Netslum Gay Chat

Dear Marc

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0000

It is your birthday today, and I still find myself wishing you were here.

Not a day or moment passes where there is not someone missing you sorely.

You would probably love the attention....you goof. This year....this year has been tough to say the least.

The worse it gets, the more I try to remember everything you told me. It's not easy Marc, being a good person is not easy at all. You made it look so effortless.

You're generous, kind, helpful and very silly. Traits I'm envious of because they're harder to come by now.

I know at the moment, it's just a silly cat ^..^ keeping watch over the room, far more than I should, but try as I may. I can't pull away from the room like a few others have.

There isn't much to say that hasn't already been said in some of my other posts about you.

My birthday sucked...so I thought we can celebrate yours together through letter lol

Kidding aside, I'm sure you're probably really disappointed with a few people.

People who have twisted and used what you worked for, as a means to bring themselves higher up on a latter.

But I'm sure you're probably really proud of a few people. People who are striving and working for a better tomorrow. People who remember everything you taught and shared with them. Those ones will never have you as less than what you are.

A great man, a sweet man, a humourous man. A leader, a counselor, a pioneer.

A brother, a son, a mentor, a friend, a husband, a decent human being.

But most of all.....you were just yourself, and that's what we love.

You're always the one to spread love around, even when you might not get as much back.

You give to people, you constantly give to people. Some may not realize it, or they take it for granted.

Not this cat though, I'll never forget everything you've done.

I don't know what you're doing nowadays, making music with angels or surfing the galaxy. Discussing stories with Plato, who knows. What ever it is, I'm sure you're doing it in style.

I miss you Marc.

A lot of good people miss you.

I hope you stay with us, in our hearts, in our lives. I know we'd be so lost without your warmth.

I know I know, it's a bit of a sappy letter to you...but hey it's me. Sappy is what I'm good at.

Happy Birthday Marc, we love you xoxoxo

I love you xoxoxo

Don't let that go to your head though, you're still a goof.

The day tis bright O Lion of the sun, guardian of the righteous. Protector of the slum. Roar out to the world, show it just how loud and strong we can be.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo <3

~Nicky~

Turkey Day!!!

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 16:15:00 +0000

Happy Turkey Day to all our American friends here in Netslum! It's that day to grub out on delicious food and become rambunctious...Oh, and give thanks for the things we have.

I, for one, am thankful for my family and friends, that includes you all of Netslum...

And I'm also thankful for tons of makeup, clothes, etc., etc. ;)

So, before you pass out, come on by the room and share what you're thankful for and also just to have a chat.

Writing & Me

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:32:00 +0000

Well as most of you know, I write stories. Mainly short stories since I can't seem to find the right way to write a long novel.

I didn't actually start out as a story writer, I was a poet and one that didn't especially rhyme. It was actually because of a certain author, that gave me the drive to actually start writing the stories I had in my head.

So I mailed Nancy Atherton, one of my favorite authors and she wrote back!!!

Here's the mail :)

> I love your books, They are what finally pushed me to write. I have to

> say though....It's a grueling, slow, And wonderful process. Some days

> the words just pour out of me, Others are like pulling teeth from a shark.

> So when I caught an interview on youtube that you did, I have to say

> it made me smile, To hear that we have similar ways of telling a story.

> It's good to know that writing isn't just as simple as a strict outline.

> I owe you a big thanks, For inspiring me and continuing to inspire me.

> I don't have a publisher or an editor, But I got my ideas and some

> time on my hands, And I have some hope for the future. That's enough

> to get anyone started right?

> Oh yeah, I have a question for you. I've always wondered whether you

> write things down onto paper as they happen, Or do you write things on

> your computer?

> I do a little of both, But granted I do get tired of those times when

> the computer crashes and I end up losing bits an pieces that I've

> already written.

> That's all for now, And I'm sorry if this mail seemed pretty corny,

> But it's hard writing to one of your favorite authors without being

> nervous.

