Foreign / Overseas LGBT News - Gay News Outside Singapore (Compiled)

[azuchan]

I'm sure Kiddo will like that!!

But seriously... Kiddo you should concentrate more on Chinese, especially if you're weak in that subject. One way is to start reading heartlander's chinese posts... I'm sure you'll buck up very soon!

[ruffx2sg]

Published on Jun 28, 2007

Global campaign planned as hotel is accused of barring transvestites

Gay-rights advocates plan to launch a global boycott against a high-end Bangkok hotel after it barred a transvestite from its nightclub.

Nikorn Arthit, president of Bangkok Rainbow Organi-sation, said yesterday that a campaign called "Novotel - No Homosexual" would soon be started through an online network of "third gender" groups.

The campaign is to fight back against the Novotel Siam Square after it banned a transvestite from entering its Concept CM2 Club.

"It is fine if you ban gays and transvestites, but you have to pay the price," Nikorn said.

The controversy sprang

to media attention when Sutthirat Simsiriwong, a transvestite who is a local brand manager for a French cosmetics firm, was told he could not enter the club last Friday.

A cross-dressing Sutthirat said his ID card was checked by club staff. Once the staff found that the card identified him as "Mr", he was not allowed entry, even though he went there with a VIP guest of the club.

"The staff said it is hotel policy to not allow katoey to enter," he claimed.

The word "katoey" is loosely used in Thailand to describe cross-dressers and transgender people.

The hotel, part of the Accor Group, yesterday issued a press statement signed by its executive general Michael Thomas denying the accusation.

Though admitting that Sutthirat was barred from entry, Thomas said the refusal was not part of the club's entry policy and was not supported by its management. He said the club regularly supported the gay community by hosting Mardi Gras, gay beauty pageants and singing contests.

"The unfortunate incident was an isolated instance of

an error in judgement aris-ing from non-conformity of the official ID on the part of the door staff involved in

the altercation with Mr Sutthirat," Thomas said.

He did not say what the staff told Sutthirat. He said customer-service training for CM2 staff would be undertaken. He also said the process to check ID cards of the club's guests was for security reasons.

Sutthirat yesterday flied a complaint to Human Rights Commissioner Naiyana Sup-apung, who said she would investigate the case.

After his fate was publicised, many transvestites called Sutthirat and told him they had received similar treatment from CM2 staff.

"If the hotel wants to ban katoey, it should show a clear sign and we would not go to be treated like this," he said.

Nikorn believed the incident was based on the hotel's policy to ban katoey but claimed it was not brave enough to declare its policy publicly.

He claimed a once-popular Silom nightclub was bankrupted within a month after putting up a sign reading "No homosexuals" on its door.

He wants CM2 to get a taste of its own medicine. "The club is not a popular place for katoey, but don't forget that big numbers of gay tourists come to Thailand," he said.

Nikorn said CM2 and other clubs probably did not realise the size of the gay market because many gay people cannot be recognised from their appearance.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/pag...d=2&id=30037988

[Asura]

Sad news... but today I saw an article in Fridae

"thai constitution to protect LGBTs"

http://www.fridae.com/newsfeatures/article...7&viewarticle=1

Hope this goes on

[ruffx2sg]

According to today's edition of The Nation, Novotel has apologised to the customer: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/07/05...al_30039513.php

Novotel apologises to transvestite customer

Tension between the Novotel Hotel at Siam Square and groups advocating gay rights ended Thursday after a transvestite, Sutthirat Simsiriwong, accepted an apology from the hotel.

"I will let bygones be bygones. In the future I will be a guest of the hotel," said Sutthirat during a press conference organised by the hotel Thursday.

Gerald Hougardy, the hotel manager, delivered a "sincere apology" to Sutthirat, who was barred from the hotel's Concept CM2 nightclub two weeks ago. Hougardy insisted that the hotel did not have a policy to refuse entry to people based on their sexual orientation.

"We accept responsibility for the error in judgement by our employees on the night in question," he said, adding that such an unfortunate incident would not happen again.

Hougardy admitted the apology came too late, as the incident took place almost two weeks ago.

"The incident was unbelievable, it took time for us to investigate," he said.

Sutthirat said he would contact all his supporters who had carried out an international boycott against the Novotel Siam Square and other hotels in the Accor Group chain to end the campaign.

