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Pope's visit to Cameroon raises questions about gay and lesbian rights

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Source: http://www.fridae.com/newsfeatures/article.php?articleid=2430&viewarticle=1&searchtype=all

March 24, 2009
Pope's visit to Cameroon raises questions about gay and lesbian rights
By Amnesty International

Since the Holy See had said that it advocates against criminal penalties against homosexual persons, Amnesty International attempted to engage the Pope while on his first pilgrimage to Africa.

On his first trip to Africa last week, Pope Benedict XVI visits Cameroon, a country that criminalizes same-sex sexual relations.

Amnesty International has asked Pope Benedict during his visit, to urge the government of Cameroon to eradicate discrimination based on sexual orientation.

A senior Cameroonian Roman Catholic Church leader was reported by local media in December 2005, to have publicly denounced homosexuality. Before and since, many have been persecuted.

The Holy See said at a meeting of the UN General Assembly in December 2008 that it "continues to advocate that every sign of unjust discrimination towards homosexual persons should be avoided, and urges States to do away with criminal penalties against them."

"The Pope should take the important opportunity of this visit to Cameroon to make clear that the Holy See abhors any attacks or persecution of people based on their sexual orientation, and call on the government to decriminalize homosexuality," said Tawanda Hondora, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Africa Programme.

Over the past three years, Amnesty International has documented the arrest and detention of several dozen young men and women, some of whom have been sentenced to prison terms and fines for allegedly engaging in consensual same-sex sexual relations.

In a typical case, two men were arrested on 16 August 2007 by gendarmes in Yaoundé, accused of engaging in same-sex sexual relations. The suspects were held at Nlongkak gendarmerie until 31 August 2007, when they were transferred to Kondengui prison.

While in custody, the detainees were subjected to anal examinations in an attempt by the authorities to establish if they had been engaged in sexual acts.

The men appeared in court on 23 November 2007 and pleaded not guilty to engaging in same-sex sexual relations. The court found them guilty of same-sex acts on 13 March 2008 and sentenced them to six months' imprisonment and a fine of 25,000 CFA Francs (approximately $US44). They were released soon after their trial because they had already spent more than six months in custody.

Twelve young women were permanently excluded from a college in Douala in March 2006, for their alleged same-sex sexual relations. Amnesty International is concerned that the girls were expelled solely because of their sexual orientation, depriving the girls of their right to education.

Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have made numerous appeals to the Cameroonian authorities, religious organizations and the media to uphold, respect and protect the human rights of all people in Cameroon, regardless of their sexual orientation.

On Thursday, Pope Benedict will be meeting with members of the Special Council for Africa of the Synod of Bishops at the Apostolic Nunciature of Yaoundé.

"Dozens of Cameroonian men and women have been detained solely for their actual or perceived engagement in consensual same-sex sexual relations – this is simply unacceptable. We hope that the Pope will make this clear to the government and the Church’s leaders and many followers in Cameroon during his visit," said Tawanda Hondora.

I am 22 Years Young and tagged!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Yeah! It's my 22nd birthday last Saturday, March 14, 2009. I know it's been 2 days after I posted something about my birthday but it's not too late since I was quite busy with my personal, academic, and extra curricular activities such as Rainbow Bloggers Philippines, Task Force Pride, and my organization GABAY. My cell phone, Friendster and Facebook accounts received a lot of birthday greetings. Thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday!


There was no fomal celebration of my birthday, but my friends gave me a big birthday card. It wasn't a surprise at all because I saw them writing on it. Hahaha. Busted! Aside from not having any plans or a party or anything, we had a scheduled meeting with Task Force Pride and it was the first General Assembly for the year 2009. Great! We are planning in advance unlike last year, when we had the GA in the month of August. I am very sure that with this initiatives, we will have a Bonggang Bonggang Pride March for 2009. I volunteered to take the membership head position, and we will have another General Assembly on March 28, 2009 (nag-announce daw ba!). After the meeting with TFP, I had another meeting with GABAY (Puro meeting noh!?) and discussed about our current internal issues. Aside from the stories I said earlier, there is someone special who completed my Birthday! If you are reading this, you know who you are.

Disclaimer, it's just a coincidence that I saw RUDY GAY with this uniform. Oh di ba! nakalagay sa likod: "GAY 22!". Akong ako! hahahah.

