India Gay Film Festival heralds change

Being gay and living in India is not only a challenge for its residents, advances in gay rights around the world have little impact on the slow social changes afforded to India’s gay community.

It was less than a year ago that Delhi’s high court finally redressed Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code - effectively decrimanalising gay sex between consenting adults.

Although still suffering widespread discrimination, the ruling undoubtedly brings hope and heralds a new chapter for India’s LGBT population and its activists’ campaign for social equality.

It has invigorated gay pride; inspiring a re-launch of India’s first gay magazine – Bombay Dost – and now the Kashish Mumbai Queer Film Festival – a screening of more than one hundred gay films from around the world in two of the city’s mainstream cinemas.

The four day ‘Queer media’ event sold out within hours and has been hailed by activists as a milestone in gay visibility.

Bringing together the audience, the films and their makers organisers say a key aim of the new annual event is to create social change.

In an interview with radioaustralia.net Indian playwright Mahesh Dattani said the festival was monumental for the gay community.

“I think this a hugely important event; we've never had a queer film festival. I think there's so many myths and misnomers about queerness, about sexuality in general and I think this gives the audience an opportunity to try and understand and to actually see for themselves what queer love is and what queerness is about.

“We're such a traditional society of celebrators, we celebrate life, we celebrate sexuality, for goodness sake, I mean we wrote the Kama Sutra you know and I feel it's time we reclaimed our culture to somehow revisit our openness that somehow we've lost over the ages.”

As well as screening international shorts and features the festival also showcased many recent and undiscovered Indian films.

A panel judged competitive section awarded ‘Lost and Found’ Best Indian Short with ‘XXWhy’ - a film about Kerala’s first out female-to-male transgender winning Best Documentary.

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Related link:http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/connectasia/stories/201004/s2882702.htm

Glee awarded for positive portrayal of gay Characters

Camp musical TV comedy Glee has won a gay award for its positive depiction of gay characters.

The 21st Glaad (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) media awards has honoured the show by naming it Outstanding Comedy Series 2010.

The comedy-drama, still airing its first season, has taken the entertainment industry by storm and has already won a Peabody gong and Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy with best actress, actor and supporting actress nominations.

Upon accepting the award, creator Ryan Murphy said that star gay character Kurt, played by actor Chris Colfer, would never be portrayed as “a victim” on the show. He also revealed that Kurt would have a boyfriend in the next series and the two would be celebrated as “prom kings”.

The GLAAD organisation’s annual awards ceremony recognizes and honours media that features fair, accurate and inclusive representations of LGBT people.

The critically acclaimed ‘A Single Man’ won Outstanding Film – Wide Release and RuPaul’s Drag Race scored Outstanding Reality Program.

Actress Drew Barrymore was presented with an award for her contribution in raising awareness and understanding of the gay community.

“The thing that means the most to me about an evening like this or why I want to fight and be outspoken about (gay rights) is there are so many people who are in desperate need of families,” she said. “That is the most important thing in the world: that we take care of each other because this is a family.”

Out gay pop star Adam Lambert performed two songs at the event. Upon being asked about Ricky Martin’s recent coming out he told Access Hollywood: “It’s great to see people like Ricky feeling liberated to come out and come forward, and hopefully it will open the door wide open for more and more people to be comfortable with who they are. “

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Related link http://www.accesshollywood.com/news/stars-rally-around-ricky-martin-at-glaad-media-awards_article_31315

Obama orders hospitals to grant gay couples visitation rights

Gay rights activists have applauded President Obama’s signing of a memorandum this week that affords gays and lesbians’ partners medical power of attorney.

The memorandum instructs the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to implement new policy that will prohibit discriminative hospital visitation rights.

In the past hospitals could bar visitors to a seriously ill patient if they were not related by blood or marriage.

The new directive affords patients the right to designate visitors and, crucially, that those rights are respected. Tragically it comes too late for long-term partners of gay patients who in the past were denied access to dying loved ones.

Although gay activists have campaigned for years to end the discrimination it is thought the recent high profile case of same-sex partners Janice Langbehn and Lisa Pond, 39, inspired the new ruling.

