Global Voices » Gay Rights (LGBT)

Armenia: Fears After Nationalist Firebombers Released on Bail

Onnik Krikorian — Wed, 16 May 2012 05:08:56 +0000

Following the 8 May firebombing of D.I.Y., a gay-friendly bar in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, events have taken an unexpected turn with the release of the suspected arsonists, Iranian-Armenian brothers Hampig and Mgrdich (Arame) Khapazyan. Believed part of a local Neo-Nazi group and caught on camera, one was released on bail of 1 million Armenian Drams (less than $2,600) and the other on guarantee that he will not leave the country.

Of concern to some observers, however, was that bail was posted by Artsvik Minasyan and Hrayr Karapetyan, two MPs from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D). Moreover, fuelling worries about the rise of nationalism in the country, Minasyan was quoted by the local media as saying that the two brothers were “normal people,” had acted “in the right way in the context of societal & national ideology,” and that one of the bar owners, Tsomak Oganesova, “destroys Armenian society.”

@unzippedblog: One of the arsonists in #neonazi attack towards DIY bar was bailed out by… Dashnak MPs… #Yerevan #Armenia #hatecrime

@unzippedblog: Re bailing out #neonazi attacker on DIY bar: #Armenia Dashnak party must explain what's going on or else I conclude they support terrorism

@Lara_Aha: Tashnak MP Ardzvik Minasyan who just bailed out the 2 suspects in #hate crime and said”people like tsomak(gay) destroying #Armenia” #armLGBT

@KevorkO: A ‘national ideology' that deems thuggery and terrorism more ‘normal' than homosexuality is nothing less than degenerate. #Armenia #DIY

D.I.Y. Bar, Yerevan, Armenia © Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped: Gay Armenia was shocked:

Basically, Armenian MP of ARF Dashnaktsutyun party Artsvik Minasyan supports and encourages terrorism in Armenia. With such statement, he acted as a pure criminal. ARF Dashnaktsutyun party must explain what's going on or else I'll conclude they support terrorism too.

[…]

If ARF Dashnaktsutyun won't make clear statements distancing itself from its own MP, then truly this is a death of ARF Dashnaktsutyun as a political party and its transformation into a neo-nazi group that supports and encourages terrorism in Armenia. Needless to say, utterly homophobic too.

[…]

If ARF-affiliated groups and party members worldwide care about the reputation of their party, and - more importantly - the future of Armenia, they should speak up against homophobia. They should demand that ARF makes statement clearly disassociated from their MP’s statement. They should demand that disgraced MP Artsvik Minasyan resign.

The blog also notes that a second attack occurred on 15 May and quotes one of its Facebook contacts.

Hate crime, no public condemnation by authorities, more encouragement by an MP and now repetition of hate crime, do you see the cycle?

Nazi swastika graffiti over D.I.Y. anarchy symbol, from gayarmenia.blogspot.com

Le Retour in 3 Parts is also concerned.

For the first time since moving to Armenia, I am afraid. Queer women are in the spotlight — an unfamiliar and not at all good place to be in. We perhaps have become used to being invisible here: we can hold hands in public and generally be more affectionate than men without experiencing stares and suspicious glances from passers-by. But now more than ever, it seems, we elicit the same contempt that has traditionally been reserved for gay men.

[…]

And, I hate myself for thinking this, but at times like these I can’t help but wonder why some of the more outspoken LGBT activists and queer allies had to raise their voices, draw attention to themselves/ourselves, wishing now that they lay low and not provoke other possible acts of violence. And I know I’m not the only one thinking this. Because now we’re in the spotlight and the wayward glances I get every day any way have taken on a whole new meaning.

Ianyan updates its readers, examining motives:

DIY, which bills itself as a bar for alternative thinkers, was frequented by many in Armenia’s gay community, a place considered a safe haven, free of judgment or discrimination. The violent act, which caused around $4,000 of damage according to well-informed sources, is being said to have been motivated by nationalistic and fascist ideology – the bar’s gay-friendly atmosphere as well as owner Tsomak Oganesova’s attendance at Istanbul’s Gay Pride Parade in neighboring Turkey have been cited as two key factors that have categorized the attack as a hate crime.

[…]

Nationalistic sentiments are common in the South Caucasus country, which is almost mono-ethnic and still reeling from the psychological effects of genocide and war. Its isolation, where borders with both Turkey and Azerbaijan are closed and distrust of much of what falls outside the realm of the status quo have been discussed as underlying reasons as to the rise of hate groups whose violent actions have left many fearful.

Following the attack on D.I.Y. as well as on a local activist engaged in peace building initiatives in the region, others are disturbed by recent events as well. Some NGOs, for example, have released a statement [en, ar].

Meanwhile, in response to the firebombing, online civil society news site Civil.Net posts an open discussion on nationalism, xenophobia and human rights violations in Armenia. In Armenian with English subtitles, Ianyan summarized and quoted parts:

Fascism has reached our door and is now saying I’m here,” [Lala] Aslikyan said in Armenian. She regretfully emphasized that the stifling of freedom of expression in the country is growing, while [Karen] Hakobyan pointed out that the groups, mostly consisting of young men in their late teens and early 20s define their “Armenian-ness” by spreading hate towards groups that perceive as threats to national interest. […].

Armenia: LGBT Community Fears After Yerevan Bar Firebombed

Onnik Krikorian — Mon, 14 May 2012 01:24:24 +0000

Le Retour in 3 Parts comments on last week's firebombing of D.I.Y., a gay-friendly bar in Yerevan, the Armenian capital. Believed to be the work of Neo-Nazis, the blog says fears are running high in the LGBT community that hate crime is on the increase.

Argentina: Lawmakers Approve Gender Identity Law

L. Finch — Sat, 12 May 2012 00:05:30 +0000

[All links lead to Spanish-language websites unless otherwise noted]

On May 9, 2012, after two hours of debate, the Argentine Senate approved the Law of Gender Identity with 55 votes in favor and 1 abstention. The law recognizes the right of transsexual people to an identity that corresponds with their expression of gender.

The publication AG Magazine recounted the history behind the push for such a law:

El proyecto de ley de Identidad de Género ingresó por primera vez al Parlamento argentino de la mano de la Federación Argentina LGBT y la Asociación de Travestis, transexuales y transgéneros de Argentina (ATTTA) en el año 2007. El texto aprobado, que es el mismo que obtuviera media sanción en Diputados en noviembre de 2011, contempla el reconocimiento de la identidad de las personas trans en su documentación personal, así como el acceso a la atención sanitaria integral en el sistema de Salud.

The plan for a Gender Identity law was submitted for the first time to the Argentine Parliament by the Argentinian LGBT Federation and the Association of Transvestites, Transsexuals and Transgender People of Argentina (ATTTA) in the year 2007. The approved text, which is the same as the one that obtained preliminary approval in the lower house of Congress in November 2011, provides for the recognition of the identity of transgender people in their personal documentation, as well as access to comprehensive health care within the health care system.

The National Front for the Gender Identity Law (FNLIG), formed in 2010 with the purpose of working toward the passage of the law, commented on the reason why it is so important on their website:

photo: Laura Schneider

Con este paso, Argentina inicia el proceso de reparación histórica y democrática con toda la población trans del país, cuyos derechos más elementales, como el derecho a la identidad y a la salud integral, han sido sistemáticamente vulnerados. El proyecto prevé tanto el acceso a los cambios registrales como el acceso integral a la salud. Este tratamiento no diferido de todos los derechos enunciados fue el logro más importante que sostenemos desde el Frente Nacional por la Ley de Identidad de Género (FNLIG), que elaboró el proyecto en el que fue basado el dictamen firmado tanto por las comisiones de diputadxs como de senadorxs.