> Sincerely, Nicky =^-^=

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

Dear Nicky,

Thank you so much for taking the time to write to me. I'm delighted to

know that my stories spurred you to write your own.

I've been through computer crashes, so I sympathize with your

frustration. Now I back up everything on my internal hard drive AND

with an external backup system AND I print a hard copy of everything

I've written each night. Paranoid? Yep! But I haven't lost anything

in a very long time.

My principle writing tool is a computer (a Mac), but I also write with

pen and paper when the mood strikes me.

I'm glad you're not worried about editors and publishers. At this

point, your main task (and joy) is to pour your heart and soul into your

story.

The rest of it can come later on. If you want to read an

interview in which I discuss writing (among other things), you can go

to: http://pitusultan.blogspot.com/2010/08/tete-tete-with-nancy.html

Thanks again for your definitely-not-corny email and for your very kind

words. I truly enjoyed hearing from you and I wish you many happy (and

hard) days of writing!

All the best,

Nancy

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

It is a good interview, Nancy is a mystery writer plus she also lives in colorado springs. So if ever I need inspiration I just remember who lives close by.

I hope this letter helps give anyone else who wants to write, some more drive and some more insight. xoxo

A bday gift

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:39:00 +0000

Now I don't really know how to write this, so I'm just gonna ramble it out.

Marc was one of the first people I met in a chatroom, it was so odd for me back then. I had a strange user name and icon, everyone thought I was a girl.

They would forget I'm a guy even after I told them, not Marc though. He was a good listener, we would hang out in the room. Not doing much but shooting the breeze, I thought he was so cool being a DJ.

Gradually over time I began to make more friends, to my surprise my friends started making friends with each other, until we were a tight group. Marc was at the front of that group, I was somewhere in the back.

That's how we were for awhile, a close group of friends in a chatroom, then a bomb kind of fell. Marc became tired of the way some people were acting, the rest of us in the group agreed. So he packed up his things and created a place for us to chat in, I was the first one there to see it.

I even got to name it! Let me tell you, starting out a chat with only six people is a bit of a gruelling experience. We had a lot of ups and downs the first few weeks, some people said the place wouldn't last for even a few days.

I can't imagine the pressure Marc must of felt, he created a new place for us. A new home for everyone to go to. We wanted a safe and clean place to chat, he gave it to us.

The days seemed to pass by quickly that first year, we were having so much fun together. We had a few problems, a few not so friendly people. Still we kept strong and silly. Then came the day that Marc switched us to a new place, on a joint server with other groups.

I think everyone was lost in the place, Marc just giggled. He was good with computers and code. All that great stuff, I later found out that he was self taught.

We eventually learned how to use that new chats code, it was hilariously fun. We got our first bot to put into the chat, it was a simple program but we all managed to make hours of fun with our imaginary bot friend.

Over the course of time, some of the people from our tight group moved on with their lives. Those of us who stuck around, formed strong relationships and even love.

Soon others were added to the group, some stayed, some didn't. Marc was always at the front, making sure we had the best kind of system he could get us. He even sent me a laptop for free! When he saw how much trouble I was having with my old one. It's the laptop I'm using right now, it hasn't let me down yet.

Marc was generous, to just about everyone. Friend or foe he always did his best to help. Which is more than I can say for myself, I was and still am a bit of a firecracker. Marc would spend nights shaking his head at me, 'Cause of my temper. Somehow and someway he'd get me to calm down and think back to what I just did.

It frustrated me how he would know what to do, he was a constant big brother to everyone. He was so nice but then he could be stern at the same time.

His passing came as a big shock to me, I was in disbelief. We weren't on the best of terms earlier that week, I was going through so much at the time. When I heard those words that he passed away....I was so pissed at him....there was so much I had to say, So much I wanted him to listen to. There was so much rage that I needed his help with. More than that I wanted to tell him how sorry I was, for behaving so out of control during that time.

