http://cyberzine.org/html/GLAIDS/Wockner29.html (World Wide Web Directory, ~04/1995)Sixty-two gay/lesbian Canadians have brought their foreign lovers to live in Canada since the government's 1993 decision that gays' partners could be processed for landed-immigrant status on "humanitarian and compassionate grounds," reported London's Capital Gay.
"Humanitarian and compassionate grounds ... include the existence of a stable relationship with a Canadian citizen or permanent resident," regulations state. "Missions [consulates] should recognize that undue hardship would often result from separating or continuing separation of a bona fide same-sex or common-law couple."
One of the most-recent cases involved Yukon Territory lesbian Andrea Underwood and her British lover Anna Carrott. They now plan to sue the Yukon over its refusal to give them a marriage license.
Members of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe are raising money to sue the national daily newspaper, the Daily Gazette, over its refusal to run a GALZ advertisement.
"Our advert simply advertises our counselling service," a GALZ spokesman said. "The newspaper has said that it is a 'family' newspaper and will not carry our advertisement.
"There are many isolated and lonely gay people in Zimbabwe who we would reach via this advert," the spokesman said. "In addition, we cannot proceed with leasing a central office because we would not be able to advertise this. We wish to engage legal assistance to fight this discrimination."
Donations may be sent to GALZ Legal Fund, Private Bag A6131, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Leading Irish lesbian activist Suzy Byrne was beaten in a Dublin street in October by attackers who shouted anti-lesbian slurs. She attributed the incident to her discussion of gay issues a week earlier on a TV talk show. (Capital Gay)
A 22-year-old Turkish man living in Arlington, Va., was granted asylum in the United States Oct. 18 because he was persecuted and raped by Turkish police due to his homosexuality.
"It has been determined you have established a well-founded fear of persecution were you to return to Turkey," the government wrote to Serkan Altan.
Altan is the second foreign gay to win asylum in the U.S. since Attorney General Janet Reno declared in June that gays are a "particular social group" that is persecuted in some nations. (Washington Blade)
Sydney, Australia's famed annual gay Mardi Gras and Sleaze Ball parties have been overrun by fun-seeking heterosexuals and gays are fed up with it, reported Capital Q.
More than 1,000 gay men have signed a petition calling on the Mardi Gras leadership to create a male-only dance space at the 1995 Mardi Gras party.
"With the increasing number of straights at our parties, they are becoming gay-and-lesbian-unfriendly," said petition organizer Edmund Milts. "That's really sad."
Mardi Gras previously tried to fix the problem by becoming a membership organization, quizzing applicants about their sexuality, and allowing only members to attend the events, but a lot of straights apparently said they were gay to gain admittance.
"It's a big issue and we're taking it very seriously," said Mardi Gras President Rob Patmore. "Men-only and women-only spaces could be a possible solution."
The attorney general of the Australian state of New South Wales (where Sydney is) has informed gay lobbyists the government will not establish an equal age of consent for gay men, will not give legal recognition to gay relationships, and will not cover transgendered people under the Anti-Discrimination Act.
John Hannaford said: "The community as a whole is not prepared to support legislative change in these areas."
Hannaford had endorsed the changes last year when a government-created committee produced a report for the health ministry. (Capital Q)
A support group for gay youth has been formed on the Internet. "soc.support.youth.gay-lesbian-bi" is a "newsgroup" accessible on the Internet's "usenet" bulletin boards.
Newsgroups with the "soc" prefix are disseminated to nearly every computer system hooked to the Internet and come into existence only after a lengthy discussion and voting process. The vote on soc.support.youth.gay-lesbian-bi was 3,142 to 94. Anyone with usenet access can vote.
Other newsgroups, such as those with an "alt" prefix, require no discussion or voting and, consequently, are considered less legitimate and see smaller distribution.
There are over 9,000 usenet newsgroups in all. The two most-popular gay ones are "soc.motss" and "alt.politics.homosexuality". Both were included when America Online recently made portions of the Internet available to its millions of users.
"motss" means "members of the same sex." The cryptic acronym is somewhat successful at keeping homophobes from finding gay newsgroups.
About 100 theology students began a series of demonstrations outside the parliament building in Bucharest, Romania, Nov. 7, demanding that gays be prohibited from opening bars, publishing magazines, and spreading "homosexual propaganda," reported Radio Free Europe.
The action corresponded with a call by Romanian Orthodox Church Patriarch Teoctist that parliament reverse its recent vote that legalized gay sex unless it takes place in public, disturbs public order or causes a public scandal.
Legislators decriminalized homosexuality at the insistence of European and international associations Romania wants to join, including the European Community, which do not allow member nations to ban consenting sex between adults.
South Asian gay organizations will stage a free conference on "Emerging Gay Identities" Dec. 27-31 in Bombay, India.
Participation is restricted to gay men from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Write Humsafar/Naz Conference, P.B. Services, 202/13 Churchgate Chambers, 5 New Marine Lines, Bombay 400 020, India.