With this passage, Argentina begins the process of historic and democratic reparation with the entire trans population in this country, whose most elemental rights, such as the right to identity and to comprehensive health care, have been systematically vulnerable. The law provides both access to registry changes and access to comprehensive health care. Having treatment that is no different than what all stated rights mandate was the most important success that keeps us going here at the National Front for the Gender Identity Law (FNLIG), which devised the law in which was based on the signed opinion of both the lower house commissions and the senators.

Access to comprehensive health care

One of the items in the new law to consider is access to comprehensive health care, which includes access for those over 18 years old to partial and total surgical interventions and/or comprehensive hormonal treatments to alter the body, including genitalia, without the need of obtaining judicial or administrative permission.

The webpage for the Ministry of Health for the Province of Buenos Aires, whose province was a pioneer in sexual reassignment surgery, posted an interview with the Provincial Minister of Health, Alejandro Collia:

“La Provincia es pionera en garantizar, a través del acceso a la salud pública, el derecho de las personas a su identidad de género. La adecuación genital a la identidad de género percibida por cada persona es un derecho que venimos garantizando desde el hospital Gutiérrez”, afirma el ministro de Salud provincial, Alejandro Collia.

El Hospital Gutiérrez de la Provincia es el único efector público, junto con el Hospital Duran en la ciudad de Buenos Aires, en realizar cirugías de reasignación genital.

The Province is a pioneer in guaranteeing, through access to public health care, people's right to their gender identity. The conforming of genitalia to perceived gender identity for each person is a right that we continue guaranteeing within the Gutiérrez hospital,” the Provincial Minister of Public Health Alejandro Collia, affirmed.

The Provincial Gutiérrez Hospital is the only public provider, together with the Duran Hospital in the city of Buenos Aires, to perform genital reassignment surgeries.

One of the first criticisms, [es] before the law's approval, came from Daniel Fernández, bishop of the Diocese of Jujuy, in Argentina:

“La iglesia desde un principio hizo conocer su opinión, creemos que el ser humano es creado por Dios, varón o mujer, que viene constituido con nuestra naturaleza humana y a partir de ahí queremos empezar a dialogar, con respeto, sin ningún tipo de intolerancia, manifestando nuestra opinión, que en este caso, es contraria a la de tantos”, ha manifestado el religioso.

“La identidad viene dada por el sexo que recibimos y por la identidad que traemos desde el seno de nuestra madre”, defendió el obispo argentino, condenando el avance de la Ley de Identidad de Género.

“The church from the beginning has made its opinion known, we believe that the human being is created by God, male or female, and comes established with our human nature and from there we want to start to dialogue, with respect, without any type of intolerance, expressing our opinion, that in this case, it is contrary to that of many”, the bishop has said.

“Identity is given from the sex that we receive and from the identity that we take from our mother's womb”, the Argentine bishop said, condemning the advance of the Law of Gender Identity.

On the other side, the blog Unificacionistas, in its post “Equality for few” wrote about the rights of minorities in Argentina:

de seguro las minorías irían rápidamente por más y más derechos, ya que se ve hoy día un terreno más que fértil para conseguir esas leyes que durmieron en oscuros cajones por décadas. A pesar de criticar las formas, en mi caso y en el de muchos, avalamos en principio que todo ciudadano tenga derechos y sea contemplado como un igual por otros ciudadanos ante la ley. El problema es que, me temo, esa igualdad no pareciera ser aplicable en todos los casos.

for sure the minorities would quickly go for more and more rights, inasmuch that nowadays one can see that the ground is more than fertile for acquiring those laws which slept in dark drawers for decades. Despite criticizing the form, in my case and in the case of many, we endorse in principle that every citizen has rights and is considered equal to other citizens in the eyes of the law. The problem is that, I fear, that equality would not be applicable in all cases.

Reactions on social networking sites

Once word spread of the law's passage, users across the social networking spectrum echoed the reactions of the citizenry. Some, such as Juancho (@Juanx1984), want more rights, while Jose Castiglione (@JoseCastiglione) wrote:

Me parece una aberración la Ley de#IdentidadDeGenero. Que me disculpen los q resulten ofendidos por el comentario, pero esto es INADMISIBLE

The Law of #IdentidadDeGenero [Gender Identity] seems to me to be an aberration. To those who are offended by the comment, pardon me, but this is INADMISSIBLE.

However, Paulo Yudewitz (@Pauloyudewitz) celebrated the law's approval:

#IdentidadDeGenero Felicidades para todos! Otro día histórico!

#IdentidadDeGenero [Gender Identity] Congratulations to all! Another historic day!

Finally, on Facebook the page “I am in favor of the law of gender identity” celebrated:

Amig@s, es imposible transmitir toda la alegría que sentimos por esta conquista!

Friends, it is impossible to relate just how much happiness we feel because of this victory!

Armenia: NGOs Condemn Arson Attack on Gay-Friendly Bar

Onnik Krikorian — Fri, 11 May 2012 19:00:45 +0000

Unzipped: Gay Armenia posts the text of a statement by a group of NGOs including the Helsinki Citizens Assembly in Vanadzor, Women's Resource Center, and Pink Armenia, among others, condemning the 8 May arson attack on D.I.Y., a gay-friendly bar in Yerevan. The blog also reports that two members of a Neo-Nazi group, Dark Ravens Armenia, have been arrested [EN/AM].

Armenia: Campaign in Support of Bar Targeted by Nationalists

Onnik Krikorian — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:37:40 +0000

Following an arson attack on D.I.Y., a bar frequented by activists, progressive youth, and alternative writers, musicians and artists, as well as members of Armenia's LGBT community, Unzipped: Gay Armenia reports that a campaign to raise funds to pay for the damage inflicted by local nationalists has now been launched.

Lebanon: Uproar Over Homophobic Article in University Newspaper

Joey Ayoub — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:21:07 +0000

Following the Alem Dechasa scandal that opened the eyes of many Lebanese to the horrible conditions in which migrant workers live, now an article about homosexuality in a university newspaper has stirred up a fierce debate online.

Mohamad Sibai, a student at the American University of Beirut (AUB), wrote a short opinion piece entitled “Please me at any price” in the university's newspaper, Outlook, restating all the traditional homophobic accusations and insults. He began by saying:

The other day, I saw a couple holding ands along Hamra Street. Normally I would never look twice, but something was not right. They both had short hair, facial hair, and rough voices. The sight was disturbing. Call me sexist, call me whatever you like, I couldn’t get that image out of my head for the whole day. I couldn’t believe what I saw, I know that Lebanon aims to be an ideal “secular” country, but if this is what “secular” is then maybe it’s not such a good idea.

Holding hands. Image by Guillaume Paumier on Flickr (CC BY 2.0).

Mohamad's ideas were not new or original, but the strong reaction to his post was interesting. Shortly after someone copied the content of Mohamad's article online, the Lebanese LGBT Media Monitor put out a call on its Facebook page for bloggers to post their responses online, promising that it would publish them.