It wasn't the first time we had lost a friend, Marc's passing somehow brought reality to a slamming to us all though. He was our leader, he was our guide, he was our big brother, he was one of the best friends we will ever come across in this life.

I was lost, the people closest to me were lost. Marc meant so much to us, Marc did so much for us without asking for anything in return. We're all still a bit lost, slowly but surely we're finding a way to keep strong, just like how Marc wanted us to be.

I know people say there are a few stages of grief, But that is utter crap. There are no stages, no possible way of describing what you go through. No way of describing what everyone else is going through at the same time. The pain of losing a good person never goes away, I don't know how anyone can say otherwise.

While we were dealing with the passing, I was incredibly shocked...to find out how much there was about Marc that I didn't know. We were close but he never really talked to much about himself to me or anyone else really. Marc loved to help us, loved to take care of us. Marc loved to put people ahead of himself most of the time.

It makes me sad at times to think how a lot of people, myself included. Took his love and devotion for granted. He was always there for us....But rarely was anyone ever there for him, except for his one special guy, his Babee.

Now here we are, it's Marc's birthday. I don't know whether to cry and yell out over the loss of him, Or to jump for joy and celebrate this day as he would have wanted us to.

Sometimes....late at night, I'll think of him. I will think of how he touched my life, how he touched our groups lives. Then I kind of stare on in awe, trying to figure out just how many people he helped, even now he helps us from time to time.

Sometimes when I'm down or just plain livid, I think of him. I think of what he would say to me, what he would think if I acted a certain way.

I know others go through the same things and thoughts, not that they would admit it. What annoys me the most is that sometimes people believe that not talking about it, will make everything easier. It doesn't.....you can't just ignore the subject when it comes out. So I keep talking about Marc, I keep thinking about him, And I'll be damned if his passing will stop me from loving him even more, the big bro goof.

I miss Marc, I miss him a lot. I miss that chance of getting to know him more, I miss not having the chance to tease him, or laugh with him again.

Somehow I still feel that he is around me at times, I know everyone has a different opinion on what happens to us when we pass on.

But I won't deny that I feel him around me at times, he's stuck in my heart and he's gonna stay there forever. I know he's also stuck in the hearts of everyone he was close to.

We love you Marc, and we know you sure love us. I promise I'll try to work on my anger and do something with my life. You always reminded me that it's never to late to follow after your dreams.....I'll get there, one day.

So happy birthday Marc, my favorite DJ, my favorite mentor, and my favorite Leo lion. Roarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!! xoxoxoxo We love you so much, And we miss you so much.

Equal Rights

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 03:13:00 +0000

Make a difference in everyones life treat everyone equal! TAKE A STAND & SAY YES TO THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT! To those who are questioning remember "judge not less you be judged!" Karma comes back three fold!!! "Amazing Grace"- a song with words of truth that tell of of the struggle "we" have all gone through to find... peace, happiness, love & equality!

hey people

Tue, 11 May 2010 14:08:00 +0000

HEY PEOPLE,

HEY I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY 2 YALL;

