Tag Archives: Pink News
ASA responds “Coalition for Marriage” advert
The Advertising Standards Authority has responded to claims by a religious blogger that correspondence it sent him requesting he comply with an investigation into a amounted to ‘persecution’.
The blogger refers to himself in the third person and adopts the pseudonym Archbishop Cranmer, occasionally taking on the identity of the 16th century cleric to comment on current affairs.
The ASA is investigating an advert by the Coalition for Marriage which complainants believe was offensive, homophobic or misleading. The Cranmer blog, among others, ran the advert online.
The advert showed pictures of couples on their wedding days, the words “I do”, the statement “70% of people say keep marriage as it is (Source: ComRes poll for Catholic Voices)”, and the words “Please sign the petition”, with a link to the Coalition for Marriage website.
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FCKH8 says ‘It Doesn’t Get Better’
FCKH8′s latest video mocks the lunacy of homophobia hate groups featuring US comedy celebrities Chris Thompson, Shane Dawson, Glozell, Miles Jai, and Tyler Oakley.
Every time the video is played FCKH8 will donate 10c to anti-homophobic bullying causes (up to a maximum of $10,000).
The video does contain very strong language more or less from the start.
via Pink News
Mozilla’s CTO is a Homophobe
Image via CrunchBase
The inventor of JavaScript and Chief Technology Officer of the Mozilla Corporation donated $1000 (£630) in the fight against marriage equality in California, it has emerged.
Brendan Eich gave the sum to the Proposition 8 fund, which topped $39m and, at the time, successfully revoked gay couples’ equal marriage rights by state-wide ballot.
Californian law required donors to list their employers on lists that were published by the LA Times.
Mr Eich was the only person listed as an employee of the Mozilla Corporation, which runs the web browser Firefox, to donate against marriage equality, with three other employees giving a total of $1,350 in favour of equal marriage rights.
As Mr Eich pointed out last night, Mozilla had no control over employees’ donations.
via Pink News
Possible end to blood ban on gay men in Israel
Shelly Yachimovich (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In Israel next month, a Health Ministry advisory committee on transfusion medicine will consider whether to amend the clause that forbids gay men donating blood, following a similar change here in Britain.
If the clause is changed, any man who last had same-sex intercourse 10 or more years ago will be able to donate blood. Currently, anyone wishing to donate blood must fill out a comprehensive questionnaire, which also lists, in red, a list of disqualifications.
These include various diseases, including having or being exposed to “mad cow disease”, various nerve disorders, drug use, and a positive HIV test. The clause disqualifying gay men says: “Having had male homosexual relations since 1977″ – the year AIDS was first diagnosed.
Both Magen David Adom’s National Blood Bank (MDA) and the Health Ministry say the clause is similar to ones found in many countries worldwide.
Discussions over the subject go back at least to 2004, when it was suggested the clause on the blood donation form would be rewritten to disqualify anyone who had engaged in unprotected same-sex intercourse during the previous six months (six months being the window of time during which HIV antibodies begin showing up in someone infected with AIDS via sex). However, nothing arose from this discussion, and the clause remained.
Last week, Israel’s Labour chairwoman MK Shelly Yachimovich, alongside the party’s gay members, wrote to MDA’S CEO Eli Bin and to Health Ministry director general, Doctor Roni Gamzu, asking that the clause be revoked.
Ms Yachimovich wrote:
“The question about sex between men, without asking the donor whether he had had unprotected sex, is a serious deficiency.
“Under such circumstances [unprotected sex], there is a significant risk of AIDS infection even among heterosexuals, yet the questionnaire doesn’t address this and creates the mistaken and dangerous impression that AIDS is a ‘homosexual disease.’”
via Pink News
SNP condemns gay blood ban
The Scottish National Party has approved a motion condeming the blood donation ban on gay men.
Delegates at the party’s conference in Inverness backed a motion which said that new rules allowing gay men to donate blood if celibate for a year are not good enough.
They said the new provisions were “wholly inadequate”.