Elie Wafi wrote:

So you saw a gay couple holding hands? Suddenly, you world is shattered, Lebanon’s long lasting problems becoming so insignificant, and the Earth will stop spinning until we solve that matter. Is it so important that two guys held hands? Did it stop you from crossing the road, or going to work, or driving your car, or eating your lunch, or cutting your hair, or buying a new pair of jeans, or partying hard at night with your friends? I don’t think so.

Antoine Atallah addressed the newspaper's editors:

It pains me to know that AUB's official newspaper has become the tribune for homophobic statements to be freely expressed, published and spread to the entire AUB community. I will not even talk about the false-facts, arrogance and skewed logic that Sibai has expressed. Anyone has the right to express all the fallacies that please them, this is what freedom of speech is about. However any sort of freedom stops where the freedom of the others starts. To insult, ridicule, stigmatize a significant portion of a population is not called freedom.

Article by Mohamad Sibai. Image taken from al-bab.com.

Elie Fares responded to Mohamad's claims one by one:

I felt it is my duty as a holder of a biology degree with an interest in psychology, two domains that Mr. Sibai is apparently very fond of citing, to say a few things, respectfully of course. […] Mr. Sibai, twin studies have shown that their is a genetic correlation for homosexuality. It’s not a linear correlation but there is an effect of genes on a person’s sexual orientation, whether you like to admit or not. […] Mr. Sibai, the rate of STDs is not correlated with homosexuality in any way whatsoever.

Gino described the piece as “silly”:

The sheer ignorance, arrogance and homophobia makes me embarrassed to say I probably shared a few classrooms with the writer.

Beirut Boy explained why he loves Mohamad Sibai:

I love you Mohamad Sibai because you’re just a kid who shared his raw opinion, which is exactly the opinion of the majority of the people in this country. You just had the balls to speak up. (Even though you’re wrong).
I love you because I have that much love to give to someone who has some growing up to do.
I love you because you showed me just how much support the gay community has from straight people online!

Alloush at the group blog Homos Libnani wrote:

We, as Homos Libnani, will not dignify this article with a response because, firstly, we do not want to fight hatred with hatred, and second, we do not want to contribute to Sibai’s 15 minutes of fame.

The most moving response was undoubtedly by a man called Raja Farah, who invited Mohamad to have coffee with him. He wrote:

I’m a 33 year old gay man. Everything you’ve written in your article is something that I have read or heard a million times before, here in Beirut, as well as in Los Angeles, Paris, London, and South Africa. To be honest, you haven’t said anything groundbreaking, and more importantly, you haven’t said anything that hasn’t been debunked hundreds of times. I have learned to not get upset when I read such blatant homophobia. It hasn’t been easy, and you can imagine what having to deal with this on a daily basis can do to someone. I’ve gotten used to the stereotypes, to the fears, to the hatred. I’ve even gotten used to people inciting others to be violent towards me, which you have also done in your article. […] I don’t know about you, but, and this may be the gay in me speaking, I think a world full of love is better than a world full of hate. Have a coffee with me. Let’s talk about anything you want. We can talk about hate, religion, and faggots, or we can talk about cars, travel, and happiness. We can even talk about love, dreams, and hope. Let’s just talk. Like two human beings. You’ve accused me of not being human. I am responding in a way only a human can: by reaching out.

It should be noted that there were some people who sympathized with Mohamad's views. Others, although disagreeing with and condemning the content, stressed that freedom of speech should be granted to all. However, most bloggers spoke out strongly against the piece. A list of responses can be found on Brian Whitaker's blog and at Homos Libnani.

Lebanese media failed to report the case, with the exception of Al-Akhbar who interviewed a gay rights activist.

Outlook's Editor-in-chief, Lojine Kamel did apologize, as did AUB's Dean of Student Affairs, Talal Nizameddin.

Armenia: Bar Targeted By Suspected Nationalists In Arson Attack

Onnik Krikorian — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:34:48 +0000

At around 5.30am on 8 May, 2012, Yerevan's D.I.Y. bar found itself the target of an arson attack. Popular among alternative types and widely known for its gay-friendly policy, it is suspected that nationalists, possibly part of a new Neo-Nazi group, were responsible.

However, allegedly because of the bar's reputation as one of the few spaces for women's rights activists and members of the local LGBT community to gather in, much of the local media failed to report on the incident. Instead, news was spread on Facebook and Twitter.

@unzippedblog: Alleged arson attack towards my favourite #Yerevan bar DIY. Motives not clear yet, possibility of #hatecrime but not confirmed #Armenia

@onewmphoto: No sooner than posting a photo from last week of DIY in Yerevan http://bit.ly/KihKPd I hear of possible arson http://on.fb.me/JthxGQ #shocked

@unzippedblog: #Yerevan bar #DIY under arson attack. Suspected nationalist #neonazi This is a #hatecrime #LGBT #HumanRights #Armenia

@ArmenianWomen: DIY pub has been vandalized and burnt early this morning, according to the owner, they have been targeted by… http://fb.me/1pMuaAvSL

D.I.Y. Bar, Yerevan, Armenia © Onnik Krikorian

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) caught the attack on video.

Unzipped: Gay Armenia also made a post, noting how the attack coincided with Victory in Europe Day:

On 8 May 2012 when countries in Europe, former Soviet Union and elsewhere started marking the anniversary of the end of World War II, Armenian neo-nazi elements decided to mark it with an attack towards the oasis of freedom in Yerevan, my favourite venue - DIY bar. A place, where all the alternative types feel at home. A place, welcoming free-spirited people, sub-cultures, experimental things. Gay friendly.

[…]

It took the police 12 hours (!) to finally show up and take the matters seriously. Good news is that thanks to CCTV image and insights provided by DIY owners and employees, at least 2 suspects have now been detained (at the time of writing this post).

Fire damaged bar, D.I.Y., Yerevan, Armenia © Nairi Hakhverdi

Ianyan made specific mention of a campaign to raise money to pay for repairs:

DIY bar sustained heavy damage to its front half, where the bar was located. An air conditioner was completely melted, with the only thing that ironically stayed in tacked being a bottle of Kilikia beer, sources said. Though the fire was put out, police took around 12 hours to arrive at the scene, a move that is being criticized by supporters.

Supporters have been gathering at the bar for the majority of the day, making posters with slogans such as “Your bombs don’t affect us,” DIY – no to fascism” and “I am DIY. Other bar owners in the area have dropped by to share their condolences. Messages of support were also left on the group’s Facebook page. Boxes to collect funds in order to start rebuilding are also being distributed. The bar did not have insurance.

Calculator melted into bar, D.I.Y., Yerevan, Armenia © Nairi Hakhverdi

Light fitting, D.I.Y., Yerevan, Armenia © Nairi Hakhverdi

Messages of support have also been left on the bar's Facebook page [ar]:

Խոսքեր ուղղակի չեմ գտնում վիրավորանքս ու զայրույթս արտահայտելու կատարվացի ու կատարողների վրա: ԱՄՈԹ!!! ԱՆՈՂՆԵՐԻՆ. հուսով եմ որ օրենքի ամբողջ խստությամբ կպատժվեն նրանք ովքեր կազմակերպել են այդ ամենը:

I simply can't find words to express my outrage and anger at what happened and those who did it. SHAME !!! TO THOSE WHO DID IT: I hope that those who organized all of this will be punished with all of the severity of the law.

