21 dead after terrorists attack Ariana Grande concert in UK
Daily Archives: May 23, 2017
Crowd Jeers as Two Men are Caned 83 Times for Gay Sex in Indonesia: VIDEO
Crowd Jeers as Two Men are Caned 83 Times for Gay Sex in Indonesia: VIDEO
Authorities in the Aceh province in Indonesia, the only to practice Sharia law, caned two gay men 83 times in a public square. The two men, both in their 20s, were caught last month by a group of vigilantes who entered the boarding house where they were staying.
RELATED: Two Gay Men Caught Having Sex Face 100 Lashes with a Cane in Indonesia: VIDEO
It is the first time the province has carried out a punishment for homosexuality.
More than a thousand people packed the courtyard of a mosque to witness the caning, which was the first time that Aceh, the only province in Indonesia to practice Shariah law, has caned people for homosexuality.
The crowd shouted insults and cheered as the men, aged 20 and 23, were whipped across the back and winced with pain. Many in the crush of spectators filmed the caning with cellphones as a team of five robed and hooded enforcers took turns to inflict the punishment, relieving one another after every 20 strokes for one of the men and 40 for the other.
Sarojini Mutia Irfan, a female university student who witnessed the caning, said it was a necessary deterrent.
“What they have done is like a virus that can harm people’s morale,” she said. “This kind of public punishment is an attempt to stop the spread of the virus to other communities in Aceh.”
Video of the caning (warning: disturbing):
Human Rights Watch had called for the men to be released:
“The arrest and detention of these two men underscores the abuse imbedded in Aceh’s discriminatory, anti-LGBT ordinances,” said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia division director at Human Right Watch. “These men had their privacy invaded in a frightening and humiliating manner and now face public torture for the ‘crime’ of their alleged sexual orientation.”
Cell phone video footage of the raid, apparently shot by one of the vigilantes and circulating on social media, shows one of the two men visibly distressed as he calls for help on his cellphone. “Please brother, please stop,” one of the men says in the video. “My parents want to talk to you, they can pick me up.” Aceh’s Sharia ordinances empower members of the public as well as the special Sharia police to publicly identify and detain anyone suspected of violating its rules.
Aceh’s codes have worsened over the past 10 years says HRW:
Over the past decade, Aceh’s parliament has gradually adopted Sharia-inspired ordinances that criminalize non-hijab-wearing women, drinking alcohol, gambling, and extramarital sexual relations, all of which can be enforced against non-Muslims. Aceh’s LGBT population is also vulnerable to Aceh’s 2014 Criminal Code that bars liwath (sodomy) and musahabah (lesbian sexual action). Aceh province imposed the Sharia punishment of multiple lashes of a cane against 339 people in 2016.
…
Anti-LGBT incidents across Indonesia have significantly increased since January 2016 and included police raids on suspected gatherings of gay men, attacks on LGBT activists, and vitriolic anti-LGBT rhetoric from officials and politicians. In October, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo broke his long silence on escalating anti-LGBT rhetoric by defending the rights of the country’s LGBT community. He declared that “the police must act” against actions by bigoted groups or individuals to harm LGBT people or deny them their rights, and that “there should be no discrimination against anyone.” However, Jokowi has not backed up that statement with action.
“President Jokowi should urgently intervene is this case to demonstrate his stated commitment to ending discrimination against LGBT people,” Kine said. “Jokowi then needs to act to eliminate Aceh’s discriminatory ordinances so these outrageous arrests don’t happen again.”
The post Crowd Jeers as Two Men are Caned 83 Times for Gay Sex in Indonesia: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.
Crowd Jeers as Two Men are Caned 83 Times for Gay Sex in Indonesia
#AM_Equality Tipsheet: May 23, 2017
#AM_Equality Tipsheet: May 23, 2017
HRC MOURNS LIVES LOST IN MANCHESTER ATTACK — CALLS FOR STAND AGAINST HATRED: At a Monday night Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, a horrific bombing stole the lives of at least 22 people — many of whom were children. The terrorist group ISIL has claimed responsibility for the ruthless attack. HRC President Chad Griffin expressed HRC’s despair, saying, “My heart is with everyone in Manchester tonight. We stand with you — and against hate.” The bombing is thought to be England’s deadliest since 2005. More from The New York Times.
My heart is with everyone in #Manchester tonight. We stand with you — and against hate.
— Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) May 23, 2017
IT’S A DISGRACE — TEXAS LEGISLATURE DISCRIMINATING AGAINST ITS OWN CITIZENS, ATTACKING LGBTQ PEOPLE: On Sunday night, the Texas legislature passed two discriminatory anti-LGBTQ pieces of legislation. HB 3859 would allow child welfare organizations — including adoption and foster care agencies — to turn away qualified Texans seeking to care for a child in need, including LGBTQ couples, interfaith couples, single parents, married couples in which one prospective parent has previously been divorced, or other parents to whom the agency has a religious objection. It also could harm children in care; HB 3859 would forbid the state from canceling a state contract with an agency that subjected children in their care to dangerous practices such as so-called “conversion therapy.” The bill now heads to the governor’s desk. And the Texas House of Representatives added a discriminatory amendment to an otherwise unrelated education bill that could ostracize and harm transgender students. More from Bustle, The Washington Blade and The Hill.
- Transgender children and their parents fear for their safety: While Texas lawmakers are advancing proposals to harm transgender children, these children and their families are preparing for the worst. More from The Associated Press.
Texans: Contact @GovAbbott and tell him not to target #LGBTQ Texans! Text TX GOVERNOR to 30644 to be connected with his office. #txlege pic.twitter.com/eRCjbuMVz3
— HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) May 22, 2017
#EYESONCHECHNYA — HRC PRESIDENT URGES TILLERSON TO GRANT VISAS TO LGBTQ CHECHENS FLEEING VIOLENCE: Yesterday, HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) sent a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urging him to allow those fleeing violence in Chechnya — including gay and bisexual men who have been targeted by the government — access to U.S. visas. This comes after reports that the U.S. has discouraged Russian LGBTQ adovcates from helping Chechens to obtain visas. In Chechnya, gay and bisexual men are being rounded up, locked in secret prisons, tortured and even murdered — by their own government. HRC has called on the U.S. government to condemn these heinous crimes and grant victims asylum. More from The Washington Blade.
TUESDAY TWEET — GEORGIA TRANS ADVOCATE WHO FOUGHT TO CHANGE NAME DIES: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution honors the life of local trans advocate Rowan Feldhaus, whose fight to change his name helped define Georgia law. Said attorney Beth Littrell of Lambda Legal, which represented Rowan: “Because Rowan stood up, Georgia judges are now required to allow people to change their names without bias.” More from LGBTQ Nation.
RIP Rowan Feldhaus. Thank you for fighting for so many. Our right to be recognized must be absolute. t.co/JzKl0kSk7E
— Sarah McBride (@SarahEMcBride) May 22, 2017
DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN — TRUMP APPOINTS YET ANOTHER ANTI-LGBTQ EXTREMIST: This time, it’s Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who will serve as vice chair of a commission to review claims of “voter fraud.” Kobach has compared LGBTQ people to drug users and currently acts as an attorney for the nationalist, anti-immigrant “Federation for American Immigration Reform.” More from Salon.
BILL BANNING SO-CALLED “CONVERSION THERAPY” INTRODUCED IN WISCONSIN: The measure, introduced by State Representative Amanda Stuck, would protect youth from the dangerous and debunked practice of so-called “conversion therapy.” More from The Post-Crescent.
HRC MOURNS THE LOSS OF SHERRELL FAULKNER, A TRANS WOMAN ATTACKED IN NOVEMBER: HRC mourns the tragic loss of Sherrell Faulkner, a transgender woman of color, who died last week of injuries suffered during an attack last November in Charlotte, North Carolina. Faulkner was 46. She is the 11th transgender person to die this year as a result of violence in the U.S. Twenty-two trans women were killed in the U.S. last year. More from HRC.
METRO WEEKLY EXCLUSIVE WITH RAFFI FREEDMAN-GURSPAN: The latest cover of Metro Weekly features Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, the White House’s first openly transgender staffer and current Director of External Relations for the National Center for Transgender Equality. In the interview, Raffi shares her coming out story, her work for the LGBTQ community and her hopes for the future of LGBTQ equality. More from Metro Weekly.
