AUSTRALASIA
China To Start MSM HIV Prevention: According to the Ministry of Health, China plans to implement its first HIV prevention programs targeting men who have sex with men. Despite Ministry of Health estimates that MSM cases represent 11% of the 700,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in China, this is the first time the government has instituted a program to address the issue.
Sri Lankan Newspaper Offends: Sri Lankan LGBT group Equal Ground is protesting a newspaper article in The Island that recommended ‘remedial therapy’ to treat homosexuality.
EUROPE
Malta Asks for Equal Rights: In the predominately Roman Catholic Malta, GLBTs are petitioning for greater legal protection and rights, including stronger laws for homophobic crimes, public health gender reassignment surgery and legal recognition of same-sex couples. Over 1,000 people have signed the petition.
Slovenia Convenes: From March 4-6, Slovenia will host a conference about LGBT families and their legal status in Europe . The European branch of the International Lesbian and Gay Association is working with local Slovenian GLBT groups to organize the event.
Beckham Teammate’s Same-Sex Pash: Former teammate of David Beckham, Jose Maria Gutierrez Hernandez made headlines this month after pictures of the Real Madrid midfielder kissing another man ran in a Spanish tabloid.
All the King’s Men: Scientists located what they believe to be the remains of King Edward II’s gay lover, Piers Gaveston, whose brutal execution made it possible to identify the remains.
Moscow Pride in Court: Moscow Pride Organisers are attempting to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights following the ban imposed on Pride by the city’s mayor for the last two years.
Romania Exclusive: Romanian legislators have proposed an amendment to the Family Code that would exclusively define marriage as between a man and a woman. Human Rights Watch and other LGBT rights groups have urged the government to reject the legislation.
AFRICA & THE MIDDLE EAST
Gay Rights in Israel shake the Globe: In Israel, this month a ruling by the Attorney General granted adoption rights to same sex couples. Meanwhile, in Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset, ultra-conservative Shlomo Benizri said the country’s recent earthquakes were a form of punishment for its progressive gay rights legislation.
Nigeria on Trial: Eighteen Nigerian men face trial after being arrested for cross-dressing at a gay wedding. Human rights lawyers have expressed concern that the men will not face a fair trial, and under the country’s Sharia law, the men could face execution if found guilty of sodomy.
Egypt Criminalizing HIV: The appeals of two men who found guilty of ‘the habitual practice of debauchery’ were rejected this month. The men were arrested and tortured after declaring their HIV positive status to police.
Anglican Split Gets Violent in Zimbabwe: Bishop Nolbert Kunonga, who split from the Anglican Church over its ordinations of gay clergy, barricaded himself in an Anglican Church and refused to turn the property over to the church’s senior bishops.
Senegal Wedding Pics Prompt Arrests: As many as 20 gay men have been arrested in the Sengalese capital of Dakar. Police began the arrests after pictures of a same-sex marriage ceremony appeared in local publication Icones.
AMERICA
A Carnival of Condoms: The Brazilian government handed out an estimated 19.5 million condoms during this year’s Carnival to encourage safe-sex practices and combat the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Jamaica Needs Protection: After a homophobic mob of 15-20 men attacked a house of four gay males in late January, human rights groups have called on Jamaica to provide greater police protection. Despite repeated phone calls, the police took 90 minutes to arrive at the house.