YA I DONT HAVE GOOD GRAMMER LOL BUT HEY YOU SHOULD CHEAK OUT THE CHAT SECTIONS IN HERE THE PEOPLE ARE NICE AND THEY ARE WONDERFULL... THEY HAVE HELPED ME THOUGH ALOT AND I CANT DO ENOUGH TO THINK THEM... ITS OPENED TO ALL PEOPLE THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF CHAT ROOMS.. YES ITS A CLEAN CHAT ROOMS BUT HEY DO U RELIZE HOW MUCH FUN A PERSON CAN HAVE WITHIN A CLEAN CHAT ROOM... YA IM NOT ABLE TO GET IN ALOT BECAUSE I DONT HAVE THE INTERNET AT MY HOUSE I USE TO BUT THEN I MOVED AND NOW I DONT SOO I JUST HAVE TO SAY THE CHAT ROOMS ARE LIKE A FAMILY THEY ARE GREAT THEY HELP YOU IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WELL THEY GIVE YOU ADVISE AND ON TOP OF THAT IF YOU NEED A LAUGH OR A CYBER HUG OR SOMETHING THEY ARE THERE... THE CHAT ROOMS ARE WONDERFULL THEY ARE GREAT I DONT KNOW HOW TO EXPLAN THEM REALY THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN REALY SAY IS THAT THEY HAVE HELPED ALOT OF PEOPLE THEY ARE GREAT FREANDS AND THEY ARE LIKE FAMILY TO EVERYONE THEY WELCOME EVERYONE TO COME IN AS LONG AS YOU DECIDE TO BE NICE TO THE PEOPLE IN THERE AND THEY WILL LOVE YOU LIKE YOU ARE A SIBLING... YA MOST OF YOU DONT KNOW ME SO YOU DONT K HOW I AM BUT HEY IF YOU WANT TO ADD ME AS A FREAND GO AHEAD... THIS CHAT SITE WAS SET UP SO PEOPLE THAT NEED A NICE SAFE PLACE TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING AND TO JUST HANG OUT WILL HAVE THAT PLACE AND I BELEAVE THAT IF A PERSON IS PART OF THE CITE THAT THEY SHOULD DO THERE BEST TO GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE SO STOP IN THE CHAT ROOMS AND TALK THERE ARE SMART AND NICE PEOPLE IN THERE AND THEY WILL WELCOME YOU WITH WARM ARMS,,,,, IF YOU START COMING IN AND TALKING IN THERE ON A REGUALER THEN YOU CAN SOMEDAY MEET ME AND ILL B GLAD TO MEET YOU BUT IF THERES SOME REASON WHY YOU CANT COME IN THEN TALK TO CODY OTHER KNOWN AS CODEDOG LOL I THINK I DID THAT WRONG WELL YOU CAN EMAIL ME OR COMMENT THIS POST AND THEN THE PEOPLE THAT KNOW HOW TO CAN HELP YOU OUT ON GETING ON THE SITE

THINK YOU FOR LISTEN

I'm Gay, Can I go to the Prom?

Thu, 06 May 2010 02:36:00 +0000

The "prom thing" has been on my mind for awhile now. Its a formal event that is held at most, if not at all North American High Schools. I'm trying to decide if i am going to go to ours this year. Im gay, but why should that matter? The reality is that in the minds if most, it does. And, the reality is if I go, it wont be particularly fun, but i feel it important i go.

The school does not want me to go. The community would be embarrassed if i go. I came upon this article, and because of it, I have decided I am going to go. If not for me, for the ones that come after me, so they do not have to go through what i have.

Derrick, YOU ARE MY HERO!

Making a prom date changes his fate

By Mark Davis

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

COCHRAN — Derrick Martin had a question he couldn’t answer, so he did what any 18-year-old would. Fingers tapping, he logged on to his computer last December and Googled the following words, which changed his life:

“I’m gay. Can I go to the prom?”

He can, and will. But those eight little words have done more than ensure the high school senior can take a same-sex date to Bleckley High School’s prom next month.

Seeking that answer has thrust him to the forefront of a national discussion. It’s touched off heated discussions in beauty salons and restaurants here and elsewhere, and made this small middle Georgia town a focal point in the debate over gay rights. Some applaud him for bravery. Others say his soul’s in peril.

All he really wanted, he says, was a night to remember.

“I didn’t anticipate this,” Derrick said earlier this week, a few days after news got out that he would bring his boyfriend, a young man from Tift County, to his prom. “I thought this might run on the second page of the paper.”

Instead, he’s Derrick Martin, sudden celebrity. As he sat on a bench underneath a bare oak tree outside a Bleckley school building, a Ford pickup, kids hanging out of its cab, zipped by. Derrick! Derrick! young voices belled.