Langbehn and Pond had been partnered for seventeen years when Pond collapsed whilst they were on holiday with their adopted children in Miami, Florida.

Despite being shown power of attorney documents hospital officials took eight hours to decide if they would permit Langbehn to visit her critically ill partner, by which time Pond had entered into a coma.

She was eventually granted permission to see Pond for five minutes as a priest performed the last rights.

The tragic case received high profile media attention highlighting the vulnerability of same-sex couples in times of crisis.

This week The President phoned Langbehn personally offering an apology and thanking her for her courage moments after issuing the memorandum.

In a statement issued on her family blog Langbehn praised and thanked The President for recognizing her case and issuing the new directive.

The memorandum also benefits patients without partners or children and members of some religious orders who wish to designate someone other than a family member to make medical decisions.

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David Cameron invited to Gay party

Conservatives leader David Cameron has been invited to attend a gay street party - to be held outside the party’s headquarters this Sunday.

Campaigners say ‘The Big Gay Flashmob’ event is being held to invite the Tory leader to clarify his party’s gay policies.

Organiser Peter Tatchell told gay media site Pink News: "Right now, the Tories don't have any official lesbian and gay rights policies.

"The Conservative Party annual conference has never voted for gay equality and there are no gay rights policies in any Tory policy document. The Conservatives are offering the gay community no new measures to remedy the remaining vestiges of homophobia."

The Tory party has been accused of sending “mixed messages” on gay rights. Cameron recently appeared on the cover of gay magazine Attitude where he pledged a commitment to full equality for gays and lesbians. Yet last week shadow home secretary Chris Grayling inferred that hotels should have the right to bar gay guests.

The party has also come under fire for its European affiliation with the Polish Law and Justice party who strongly oppose gay marriage and gay equality.

"David Cameron talks about gay rights but he hasn't got any specific gay rights policies. He isn't saying what he would do for gay people if he became prime minister. We want to know.” Lesbian activist and co-organiser of Sunday’s event, Tamsin Omond told Pink News.

"Sunday's street party will be a lot of fun. We hope David will join us. This is his big opportunity to end the confusion and outline his policies to ensure gay equality. We want him to join us – and to bring Chris Grayling too."

A Facebook page advertising Sunday’s party has so far attracted over 1200 revelers confirming their attendance.

Tatchell and Osmond have delivered a ‘pink and fluffy’ invite to the Tory headquarters.

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Related Link: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/04/08/campaigners-to-tell-cameron-to-come-out-for-gay-rights/

Ricky Martin: I’m Gay and blessed

Latino pop star Ricky Martin has announced via his website that he is a “fortunate homosexual man”.

Years of speculation over the singer’s sexuality have been laid to rest after Martin posted a lengthy blog in which he states: “A few months ago I decided to write my memoirs, a project I knew was going to bring me closer to an amazing turning point in my life.

“From the moment I wrote the first phrase I was sure the book was the tool that was going to help me free myself from things I was carrying within me for a long time. Things that were too heavy for me to keep inside.”

He goes on to explain how loved ones and associates advised him against coming out: ‘Many people told me: “Ricky it’s not important”, “it’s not worth it”, “all the years you’ve worked and everything you’ve built will collapse”, “many people in the world are not ready to accept your truth, your reality, your nature”.’

The Puerto Rican born singer eventually announces he’s gay in the final line saying: ‘I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am blessed to be who I am’

Martin’s sexuality wasn’t exactly showbiz’s best kept secret - photos of the 38 year old sharing beach space with his male partner have been clogging up gay blogs for months. In 2008 he fathered twin boys born to a surrogate mother.

The Livin La Vida Loca singer says it was his two boys who inspired him to be open: "This is just what I need especially now that I am the father of two beautiful boys that are so full of light and who with their outlook teach me new things every day.

“To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the glow that my kids where born with. Enough is enough. This has to change.”

Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation President Jarrett Barrios said Martin's coming out is monumental.

"When someone like Ricky Martin comes out, hundreds of millions of people now have a cultural connection with an artist, a celebrity and, perhaps most importantly, a father who happens to be gay," Barrios said. "His decision to model this kind of openness and honesty can lead to greater acceptance for countless gay people in U.S., in Latin America and worldwide."

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