In September, ministers announced that the lifetime ban would be scrapped and gay and bisexual men would be permitted to donate blood if they abstain from sex for 12 months.
Heterosexuals who engage in risky sexual behaviour are not subject to the same restrictions, leading to accusations that the rules are still discriminatory.
Campaigners want sexual behaviour, not orientation, to be the deciding factor in whether individuals can donate blood.
Last month, the Liberal Democrat party voted to urge the government to go further on removing blood donation restrictions on gay men.
Members at the party’s conference in Birmingham agreed that the new 12-month deferral period is “a ban by any other name”.
via Pink News
Gay blood donation ban expected to be lifted today!
The lifetime ban on blood donation by men who have had sex with men is expected to be lifted in the UK later today.
Since the 1980s AIDS crisis, gay men have been banned from donating blood because of the risk of HIV contamination.
Although blood is screened for HIV and other infections prior to being given to donors, there is a ‘window period’ since infection during which time it is not always possible to detect the presence of HIV.
In April, there were reports that the government was to propose lifting the ban on gay men donating blood who had not had sex for 10 years. The measures expected today are anticipated to have a window period, but a much shorter one.
Gay men are prevented from donating blood in a number of countries. In New Zealand, they can donate so long as they have not had gay sex for ten years. South Africa allows gay men to donate blood with a six month deferral. In Australia, Sweden and Japan it is one year.
In the UK, other at-risk groups including those who have been sexually active in high-risk countries are banned from donating blood for one year.
At a meeting of the UK government’s Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SABTO) in January, it was argued that
“the evidence does not support the continuation of the ban… the evidence supports a 12-month deferral period since last occurrence be introduced for men who have had oral or anal sex with another man, whether a condom or other protective was used or not”.
The Terrance Higgins Trust, the UK’s largest HIV and sexual health charity states:
“We believe any decision on the safety of the blood supply must be based on evidence and not on political lobbying or framing of it as purely an equalities issue.”
via Pink News
Update – Gay men still banned!
US to look again at gay blood donation ban
The US Department of Health and Human Services is to look again at the lifetime blood donation ban for men who have had gay sex.
The department said yesterday that the current policy is “sub-optimal” and announced it has instructed advisors to study whether the strict rules can be relaxed.
A statement said:
“If the data indicate that a change is possible while protecting the blood supply, we will consider a change to the policy.”
Currently any man who has had sex with another man since 1977 is permanently barred from donating blood. The policy began after fears that allowing gay and bisexual men to donate blood could raise the risk of HIV and hepatitis for blood transfusion patients.
Although all blood is tested before use, there is a small risk that new HIV infections may not be picked up. Gay rights groups and the Red Cross say that donor screening should be based on risky behaviour, rather than a blanket ban based of sexual orientation.
The HHS is to consider risk factors in current donors, how blood can be accidentally released without safety clearance, whether potential donors would comply with new rules and whether new screening criteria would assure blood safety.
The department added:
“It is anticipated that the described studies will yield data for reevaluation of the current deferral policy and potentially establish safety of blood collection from a subset of men who have sex with men or other currently deferred donors.”
Senator John Kerry has been pushing for a change to the policy.
He said:
“We’ve been working on this a long time in a serious way and I’m glad Secretary [Kathleen] Sebelius responded with concrete steps to finally remove this policy from the books
“HHS is doing their due diligence and we plan to stay focused on the end game – a safe blood supply and an end to this discriminatory ban.”
The UK has a similar ban, which is under review.
SaBTO, the advisory committee on the safety of blood, tissues, and organs, is expected to report its findings at some point this year.
via Pink News
GLBT Viral video shows the impact of homophobia
Samantha Fox turning tricks as a prostitute. Sir Ian McKellen being doused with a bottle of cider by teenagers while sleeping rough. Paul O’Grady huddling for warmth in an all-but-derelict house.
These unsettling images of the three stars appear in a new TV campaign for charity the Albert Kennedy Trust aims to raise awareness of the often difficult life that lesbian, bisexual, gay and transexual people can face when they are victimised.