Donation box, Yerevan, Armenia © Nairi Hakhverdi

I am D.I.Y, No to Fascism

Although many media outlets ignored the attack, some online outlets such as News.am and Lurer didn't. CivilNet also posted a video report which features an interview with LGBT and Women's Rights activist Tsomak Oga, one of the bars owners and the front woman for Pincet, a local Armenian Punk Rock band.

With two men identified on CCTV now in police custody, supporters are now closely following what happens next. However, even if the arson attack also put the lives of families living above the D.I.Y., some have also expressed doubts that they will receive adequate punishment for what the bar's supporters are already calling a hate crime.

Later the next day, in part organized on Facebook, clients and friends of the owners gathered to clean up and fund raise to repair damage currently estimated at around $4,000.

D.I.Y., Yerevan, Armenia © Nairi Hakhverdi

Thanks to Nairi Hakhverdi for the photographs of D.I.Y. following the arson attack.

Cambodia Gay Pride Week 2012

Mong Palatino — Tue, 08 May 2012 23:21:04 +0000

Cambodia Gay Pride Week 2012 will take place on May 11 until May 20. Some of the activities include film screenings, parties, Buddhist blessings, and the first Cambodia Pride Amazing Tuk-Tuk Race.

Hong Kong: Evangelists Accuse Lady Gaga of Leading Youth Astray

Oiwan Lam — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:32:15 +0000

American singer and songwriter Lady Gaga is currently touring Asia with her ‘Born this Way Ball'. Hong Kong shows are scheduled to take place between May 2 and May 7, 2012. On the eve of her first concert there, an evangelist group's campaign against her presence in Hong Kong has ignited debate within the local community.

A right wing evangelist group, Media Evangelism Limited, has launched an online campaign against Lady Gaga's tour, inviting Christians to sign in and “pray for youth in Hong Kong against the temptation of Lady Gaga”. The online poster [zh] states:

Lady Gaga 演唱會將於 2/5 - 7/5 來港舉行，演唱會帶有色情、同性戀及崇拜撒旦的元素，亦容讓 3 歲以上人士進場。我們籲請信徒支持緊急代禱簽到行動，為青少年的心智守望禱告。

Poster calling for Christians to sign in to pray for youth against the

Lady Gaga's concerts will be held between May 2 and May 7 in Hong Kong. The concert has pornographic, homosexual and satanic elements and it allows children below the age of three to enter. Here we plead Christians to sign up and pray for the youth's mind and spirit.

Facebook user Julie Lam explained the Christian's action in her prayer [zh]:

她的新歌 Born This Way “生來如此” — 聲稱上帝創造同性戀者及同性戀不是罪，她積極推動同性婚姻合法，影響了數個國家的立法。她的表演志在香港及亞洲打開黑暗的大門讓邪惡進入，目標是要嚴重影響青少年, 導致道德墮落。

Her new song, Born This Way, said that God created homosexuals and it is not a sin. She advocates for the legalization of same sex marriage and has influenced several countries' legislation. Her performance will open the door for evil to come in. Her objective is to influence the youth and bring moral decadence.

Less than 100 people have signed in to the page with the majority being against the evangelist group's propaganda. Below is a selection of some of the prayers in the sign-up page [zh].

Johnny Cheung said [zh]:

求主使青年人有清昕頭腦, 分辨壞思想, 壞行為, 分辨到造假的諾亞方舟或者lady gaga 教壞人熟輕熟重的問題。請所有被洗腦影音洗腦的人清醒, 回到你身邊, 呀門.

Pray for god to clear our youth's brain. Let them know how to distinguish bad thought and behavior. Let them know the fake business of the Noah's Ark theme park. Isn't that more of a problem than Lady Gaga in terms of corrupting people's minds? I pray all those who have been brainwashed by the evangelist media to regain their senses and come back to God's side.

Chan Kwan Yeung defended Lady Gaga [zh]:

慈悲天父嘅主呀,求你為被”影音使團”所說的話而被蒙蔽的人,清洗他們的眼睛哦!
LadyGaga是一個歌手,她所行的一切都是引導現今青少年於正道。宣揚,愛與自由,任何種族,性別,性取向的人皆是平等。她本人並沒有崇拜撤旦,只是在節目上回應主持人的玩笑。她的心是永遠追遠追隨父神你的。神呀,請你為那些被影音使團對LadyGaga的誤解,而寬恕。請你引導這班被該團體而誤入歧途的信徒,帶回正道!阿門~

Our Father, Please let those who have been blinded by the evangelist media to regain their sight!
Lady Gaga is a singer. She guides the youth to choose a righteous path. She promotes love, freedom and equality among those of different race, gender and sexual orientation. She is not a Satan worshipper, she was joking with the program host. Her heart follows our Heavenly Father. God, please forgive those who misjudge Lady Gaga because of the evangelist media's propaganda. Please guide the believers who have been led by the evangelist group to the righteous path. Amen.

Chu Ka Yu criticized the evangelist group for spreading a ‘gay sin' message [zh]:

將社會分化, 將同自己價值觀唔同既野打壓, 向年青人洗腦, 向佢地灌輸Gay Sin呢個message, 將自己所知所信既視為世界上唯一正確既真理, 唔去用批判思考去想上帝既道理, 用”人”既腦去解讀上帝既意旨, 呢d就係”教會”

我信主, 我信神, 我讀聖經, 所以, 我反對任何教會既存在…

你話我係魔鬼又好, 話我係咩都好…

Divide society, oppress those who do not share their own value, brainwash the youth with the message of Gay Sin, uphold one's belief as the only truth in this world, refuse to reflect upon God's message, impose upon God's will by one's limited intelligence, these are acts of the ‘church'.
I believe in God and Jesus Christ. I read the Bible. That's why I oppose the Church.
I don't care if you call me a devil or anything else….

Siu Heng pointed out that young people know how to make their own choices [zh]:

我唔係lady gaga fans, 亦冇打算去睇佢show；我亦好尊重人地既宗教信仰。但頂唔蒲有人以為青少年係白痴，睇個show就會變壞；以為自己係道德塔里班，人地同你唔同就話係歪風。

I am not a fan of Lady Gaga and do not plan to see her show. I respect the beliefs of others. But I can't stand people treating the youth as idiots who would become bad because of a show. You are just a bunch of moral Talibans who accuse each other of being morally wrong because they are different.

Vita Lam criticized the right wing for spreading hatred [zh]:

基督徒表達對信仰的立場令到小數族群飽受歧視公平嗎.
假設所有人針對基督來打壓你們會怎樣想
與其說神愛世人不如說是宗教挑起仇恨比較貼切

Is it fair for the Christian to impose discrimination against the social minority when expressing their belief?
If all other people are attacking Christian beliefs, how would you react?
God loves everyone in this world, but in reality, it is more accurate to say that religion has instigated hatred.

The thumbnail and featured image used in this post is by Domain Barnyard, used under an Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) Creative Commons license. Visit Domain Barnyard's flickr photostream.

This post was sub-edited by Jane Ellis.