The Nation

[oralb]

you crossed one, you crossed them all...

good to see the thai are very united in this.

here in sg, would this happened?

remembered what happened to the mature ladies who was refused the ladies night coupons? not only the joint didnt see a drop in attendance, the number of females (presumed younger ones) raised.

[Buaya]

Wait long long lor, unity...

They never laugh at your expense considered very good liao lor...

Then the next step is to stab you and say you deserved it...

Before they swoop down and try to rob you of all reputation and leave you one side to rot...

As a good example, the guys here already are fighting one another non stop liao... :whistle:

[GachiMuchi]

I am not sure if someone here have posted the following Taiwanese program on

Same sex marriage of 2 btms in Taiwan.

http://mypaper.pchome.com.tw/news/smokedev...20060822113338/

Here is the interviews of one of them in the Taiwanese program

[Guest Guest]

Gm, can just give a brief of the essence of the interview (no need to translate words by words) TQ

[GachiMuchi]

Synopsis :

It about this guy whom, when he was younger, went to do a research on Gay prostitution. He met a reporter and got all the research material he wanted. He was asked to take a shower and after the shower, the reporter took him to bed and they had sex. He was confused but deep down he was anticipating the experience and his purpose of doing the research was also to explore his inclinations.

After sex, he went home and realised that he was bleeding, thinking that he may had contracted Aids, he cried and told his mother what had happened. His mother took it rather well and explained to him that it may not have been Aids. The next day his mother brought him to the hospital to do a check up. He told that, although his mom accepted his inclination, she was also sad, but she supports his son.

Eighteen years later, he had decided to be the 1st gay bottom to get engaged, with the blessing from his family.

He discussed that his relationship with his bf is an open relationship which is based on truthfulness and safety. As they are both bottom, he will have his regular fcuk buddies and his bf will have his. Sometimes they will have 3 some.

There was once, he had to go to another province to meet his sex buddy, his bf even gives him some money to make sure he had a good time. He says that his bf is very understanding and it is things like that that brings them closer.

Then they discussed on differences of str8 and gays, etc. How some guys can separate love and sex. They also discuss on the fact that gay are more sex oriented while lesbians are more love oriented and the str8 couples are in the middle.

They also discussed on the sauna culture and about the difference being in a str8 and a gay sauna.

The show ended with him asking Taiwanese to be more accommodating and accepting to Gays.

The host added that Gay is not equal to Aids and safety should be a responsibilities for everyone.

[Guest Guest]

He discussed that his relationship with his bf is an open relationship which is based on truthfulness and safety. As they are both bottom, he will have his regular fcuk buddies and his bf will have his. Sometimes they will have 3 some.

mai yi song yi

buy one free one

[Guest Guest]

Thanks GM for the Synopsis :thumb: I guess one never cease to wonder the western culture (elton john marrriage) has so much influence on our chinese culture predominately traditional,filial piety etc (even how modern the parents are but knowing the son is gay really drive a knife into the mother's heart)

[Guest Guest]

This is like a sexless marriage. If they can marry then a gay and a girl can marry also.

As a bottom, I cannot understand them. There are so many men in this world but only your lao kong can enter inside you and shoot his man juices. It is very emotional when you watch a man go inside you and make you his. The pain, the joy, the "this whole world I give my body to you" cannot be described.

Only after sex your 2 persons feeling is like one night husband and wife, 1000 nights lovingly feelings. After that he know he want anytime I will let him penetrate me.

But I cannot imagine anyone penetrating him...so salah feelings. It is like one case divorce here, the wife say she cannot imagine her husband is wife to another man. Like when sex he is not really loving sex but only forced.

[rado980d]

As a bottom, I cannot understand them. There are so many men in this world but only your lao kong can enter inside you and shoot his man juices. It is very emotional when you watch a man go inside you and make you his. The pain, the joy, the "this whole world I give my body to you" cannot be described.

Totally agreed with you GUEST...

Although I am BOTH, I still can imagine one can tolerate the lover to F**K around with other men and even bid him farewell at the train station with Xtra pocket $$ (Accordinging to the vid)

[Guest Guest]

This story makes me angry. Darren Hayes fights for gay rights yet hurls racial abuse at a waiter?

Hypocrite.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/people/darren-h...7462274300.html

[Guest Anonymous]

This story makes me angry. Darren Hayes fights for gay rights yet hurls racial abuse at a waiter?

