Belize LGBT Activists Mount Historic Challenge to Anti-Gay Laws

By Richard Ammon
GlobalGayz.com
December 1, 2011

A November 16, 2011 Guardian newspaper report announced a new challenge in Belize to its anti-gay laws. The legal suit is the first contest by a new human rights organization that intends to overturn all post-UK former colonies that have laws criminalizing homosexuality. "The Human Dignity Trust (HDT), which launched its campaign in London on Thursday, is targeting the 80-odd states where consensual sexual activity between adults of the same gender is outlawed. More than half are Commonwealth countries which inherited their regulations from British colonial rule. In some like Uganda, Kenya, Cameroon and Ghana the laws are seen by some as justification for violent attacks on gay and lesbian people."

(photo right: for tourists Belize is a paradise; for gays it is less than that.)

Not surprising, Belize's Anglican, evangelical, and Catholic 'spiritual leaders' have united to oppose the effort. They will announce their objections in a court hearing this week. As if to add injury to insult they insist they have evidence that homosexuality can be 'cured'--against all scientific studies to the contrary. It will be a contest between intelligent modern thinking and archaic religious bigotry.

It is endlessly frustrating to read the same old, absurd and morally-twisted arguments of such people as Belize Catholic bishop Dorick Wright, Anglican bishop Philip Wright and Evangelical Rev Eugene Crawford in Belize City. These supposed 'good Christians' are quoted as saying, "the people of Belize will not surrender our constitution, our moral foundations, and our way of life to predatory foreign interests."

Indeed! These are the very ones who are devoid of moral foundation in their modern use of ancient books of ambivalent religious mystery that have no factual source or verifiable accuracy; they justify their bigotry purely on prejudicial misinterpretations and mistranslations of alleged scriptures that were in fact 'invented' by highly fallible writers (with no acknowledgement of dissenting views) and politically imposed upon an ancient nomadic populace who could not read or write, hence violating their native animist belief system. (photo left: courthouse in Belize City)

It is a pathetic miscarriage of Christian justice to use such fragmented, unreliable, multiply-translated, man-made, opinionated and selected bits of 'scripture' as a basis for a guide to daily life nearly two thousand years later. These old texts are about as accurate and truthful for today's science-based life as using ancient Egyptian pharonic scribblings on medical procedures as a guide for surgery today. Would anyone in their right mind allow a physician schooled in these antique lessons to perform life-saving procedures to heal injuries or disease?! For the same reasoning, how do modern religious believers follow equally archaic words?

It takes a huge leap of blind foolishness to state in a modern public forum such prejudicial ignorant opinions against scientifically verified aspects regarding human sexuality. Homosexual behavior is an inherent variety of human nature that has existed in every society that's ever emerged on the planet. There is no sound verification of homosexuality being 'imported' or forced on a people from alien sources.
(photo right: activist Caleb Oroczo, head of UniBam--leading the court suit against the government)

Modern 'thinkers' who claim spiritual leadership would do well to go back to deeper research and investigation into their alleged sources in culture and language. There, if they have the intellectual open-mindedness, will they not find any specific reference or rule regarding the sexual nature of human beings, other than some comments on marriage. Modern religious bigotry against homosexuality has no true scriptural standing. Prejudice is just that--opinion without truth.

And speaking of "predatory foreign interests", it was the Christian armies, missionaries and inquisition that targeted violence against peoples of other territories, tribes and cultures in the mad crusade of 'saving the heathen' from their native beliefs and worship rituals, which had served them well enough for thousands of years.

Shame, shame on Catholic bishop Dorick Wright, the Anglican bishop Philip Wright and the evangelical Rev Eugene Crawford. Let's hope their irrational hateful beliefs are crushed under the truth and science of modern enlightened thinking.

In front of the Anglican cathedral in Belize City there is a 'peace post' with the inscription: May peace prevail on Earth. Let's hope this bit of hypocrisy reverses to become a reality. (photo left)

Read more about LGBT life in Belize here.