This Week in the Caribbean Blogosphere

Janine Mendes-Franco — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:07:54 +0000

In last week's summary of the regional blogosphere, a young comtemporary artist from Barbados made the observation that the region is “more than the beach and coconuts.” Here's a round-up of what Caribbean netizens were talking about this week, with not one mention of beaches or coconuts…

Jamaica
Jamaican bloggers were understandably excited about the launch of the Bob Marley movie yesterday, which also happened to be International Weed Day. Cucumber Juice, who already “saw the new documentary about Bob Marley as part of the 2012 DC International Film Festival”, wrote:

The documentary is worth every second of its 145 minutes. On its 4/20 opening day Marley will also stream on Facebook. All of the reviews that I have read – and there are many, from the New York Times to local papers in Silicon Valley, California – are enthusiastic about the film. I agree with the seemingly widespread sentiment that Marley is a well-needed portrait of Bob Marley the man, not the superstar, not the celebrity, not the prophet…just a man. It was something that his granddaughter Donisha Prendergast urged us to have in mind as we watched – think of Bob the man not Bob the celeb – but the caution wasn’t necessary even as I saw footage and heard the famous songs; I couldn’t help but think about him outside of the context of superstar, maybe even the first Third World superstar.

I still believe as I did during and immediately after the film that every Jamaican must watch this film. And I still say that without any hesitation, reservation, or hyperbole. Why? Because Bob Marley is an important historical figure and he is Jamaica’s own. Even though he has touched millions – maybe he belongs to them too – he’s Jamaica’s own first. It is simply important to know our history, and this documentary is a good place to start.

Jamaica Woman Tongue, meanwhile, took issue with the “complete mockery of the national flag” that took place during a political swearing-in ceremony:

This juvenile act proves that we have sunk to a new low in national politics. Even the flag is no longer safe in the mindless colour war between orange and green fanatics.

The distasteful anti-green flag is forcing us to take a fresh look at the meaning of this national symbol. We can no longer assume that as a society we all accept the grand idea that national pride is wrapped up in what is really just a piece of cloth. It seems as it we are quite prepared to cut up the cloth to suit our rather limited political agendas.

The Bahamas
Politics were also top of mind with Bahamian bloggers this week, as the country's general elections draw closer. New blogs have been adding depth and dimension to the online debate: in response to one of its posts, Blogworld wrote:

I tend to fall into its camp with regard to the ways in which we view ourselves, our fundamental conservatism and fear of confrontation, our need of “brain-un-washing”. I particularly agree with the idea that 2012 and possibly years to come ‘may see the continuation of the unfinished revolution of the 1960/70s.' I’m not sure I share all of its cynicism, and while I am as unimpressed with the “achievements” of the past five years as the author is, I have not been convinced that a return to a PLP administration will be the magic bullet that solves all our problems.

Her compatriot, Rick Lowe, blogging at Weblog Bahamas, thought that it was time for him “to hit the off button” when it comes to election propaganda, while Political Bahamas Blog republished a mainstream media opinion piece which suggested that:

It is imperative to state that a leader will be judged by and for successive generations based on his/her ability to, among other things, manage the economy in a manner that balances economic prudence, socio-economic expectations and infrastructural development.

Haiti
Haitian bloggers were talking about the magnitude of the country's cholera epidemic. Dady Chery noted that
“Haitian health officials have approved a medical trial of the oral cholera vaccine Shanchol on poor women and children”, saying:

This trial is being presented as a vaccination campaign and will curiously be administered in two of Port-au-Prince’s slums by researchers from Gheskio (Center for Haitian Studies of Kaposi Syndrome and Opportunistic Infections) a group closely associated with Partners in Health (PIH) that studies AIDS and enjoys generous funding from USAID…

To avoid possible abuse it is essential that, in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, the medical trial be monitored by a panel of impartial observers.

We can help the Haitian poor by giving them correct information and the choice to make appropriate decisions for themselves and their children. If poor women and children get coerced into becoming the guinea pigs for western pharmaceuticals, Haiti will add yet another sordid story to its long list of abuses.

Cuba
Diaspora bloggers were looking at numbers this week - Uncommon Sense republished statistics from “the opposition Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation”, stating that there have been “almost 2,400 political arrests in first 3 months of 2012.” Notes from the Cuban Exile Quarter took a longer view of what he called “the rising body count in Cuba.”

Pedazos de la Isla posted a recap of “another violent weekend in Cuba”, while Laritza Diversent blogged about the plight of “Sonia Garro Alfonso, a member of the Ladies in White and the Afro-Cuban Independent Foundation”, who was recently arrested. Crossing the Barbed Wire focused on another Lady in White, Yakelin Garcia Jaenz, whose husband is in prison:

She has been beaten and harassed by paramilitary Rapid Response Brigades and has been arrested arbitrarily for various hours, despite the fact that she is the mother of two small children.

Translating Cuba posted an article dealing with the case of El Ñaño, the imprisoned Rastafarian priest, while Havana-based Iván García was focused on the fact that Cubans are too busy “in search of their daily food” to notice “the flowers of the flamboyant on Havana’s Santa Catalina Avenue already [beginning] to change color”:

Increasingly, many Havana families find it difficult to put a decent meal on the table…The issue of food is a national headache. It takes about 90% of the money that a family receives. And so everyone may not always eat decently.

Trinidad and Tobago
Globewriter blogged about a group whose mission is to “empower youth to deal with difficulties regarding sexual orientation and gender identity/expression”:

Sitting in that first meeting held at a conference table at the University of the West Indies I looked at the young faces and listened to them emphatically stating that young people being driven to despair because they were lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered or questioning was not acceptable and I can’t really describe how proud I felt and how full of hope for the future.

His post gave details about “a project that will be a first for T&T – a Day of Silence which will be observed on Friday”:

This might seem like a small act to achieve a very big change – and it is – but it is a start and it will mark a major turning point in the fight for LGBTQ kids to be given the dignity and respect that they deserve as equal human beings. This is also being done in a country in the English speaking Caribbean – not normally viewed as an especially tolerant environment for such vulnerable kids. In practice T&T is nowhere as unwelcoming as say Jamaica but there are still discriminatory (though rarely enforced) rules on the books and LGBT people face discrimination on a daily basis simply because of who they are.

In support of the cause, his blog was silent until midnight on April 20.

Other Trinidadian bloggers were focused on the arrest of Ian Alleyne, controversial host of a popular television show, “Crime Watch.” The Eternal Pantomine said:

The People’s Police Commissioner Ian Alleyne has been arrested and it was all done on national television!

I get confused…under which act? Dangerous Dogs? Mental Health? Both?

Bear in mind that Ian come like a saviour/messiah figure to many members of the society who feel they can’t get justice from the police and judicial services here…if nothing else shows you how decrepit a society we have become, Ian Alleyne’s rise from pastor’s son, to obscure television host….to Trinidad’s Batman is a metre gauge that we shouldn’t ignore.

Mere minutes after Alleyne’s arrest the meme generators was on fire and youtube was under pressure. There is a part of me that even wondering if the entire arrest was staged given how over the top this entire thing has been. Raids for rape tapes and now raids to arrest…. If there is a show today….it will be EPIC.

Kudos to TV6 who has successfully removed itself from culpability by insisting that Alleyne responsible for his own show…that way the station never have to get any flack for the filth aired on the programme while getting all the viewership, advertising and ratings.

In a follow-up post, she repeated her point about the television station's culpability and raised questions about Alleyne's track record:

Since Ian doesn’t own a television station, or broadcast rights…nor in fact pressed play on the tape button, doesn’t the TV station have some culpability in this matter? Didn’t the station allow the tape to be aired not once but TWICE…showing the face of a minor engaged questionable circumstances.

All yuh see why I asking if is the Mental Health Act or Dangerous Dogs Act? Because somebody in tv6 has to be liable too…because is the station broadcast the thing.

