LGBTI rights language stripped from UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals

The sustainable development goals set for United Nations members to the year 2030 will not contain any reference to the rights of LGBTI people and will maintain the status quo on abortion, it has been revealed.

Several developed nations, including the United Kingdom and Brazil, had wanted to have language in the agreement which could have been interpreted to include protecting the rights of transgender persons and sexual minorities but these were stripped from the final text that member states will approve.

Brazilian Ambassador Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota had reportedly pushed for the agreement to contain ‘more progressive language’ around human rights, including the rights of ‘LGBTI [people], whether or not these groups are fully stated.’

References to ‘gender’ in the document were also replaced with the more narrow term ‘sex’ to ensure there was no implied protections for transgender people or sexual minorities – and references to ‘social groupings’ as a protected category were also removed.

The document instead commits member nations to ‘empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status,’ by 2030 and to ‘ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action,’ without reference to sexuality.

Ambassador Usman Sarki of Nigeria reportedly lead the charge to have the agreement ‘cleaned’ of any language that might imply a commitment to the rights of LGBTI people.

The Agenda for Sustainable Development replaces the UN’s 15-year-old Millennium Development Goals.

UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon hailed the agreement as ‘bold, ambitious and transformative sustainable development agenda for the next 15 years,’ while speaking at a press conference on Monday.

‘The outcome document is called “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” and it is a road map to ending global poverty, building a life of dignity for all and … is also a clarion call to intensify efforts to heal our planet for the benefit of this and future generations.’

The post LGBTI rights language stripped from UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals appeared first on Gay Star News.

Andrew Potts

www.gaystarnews.com/article/lgbti-rights-language-stripped-from-uns-2030-sustainable-development-goals/

PHOTOS: Step Inside Olso’s Dark Underground Pit Of Music And Debauchery

The Villa is a dark, underground hideaway in the center of Oslo. Known for its world-class DJs and state of the art sound system, it’s a place where people of all genders and sexualities can come together, leave their inhibitions at the door, and dance the night away to the beats of both national and international DJs.

Scroll down for a peek at what goes on inside The Villa, and check out the full gallery over at GayCities…

Photo source: The Villa

Graham Gremore

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Op-ed: Are Millennials More Racist Than Antigay?

For this Caucasian writer, coming out was a breeze. Dating a black guy — that was a different story.

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Jeffrey Hartinger

www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/08/04/op-ed-are-millennials-more-racist-antigay

REVIEW: The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs

Set in 3,000 acres in an area of breathtaking natural beauty, The Broadmoor is America’s oldest five star hotel. Founded by Coloradian magnate Spencer Penrose, the hotel’s been hosting presidents, royalty and Hollywood A-listers since 1918.

There isn’t a whim you can’t indulge here. If you’re the active type, (we’ll assume you are – no one goes to Colorado for a nice lie-down), you can pass your time riding, boating, golfing, fishing or hiking – all without leaving the grounds.

There’s an all-American bowling alley in the hotel, serving an excellent line in ‘adult’ milkshakes. If you’re worried about your strike rate, bowl first, booze second. As you’d expect from this class of joint, there’s also a full gym and three swimming pools, including a heated lap pool for serious lengths.

Broadmoor Main, the oldest part of the hotel, is decorated in an early-20th century, European style. The newer Broadmoor West has recently been remodeled in more contemporary, but equally luxurious style.

The TVs built into the bathroom mirrors are a special treat – who doesn’t want to watch Golden Girls in the shower? If you’re an art lover, take a guided tour: the hotel boasts one of the largest collections of American art in the USA.

The cuisine, too, is top notch. So committed to fine dining is the hotel, that it sent the chefs at its Italian restaurant Ristorante del Lago to Italy to learn with the masters there. Should you fancy a taste of home, there’s an English pub in the grounds serving fish and chips and English ale. (We’d stick to the Colorado brews – they’re fantastic.)

As far as famous guests go, take your pick. From Joan Crawford to Joan Rivers, Princess Anne to Prince Harry, the great and good from all walks of life have (temporarily) called The Broadmoor home.

Venture out of the grounds to take in more of Colorado Springs’ heart-stopping scenery. It’s a short journey to both the Garden of the Gods National Natural Landmark and park, and Red Rocks, a natural amphitheatre providing near-perfect acoustics, which regularly hosts megastars.

You can also visit Manitou Springs, a town not unlike London’s Portobello Road Market, full of charming bars and thrift stores. It’s here you can take the Manitou Railway, America’s highest cog railway. It’ll whisk you up to a height of 4.3km where you can get awe-inspiring views from up the world-famous Pike’s Peak.

One final note: bear in mind this hotel is marketed as ‘family-friendly’, so you might find yourself surrounded by rugrats if you decide to lurk in the communal areas during the day. But if kids tend to drive you a little crazy, by the time you get back from a day sporting or exploring, they’ll all be in bed, allowing you to enjoy The Broadmoor’s impeccable offerings in the company of adults only.

www.broadmoor.com, www.colorado.com

Words: Andrew Gonsalves

The post REVIEW: The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs appeared first on Gay Star News.

Jamie Tabberer

www.gaystarnews.com/article/review-the-broadmoor-colorado-springs/

DVD: “Chocolate City,” “Seashore,” “Stand,” “Wasp,” & More!