A Honda sped past. It sprouted arms from every window. Hey, Derrick!

Derrick sighed. “If I could have just brought him without asking, I would have done that.”

‘You better sit down’

Derrick Martin is young enough that his facial hair is still spotty; like the rest of him, it’s not done growing. His 160 pounds are stretched across a frame nudging 6-foot-3. He is as long and narrow as a church pew, and only slightly more comfortable discussing all that’s happened since his Google query.

As he searched Web sites, Derrick came across the legal defense site for the national gay-rights organization Lambda. A representative of the group told him that if a school system didn’t have rules forbidding same-sex dates, then Derrick likely could bring his boyfriend.

“They did warn me that the school system could cancel the prom,” he said.

That wasn’t just conjecture. School officials in Itawamba County, Miss., canceled a prom recently after 18-year-old Constance McMillen said she wanted to bring a girl to her school’s April 2 dance. The American Civil Liberties Union, claiming the school board violated her right to free expression, has demanded that McMillen be allowed to attend.

Nothing like that occurred in January, when Derrick requested a meeting with Bleckley High Principal Michelle Masters. Because his date isn’t a Bleckley student, school rules required Derrick to fill out a form identifying him. He decided to check with Masters first.

“You better sit down,” he began.

Masters took the request to the Bleckley County Board of Education. When the board next met, it also discussed another Martin — Derrick’s father, Ray, a math teacher at the high school. Board members named him Bleckley’s teacher of the year.

Then they turned to his son. In early March, the board announced that Derrick could bring his boyfriend to the prom. School Superintendent Charlotte Pipkin, who declined comment, earlier this week released a two-paragraph statement.

The board decision, the statement said in part, “is not an endorsement of any particular practice or life style, but rather recognition of the legal environment in which public schools operate today.”

Bleckley High School, home of the Royals, would hold its prom April 17, as originally planned. The junior class would plan it, as well as decorate the school gym. This is a BHS tradition.

But tradition, people soon learned, was about to get a test.

A town debates

Cochran, about two hours south of Atlanta, is a confluence of U.S. and state roads that come together for a few blocks before fanning out again across rolling land that yields peanuts and cotton. A museum near the police department is dedicated to those agricultural staples.

About 5,200 people live here. Wednesdays at noon, much of downtown adheres to a practice that has just about gone the way of the mule. Stores close. People head to the municipal golf course, visit Macon to shop, or catch up on the latest events.

A lot of catching up these days focuses on Derrick’s decision, and how it reflects change — not just in Cochran, either.

Barbara Anderson’s shears snipped quickly, as if they were as indignant as she.

“I think they [the school board] ought to do like that other state and cancel the prom,” said Anderson, who owns a styling salon here. “They won’t allow us to have God in school, but they’ll allow this?”

Across the street, waitress Victoria Cagle took a break after the lunch rush. She is a 2009 Bleckley grad who hopes to attend nearby Middle Georgia College and teach high school biology.

“I think what they [the board] did was the right thing,” said Cagle, 19. “I think what he’s doing is awesome.”

Merchant Jason Ledbetter isn’t so sure.

“It bothers me,” said Ledbetter, 47, part-owner of a downtown music store. “By him doing that, it shows we accept it.”

Business partner Kenny Laney wasn’t as ruffled as Ledbetter. “It’s like an inter-racial couple,” said Laney, 54. “I thought we would have gotten over that by now, and gotten over this, too.”

The boys may face a divine reckoning, said resident Faye Ortiz. “What they do is up to them,” said Ortiz, 45, who recently moved back to central Georgia from Texas. “They’ve got to answer to God.”

Dealing with fallout

Opinions aside, Derrick’s action has come at a cost. He’s no longer living at home. Staying there, he said, became intolerable as news spread that he was taking his boyfriend to the prom. For now he’s staying with a friend, the girl he escorted to last year’s prom.