Another issue I have is this…ppl keep calling Ian the poor people’s champion and alleging he has done so much for this country…how many of Alleyne’s arrests have resulted in solid convictions? Because a crime is only solved when there is a conviction…so, how many solid convictions has Alleyne’s show really resulted in?

Could it be people have faith in Ian because he does put on a good (pappy) show

The thumbnail image used in this post, “Bob Marley”, is by murdelta, used under an Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) Creative Commons license. Visit murdelta's flickr photostream.

China: Feminist Questions ‘Date NGO Girls' Charity Event

Oiwan Lam — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:30:33 +0000

Recently, NPI, a nonprofit organization that supports the development of NGOs, together with a number of print and online media organizations hosted a marriage matchmaking charity event in Beijing. The organizers explained that the project, known as ‘Close to Charity, Date NGO Girls', is meant to help young female NGO staffers to find their marriage match and to promote the idea of “new happiness”. The first dating event was on April 15, 2012.

However, prominent feminist blogger Lu Ping has questioned why charities and NGOs are spending their resources to promote a culture that reinforces gender, marriage and sexual stereotypes.

Below is the advertisement [zh] for the event:

Online marriage matchmaking event poster. Image from Weibo account suesue2008

是的，这是一场相亲会。2012公益圈兄弟姐妹第一件欢天喜地的大事儿，就是争当“卖女孩的小火柴”，纷纷要为身边NGO女生找到伴侣。
这，又不仅仅是一场相亲会。各界青年才俊将会云集，在这里，您可以亲近公益，跨界交友，感受“新幸福主义”。
如果您是公益界的人士，请踊跃推荐和鼓动身边的NGO单身女生！
如果您是NGO的单身女孩，赶快摘下面纱勇敢自荐，2012都来啦！
如果您喜欢有爱心的女孩，还等什么？还不报名来“抢亲”？
同时，欢迎您出谋划策，提供创意；欢迎您提供资源，加盟合作。
4月中旬，我们将为您在茫茫人海中“情缘一线牵”。
谁来一起，与她擦亮生命中的火柴？缘来如此，敬请期待。

Yes, this is a marriage matchmaking event. A big and happy event in 2012 for brothers and sisters within the charity circle to compete to become a match for someone, sell their girls and help girls from NGOs find a mate. This is not only a marriage matchmaking event. Elites representing different sectors will gather here and build friendships across industry lines. Experience a new happiness.

If you are from within the charity circle, please recommend single girls from NGOs around you.

If you are a single girl from an NGO, take off your veil and sign yourself up for the function. 2012 has come.

If you like girls who have love in their hearts, don't wait. Sign up for the function and grab your bride.

You are welcome to give us suggestions and creative ideas. You are also welcome to provide resources and become our partners.

In mid-April, from among millions of people, we will find the one for you. Who will become the match that lights up her life? This is what we call karma, please be ready.

Currently, only 16 girls have been selected for the actual dating function. Their pictures and profiles [zh] are hosted on a special page on QQ's web platform.

Marriage matching is a very common phenomena in China, with marriage markets and “matchmaking corners”, as they are known locally, found very easily in major cities, such as in Shanghai. Most of the dating events are either arranged privately by family members or by commercial dating businesses. The question arising from this charity marriage matchmaking is, why are charities and NGOs getting involved in marriage matchmaking and what kind of gender relations they are perpetuating in the process?

Well-known Beijing-based feminist Lu Ping penned a long article [zh] in the China Development Brief, a publication that covers the nonprofit sector in China, criticizing such a charity:

公益组织从资金到人力、品牌、平台、公信的投入，应该划出公共利益的底线，否则就是滥用。为部分公益工作者的个人需求，而动用公益资源，是滥用行为。

A charity's resources, such as its manpower, platform, or credibility, should be used for projects in the public interest or else the spending could become abusive. The use of funds to satisfy the personal needs of some charity workers is thus abusive.

都是单身，若一部分“未婚”公益人需要相亲，也总有一部分丧偶、离婚的公益人需要吧，公益组织怎么就不关心他们的婚恋需求？排斥这些人的理由是什么？

在同一阶层中，离婚、丧偶、同性恋者更少找到伴侣的机会，既然是公益相亲，为何不首先满足他们？多数人优先、主流群体优先、更有机会者优先，这不是公益精神。

All the participants are single. When it comes to the need of marriage, divorcees and widowers also would have the same need. Why don't the organizers pay attention to their needs? What is the reason for excluding their participation in this event? The chance for divorcees, widowers and homosexuals to find their partners is far less than that of single girls. If this is charity matchmaking, why don't you satisfy the needs of these minorities? To give priority to the mainstream and dominant social groups is not consistent with the spirit of charity.

通过相亲找到配偶的例子很多，但共识的恐怕是，相亲本身不是浪漫爱，相亲要讲条件，至少在起点上必须是，条件匹配的人才应该坐到一起相。至于条件，身高、相貌、教育程度、收入、家庭背景……往往是基于等级的标准，以及刻板的性别期待。

Many people do find their marriage partners via matchmaking, but the understanding is that there is nothing romantic in it. It is all about the matching of social statuses, at least in the beginning. Only once the social backgrounds of the two people match, then comes the dating. The matching of profiles usually involves height, face, education, income, family background …. all these are markers of social class and gender stereotype.

中国的主流社会深患婚姻强迫症，最直接的表现是认为人人都要在所谓“适龄”结婚，不结婚就是不忠不孝不成年，针对单身妇女还特别发明了“剩女”一词，暗示没男人要就是没价值。相对间接的表现，则是赞美婚姻生活，宣扬浪漫爱，仿佛单身就不是“幸福”和享受生活。然而正有越来越多的人在争取和维护单身的自由，从家庭暴力到男性性特权到财产和责任的不平等，则正在让越来越多的人特别是妇女认识到，在这个性别不平等的社会里，浪漫爱之承诺的兑现往往要靠幸运，婚姻不是什么幸福的终点站。

Mainstream Chinese society is suffering from a pathology of marriage coercion. It pressures everyone to marry at the appropriate age. Or else the person is immature and not loyal to his or her family and country. Recently, society introduced the term “residue woman” to trash single women who are deemed not wanted by men. The society praises married life and propagates romantic love as if being single cannot lead to a happy and enjoyable life. However, more and more people are defending the single life. More and more women are coming to realize that in a gender unequal society, what they face in a marriage is domestic violence, unequal claim to property, etc. One's luck in love and marriage is not the end game for happiness.

Chile: Open Letter to Daniel Zamudio Goes Viral

Silvia Viñas — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 13:33:11 +0000

Chilean netizens were deeply moved by an open letter to Daniel Zamudio, a young gay man who died after a brutal beating, written by Felipe E. Mercado and published on Tumblr [es]. The letter, with more than one thousand notes on Tumblr, became a local Trending Topic on Twitter.

Nicaragua: Blogs Tell What the Press Ignore About Sexual Diversity

Kathryn Morgan — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:32:52 +0000

[All links lead to Spanish language pages except when otherwise noted]

Recently, the Strategic Group for Sexual Diversity Rights (GEDDS), a network of organisations that fight for the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, transgender, transvestite and intersexual community (LGBTTTI), launched a study into the ways in which the country's major media outlets deal with issues of sexual diversity.

