That was because as a homosexual, Ramil knew very well that the Saudi government didn’t approve of his sexual preference.

“Once na nakita nilang kumembot ka, nag-makeup ka doon na lalaki ka, alam na nilang bakla ka. Ikukulong ka. Kapag nakita ka nila, alam na kasi nila ang word na bakla, sisigawan ka nilang ‘bakla’, ‘harami’. Ang ibig sabihin ng ‘harami’, delikado ka,” Autentico said in an interview aired over “24 Oras” Wednesday night.

(Once they see you swaying your hips or applying make-up and you’re a man, they’ll conclude that you’re gay and detain you. They call you ‘gay,’ or ‘harami’, which means you’re in danger of being arrested.)

The Saudi government follows Shari’ah or Islamic law, which strictly prohibits open display of homosexual behavior.

Last month, the Saudi government took its drive against homosexuality a step further when it banned the recruitment of gay and lesbian workers, including those from other countries. more…

source: gmatv news by jerrie abella

President Anibal Cavaco Silva said he would not veto the bill because majority liberal lawmakers would only overturn his decision. The country must focus instead on battling a crippling economic crisis that has increased unemployment and deepened poverty, he said.

“Given that fact, I feel I should not contribute to a pointless extension of this debate, which would only serve to deepen the divisions between the Portuguese and divert the attention of politicians away from the grave problems affecting us,” Cavaco Silva said.

He said he was setting aside his “personal convictions,” though he did not elaborate and did not take reporters’ questions.

The country’s parliament passed the Socialist government-backed bill in January, with the support of all of Portugal’s left-of-center parties, who together have a majority. Right-of-center parties opposed the measure and demanded a national referendum.

Elsewhere in Europe, gay marriage is permitted in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Norway. As well, five U.S. states and Washington, D.C., have legalized same-sex marriage, as have Canada and South Africa. more…

By BARRY HATTON, Associated Press Writer

The scandal-plagued Legionaries of Christ says it has accepted the pope’s decision to appoint a personal delegate to lead and reform the order following revelations that its founder sexually abused seminarians and fathered at least one child.

In a statement posted on its website late Saturday, the Legionaries said its members “embrace his provisions with faith and obedience.”

The statement was issued after the Vatican announced a crackdown on the conservative order once championed by Rome, saying a papal envoy would take over and reform it and that a special commission would study its founding constitutions.

The decisions were made after five Vatican investigators reported back to Pope Benedict XVI about their eight-month global inquiry into the order after its late founder was so thoroughly discredited by revelations of his double life.

In announcing the papal takeover, the Vatican excoriated the Rev. Marcial Maciel for creating a “system of power” built on silence, deceit and obedience that enabled him to lead a double life “devoid of any scruples and authentic sense of religion” and allowed him to abuse young boys unchecked.

more…

photo by: AP

article: nicole winfield

Pope Benedict XVI may issue a mea culpa for clerical sex abuse at a June meeting of the world’s priests at the Vatican.

The June 9-11 summit, initially called to mark the end of the Vatican’s year of the priest, had already morphed into a pep rally for the pope as he came under fire amid a new wave of reports on sex abuse by clerics. more info

Photo by: AP

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster today attempted to defuse a row that threatens to overshadow the Pope’s forthcoming visit to Britain by claiming that Benedict XVI was merely giving voice to what many people felt when he attacked this country’s record of promoting equal rights for gays.

Surprise at the Pope’s remarks was today giving way in Britain to more determined opposition to his views, with the National Secular Society vowing to set up a Protest the Pope campaign to hold demonstrations during Benedict’s visit this year.

Aware of the growing controversy, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, in Rome leading the 34 other bishops of England and Wales on an ad limina or five yearly visit to see the Pope, said that Benedict XVI was only saying publicly what many devout people believed.

“I think (the Pope’s) words will find an echo in many in our country who are uneasy that perhaps one of the unintended consequences of recent legislation is to drive religious belief and practice into the sphere of the private only,” said the Archbishop. more…

photo: alessandra tarantino/AP

The 9th Annual No Pants Subway Ride went off without a hitch today in New York. It’s tough to count, but we’re guessing we had around 3,000 participants. Riders met at meeting points spread out all over the city and converged on Union Square. The high was 28 degrees.

If you were there, leave us an agent report in the comments. We love hearing about everyone’s unique individual story. We will be updating this page with links to photo sets throughout the night and all day tomorrow. We should have the official video ready in about a week.

Thanks to everyone who came out to participate! If this was your first event, make sure you are on the NY Agents mailing list so you’ll find out about upcoming missions. Subscribe to our RSS feed to stay up to date on everything Improv Everywhere. You can also join our Facebook Page and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

source and more about: improve anywhere

Photo by: Katie Sokoler

The first federal trial to determine if the U.S. Constitution prohibits states from outlawing same-sex marriage gets under way Monday, and the two gay couples on whose behalf the case was brought will be among the first witnesses.

The proceedings, which are expected to last two to three weeks, involve a challenge to Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban approved by California voters in November 2008.

Regardless of the outcome, the case is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it ultimately could become a landmark that determines if gay Americans have the right to marry.

The judge who will render a decision, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker, has asked lawyers arguing for and against the ban to present the facts underlying much of the political rhetoric surrounding same-sex marriage. Among the questions Walker plans to entertain are whether sexual orientation can be changed, how legalizing gay marriage affects traditional marriages and the effect on children of being raised by two mothers or two fathers. more…

source: mail.com

Annise Parker made history Saturday by becoming Houston’s first openly gay mayor, seizing 53.6 percent of the vote in the city’s hotly contested election.

“This election has changed the world for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. Just as it is about transforming the lives of all Houstonians for the better, and that’s what my administration will be about,” Parker told supporters after former city attorney Gene Locke conceded defeat.

Of the more than 152,000 residents who turned out to cast ballots in the fourth largest U.S. city Saturday, 81,652 chose Parker — some 11,000 votes more than were placed for Locke.

The election battle leading up to Saturday’s balloting was marked by fierce campaigning and anti-gay rhetoric.

Parker is a lesbian who has never made a secret or an issue of her sexual orientation. But that orientation became focus of the race after anti-gay activists and conservative religious groups endorsed the 61-year-old Locke and sent out mailers condemning Parker’s “homosexual behavior.”

Read full story at: Mail.com

On Monday, Manila Sixth District Rep. Bienvenido Abante filed a bill to penalize the act which he described as “highly immoral, scandalous and detestable” in society.

Lawyer Clara Rita Padilla, executive director of EnGenderRights, said the measure was misplaced.

“The bill proposed by Rep. Abante imposing criminal penalties on same-sex marriage should be immediately junked. House Bill 6919 has no place in the halls of Congress for being clearly discriminatory against lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders,” she said in a statement.

Read full story at: Manila Standard Today