Hypocrite.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/people/darren-h...7462274300.html

Are you surprised? I was living in Australia for a period of time. The gays there are pretty racist. The worst are the (Australian) Asians who are white wannabes and spoke disapargingly of (Overseas bornt) Asians.

Anyway some Singapore Chinese gays here are pretty racist too.

And how about those closet types who can be so damn homophobic themselves.

Gays are the worst to their own kind, HONEST.

[Guest Guest]

Young white gays are the worst, like yesterday I was about to go into the steam room, there was a young white guy with lean fit body also wanted to go in there, you know when he saw me he turned his was out...so stuck up and full of themselves.

[Guest Nouru]

Actually, Singapore's AJs are already a bunch of racists.

I'm Malay having Japanese ancestors.

Faced racist comments from both straight and AJs side.

Insults hurled for being Malay and insults hurled for the stuffs my ancestors did during the war.

So, I'm smacked in the middle.

Can't blame Ang Mohs. We are racists ourselves.

[Guest level headed]

Young white gays are the worst, like yesterday I was about to go into the steam room, there was a young white guy with lean fit body also wanted to go in there, you know when he saw me he turned his was out...so stuck up and full of themselves.

pls lah, guest...so many times chinese gay in spore do tat to non-chinese..so surely wat goes around comes around mah...m sure u did tat too...padan muka

[Guest Guest]

for those who says how tolerant U.S. is on gays

read this http://www.idahopress.com/?id=434

if this happen in sg, there will be a "cry father n cry mother"

that this can only happen in sg - followed by a call to migrate n leave sg

[TopChinese]

Funny thing is that entrapment has not been practised by the police here since the late 90s. You can cruise all you like in Raffles City.. as long as you have sex with the guy or guys in private.

Its your own stupid fault if you get caught molesting the feet of some straight guy.

[jazz]

Yeap TC is right....

I believe the Court had something to say about those cases and thereafter, the police stopped the entrapment operations. Perviously, the police were quite active in Fort Road.

[GachiMuchi]

[Buaya]

Keke... You can find almost anything on Youtube eh?

This is Taipei's Fort Rd Beach... But they seem much more receptive of it...

Wonder if it can be easily found... Kekeke...

[thaiboyz]

WOW, yeah its like our 'Ford Road' scene....I think its not easily located. Have to ask my taiwanese friends about it.....Again, i wont be surprised if there is not many local know about it too.

[Guest]

This place is ɳ

[Guest]

ɳ

[thaiboyz]

[SunDevil]

Not that I'm trying to spread fear and panic...those of you planning to come to Malaysia for holidays in the near future might want to skip going to saunas over here for a while.

Here's why : Sex Party Broken Up

Mods, pls move this thread to the travel folder if you find it inappropriate to be placed here.

[Buaya]

Yet another reminder of how welcomed we are in our own countries...

[DirtyOldMan]

Wow, what a "tangkap basah", such a backward act to catch good gays ! Why these Masallehs chose Penang, an Islamic country to do gay acts ? Come to Japan lah.

[SunDevil]

DOM, Penang has a rather large expatriate community due to all the MNC factories there with Intel being the biggest. So, it's not a surprise to see lots of Mat Salleh there.

Buaya, Malaysia is still pretty much an Islamic country. So, gay places are still operating under the grey area. If you want me to make a wild guess, I think the owners didn't pay the police enough money to keep them away.

If you guys were to read carefully, it wasn't stated in the news that those customers were charged. They were merely brought back to the station to be questioned and they were released after.

If you guys were to look at the picture carefully, you'll see that everyone except for the Briton, tried to cover their faces. At least the paper had the good sense to blur out the Briton's face.

[Buaya]

Well, I just think that the same thing can happen here as well... We are just seen as criminals, sick and disgusting and deserved to just die... Sigh... And worse, the media LOVES to make use of such stories, which makes us look worse and worse with every report...

[Andy@Tokyo]

Abt being caught by the police in jap

--------------------------------------

A friend of mine moonlight at 2 chome and after his work (morning 5am), he has to walk to the JR station and would aways passby this small police station. The policemen on duty would change every few months. It happened there was this policeman who is his type and one fine day, my friend walked pass the policeman and said' Ojisan Kawaii~!' Uncle, u are cute!!. The policeman just asked him to buzz off.