The study, which is available from Conexiones.com.ni , affirms that :

Hemos encontrado grandes características similares en el abordaje de la noticia en los dos periódicos de mayor circulación en el país (El Nuevo Diario y La Prensa) siendo estas:

El abordaje amarillista de la noticia cuando estas se refieren al tema de la homosexualidad de hombre y mujeres.

La falta de interés de confirmar los hechos relacionados con las noticias que tiene que ver ya sea con un gay, una lesbiana o un trans.

El lenguaje poco adecuado al formular los titulares de la noticia, siendo estos generalmente hirientes, despectivos, burlescos.

Constante homo, lesbo, Transfobia de los periodistas hacia las personas de la diversidad sexual.

La violación constante de los derechos humanos de las personas que se ven involucrados en hechos delictivos. Siempre son objetos de escarnio y vituperio.

We have found major similarities between the two widely-distributed newspapers in the country (El Nuevo Diario and La Prensa) with regard to how they tackle this type of news. These being:

The sensationalization of news that refers to the issue of homosexuality amongst men and women.
A lack of interest in confirming facts related to news that is related to, or is about, gay, lesbian or trans people.
Inappropriate language in news headlines, these being generally offensive, disrespectful, mocking.
Constant homo-/ Transphobia from journalists towards sexually diverse citizens.
Constant violation of the human rights of people involved in criminal offenses. They are always objects of ridicule and criticism.

However, in Nicaragua's case, blogs offer alternative spaces where the issue of sexual diversity rights can be discussed and expressed with different perspectives.

Image from Flickr user Aayesha Siddiqui, used under Creative Commons Attribution-NonComercial-ShareAlike License 2.0 Generic. (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Sometimes, the issue is discussed through personal anecdotes, as is the case with the blogger Waldir Ruiz. In a recent blog-post, also published at www.elnuevodiario.com.ni, he tells readers that:

Como era de esperarse, no me sorprendió que su madre fuera lesbiana; no, fue la historia de su familia. Me dijo que sus dos madres tenían 22 años viviendo juntas, que ella no llevaba el nombre de su madre biológica, si no, el de su otra madre. Me confesó lo duro que fue para ella cuando tomó conciencia del rechazo que la sociedad sentía ante este tipo de relaciones…

As it was to be expected, it did not surprise me that her mother was a lesbian. No, it was her family's story. She told me that her two mothers were 22 years old living together, she hadn't taken the name of her biological mother, but rather her other mother. She confessed that the hard part for her was when she realised the repulsion that society felt towards this type of relationships.

Ruiz later expresses:

En mi monólogo interior, durante la conversación, me decía a mi mismo: “¡Opa!, pensé que en Nicaragua no habían relaciones de unión libre (tipo matrimonio heterosexual) entre parejas homosexuales, menos, de generaciones de antaño y nunca imaginé ser, de algún modo, testigo… ¡Ni en mis sueños más locos!”.

In my head, during the conversation, I was saying to myself: “Wow! I thought that there weren't consensual unions in Nicaragua (like heterosexual marriages) between same-sex partners, not to mention of an older generation and I never imagined that I would, in a manner of speaking, witness one… Never in my wildest dreams!”

Blogger Maycols Lovo, motivated by a conversation that he saw on Twitter about a video which features two homosexuals, writes:

Sin ahondar mucho en los trabajos que desarrollan las ONG’s y Gobierno, que son positivos, es notable que aún entre las generaciones de este siglo hay personas que se burlan de situaciones que enmarcan asuntos de género y sexualidad.

Without getting too bogged down with the work of NGOs and the government, which are positive, it is still noticable that among this century's generations, there are people that mock situations that encompass the subjects of gender and sexuality.

Later he offers his opinion about the Twitter discussion:

En cuanto a si soy merecedor de burla, admiración o ninguna de las anteriores, prefiero que lo hagan midiendo mi inteligencia y no mi opción sexual.

Regarding whether or not I am deserving of ridicule, admiration or either, I would prefer that it be based on my intelligence, and not my sexual orientation.

Other bloggers use avenues like video-blogs for telling their personal stories to offer information and advice. Mario S. Vásquez is one example. He has shared this video:

More examples of blogs as alternatives to the mainstream media agenda regarding sexual diversity can be found at ”Nicaragua: Sexual Diversity in the National Blogosphere“ [en], a post for Global Voices by Rodrigo Peñalba.

A registry of Nicaraguan blogs can also be visited at Festival de Blogs de Nicaragua (Nicaragua Blog Carnival), which was held for the first time in September 2011 with the support of Global Voices.

Chile: Daniel Zamudio, Victim of a Brutal Hate Crime, Passes Away

Elizabeth Rivera — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:27:59 +0000

Este bestial, cruel y despiadado ataque no pasará a la historia como un asalto más, o como una noticia de crónica roja más. Te prometo que lucharemos y combatiremos para que esta práctica nefasta sea extirpada de nuestra sociedad.

This brutal, cruel and ruthless attack will not go down in history as just another assault, or crime news. I promise that we will fight and combat so this harmful practice is removed from our society.

That was the promise Marcos Cárdenas, a Jesuit and philosophy student at the Alberto Hurtado University, made in his open letter [es]. He, as many other Chileans, expressed his grief after a group of men barbarously beat Daniel Zamudio, a young gay man, on March 3, 2012.

Daniel Zamudio Vera. Picture taken from the Internet from various sources.

The Clinic [es] published a summary of the story according to declarations of the men accused of beating and torturing Zamudio:

Todo empezó la madrugada de un sábado, en las cercanías de un cuartel policial y en un parque vigilado por guardias, un grupo de matones masacró a golpes a Daniel Zamudio, un joven homosexual que estaba allí. Lo torturaron seis horas y nadie vio nada. De los cuatro agresores, uno dicen que es claramente neonazi. El resto, una mezcla de lumpen y descarriados. Pero todos hoy están acusados de participar en uno de los ataques más salvajes que se recuerden en Santiago.

[…] Sobre él estaban Fabián Mora, Alejandro Angulo y Pato Core golpeándolo nuevamente. Esta vez con más fuerza, con “patadas, combos en la cabeza, en la cara, en los testículos, en las piernas, por todo el cuerpo”. López reconoce que pegó un par de patadas. A esa altura, cuenta, Zamudio ya sangraba por la nariz y la cara. Estaba tan ido por la borrachera y los golpes -dice-, que ni siquiera tuvieron que afirmarlo cuando Angulo y Pato Core le escarificaron tres esvásticas con el gollete de una botella de pisco sour Campanario, que minutos antes habían quebrado en su cabeza.[…]

It all started on a Saturday early in the morning, close to a police station and a park secured by guards. A group of thugs massacred Daniel Zamudio, a young gay man that was hanging out there. They tortured him for six hours and nobody saw anything. One out of the four aggressors is said to be a neo-Nazi. The rest, a mixture of ill-bred misfits. But today, all of them are accused of participating in one of the most savage assaults ever seen in Santiago.

[…] On top of him were Fabián Mora, Alejandro Angulo and Pato Core hitting him again. This time stronger and with “kicks, punches in the head, face, testicles, legs, and all over the body”. López admits that he kicked him a couple of times. At this point, he said, Zamudio was already bleeding through the nose and face. He was so unconscious because of alcohol and punches - he said - that they didn't even need to hold him when Angulo and Pato Core tattooed three swastikas with the neck of a Campanario pisco sour bottle that they broke minutes before on his head. […]

In this post we show some of the reactions from blogs, online news sites and Twitter since the news broke and until March 27, when Daniel Zamudio's death was announced [es].

