Where Do You Fall on the Gay Scale?

Homosexuality is one of those subjects where the more strident voices on both sides have tried to make it an “either/or” issue. Either you love gays or hate them, some say. Or, either you support “traditional” values or complete debauchery, others might say.

I think, like anything else, there are actually many shades of gray on the subject, and came up with some basic categories under which peoples’ views might fall. Of course, there would also be degrees of variation within each of these categories, but I think they might give a good general idea of where people stand.

*Gay hating/fearing: True homophobes and people who think gays have no rights as human beings would fall into this category. They would participate in, advocate or cheer on acts of violence and persecution against gays. The sort of people who constantly obsess over fears like “the queers taking over.”

Read the rest at defendingthetruth.com.

Australia’s “Homophobic Free” Zones May Backfire

Sydney, also known as Australia’s gay capital, felt the wrath of a rebel city councilor due to plans to create ‘homophobia-free zones’ in the heart of its bar and nightclub district.

Earlier this month, the city’s council voted 5 to 4 to designate parts of the city “homobia-free”. The parts they included are frequented by Syndney’s GLBT community. The measure was set as an attempt to deter violence, abuse and harassment towards homosexuals.

The plan, designed in cooperation with members of the GLBT community, encourages local businesses to use stickers and other signs to declare their support for the gay community. It also extends the council the right to revoke late-night business privileges for venues whose patrons commit homophobic attacks.

However, some rebel councilors believe the plan could backfire and lead to more attacks on homosexuals. “The young men who come in from outer suburbs to drink alcohol and assault gay people are not going to be deterred by a sticker in a window,” said counci lor Shayne Mallard.

“Because they already have homophobic and violent tendencies, it’s more likely to be a provocation,” he told The Australian newspaper.

“Lots of people in the gay and lesbian community fear it will provoke more violence… we’ve had enough of these PR stunts.”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who backed the proposal, said while all areas of Sydney were technically homophobia-free zones, the new strategy recognised the importance and strength of the city’s gay, lesbian and bisexual community.

“If people get away with homophobic abuse, there is a strong risk that they move on to physical abuse and violence,” she said in a statement. “We must stop it before it gets to that stage.”

McFadden’s Homophobic Comments Causes Stir

Brian McFadden has caused a furore In New Zealand by stating that heterosexual men should not wear pink. The star singer of the former boyband, Westlife, said on an Auckland radio breakfast show that “if you are not gay, a man should not be wearing pink. “Saying pink is a form of red is the same as saying homosexual is a form of male,” he added.

Robert Marshall, the coordinator of Rainbow Youth, an GLBT youth advocacy group in New Zealand said, “It’s the sort of stuff that gets said every day in the schoolyard. A lot of young people are quite impressionable, and when they see celebrities saying stuff like that, they think it’s OK to say it themselves. It’s always unacceptable to put people down based on their sexuality - it’s just like putting down people because of their race - judging people just because they’re a little bit different from you.”.

I wonder what his hair stylist really thinks of his bleach blond hair?

Sydney Declares Oxford St as Homophobia-Free Zone

The City of Sydney has taken the unusual step of declaring Oxford Street a homophobia-free zone in a bid to tackle anti-gay violence.

The homophobia-free zone motion was put forward by Cr Phillip Black at a recent forum for the gay community, receiving support from other community groups along with the council’s endorsement.

The Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore said the declaration of the zone, coupled with the Oxford Street Safety Strategy which came into effect last year, would help Sydney take a more proactive approach towards protecting the minority group.

“Homophobic abuse is often a precursor to violence…While all areas of NSW are technically ‘homophobia-free zones’, this strategy recognises the importance and strength of the GLBT community in our City,” Cr Moore said.

Read the rest at governmentnews.com.au.

HIV & Homophobia Work Against Each Other

Less than 1% of HIV/AIDS prevention spending targets gay and bisexual men worldwide.

Research by UNAIDS from 2006, the most recent data available, shows that only a tiny fraction of the $669 million (£352 million) spent globally on prevention services is aimed at men who have sex with men.

Craig McClure, executive director of International AIDS Society, said: “It’s very difficult to provide services to men who have sex with men in countries that don’t acknowledge they exist or criminalize them if they do exist,” according to Advocate.com.

The figures have alarmed experts, particularly due to the fact that, globally, rates of HIV infection amongst gay and bisexual men are rising at a greater rate than amongst the general population.

Read more at pinknews.co.uk.

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