Hot male strippers, Brazilian teens getting close (Seashore, above), gay Russians in a pickle and a gay couple on a vacay gone wrong make up this very queer (and homoerotic) week in home entertainment.

Read on!

Chocolate City

($29.99 DVD; Paramount)

A hot college student (Robert Ri’chard) begins moonlighting as a male stripper on the DL from his family in this indie, black Magic Mike. While predictable enough, the big show scenes feature some amazing choreography and super hot bodies, including Tyson Beckford’s. Extras include a blooper reel.

Seashore

($24.95 DVD; Wolfe)

In this artful and atmospheric Brazilian import, a trip to the seaside provides an opportunity for a pair of teenage friends, openly gay Tomaz and possibly not-too-straight Martin, to truly get close. Spoiler alert: they do indeed. Like, really close. You have permission to fast forward.

Stand

($24.99 DVD; TLA)

In this topical drama set in Russia, a gay couple witness what could be a brutal gay bashing. However, the pair is unsure what to do about it, since the country’s fiery homophobia and government stance could actually put them in hot water if they get too nosy. They eventually decide to investigate what was happening… and so goes this slow burn, tense drama.

Wasp

($24.99 DVD; Breaking Glass Pictures)

In this three character chamber drama, a British gay couple’s vacation in Provence, France, is disrupted when a female friend, recently dumped by her boyfriend, tags along. Things don’t go too well, though, as one of the guys and the girl begin to feel jealousy… and something more potentially threatening. Extras include a commentary and cast interviews.

ALSO OUT:

Insurgent

Child 44

A Little Chaos

Every Secret Thing

How To Get Away With Murder: Season One

Lawrence Ferber

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PHOTOS: Amsterdam Canal Pride

AMS-PRIDE-002-x400.jpeg

Advocate.com Editors

www.advocate.com/pride/2015/08/04/photos-amsterdam-canal-pride

Anti-gay football analyst sues Fox Sports for religious discrimination

A former college football commentator Monday (3 August) filed a religious discrimination lawsuit against Fox Sports who he claims fired him over his anti-gay views.

Craig James by was hired by Fox Sports Southwest in August 2013, only to be fired days later. He is seeking at least $100,000 in damages and a jury trial to hear his claims of breach of contract and discrimination.

‘Fox Sports fired Craig James because of his religious beliefs about marriage and his expression of those beliefs during a debate when James ran in the Texas Republican primary for United States Senator,’ the suit reads.

During that debate, the former New England Patriots running back said LGBTI people chose to be gay and would ‘have to answer to the Lord for their actions.’

‘We should not give benefits to those civil unions,’ he added.

Fox Networks Group said James’ ‘allegations are baseless and we will vigorously defend ourselves against them.’

‘Craig James is a polarizing figure in the college sports community and the decision not to use him in our college football coverage was based on the perception that he abused a previous on-air position to further a personal agenda,’ Scott Grogin, the group’s senior vice president of communications, said in a statement to the Dallas Morning News.

‘The decision had nothing to do with Mr James’ religious beliefs and we did not discriminate against Mr James in any way.’

The post Anti-gay football analyst sues Fox Sports for religious discrimination appeared first on Gay Star News.

Darren Wee

www.gaystarnews.com/article/anti-gay-football-analyst-sues-fox-sports-for-religious-discrimination/

OITNB’s Lea DeLaria: Butch lesbians are the pariahs of the LGBTI community

Orange Is the New Black star Lea DeLaria has said ‘nelly fags and butch lesbians’ are the pariahs of the LGBTI community.

DeLaria plays Boo in Netflix series and told the Television Critics Association last week that her character’s storyline read like something out of her childhood diary.

‘Butches have a shared life experience, and you saw all of it in Boo’s backstory,’ she said. ‘Being forced to wear a dress by your parents… I would hide under my bed just terrified.’

DeLaria said the only difference between her life and Boo’s was that her parents had listened to her. ‘Unfortunately, the story that they showed, Boo’s story, is all too common. Way too common,’ she lamented.

The actress continued, ‘My own community ostracizes me and thinks of nelly fags and butch lesbians as sort of the pariahs of the community.’

But DeLaria credited the show changing the people’s attitudes toward LGBTI people.

‘A large part of what we’ve done of the politics of the LGBT community has been about gaining our rights, fighting for our rights, achieving our rights,’ she said.

‘And recently it’s been turned a little bit more towards winning the hearts and minds of people. I feel very strongly that Orange Is the New Black has been very important in that part of what’s happened to us in that community – that’s an amazing turn of events.’

The post OITNB’s Lea DeLaria: Butch lesbians are the pariahs of the LGBTI community appeared first on Gay Star News.

Darren Wee

www.gaystarnews.com/article/oitnbs-lea-delaria-butch-lesbians-are-the-pariahs-of-the-lgbti-community/

Houston Mayor Sued Over LGBT Rights Law — Again

A suit filed by conservative pastors accuses Mayor Annise Parker of interfering with citizens’ right to vote.

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Trudy Ring

www.advocate.com/politics/2015/08/03/houston-mayor-sued-over-lgbt-rights-law-again