The campaign – made by ad agency TBWA – also features comedian and TV presenter Sue Perkins, Hollyoaks actor Kieron Richardson and Andrew Hayden-Smith, whose credits include Byker Grove and Doctor Who.
Set to Radiohead’s Creep as sung by Scala choir, the ad aims to show that with a few unfortunate turns anyone’s life could end in life-threatening situations such as homelessness and prostitution.
Perkins said:
“We live in a really fortunate corner of the world – we’re affluent and we’re lucky, and for people to still suffer because of the prejudice of some is unforgiveable.”
The agency and the actors donated their time for free – McKellen is a patron of AKT – and the campaign is the first that the charity has been able to run.
“We’ve used some well-known personalities in these tough situations to help let young LGBT people know where they can turn for support,”
said Robert Harwood-Matthews, president of TBWA UK.
“TBWA London is hugely proud to be a part of a such a groundbreaking campaign that hopes to increase awareness and shift behaviour towards a cause that too often goes unrecognised.”
AKT was founded following the death of Albert Kennedy, a 17-year-old who was the victim of a homophobic attack, ending in his death after falling from a multi-storey car park in 1989.
via guardian.co.uk & Pink News
Gay blood donation ban to be lifted…
The British government is to lift the ban on gay men giving blood, ruling that a blanket ban is discriminatory and could be in breach of the Equality Act.
However, lifting the ban will only apply to gay men who have not had sex for ten years prior to donating blood.
The Sunday Times reports that the change in the ban will be announced by Anne Milton, the public health minister, shortly.
While donated blood is screened for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, a small number of infected donations are missed due to the time between infection with HIV and it being detected in blood tests.
The Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) found that a ban on gay men from giving blood if they had not had sex with another man for five years would increase the risk of blood supplies being contaminated by five per cent. Ministers were told that this risk would halve for men who had not had gay sex for ten years.
It is estimated that seven per cent of sexually active gay men donate blood despite the current ban.
Campaigners have long pointed out that many gay men are in monogamous relationships, practice safe sex or are celibate.
Around 86,500 people in the UK have HIV. According to the Terrence Higgins Trust, 42 per cent are gay men and 54 per cent are heterosexuals, the majority of whom are from Africa.
A government source told the newspaper: “A complete ban is unfair and discriminatory but we need to protect public health, so the ten-year rule is what is being considered.”
Gay men are prevented from donating blood in a number of countries. In New Zealand, they can donate so long as they have not had gay sex for ten years. South Africa allows gay men to donate blood with a five year deferral
SABTO also examined whether there should be a lifetime ban on heterosexuals who have had sex with someone who has had sex with anyone from a part of the world where HIV is widespread. It also examined whether the supply of blood for patients of Afro-Carribean origin should be considered.
via Pink News
IKEA unveils gay ad in Italy
Swedish furniture giant IKEA has unveiled an ad featuring a gay couple in Italy.
The ad – which is not the first gay-friendly campaign the company has run – shows two men holding hands under the slogan: “We are open to all families.”
Below, text says: “With us you will feel at home. What we want to do is make life easier for everyone, every family, every couple, whoever they are.”
Italian newspaper Il Giornale, which is owned by prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, accused IKEA of “Swedish imperialism” and trying to be “provocative”.
Mr Berslusconi said this month that his government would never allow gay couples to marry or adopt children.
But the Queer Italy blog welcomed the ad, saying: “Nothing can be more indigestible for our bigots and homophobes who cannot bear to read the word family with the words same sex.
“We like this advert and we welcome it – maybe some others will follow on from this campaign and look forward progressively and modernly, instead of backwards to the Middle Ages.”
In the past, IKEA has had to withdraw gay-friendly adverts. Its first gay ad, in 1994, showed a gay male couple shopping for dining tables. It was pulled after the retailer received a bomb threat.
In 2008, Polish Catholics called for a boycott of IKEA because its catalogue featured gay couples. The store was accused of “promoting” homosexuality.
