LO ACUSAN DE BUSCAR PROTAGONISMO

Por Redacción

EL VOCERO Miércoles 12 de mayo de 2010

Rafael Ruiz Ayala, portavoz tanto de la organización Comunitaria LGBT, Fundación artículo 2, como de la familia del transexual asesinado Juan Antonio Santiago, conocido como "Ashley", le pidió al activista de la comunidad homosexual Pedro Julio Serrano que desista de adjudicarse ser el portavoz de la familia. A la vez que señaló que Serrano busca protagonismo y ventaja política desde hace 10 años.

Ruiz Ayala dijo que lo que “colmó la copa” fue la información publicada ayer en Vocero.com en donde el activista informó que se reunió con el director del Negociado Federal de Investigaciones (FBI), Luis Fraticelli, y otros funcionarios de esa dependencia para "darle seguimiento a los cinco casos recientes de crímenes de odio". Entre los casos mencionó el de Jorge Steven y el de la estilista "Ashley".

El portavoz de la familia de "Ashley" aclaró a EL VOCERO que la investigación de la muerte de la estilista, hasta el momento, no apunta a ser un crimen de odio, como ha expresado Serrano.

Mencionó además que la familia se ha comunicado en el pasado por teléfono y por escrito con Serrano para que desista de hablar a nombre de ellos.

El portavoz de la familia de Ashley hizo las expresiones durante una conferencia de prensa en la que invitó a la comunidad en general a una vigilia que se realizará en memoria de la estilista, el sábado 15 de mayo desde las 8 de la noche, en la plaza pública de Corozal.

LEY ANTI-DISCRIMEN LGBT EN ESCUELAS DEL PAÍS

Womenstake.org/Jesse Krohn-National Women's Law Center/May 21,2010

AL FRANKEN: (D) Senator for Minn.: Introduces Student Non-Discrimination Act

Yesterday Senator Franken introduced the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA), a bill that bans discrimination in public schools based on one’s actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill is modeled after Title IX and other federal laws that prohibit discrimination by recipients of federal funds. If enacted, the bill would provide protection against discrimination in schools, including a range of effective remedies to enforce that protection.

This is good news for students around the country. As recent attention to the serious nature of harassment of children and youth in schools makes clear, this protection against LGBT discrimination in schools will be meaningful. A recent study out of Nationwide Children’s Hospital found that LGBT youth are bullied at two to three times the rate of their peers. The problem is not limited to LGBT youth, but extends to heterosexual youth who are taunted for being "gay" or for perceived inadequacies in their gender performance.

It's worth noting that Title IX also provides protection against gender-based harassment and the punishing use of stereotypes in school; in a recent case, Theno v. Tonganoxie Unified School Dist No. 464, a male student who was subject to taunting, name-calling and sexual jokes and gestures regarding his perceived lack of masculinity and a vicious rumor that he had masturbated in a school bathroom while the school district looked on indifferently was allowed to recover under Title IX. SNDA would help other students victimized like Dylan Theno. There are real consequences for victims of such harassment—their quality of education is severely depleted; their risk of poor attendance and performance is increased, as is the likelihood of depression and self-harm.

Senator Franken has secured 22 co-sponsors for the bill and we have high hopes for the success of SNDA.

PAREJA GAY A 14 AÑOS DE PRISIÓN

ADVOCATE.COM/Julie Bolcer May 20,2010

Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, the Malawi gay couple convicted Tuesday for holding an engagement ceremony, were sentenced Thursday to 14 years in prison with hard labor.

According to the BBC, Judge Nyakwawa Usiwa-Usiwa told the men, “I will give you a scaring sentence so that the public be protected from people like you, so that we are not tempted to emulate this horrendous example.”

Monjeza, 26, and Chimbalanga, 20, were convicted Tuesday of “gross indecency and unnatural acts” for holding the engagement ceremony in December. They have been in jail since their arrest.

Their lawyer told the BBC the couple would appeal the verdict, which has sparked international outrage. The State Department said the United States was “deeply disappointed” in the verdict Wednesday.

Homosexuality is illegal in Malawi under British colonial era laws.

¡ QUEEN LATIFAH SE MUDA CON LA "TRAINER" !

Advocate Editors May 14, 2010/ Foto-Blacknews.com

Ya no todo es silencio y "en puntillitas" en cuanto a Queen Latifah se refiere. Se rumora que compró una casa junto con su entrenadora personal, Jeanette Jenkins en los famosos Hollywood Hills de Los Angeles, California. La casa, estilo mediterráneo está valorada en $1.4 millónes; también se dice que ambas aparecen en las escrituras...¡hmmm!...

La carrera de Queen Latifah ha sido muy diversa y va desde "Rapera", Presentadora de Tv hasta llegar al cine, demostrando en cada paso un talento tremendo en todas las áreas que se aventura. Algunas de las películas: Chicago y Hairspray. ¿Se nota que soy fan de la Queen? Nos queda mucho por ver en el futuro de la gran Queen Latifah...seguiremos informando de sus eventos y como Cecilia La Luz la apuntó como No. 1 en su lista de "sospechosas" en el closet, me solidarizo al grupo de Cecilia...¡ tenemos fé en que pronto esté lista para salir del closet, sería un orgullo grandioso para la causa!