Candlelight protest for Daniel Zamudio in Santiago. Photo taken on 03/22/2012 by Flickr user Movilh Chile (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Anti-Discrimination Law

The Anti-Discrimination Law that has been stuck in Congress for seven years has come back as a trending topic after the attack on Zamudio. There has even been a request to call it Zamudio Law [es] and to carry on the discussion at the Parliament's Mixed Commission after the last vote [es] that took place in November 2011.

Marcos Alvo, in a column called “Tolerance for Dummies” [es], published by El Dínamo, sentenced:

[…] Es por eso que necesitamos con urgencia la aprobación de la Ley Antidiscriminación (LAD). Legislar no cumple el único propósito de coaccionar , sino -más importante aun- el de ser un manifiesto social acerca de lo que nosotros como país queremos reflejar, con lo que estamos de acuerdo y con lo que no estamos dispuestos a tranzar.

[…] That is why we urgently need the approval of the Anti-Discrimination Law (LAD). Legislating does not only fulfill the objective of coercing, it is also - and most importantly - a social manifesto of what we as a country want to reflect, what we agree upon and what we are not willing to compromise.

To that respect, the President of the Jewish Community in Chile, Shai Agosin, pointed out [es]:

Por desgracia, la ley antidiscriminación, como está hoy día, no incluye una institucionalidad, no incluye políticas públicas ni un ministerio que esté encargado de llevarla adelante de buena forma.

Candlelight protest for Daniel Zamudio at the Posta Central (Central Hospital). Taken from the J. blog with Javiera Tapia's (author) permission.

Unfortunately, the anti-discrimination law, as it is today, does not include institutions, does not include public policies or a ministry that will be responsible to enforce it in a good way.

Diversity or tolerance?

Lala from the blog Zancada [es] reflected:

Recordé qué poco nos enseñan de diversidad, de lo aislados que estamos geográfica y mentalmente. Sé que en muchos casos no es así, pero si encendemos la tele y vemos cómo se burlan de los homosexuales, de los peruanos, de los “distintos”, no nos están enseñando a integrarlos a todos, sino que nos dicen que es mejor reírnos de ellos o huir. Dicen que la xenofobia se cura viajando, y qué cierto es. Cuando te das cuenta de que ese que tiene otro color de piel u otro acento, o cree en otro dios, no te hará nada, que es en el fondo igual a ti, te haces más persona y pierdes el miedo. Eres un poco más libre.

Y lo mejor es que ni siquiera sería necesario viajar si aquí en nuestras casas nos lo dijeran. Si en los colegios nos contaran. Si la tele y los medios lo mostraran.

I remember how little is taught to us about diversity, how isolated we are geographically and mentally speaking. I know that in many cases this is not true, but if we turn on the TV and watch how they mock gays, Peruvians, the “different one”, we are not being taught to include everyone, we are told that it is better to laugh at them or run from them. They say xenophobia is cured by travelling, and it's very true. When you realize that those who have a different skin color or accent or believes in a different God is not going to harm you, that he or she is like you, you become more human and lose the fear. You are freer.

And the best part is that it wouldn't be necessary to travel if here, in our homes, they told us. If they told us in schools. If the TV and the media showed it.

Beatriz Gimeno shared her thoughts in a column at El Ciudadano (The Citizen) [es]:

No estar activamente posicionado en contra de cualquier tipo de discriminación es dar alas al odio y a la violencia. No hace falta llamar directamente a la violencia legitimar la violencia. No reconocer que las personas lgtb somos merecedores de exactamente los mismos derechos, es no querer reconocer que somos merecedores del mismo respeto, de la misma dignidad; es no querer reconocer que compartimos exactamente la misma humanidad. Y finalmente cuando no se reconoce la misma humanidad ni la misma dignidad, se termina por favorecer que alguien entienda que somos merecedores de algún tipo de castigo.

Not being actively involved against any type of discrimination is to boost hate and violence. You don't need to directly incite violence to legitimize violence. Not recognizing that we, LGBT people, are worthy of respect, of the same dignity; it is about not wanting to recognize that we share exactly the same humanity. And finally, when the same humanity is not recognized nor the same dignity, you end up understanding that someone thinks we deserve some type of punishment.

Marcos Alvo, in the previously quoted column, added:

Si hasta hablar de tolerancia me parece intolerante. Decir: “te tolero” suena de un egocentrismo absoluto. Quien soy yo para “tolerar”. Es casi como afirmar que a pesar de tu diversidad te permito vivir en mi país. WTF.

Even speaking about tolerance seems intolerant to me. Saying: “I tolerate you” sounds absolutely selfish. Who am I to “tolerate”. It's like asserting that despite your diversity, I allow you to live in my country. WTF.

Supporting Daniel

Protest in support of Daniel Zamudio and his family in Curicó, Chile. Picture by Twitter user @JParadaHoyl used with his permission.

Since day one, declarations backing Daniel and disavowing his attackers appeared under the hashtags #FuerzaDanielZamudio [es] and #DanielZamudio [es].

A movement that advocates and defends human rights of lesbian, gays, bisexual and transsexuals, Movilh Chile (@Movilh) [es], constantly kept its followers informed about Daniel's health progress and started a campaign [es] that invited Twitter users to lighten up their avatar with a virtual candle to show their support.

Among the famous who expressed their solidarity was Ricky Martin (@ricky_martin) who tweeted:

Last night I won a @Glaad award! I am honored and thankful and would like to dedicate it to #DanielZamudio and his family #Chile

Also, several candlelight protests have been taking place in several parts of the country like Antofagasta [es], Santiago [es] and Curicó demanding justice for Daniel. You can see more pictures of one of the protests at the front of the hospital where Daniel Zamudio was staying at the J. Blog [es]

Daniel's death

On Twitter, Chileans reacted as soon as they found out about Daniel's decease.

Conti (@gcontador) [es] stated:

Antes que lo mataran, lo ningunearon los políticos que tú elegiste, se rieron de el los humoristas que tú premias y lo condenó tu iglesia

Before he was murdered, the politicians you elected looked down on him, the comedians you praise laughed at him, the religion you follow condemned him

From Viña del Mar, user @Festitroll [es] criticized:

Lloran la muerte de #DanielZamudio pero se burlan de Hinzpeter por ser Judio y gritan a Zalaquett por ir a la posta. Rica tu tolerancia

People cry #DanielZamudio's death but they mock Hinzpeter (Chilean Interior Minister) for being Jewish and Zalaquett (Santiago Major) for going to the hospital. Nice tolerance.

The famous Chilean TV host Rafael Araneda (@RafaAraneda) [es] commented:

Q tremendo ! Murió #DanielZamudio no lo puedo creer… Es un hecho q habla muy mal de nuestros tiempos y de lo q nos rodea…

What a shock! #DanielZamudio died, I can't believe it… It's a fact that speaks very ill of our times and surroundings

Similarly, TV host Carolina Urrejola (@CarolaUrrejola) concluded:

Algo edificante en medio del dolor: una sociedad entera está escandalizada. #DanielZamudio.

Something good came out of this pain: an entire society that is outraged. #DanielZamudio.

Slovenia: Family Code Referendum (and Other “Election Season” Updates)

Veronica Khokhlova — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:17:14 +0000

Sleeping With Pengovsky has been covering Slovenia's referendum on the Family Code (here and here), the mayoral by-elections, and the upcoming presidential election.