Meanwhile, Elyong tagged me and this is my response to this simple game.

The rules:

1. Write the name of the person who tagged you.
2. Answer the following:
- Your name/username/pseudo
- Right-handed/left-handed
- Your favorite letter to write
- Your least favorite letter to write
- Write “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
- Write the names of the people you want to tag.
3. Take a picture of what you have written.

The Tagged:
Knight and the Rainbow Flag
Unico Hijo
Wilberchie
Geisha Klein

Philippines Ends Ban on Gays in Military

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Source:
http://www.365gay.com/news/philippines-ends-ban-on-gays-in-military/

(Manila) The Philippines has become the second country in a week to officially end the ban on gays serving in the military.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines said that the decision shows the military has a zero tolerance for discrimination among its ranks. But it also warned that despite allowing gays to serve openly, overt homosexual behavior will still not be tolerated.

“Once inside the organization, they have to live by a code of ethics and they have to observe decorum if they want to remain as members of the Armed Forces,” military spokesperson Ernesto Torres told The Manila Times.

To mark the change the military this week began a recruiting drive in the LGBT community.

On Monday, Argentina announced that it had abandoned the gay ban, part of a sweeping military reform act that included the way members of the armed forces are put on trial.

The issue of gays serving opening in the military has roiled the US armed services.

On Monday, legislation to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was filed in the House of Representatives.

While previous attempts to repeal the law were bogged down when Republicans controlled Congress, there is renewed hope the measure will pass the Democratically-controlled Congress.

President Barack Obama has said that he supports repeal of the ban.

An Assault and Insult To My Ethnicity

Thursday, March 5, 2009

I came accross with this e-mail in one of my e-group which I find very insulting to the Kapampangans like me. The message goes something like this:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/downe/
Common Signs Nga Mga Kapampangan (Except yung Konting Matitino)
Wed Mar 4, 2009 5:36 pm

1. Nangunguna sa kalaswaan
2. Nagunguna sa nakawan (pati susi papaduplicate), maski brief ipapanakaw or
nanakawin
3. Nagunguna sa bentahan droga
4. Nangunguna sa mga pampatulog at set ups
5. Baligtad underwear pag may operations.
6. Walang nagpapakita ng sinampay kasi puro nakaw damit
7. Nakatingin sa kisame pag umiihi
8. Closed mga bahay
9. Walang lumalabas
10. Me singsing sa huling paa
11. Mahilig sa mga tattoo sa me paanan.
12. Grupo kung lumakad
13. PURO LEFT SIDE PARATI NG BUILDING OR LUGAR. LEFT SIDE DIN NG URINAL MGA IHI.
14. Nagpapali-palit mga rooms.
15. Marumi ang kalat pinagkainan
16. Hindi patas kung lumaban
17. Magaling sa sabwatan
18. Puro kins lang tatanggap
19. Mga tamad magtrabaho
20. Parating late
21. Puro hon at hon-deal system di pwede ng hard work.
22. Walang goal sa buhay, puro sex lang kaya napapag-iwanan. Ayan nangyari ke
Pimentel, binalot lang publicity pero tanga pa rin hangang ngayon.

Even if you guys have disputes against Koko Pimentel and to whatever he did, never generalize our ethnic group with all of those negative traits that you mentioned above. Try reviewing the title of the message, it has the phrase "Except yung konting matitino". And what does that connote? There are only a handful of good Kapampangans and majority are criminals, perverts, back fighters, thieves, etc.? This is very discriminating and an unjust way of describing us, the Kapampangans. Social labeling sucks. And what's next? Commit genocide upon us?

You don't have the rights to ruin the dignity of one group just because of the mistakes done by a few people. No one does. The evil encompassed by the specific person is not the evil of the whole group where he belongs. This is damaging OUR, in reference to the Kapampangans, institution, and culture.

Despite the fact that we have geographical distance and different dialects spoken, we must not forget that we are all Filipinos and are living in one country as one nation. This is one of the reason why our country is not developing and can not push the progress that we are dreaming of. My friends, there is a cold war within our very own system and leads to hatred and prejudice from one ethnic group, to another.

I am gay and I am a PROUD KAPAMPANGAN!

Mayap a aldo kekayu ngan!

 
 
 

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