Bangkok: Flood, Sex and Tears

By Richard Ammon
GlobalGayz.com
11/11/11

I'm in Thailand for the umpteenth time. Last time the big event was was funeral for the king's sister, a prolonged three-day elaborate ritual of pageantry and pomp. It was covered extensively on Thai television and attended by hundreds of thousands dressed in black. The focal person was His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the longest reigning monarch in the world--since 1946. Disturbing to see was his frailty. A special elevator was installed in his sister's cremation temple that lifted him six steps since he was unable to walk up, where he then lit the funeral pyre.

This year his health continues to be very fragile. The Bangkok Post reported that he was unconscious for a while yesterday until doctors discovered an internal bleed and was stabilized.

Aside from the personal and intimate aspects of this situation is the looming reality that his much-unloved son will follow as monarch, leaving Thais to worry about the political stability of the country that's already shaky with changing prime ministers several times over the past five years.

So there will be tears aplenty soon in the kingdom for this old much revered king who must soon pass away.

As for the sex trade here, it is a much over-rated and exaggerated slice of life, as sex issues often are anywhere. Most Thais do not relate to the red-light activities in the three or four major cities; a modest portion of foreign visitors or expats do indeed come for the carnal pleasures which are easily had if one is looking for them. Heteros outnumber homos, as usual, so an observer can see many middle-aged and older men walking along with a young smooth-skinned women, holding hands or not, and probably sporting a shopping bag of gifts from 'daddy' to his 'girl'.

The gays are not dissimilar with older gents from all over North America and Europe accompanied by young sweet-faced Thai guys. Or visiting one of the several sex club saunas. It's a common sight here that blends into the larger city scenes of markets, bright lights, tourism and traffic. It's too simplistic to judge this sexuality as an exploited industry; it is after all a consensual adult activity and serves both parties well, albeit for different purposes, both pleasure and profit.

So in Thailand there will be sex for sale or trade, now and after the kingship changes.

The major situation at the present time, in central Thailand, is the severe flooding that has occurred over the past two months following unusually heavy el nino-induced rainstorms. Surrounding Bangkok are tens of thousands of inundated acres and many small villages where the water has reached to the second floor of houses. As of November 11, the water seems to have crested but is receding very slowly leaving countless piles of ruined furniture, farmland, livestock and houses, not to mention roads and local sanitation facilities, factories and lost jobs. Manufacturing around the world has been affected by the shutdown of these essential supplier sources.

It is a especially sad because virtually all of these poor rural village and townspeople have no insurance or sufficient savings so any repairs and restoration is left for owners and tenants to do by hand. Much criticism is aimed at the unpreparedness of the government despite the mountains of sandbags in and around Bangkok. In various places poor planning has made sandbagging worsen the water flow. Some residents in the suburbs were so irate they tore open sandbag dikes because they were inhibiting drainage from their homes.

So in Bangkok this year there is flood, sex and tears.
------------------

A friend recently asked, why go to Bangkok?

My responses are many: because the people are pretty here--men and women. Because of the cooking aromas of the portable street kitchens. Because the architecture is different, including the monstrously new glass skyscrapers and condo towers adjacent to old wooden houses set among green trees along narrow alleyways and back streets. Because of the night market and it millions of 'stuff'. Because people bow to one another with respect.

Because of the elevated SkyTrain that whisks us across the city in no time. Because of the up-most-scale hotels along the Chao Praya River (now flooding). Because of the cheap ($7) foot and body massages from guys and gals (some of whom are willing to arouse a customer for an extra fee). Because of the soothing affordable facials ($15). The rooftop swimming pools. The sounds of endless new construction. The color of orchids. The countless golden shrines set up to honor the aged and frail king, as well as Buddha (with glowing incense sticks).

Because of the language which sounds exotic and looks like elegant scribbling; because there's a 7/11 store on every corner. Because there are fruit stands on every other corner. Because the locals treat tourists with politeness; whenever you buy something the merchant puts hands together and bows gratefully. Because the young guys wear their thick black hair in so many styles from wild bush, to slick down.

Because they wear sandals here. Because service workers do good work. Because Thailand is the most westernized SE Asian country with slick new train service from the BKK airport to city center and air-con express buses from the airport to Pattaya/Jomthien beaches. Not because of the beggars sitting on the sidewalks hands uplifted in appeal. Because the city virtually bubbles with human activity almost 24 hours a day.

