Finnish newspaper editor says sacked over homosexuality

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Johanna Korhonen, named editor of Finnish provincial daily Lapin Kansa in early September, told the Finnish News Agency (STT) that she had been sacked because of her sexual orientation.

Alma Media, the publisher of Lapin Kansa, had said in a statement it had decided to terminate Ms Korhonen's contract and restart the recruitment process immediately.

Read more at NewsRoom Finland

Activists call for laws to protect gay couples’ rights

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Although most people take getting married and renting a house or office space for granted, it might not be so easy for gays and lesbians, activists said at a forum yesterday as they called on the government to adopt bills protecting homosexuals’ rights without delay.

“It’s been 10 years since the first gay marriage was held in public in Taipei, and we’ve taken to the streets to promote gay and lesbian rights several times over the past decade,” Wang Ping (王蘋), secretary-general of the Gender/Sexuality Rights Association in Taiwan, said at the forum on gay rights held in Taipei yesterday.

Read more at Taipei Times

Uganda 'beef up gay laws'

The Ugandan government said on Saturday it would strengthen anti-gay laws and step up police operations against homosexuals amid concern about the "mushrooming" number of gays and lesbians in the East African nation.

"The state of moral health in our nation is challenging and we are concerned about the mushrooming of lesbianism and homosexuality," Ethics and Integrity Minister James Buturo told a news conference.

Article found here.

Originally posted on Cape Argus.

Nick Brown becomes second gay man appointed in reshuffle

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As more details of the Cabinet reshuffle are released, it has been confirmed that Nick Brown will replace Geoff Hoon as Chief Whip.

Mr Brown was appointed Deputy Chief Whip by Gordon Brown in June 2007.

Read more at Pink News

Post found on Gay Newsnet

Authorities in Saint Petersburg, Russia have effectively shut down the first-ever gay film festival there as it was set to open Thursday.

The Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival was scheduled to open on Thursday, but now appears postponed at best after fire department inspectors closed the clubs (The Place and Sochi) where the films were to be screened, festival organizer Irina Sergeeva told gayrussia.ru.

Read more at On Top Magazine

Persecuted in Africa, Finding Refuge in New York

Mr. Mbaye, 24, is an entertainer from Dakar, Senegal, known there for his dancing, singing and storytelling. But while his flamboyance may be celebrated in New York, he attracted the wrong kind of attention in West Africa this year, and it nearly cost him his life.

In February, a Senegalese magazine published photographs of what was reported to be an underground gay marriage and said that Mr. Mbaye, who appeared in the photos and is gay himself, had organized the event. In the ensuing six months, Mr. Mbaye said, he was harassed by the police, attacked by armed mobs, driven from his home, maligned in the national media and forced to live on the run across West Africa.

Read the rest of the article at NYTimes.com

Taipei holds massive gay pride march

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Taipei has held Asia's largest gay pride march to demand equal rights for homosexuals, transsexuals and transgender people.

Braving showers on Saturday brought on by Typhoon Jangmi, an estimated 18,000 people - including representatives from gay rights groups in foreign countries - marched through the main streets of Taipei.

Read more at theage.com.au