Posts Tagged ‘ban’

Droits des gais

Saturday, February 4th, 2012

En appelant les dirigeants africains au respect des droits des homosexuels, sujet particulièrement sensible sur le continent, le secrétaire général des Nations unies, Ban Ki- moon, a pris le risque de s’attirer les réactions acerbes de chefs d’État.
Alors que l’homosexualité est interdite par la loi dans une large majorité des pays africains – à quelques exceptions comme l’Afrique du Sud – M. Ban a dénoncé les gouverne- ments qui “traitent les gens comme des citoyens de seconde classe, voire des criminels” en raison de leur orientation ou de leur identité sexuelle. “S’attaquer à ces discriminations est un défi, mais nous ne devons pas abandonner les idées de la déclaration universelle” des droits de l’Homme, a-t-il déclaré à la tribune du 18e sommet de l’Union africaine à Addis Abeba.
La communauté lesbienne, gaie, bi et transgenre (LGBT) fait face à une importante répression en Afrique. Et les pres- sions internationales ne semblent pas prêtes à infléchir les dirigeants du continent.
“Nous respectons (les homo- sexuels) en tant qu’êtres hu- mains mais nous condam- nons fermement leurs pratiques et leur orienta- tion”, a déclaré à l’AFP Si- mon Lokodo, ministre de l’Éthique et de l’Intégrité.
“Nous condamnons très fer- mement quiconque promeut ou propage ces pratiques”, a-t-il ajouté.

Gov’t staff get sensitivity training after gay tourism ban

Saturday, November 26th, 2011

CTV.ca

The entire B.C. tourism division will receive sensitivity training after releasing a pamphlet prohibiting businesses from promoting gay tourism when dealing with China.

B.C. Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Minister Pat Bell released a report on the gaffe Thursday that blames the offending passage on “poor judgment, not malicious intent.”

The gay tourism reference was found on page 24 of the “How to Market Your Business to China” document, along with bans on touting B.C.’s casinos and gambling.

“Tourism BC will also require that any partner operator agrees” not to promote gay tourism, it reads, “per the China National Tourism Administration.”

The passage has since been removed.

The report concludes that tourism staff had ample time to locate the offensive language, and that the attribution to the CNTA was inaccurate.

“Staff did not follow proper procedures to ensure that senior ministry staff was aware of the questions being raised, or that they provided correct information to the Minister,” the report says.

In response to the investigation, the tourism division will receive sensitivity and procedural training, it adds.

Bell says he also offered a personal apology to New Democrat tourism critic Spencer Chandra Herbert, who described the inclusion of the ban as an apparent endorsement of discrimination against gays and lesbians.

The brochure also describes the Chinese market as “not a sophisticated” one, and partners are advised to view it “as we would with a child, for the day when they grow into a mature and strong adult.”

Judge: Christian frat can ban homosexuals

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

By: Google.news

A federal court has ordered the University of North Carolina at Chapel

Hill to reinstate a Christian fraternity which had been denied recognition

because its officers refused to sign the university’s nondiscrimination po-

licy requiring the group to allow homosexuals to join.

The preliminary injunction, issued by U.S. District Court Judge Frank

W. Bullock Junior, will permit Alpha Iota Omega access to student funds

and university facilities, like other fraternities on campus. The order will

remain in force until the issue of compliance with the university’s policy

against discrimination is settled, most likely in court.

«This is the first battle in the lawsuit, and we are victorious in that sense,»

said Joshua Carden, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, the Ari-

zona-based organization representing the fraternity.

Alpha Iota Omega was formed six years ago for the purpose of «providing

leadership and outreach to the campus Greek community through evange-

lism and mentorship.»

As reported by WorldNetDaily, the fraternity had made numerous at-

tempts to convince the university to change its policy that required them

to admit homosexuals. In a letter to UNC-CH Chancellor James Moeser,

the Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights in Education

(FIRE), a national civil liberties organization, emphasized the fraternity’s

belief that a shared faith was central to the group’s identity: «UNC simply

may not use its nondiscrimination policy to dictate how religious student

organizations must deal with matters of faith. No group can control the

content of its message if it is unable to choose its messengers.»

Moeser and the university, however, refused to back down, insisting that all

student groups must have open memberships. The policy requires recognized

student groups to open membership to anyone, regardless of age, race, color,

«At this university, we encourage students to nurture their moral, spiri-

tual and religious lives,» he wrote in reply. «And we do not discriminate

against students seeking recognition for religious groups.

«So, for example, Baptist student groups are open to Presbyterian stu-

dents; Jewish student groups are open to Christian students; the Italian

Club is open to Korean students; and the Black Student Movement is open

to white students,» Moeser concluded. Official recognition of the frater-

nity was withdrawn last August and Alpha Iota Omega filed suit.

The preliminary injunction puts Alpha Iota Omega «on the same footing

as nonreligious organizations which select their members on the basis of

commitment … ,» Bullock wrote in his order. The nondiscrimination po-

licy, the judge said, «raises significant constitutional concerns and could

be violative of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.»

In the wake of Judge Bullock’s ruling, Moesler is still standing firm in his

support of the nondiscrimination policy, according to the Durham Herald

Sun, telling a meeting of the Faculty Council, «No one has won at this

point. We continue to believe in the merits of the university’s position.»

UNC was involved in a similar flap in 2002 when it withheld recogni-

tion for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship because the group required its

leaders to be Christians. The uproar that followed was met with a change

of mind by Chancellor Moeser at that time, and a policy was adopted

allowing religious groups to require that leaders share the group’s faith.

However, membership had to remain open to all.

During 2002’s summer session, UNC drew national attention for requiring

its 3,600 incoming freshmen and transfer students to enroll in a class on

Islam and attend group discussions around the mandatory text, «Approa-

ching the Qur’an: The Early Revelations.»