[TopChinese]

Was going to say that I felt comforted by the PM's recent speech about protecting gay private space. However, there is nothing to stop the police from pestering people at our saunas here.

PM says they will not charge gays actively under s377a. But the police can still act on a complaint to go into saunas. They don't have to arrest everyone but they can make people in the saunas very uncomfortable.

[thaiboyz]

The raids reminded me of those raids in Blue Heaven during its initial operation, when two guys were caught having oral sex in a cubicle. I pity those penang guys who just wanted a nite off for a relief, ended up like this......sigh.

[jason]

It was reported in WANBAO that the cubicles smelt of shit and there were shit all over the dark room. so bad meh ?

[newguy2l]

they probably shit in fright when the polis came knocking

so there goes my plans for fun this weekend

back to calling up fxxk buddies for fun

i dunno - i find a anonymous fxxk so much better :twisted:

[HendryTan]

http://www.abcnews.go.com/PollingUnit/stor...=3834625&page=1

POLL: Support for Civil Unions Rises, Yet Sharp Divisions Remain

On Key Social Issues, Partisan Divisions Loom Large

ANALYSIS by GARY LANGER / ABC News

Nov. 8, 2007

[HendryTan]

Public Opinion in the US seems to have swung decisively in support of civil unions for gays in the US. (If this ABC news/Washington Post survey is reliable)

Bearing in mind that it is US election next year, the numbers may just means that it is better for the US presidential candidates to be "pro" civil union. (In 2004 US election, public opinion was the other way - see the chart in the report)

With Singapore looking West for ideas/trends, we look forward to this wave hitting Singapore.

-----------------------

http://www.abcnews.go.com/images/PollingUn...ocialIssues.pdf

Breakdown Data from the above Poll who support Civil Union for Gays

All 55%

Men 51

Women 59

Democrats 66

Independents 58

Republicans 39

Liberals 69

Moderates 64

Conservatives 35

Liberal Dems. 79

Conserv. Reps. 31

18-29 66

65+ 44

Blacks 45

Whites 56

Evang. white Protestants 30

Non-evang. white Protestants 66

White Catholics 61

[AfA_MSM]

An article from Malaysia, which describe the situation in Malaysia, which is pretty similar to that in Sg.

=========================================================================================

Malaysia: News Focus: Ignore it at your own risk

TAN CHOE CHOE, New Straight Times, 13 April 2008

ONE out of every 10 MSM screened by PT Foundation in Kuala Lumpur in the last two years is HIV-positive.

The organisation has screened about 500 MSM at its centres in the city.

But before anyone proclaims that these men who have sex with men deserve to get HIV for engaging in "unnatural sex acts", consider this fact: the majority of MSM in Malaysia are married and lead "perfectly normal lives", on the surface, at least.

Dr Christopher Lee Kwok Choong, president of the Mal-aysian Society of HIV Medicine, said: "You may think that if they choose to be an abomination to God, then they should suffer the consequences.

"But there are MSM who have sex with women as well and, through that, it (HIV infection) can come into the mainstream.

"If every single MSM only has sex with MSM, and no MSM ever sleeps with a woman, then the population will theoretically die off."

But the reality of sexual behaviour among MSM is far from that exclusive situation.

There's a reason why this group of men isn't referred to as gay or homosexual, but prefer the technical term "men who have sex with men" or MSM, as coined by UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS).

Dr Lee said not all men who had sex with men thought of themselves as homosexual or gay.

"Many MSM have girlfriends or are married, but occasionally have sex with men.

"The old-fashioned terminology for that would be bisexual, but if you ask a MSM if he was bisexual, he'd say, 'Hmmm, that sounds like a bad word, so I can't be one'."

The term MSM defines someone as a man who had sex with a man.

"Whether you do it exclusively (with men) or in between female partners, you're part of the definition."

And whether people chose to acknowledge them or not, there are more MSM today, especially those coming through the "HIV door", Dr Lee said.

He could also testify that transmission of HIV from MSM to the mainstream occurred through their wives and girlfriends.

In the past, said Dr Lee, the HIV population was mainly driven by drug use.

But there is now an increasing proportion of MSM getting infected with heterosexual transmissions.

However, the percentage of MSM and heterosexual transmission is small as injecting-drug-users accounted for more than 70 per cent of HIV infection in Malaysia.