Metro Weekly magazine: 2017-05-18 edition (PDF) t.co/jWc2u35wlk pic.twitter.com/zU52IkwPun
— Metro Weekly (@metroweekly) May 22, 2017
LGBTQ LAWS ON THE AGENDA AT AMES, IOWA, CITY COUNCIL MEETING: Council members tonight will discuss recommendations by the local Human Relations Commission based on LGBTQ-inclusive criteria in HRC’s 2016 Municipal Equality Index. More from Iowa State Daily.
IN LAST WAPO COLUMN, STEVEN PETROW WRITES ABOUT OVERCOMING FEAR: In a powerful final installment of his ‘Civilities’ column in The Washington Post, Steven Petrow (@StevenPetrow) discusses fear that has washed over the LGBTQ community since the Pulse nightclub shooting, the election of Trump election and during the wave of anti-transgender state legislation. But, Petrow writes, reaching out, learning and respecting others may help. “Respect, after all, is a two-way street. And when we have more respect for ‘others’ — and they for us — we will all have less to fear.” More from The Washington Post.
HORRIFYING — POLICE DETAIN 141 MEN IN INDONESIA ON SUSPICION OF BEING GAY OR BISEXUAL: The men were arrested in the capital of Jakarta on Sunday night. Indonesia is one of at least 72 countries that criminalizes same-sex sexual activity. More from The New York Times.
READING RAINBOW
Pride shares new cards from Hallmark to celebrate a person’s transition; Condé Nast Traveler shares travel tips for same-sex couples and their families;
Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to #AM_Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!
www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tipsheet-may-23-2017?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed
James Corden Holds Back Tears During Emotional Statement About the Manchester Bombing: WATCH
James Corden Holds Back Tears During Emotional Statement About the Manchester Bombing: WATCH
Late Late Show host James Corden was in the middle of his show’s taping when news broke of the terrorist bombing at MEN Arena in Manchester and delivered an emotional message about a city that he loves.
Said Corden:
“When I think of Manchester, the place that I know, I think of the spirit of the people there and I’m telling you a more tight-knit group of people you’ll be hard pressed to find. Strong, proud, caring people with community at it’s core. And if it’s even possible, the spirit of the people of Manchester will grow even stronger this evening. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Manchester tonight: all of the staff at the arena, all of the security teams, all of the emergency services, Ariana and her team, and all of those families affected by tonight. We’ll all go to bed holding our little ones even tight this evening.”
Watch:
The post James Corden Holds Back Tears During Emotional Statement About the Manchester Bombing: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
James Corden Holds Back Tears During Emotional Statement About the Manchester Bombing: WATCH
Mental Health Care Is Key to Ending AIDS
Mental Health Care Is Key to Ending AIDS
The Gay Men’s Health Crisis is confronting what is often an afterthought in HIV care — mental health.
www.advocate.com/commentary/2017/5/23/mental-health-care-key-ending-aids
6345651928
Dreams With Butterflies
Dreams With Butterflies
maria.morisot posted a photo:
Dripping, wax, dripping
wax, dripping, wax;
conclusion:
there are no more
butterflies.
they’ve all been
swept
away, under the rug
of death. Into extinction.
And my candle burns;
though gods know
a more thorough
explanation.
I see with eyes alight
with fire; burning
deep inside my self,
the…
mariamorisot.com/2017/05/23/dreams-with-butterflies/
인도네시아에서 동성애자들이 공개적으로 매질을 당했다
LONG BEACH PRIDE 2017
LONG BEACH PRIDE 2017
Photography By Iggy posted a photo:
Photography By: IGGY
FB www.facebook.com/PhotographyByIggy
WEBSITE: www.photographybyiggy.com
김종대: 마침내 군형법 개정안을 발의하게 되었습니다
김종대: 마침내 군형법 개정안을 발의하게 되었습니다
지금 군에서 성 소수자라는 이유 하나만으로 A 대위를 고속하고 기소했습니다. 동성애를 금지한 군형법 92조 6을 적용한 것입니다. 참으로 21세기 문명시대에 부끄러운 민낯입니다. 저는 이 조항을 폐지하는 군형법 개정안을 발의할 예정입니다. 그동안 발의 의원 10명을 채우지 못해 석 달을 기다리다가 지난주에 가까스로 발의 숫자를 채우게 된 것입니다. 용기를 내서 발의에 참여해주신 의원들께 진심으로 감사드립니다. 여러 국회의원들이 심정적으로는 이 개정안을 지지하지만 종교단체의 반발을 의식해서 참여하지 못한 것을 잘 알고 있습니다.