Irresponsible Recommendation for Uganda from Lonely Planet

By Richard Ammon
GlobalGayz.com
November 5, 2011

Well, this is pretty revolting!

Lonely Planet, the widely-respected travel information and guidebook company has chosen one of the world's most homophobic and gay-violent countries as their number one pick for "Best in Travel" listings for 2012 --Uganda, Africa. A country where human rights should more correctly be called religious fundamentalist rights or in-power political rights or corrupt police rights.

Surely the Lonely Planet committee that picked this country out of many other more humane destinations were aware of the abysmal violations of its citizens and especially the LGBT (gay) population. Uganda already criminalizes consensual adult same-sex behavior and more recently the Parliament is dithering with a new law that would penalize such behavior with the death penalty--including jail time for anyone who knows of homosexual behavior and does not report it.

Around the world, other countries have threatened to cut off foreign aid to Uganda if the bill passes. All major human rights organizations as well as the UN, UK Prime Minister Cameron, Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Tutu and President Obama oppose this egregious proposal.

Where is Lonely Planet's head to value human abuse over human dignity. With the abundance of knowledge that LP has about Uganda this is no mere oversight. Diminishing the horrors there by referring to them merely as "issues" in the abstract (as said in their blog) only makes LP seem more the blind fool who is indifferent to the wide-spread persecution and abuse going on there. Clearly wild animals and pretty waterfalls in Uganda--wonderful as they are--cannot count for more than human conditions there.

Lonely Planet says, "stability is returning and it won’t be long before visitors come flocking back." Not true. The appearance of stability is due to the stranglehold that President Museveni on political power. His presidency has been impaired by invading and occupying Congo during the Second Congo War (which has resulted in an estimated 5.4 million deaths since 1998) as well as conflicts in the Great Lakes region. Rebellion in the north of Uganda by the Lord's Resistance Army continues to perpetuate one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Museveni also manipulated the parliament to abolish presidential term limits in 2006 and has harassed the democratic opposition. (photo right, rural children)

Lonely Planet says, "Human rights abuses aren’t uncommon, and the country breathes a collective sigh whenever President Museveni thinks of another ruse to stay in power for a few more years." This is a myopic an distorted view of life on the ground. Human rights abuses are not "aren’t uncommon". This double negative mutes the real brutality that is launched on gay people, political opponents, tribal minorities and the impoverished. And only the military, religious right and the corrupt welcome more years of Museveni. as if 26 years in office are not enough repression and flawed elections. Human Rights Watch criticizes Uganda for unlawful prosecutions of civilians in military courts as well as health neglect, hard labor, and abuse in Ugandan prisons.

Lonely Planet needs to remove Uganda from it's list of favored tourist nations. At the very least, move it to the bottom of the list.

If anyone doubts this reasoning, let them read the following 55--and growing--news and reports archived by GlobalGayz.com; and these are only for 2011. The archive goes back to 2002:
Gay Uganda News & Reports 2011 Sep-Dec
Gay Uganda News & Reports 2011 May-Aug
Gay Uganda News & Reports 2011 Jan-Apr

Jamie and Jamey: Gay Youth Bullied to Death

By Richard Ammon
GlobalGayz.com
October 2011

Yet two more teen suicides spurred on by high school bullying and harassment from peers. (Read previous blog on gay teen suicides.)

Last month, 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer killed himself in Buffalo, N.Y., after years of homophobic harassment. (photo right)

Last week in Ottowa, Canada 13 year-old Jamie Hubley took his life. He too was taunted and ridiculed, in this case because he preferred dance to football, art instead of mechanics. There is no apparent evidence that Hubley was gay or displayed homosexual tendencies in public.

But it doesn't take that to ignite an immature homophobe to action; mere suspicion, innuendo and peer presumption is enough to make a strong case against a child who is not fully 'macho' and make him an easy target for scorn and cruel language.