"But speak to doctors in public or private hospitals who see patients with sexually transmitted diseases and HIV and they'll tell you the same," said Dr Lee.

Malaysia, specifically Kuala Lumpur, had witnessed a "substantial growth" in its MSM population in recent years, according to a 2004 report by Christopher Eugene Goerdt Scoville from Du-ke University in the United States.

Scoville's report was based on the assessment of HIV prevention work for MSM in KL.

"Gay-targeted businesses now dot the city and several informal gay groups have developed.

"Some MSM also congregate and may engage in sex at cruising parks, saunas and massage centres," Scoville wrote in his report.

He said while HIV-education and prevention programmes exist for female and even transsexual sex workers, there wasn't any for male sex workers.

Couple that with the fact that there are higher rates of intravenous drug use among sex workers, some experts believe the male sex worker community could become, if it wasn't already, "a conduit for HIV infection to the MSM population".

Gay or straight, most men don't use condoms

No statistics are available but in a case study conducted by Universiti Putra Malaysia in 2005, only four out of 10 MSM use condoms regularly.

But the sampling size is small, 99 men, and conducted by interviews at PT Foundation and online.

The study was to assess risk behaviour associated with HIV/AIDS among MSM.

Raymond Tai, PT Foundation acting executive director and Pink Triangle programme director, said he thought less than half of the MSM population used condoms.

"I think most don't use them all the time. The majority only use them when they think there is a risk. Many don't use them with their long-term partner."

Dr Lee said: "No, they don't. Straight men, crooked (gay) men, (they're) all the same. But we don't have data to support this."

Don't they know the risk? Dr Lee and Tai believe they do.

Tai said: "But they think 'only other people will get it'. It's the not-me syndrome."

Some think that because they were not "promiscuous", they wouldn't contract the disease, never mind that they had had sexual intercourse with two or three boyfriends, or girlfriends, as long as they were faithful to each other.

"As far as STDs or HIV transmission is concerned, the more partners you've had, the higher the risk."

It takes only one encounter to get infected and the prevalence of HIV infection was higher among those who engaged in anal intercourse, as compared with other forms of penetrative sex, according to Wikipedia encyclopaedia.

Like many other countries, early HIV transmissions in Malaysia were initially confined to the MSM community.

Figures from the Health Ministry showed MSM contributed only 1,406 to the cumulative 78,784 cases of HIV infection in Malaysia from 1986 till last year.

That means they made up less than two per cent of the HIV infection rate in the country.

But experts believed the figures did not reflect the situation on the ground as many MSM did not come forward to be tested.

Of those who were tested, many were not willing to say they were homosexual.

Tai said: "In addition, the percentage seems small because the figures are mostly contributed by drug users who are tested at rehabilitation centres."

The Thai Red Cross Research Centre reported last year that there was a 30.7 per cent HIV prevalence among MSM in Bangkok, with Chiangmai at 16.9 per cent and Phuket at 20 per cent.

Experts in Hong Kong said it was set to hit 30 per cent by 2020 if nothing was done now.

Dani Teo, advocacy manager of Pink Triangle, said: "So we're looking at a regional prevalence of 25 to 30 per cent in each country."

That means about three out of every 10 MSM in the region could be HIV-positive.

In Malaysia, Tai and Teo found it hard to target their HIV prevention messages because of what they call "a conspiracy of silence from the media, government, public and religious people".

Tai said: "We know from our visits to hospitals, from our telephone counselling line, from our voluntary counselling and testing services that there is an explosion (of HIV infection) in MSM.

"The same is going to happen to the mainstream community because MSM is not an exclusive population."

The message is clear: ignore MSM and their HIV-infection rate at your own peril.

Dr Lee said: "I'm not gay, but if you ask me, 'do we need to do something for them?', I'd say yes. If I want to protect my kids in the future, I have to do it now."

The problem, he said, was that people thought by helping them, they were being sympathetic to MSM.

"I'm not saying it's okay or not okay (to be MSM). I'm just reacting to the situation. When we help them, we're helping ourselves too.

"It's not about them or us. It's about us, all of us."

At point of sex

ONE controversial way to prevent HIV transmission among MSM is to provide condoms at the point of sex.

Tai said: "We provide them condoms at premises where they are likely to go for sex -- saunas, gay pubs or clubs -- so they don't rush to the car or run to the grocery shop for a condom."

But most Malaysians would find the idea offensive.

