in Paris at 94.

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As time marches on, are minds becoming less narrow in Havana?

Bristol, England man wins damages in sexual orientation discrimination case against his former employer, Bristol County Sports Club: "After about eight-and-a-half years I got tired of living a lie and told them that I was gay. After that they just started to make my life hell. They just were looking for an excuse to get rid of me. One member of staff told me that all gays were evil and one told me that he thought all gays should be shot. When I went to this disciplinary hearing there were eight members of the committee there and they drank all the way through it."

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Warsaw gay groups propose pink triangle monument to honor homosexuals killed in the Holocaust. Some city council leaders, like Marek Makuch of the Prawo i Sprawiedliwość party, are outraged: "It is a devastating idea and we shall not agree to this. I have not seen in Warsaw a monument for Catholic priests or disabled people. The triangle would be a promotion of homosexuality. We cannot compare Warsaw with Berlin – Berlin is the capitol of European homosexuality, and here we have our values."

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Fidel Castro reportedly in "grave" condition.

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Senate votes 87-0 to strip benefits from lawmakers convicted of bribery, perjury and fraud. John Kerry: "With this vote, we are preventing members of Congress who steal or cheat from receiving a lifelong pension that is paid for by the taxpayers." Amen.

Rarely-produced Tennessee Williams one-act coming to London: "And Tell Sad Stories of the Death of Queens is set in New Orleans' French Quarter, where Williams lived as a young man. When he moved there in 1939, the area's cheap rents and air of age and decay attracted artistic community and alongside them gays, transvestites and other people on the margins of society. The play concerns a gay transvestite who tries to mend a broken heart by taking up with a short-tempered younger sailor. "

Log Cabin Republicans pressure Schwarzenegger to move on gay marriage. California LCR head: "When it comes to marriage, we believe in the fundamental fairness of the American people. There has never been a major civil rights movement that has failed in the United States."

The Royals are ready for combat.

Czech masseur comes out on top in discrimination case. Groundbreaking case is the first time a Czech court has awarded damages for discrimination based on sexual orientation: "Mr Sydor had been promised a job as a masseur at a health centre, but when the manager found out he is gay he refused to hire him. In court the centre's management said they had found a better qualified candidate for the job."

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Has the 2006 mid-term election already been stolen? Let's hope not.
(via virtual matter)

Brit band McFly in steamy Swedish interview.

Police continue search for 19-year-old Daquan McGill, suspected in the murder of 55-year-old John Canora. Canora's body was found decomposing in his home in Howard Beach after a fatal beating. Police suspect McGill and Canora were involved sexually.

Genetically altered HIV virus proves successful in battling AIDS in early trials.

Studio 60 actor Bradley Whitford makes calls on behalf of Fair Wisconsin to help fight amendment banning same-sex marriage in that state: "Whitford told voters that he was a Madison native and University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate, and reminded them to show up at the polls on Tuesday. Fair Wisconsin spokesman Josh Freker said that the group will have called about 1.6 million people in the last stretch of the campaign."

Notoriously private Darren Hayes, who came out of the closet and married his partner earlier this year, is set to release a new documentary look into the private life of a performer. Hayes: "It's an inside look at the person I've become today. And it looks back on a period which now, with retrospect, was a difficult time for the ego. It was a really transitional period in my life."

Cuban TV introduces gay characters on soap opera: "Some of the island's gays say the overwhelming popularity of 'The Hidden Side of the Moon' is proof Cuba's hardline communist government has become more tolerant of homosexuals. In the past, gays in Cuba were routinely harassed and beaten by police. Other gays, however, took issue with the fact the gay characters on the show are HIV-positive. 'The simple fact that they put a gay issue on TV shows a lot,' said Oilime, a gay Cuban who would only provide his first name. 'But it promoted the idea that if you sleep with a gay man, you will get a fatal illness.'"

37%: Men in India who have reported having a homosexual experience.

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Overcrowded Senate elevators have Rick Santorum steaming...

LOGO announces series on gay twins Jacob & Joshua and their band Nemesis. The show will follow the camera-friendly duo as they come out to their Jehovah's Witness family and attempt to make it big in the music industry.

Valerie Cherish arrives on DVD...

Richard Hatch sent to "male Camp Cupcake" in West Virginia to serve remainder of his tax fraud sentence: "Morgantown is described as comparable to a minimum-security federal prison camp. There are no security fences or guard towers and inmates are mostly free to go where they choose within the prison. Inmates live in dormitory style housing."

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At Montreal's Outgames, Mariela Castro, niece of Fidel spoke about Cuba's gays to the International Conference on LGBT Human Rights: "There is no official repression of lesbians and gays in Cuba. What remains are social and cultural reactions that must be transformed, the same as in many other countries." Her understanding of the spirit of the games, however, seemed to be eclipsed by a nationalist sentiment. When asked about gay athletes in Cuba (none registered for the games) she said: As a matter of fact, there are many homosexual athletes in Cuba. Unfortunately, they are not good athletes. The government could not afford to send a team here and risk that they would come home without any medals."

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New Out magazine editor tells Women's Wear Daily that he wants his vision for the magazine to be "[David] Bowie gay rather than Cher gay." He also says that he would like to see Vanity Fair and The New Yorker as his competition rather than Genre orInstinct: "The question I ask myself is, 'What would those magazines do if they were gay?' I'd rather have mainstream magazines with an aesthetic I admire as the competition (rather than other gay titles). For an editor, you create the magazine you want to read. It doesn't have to be more complicated than that." (via gawker)

MTV's Real World/Road Rules: Fresh Meat Challenge features plenty of gay drama this season. Reality Blurred reports that contestant Shane is upset they cast his ex-boyfriend Ryan on the show. "If you’re stick gonna another gay guy on there, don’t give me [my ex-boyfriend] Ryan, and don’t give me this closeted fucker." The latter reference is to Fresh Meat contestant Jesse, who has not publicly admitted to being on Shane's team, sexuality-wise. Shane goes on to explain a bit of backstory on Ryan: "I had the distinct joy of meeting a superfan in New York City. Well, his name is Ryan but he’s just Asshole in my opinion, so that’s how I view him, as a big fucking stinky asshole. We dated for a while, off and on, like, he would come to North Carolina, and I’d go to New York. And it was, like, all right, I was never in love. I think that he was, because he turned out to be a stalker in some sense. Basically what happened was he called me one day and was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know how to tell you this but I just signed up for the challenge.’ And I go, ‘Oh, well, you’ll make it, and don’t ever call me again.’ And then we broke up. I knew he’d make it. Believe me, I know a reality whore when I see one. He was going around thinking that his whole life was going to change, he’s going to be famous, he doesn’t need to be a waiter any more. And I kind of laughed and was like, you fucking idiot. I’ve been on five of these shows. Believe me, I’m still waiting tables. We said hello. Actually, I pulled him aside and we had a little one on one. He would like, every second, he would be like, he would say like gross words like, ‘Baby.’ I haven’t dated you in three fucking months; you’re a fucking psycho. Stop. I don’t want him near me. I want him sent home. I told everyone, I said, ‘Listen, if you’re my friend, the first person to go home is Ryan, so don’t partner up with him.'"

Shane's rant may be the best example yet of why the pecs-and-ass show is best watched with the "mute" button on.

Cuban soap opera The Dark Side of the Moon has audiences riveted and is the first Cuban soap to prominently feature gays, though some say only the negative stereotypes are reinforced. (via raw story)

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