What is it about homosexuality that inspires hate, injury and an intent to kill? An innocent soft artsy-type of kid minding his own business is mowed down by assaultive insulting language and he succumbs? Evil is often beyond a reasonable answer. (photo left Jamie Hubley with his father)

The unseen problem in the It Gets Better crusade is that it often gets worse before better as helpless children are sucked into a maelstrom of anguish depression and turbulent confusion where it's impossible to feel assured of a less painful outcome a year or three later.

How do we take hold of a sinking fragile ego and brace it, anchor it against the terrible angst of peer scorn--often anonymous over the Internet from senders who hide--knowing their attack is shameful and cruel.

I say first and foremost yank the kid out of his or her school and transplant them to a safer place. Don't wait while your child is in pain. Find another school, a charter school, private school, home schooling, internet courses...

The second step is to fight back; mount a very public protest against the school, in newspapers, social media, radio and TV interviews condemning the hate crime of bullying.

The third is to use the force of law and court action to threaten back the individuals and system that tolerates crime. Many Catholic priests and the church itself are now under assault for tolerating child abuse. This is no different. Use the technology the internet against the perpetrators to uncover their identity and eject them from school and bring charges. Hate crime should be handled like physical assault. Identify and prosecute both the kid and their parents.

Then demand the school system mount a high awareness program against the crime and evil of bullying, compelling every student to attend assemblies where speakers and victims and bullies tell their stories. Empower kids to go public against bullies, expose them and make them the shamed ones--and then offer them and their families counseling that may hopefully change behavior by deeper understanding of the harm and crime of bullying.

Bring bullying out of it's bullied kids become the hidden closet and make it a public nuisance so that victims become victors and perpetrators become the fearful one begging for mercy--and given it.

Jamie Hubley and Jamie Rodemeyer should be alive and proud boys not motionless victims.

Read more about gay teen bullying and suicide:
-http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/10/21/hundreds-mourn-gay-canadian-teenager-jamie-hubley/
-http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1073942--gay-students-endure-cycle-of-hate-in-schools
-http://www.huffingtonpost.com/toan-lam/bullied-teen-posts-it-get_b_1022753.html
-http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/a-year-after-teen-suicide-spate-more-gay-students-are-speaking-out-schools-taking-action/2011/10/22/gIQAD5rv6L_story.html
-http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/22/2467455/on-the-road-to-equality.html

Remembering 1912 and birth of a mild child... my father.

By Richard Ammon
GlobalGayz.com
October 13, 2011

It was 99 years ago this month that a remarkable child was born to a laborer's family in rural New Jersey. The laborer had little formal education but many manual skills; the mother stopped being a teacher to raise six children that were to come; little Roger was the second born.

He was at heart an artist but, like so many others in the first half of the 20th century, was swept by circumstance and unquestioned social customs to follow the majority into marriage and fatherhood (or war) before he really knew what he was doing or what he wanted. Personal desire or creative autonomy were not available to good young men. Rather, find an eligible pretty girl and marry and make grandchildren...

It's not what he really wanted. He preferred to listen to Beethoven, not crying babies. He would rather play his violin than sit behind an accountant's desk in a big corporation to pay a mortgage. (photo right, Roger age 5 with sisters, 1917)

Led slowly astray from his true self he was nevertheless an honest and obedient son and husband who went to college, found the girl, my mother Betty, and fulfilled his parent roles responsibly. But these did not fit well. He was never a good-enough son or a fulfilling spouse or an intimate father. How does one learn these things without someone to emulate? His father was moody and harsh and his wife frustrated and demanding (not their fault, just the way they turned out.)

He persisted as long as he could to perform but as time went on felt he was losing hold of his dreams, his self, his balance. Eventually at 51 he gave it up in the fumes of monoxide in the family garage. Lost and isolated. No one at the time really understood, partly because he did not confide his truth to anyone. It is a very sad story that no longer is told since his parents and siblings and wife are gone as well; silence smooths over the storms of an anonymous life.

But Roger's kids still remember; I remember it well and am the only one who still tells his story--my version of it. And I will be the last to tell it. One cannot recall what is not remembered and no one after me will remember, I'm sorry to say.

But that is the way of most of the world and it can't be changed. One unknown person's tragic drama is another's indifferent ignorance. The rest is silence.