"Just because you have a knife doesn't mean you'll use it to kill someone. So just because you get a condom, it doesn't make you want to have sex with anybody."

The authorities' continuous raids on places where MSM gather also hamper PT's efforts to promote safe sex practices.

"Every time we target our prevention programmes, the police raid the place and hold the condoms up to the media. That frightens every premise owner.

"They tell us 'no condoms' and ban us from their sites because they think PT will get them into trouble."

In Malaysia, MSM is "so hidden, so underground", that the only way to reach them is through places where men go to have sex.

"If the authorities clamp down on these places, there is nowhere else to reach them," says Tai.

Together with condoms, the right information about HIV-prevention must also be given.

Some MSM thought they were less likely to get infected if they were the one on top during intercourse, or if their partner didn't ejaculate inside them.

"These are myths and misinformation. As long as you don't wear a condom, you're at risk of getting infected."

Source: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sun...icle/index_html

[Guest hstnasia]

California ban on same-sex marriage struck down --> http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/05/15/same....iage/index.html

Guess who's the first one who wants to get into the holy matrimony.... Ellen Degenerous --> http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/05/...e.ap/index.html unfortunately, her girl friend wasn't quite agree citing the comment that she will only say yes if her home state New York apporves it too.

[doncoin]

Actually Ellen's girlfriend, Portia DiRossi, is an Aussie. Remember her from Ally McBeal then Arrested Development?

[erection day]

Of course I remember. What a gorgeous lady! A much better choice than Ellen's first love- Anne Heche (who was 'straight', then turned lesbian and latest I read, she married a man).

[doncoin]

Anne Heche was married to this man, then she had an affair with her co-star in some TV series who is also married I think. She's a hot mess.

[Lungker]

Some people are trying to overturn this by including a November ballot iniative to ban gay marriage in this coming general election.

Basically what it mean is a group of anti same-sex proponents have to collect one million signatures to ask the state to include an admendment to the California state constitution banning same sex marriage. If one million signatures are collected, the state secretary of California will be complelled to put the admendment into the ballot during the November general election. People in California will be asked to vote a yes or no to the admendment.

Many gays and lesbians in California are preparing to get married before November, just in case the admendment is approved by a majority of the voters in California. Polls show a 50/50 call.

Read this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/us/18gay...iage&st=nyt

[Guest hstnasia]

Some people are trying to overturn this by including a November ballot iniative to ban gay marriage in this coming general election.

Basically what it mean is a group of anti same-sex proponents have to collect one million signatures to ask the state to include an admendment to the California state constitution banning same sex marriage. If one million signatures are collected, the state secretary of California will be complelled to put the admendment into the ballot during the November general election. People in California will be asked to vote a yes or no to the admendment.

Many gays and lesbians in California are preparing to get married before November, just in case the admendment is approved by a majority of the voters in California. Polls show a 50/50 call.

Read this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/us/18gay...iage&st=nyt

I do recall, there was a vote before on this, and those who do not oppose seems to be more of the majority. So, I would say those from religious and red neck shouldn't be able to overturn it.

[doncoin]

I think that those who are trying to defend the "sanctity" of marriage is fighting a losing war in this age of soaring divorce, co-habitation etc. In fact some states have established recognition of common-law marriage. i.e. not officially registered marriages but the couple have been living together for a number of years. I think we will see in the months how CA's ruling will affect other states.

[Guest poirot]

Gays in Indonesia used to enjoy more freedom and expression especially in big cities such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung etc but recent serial murder committed by a gay guy named Ryan from East Java has made public view about gays becoming homophobic.

More info kindly click the link:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=608791

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/07...a-gay-life.html

[jazz]

Brad Pitt has donated $100,000 to fight California's November ballot initiative that would overturn the state Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage.

It's the first time voters will be asked to ban same-sex marriage in a state where gay couples already have won the right to wed. Same-sex marriage is legal in Massachusetts and California.

It's the first time voters will be asked to decide the issue in either California or Massachusetts - the states where gays have won the right to wed.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/ap/20080918/ten-p...tt-5e343d7.html

[Dioscuri]

Sometimes people support a movement with some hidden agenda (I am not accusing Brad Pitt for that, just a general comment). Like the election, sometimes they choose a woman, or candidate of certain belief or ethnical group simply because this particular profile will enable them to win votes from a certain community which they at the moment fail to capture........