A. St. L.

CARTA PRESIDENTE A LA COMUNIDAD LGBTT DE LA ISLA

	PUERTO RICO: PIDE A TU SENADOR QUE LUCHE POR LA IGUALDAD DE DERECHOS
Dear friend, Last year the Puerto Rico House of Representatives passed PC 1725, and now the bill is in Senate for consideration. This bill would amend all anti-discrimination labor law statutes in Puerto Rico to add discrimination based on sexual orientation as a prohibited action. The definition of "sexual orientation" adopted by the House includes gender identity to ensure that all Puerto Ricans are protected from employment discrimination. The motivation behind this bill is simple, but powerful: the goal is to protect people from arbitrary discrimination in employment. A person's sexual orientation or gender identity has nothing to do with their job performance. Beginning with an ordinance passed in Minneapolis in 1975, 12 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 120 cities and counties have enacted laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. More than 500 private businesses across the United States, including 41% of Fortune 500 companies and 69% of Fortune 100 companies, have voluntarily adopted policies that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Puerto Ricans need your Senator to vote for this vital legislation, and your Senator need to hear from as many constituents as possible. Can we count on you to contact their office today? Just one call or letter can go a long way in advocating for fair employment policies. Please, join us in standing up for all Puerto Ricans and contact your Senator. Respectfully, Joe Solmonese President

PORTUGAL - SI - AL MATRIMONIO GAY

PORTUGAL-ESPAÑA-BÉLGICA-PAISES BAJOS-SUECIA-NORUEGA-SUDAFRICA-CANADA y 5 ESTADOS NORTEAMERICANOS y...WASHINGTON,D.C.

By BARRY HATTON Associated Press Writer © 2010 The Associated Press May 17, 2010 LISBON, Portugal — Portugal's conservative president announced Monday he is reluctantly ratifying a law allowing gay marriage, making the predominantly Catholic country the sixth in Europe to let same-sex couples wed. 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. Cavaco Silva's announcement came three days after Pope Benedict XVI left Portugal. During his four-day visit, which attracted hundreds of thousands of people, the pontiff said same-sex marriage, and abortion, were some of the most "insidious and dangerous" threats facing the world. Socialist Party spokesman Vitalino Canas welcomed the president's decision. "This is a memorable moment," he said. "This is a great step forward for us politically and as a society." Antonio Serzedelo, the president of lobby group Opus Gay, congratulated the head of state for placing "ethical responsibility above personal opinions." Portugal is nearly 90 percent Catholic. However, only around 2 million of its 10.6 million people describe themselves as practicing Catholics and Portugal has drifted away from the church's teachings. The current Socialist government has defied the church before. It passed a law in 2007 allowing abortion. The following year, it introduced a law allowing divorce even if one of the spouses objected. It has argued that the legislation is part of Portugal's "modernization." The new law removes the previous legal stipulation that marriage is between two people of different sexes. Portugal's Constitutional Court validated the bill's legality last month. Like neighboring Spain, which introduced same-sex marriages four years ago, previous efforts in Portugal to introduce gay marriage ran into strong resistance from religious groups and conservative lawmakers. Gay rights advocates have said they will continue to fight for gay couples' parental rights, including adoption, which are not included in the law. Portugal lifted a prohibition on homosexuality in the early 1980s. In 2001, it passed a law allowing "civil unions" between same-sex couples, which granted couples certain legal, tax and property rights. However, it did not allow couples to take a partner's name, nor inherit his or her possessions or state pension.

DEPARTAMENTO DE JUSTICIA EN ASAMBLEA COMUNIDAD LGBTT

Departamento de Justicia

Comité Especial sobre el Discrimen

ASAMBLEA EXTRAORDINARIA

A TODA LA COMUNIDAD LGBTT

(Lésbica, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual y Transgénero)

Conversatorio con miembros de la comunidad gay y directivos de Justicia, Polícia y Fiscalía Federal

El Departamento de Justicia tiene interés en compartir con miembros de la comunidad LGBTT para recibir insumo con relación a recomendaciones y como el sistema de Justicia puede mejor atender las necesidades para preservar la seguridad de los ciudadanos LGBTT. También los directivos le informarán las acciones tomadas y propuestas sobre nuestra comunidad y en particular los Crímenes de Odio por parte de Justicia, Policía, y Fiscalía Federal.

Cuando: martes 1ro de junio, 2010

Donde: Departamento de Justicia

Salón De Diego -1er piso

Oficinas Centrales en Miramar, SJ

Hora: 2:00pm- 5:00pm

Presentes: Fiscal Janet Parra- Directora Unidades esp.

: Fiscal Ivelisse Domínguez- Procuradora General

: Jesús Figueroa Sancha- Superintendente de la Policía*

: Fiscal Federal Idalia Mestey- Fiscal Federal Especial Crímenes de Odio

: Lcda. Mirla Rodríguez- Dir. Asuntos Legales, Policía de PR

: Zulma Méndez Ferrer, EdD- Rectora, Colegio Universitario Justicia Criminal

: Linda Ortiz, Div. Relaciones con la Comunidad- Depto. de Justicia Federal

* por confirmar

habrá turnos de privilegio,

traer presentaciones escritas

Se reserva el derecho de admisión

No se permitirán miembros de la prensa

cualquier preg comuníquese con Cecilia La Luz, moderadora-

info: 787-607-3939,cecilaluz@gmail.com

POR FAVOR, PASAR A SUS CONTACTOS.