So for now, this day, his birthday on October 13, I pause in the midst of my own drama of 'getting and spending' to meditate, to lament, to give thoughtful thanks for passing along Beethoven to me...

Thanks daddy.

PS: Roger's favorite uncle John was killed in World War I. Read his biography here
and his war story here.

Britain Threatens Homophobic Countries with Aid Cuts

By Richard Ammon
GlobalGayz.com
October 13, 2011

How fine is this: the British government is threatening to cut its foreign aid to homophobic countries because of their laws and treatment against LGBT citizens. If only more wealthy countries got serious about backing up their human rights standards with financial penalties we might see some serious change of policies in places like Malawi, Uganda, Ghana, Cameroon and Jamaica. These and scores of other small states make blood sport and score political points with homophobic rhetoric and organized anti-gay assaults. (photo right, UK Prime Minister David Cameron)

Such barbaric behavior is not just 'simple violence', it is a deep reflection of a society's public health, of their integrity and justice values. To treat any minority with disdain or abuse because of a superficial variation of religion, ethnicity or sexuality is a measure of the core heart of a culture. In the case of many homophobic countries this core is morally corrupt as police stand by and allow violence or blatant discrimination to occur in public, goaded on by goon squads brainwashed by their own leaders.

And not just small countries. Russia, Indonesia, China and Kazakhstan are huge societies with entrenched homophobia. This will indeed be a long culture war--but at least it is a war and not an overwhelming slaughter of helpless sheep. Against these evil forces are the 'good guys' who see cultural diversity as an asset, who see sexuality on a continuum of love. Forces led by the United Nations Human Rights Commisioner Navi Pillay who has openly declared strike-back efforts to oppose discrimination. (photo left UN Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay)

These forces also include Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, America's Human Rights Campaign, Britain's Stonewall Association, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, Brazil's Grupo Gay da Bahia, South Africa's constitution and hundreds of other LGBT organization around the world--including Nepal's Blue Diamond Society. Not to mention the thousands of 'foot soldiers' across the democratic world who advocate daily for equality in marriage, adoption, family rights in their city, state and country. As well, other countries such as Sweden have warned homophobic countries (i.e. Uganda) of aid cuts if homophobic laws are passed.

Now comes Britain with its heavy influence to threaten small anti-gay bullies within its commonwealth consortium with foreign aid cuts. As it should be.

Some are protesting such punitive action claiming aid cuts will hurt poor people. No doubt they will--but no less than currently as huge sums of foreign money are siphoned off by corrupt bureaucrats before they reach intended health or education programs.

If the forces of change and progress do not 'weigh in' with strong corrective measures--and money is certainly one of the strongest motivators for change--then nothing will change and ignorance and brutality will continue to persist at the hands of religious and political bigots who pretend to be leaders.

Three cheers for the Brits!

An Inspiring Lesbian Leader Has Died: Paula Ettelbrick

By Richard Ammon

GlobalGayz.com

Today is a very sad day due to the premature death of one of America's most dedicated and inspiring lesbian leaders, Paula Ettelbrick, former executive director of IGLHRC (International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission). I met Paula several times over the past decade at several international LGBT conferences as well as for some lunches. She never failed to be receptive to new ideas and respectful to people from a wide spectrum of humanity.

Her vision for the world was always upward and outward; she envisioned a better world through personal commitment to human rights everywhere by engaging in progressive activism and tireless organization building.

It's always easy to sit back and let others push the envelope of human development but Paula deeply felt the need to be a part of change. part of the future for LGBT people globally. Her vision was universal; her mission was a commitment to a more decent world.

I will always remember her pretty face and bright spirit. She will keep me moving upward and forward to a more just and equitable social world. Said she: “Justice for gay men and lesbians will be achieved only when we are accepted and supported in this society despite our differences from the dominant culture and the choices we make regarding our relationships.”

Her two children, Adam and Julia, are blessed to have such a loving and devoted mother. Indeed, Paula was a loving mother to a whole world of LGBT children growing up in difficult circumstances, helping to light their way to dignified and respected lives.

Other tributes to this fine woman:

The New Civil Rights Movement.com

LGBT/POV

New York Times

Towleroad.com