“She’s my best friend,” he said.

He also has friends who are gay, Derrick said. He expected some of them to stand with him when he took his request to school officials.

“I thought I would have had a little bit of backup,” he said, disappointment creeping in his voice. “But it’s just me.”

His boyfriend, who’s also 18 and a school senior, has not made any public comments. Derrick’s parents are remaining silent, too.

So Derrick talks. He talks about school. Kids there have known he is gay for a while. Most of them, he thinks, are on his side.

He talks about work. He is an after-school tutor for elementary and middle school kids at risk of not passing state tests.

He talks about the future. He’s planning to attend Georgia Southern University, which he said has given him a scholarship in recognition of his 92.5 average. He wants to go to law school, maybe someday become the state or U.S. attorney general. “That would just be so awesome.”

He also thinks about what has happened these past few months.

“I only wanted to be honest,” he said. Now, he feels an obligation. If he has to be the face of gay rights, OK.

A big lesson to learn from eight little words.

You can watch an interview with Derrick by clicking this link: http://www.13wmaz.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=73664620001#/Bleckley+Teen+Gets+Support%2C+Criticism+for+Same%2DSex+Prom+Date/73664620001

Finally, I know why I'm Gay ... Wow

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:58:00 +0000

Ive heard some pretty crazy things since i came out, but this one beats em all. Please, for those of you that may be questioning, I'm posting this as a joke. PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY. Lots of crazy people running around on this planet of ours, and this one leads a country. Wow ... just wow.

So, do you eat chicken?

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Bolivia: President Evo Morales says eating chicken might turn men gay

¡Ay dios mio! Bolivian president Evo Morales is warning men to stay away from eating poultry raised in chicken farms. The reason? Morales claims that chicken raised in non-organic farms are often injected with female hormones which, he said, might turn the men who consumed them gay.

The Associated Press says the comments were made today when Morales was addressing thousands of attendees at an environmental conference in Tiquipaya, Bolivia, although they didn't quite translate the full statement.

The AP simply says that Morales claimed that men who ate the chickens might "have problems being men" but, as captured by EFE in the original language, Morales actually said "El pollo que comemos está cargado de hormonas femeninas. Por eso, cuando los hombres comen esos pollos, tienen desviaciones en su ser como hombres"

My translation: "The chicken we eat is full of femenine hormones. That's why, when men eat those chickens, they have deviations in their beings as men" - and we all know what people mean when they say you have deviated from being a man.

Watch the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBadLrQlHiE&feature=player_embedded

National Day of Silence (US)

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:17:00 +0000

The National Day of Silence brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Each year the event has grown, now with hundreds of thousands of students coming together to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior.

For more information;

www.dayofsilence.org

and this.....from a mentor;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOiNjiYHeTk

and......i like this;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1l0K4G6JCI

and this;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eakZsjdAZL0

Call me crazy....but this one makes me cry;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mJHk1WMSo8

Can you tell im into the DOS? YES.......im gay, and im proud.......and the day of silence gives me an outlet.......and a purpose!

Netslum Community devastated by the news of founders death

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:41:00 +0000

The founder and owner of Netslum Died Wednesday, March 3rd in his home in Berlin Germany, he was 35. News of his death has shocked and saddened the entire Netslum community. Marc was best known for his dedication and advocacy of the Gay Rights movement and the LGBT community. Our hearts go out to his partner, Cody, and to Marcs entire family.

A more thorough and complete obituary will follow in the days to come.

Please take a moment to share your thoughts and stories here.

South African School closed dormitory because of lesbian relationships

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:38:00 +0000

A girls’ dormitory at a South African boarding school has reportedly been closed over allegations of lesbian relationships.

The unnamed school, in the KwaZulu-Natal province, is said to have discovered two female boarders kissing this week.

Local reports say that the pair then identified 27 other ‘lesbians’ in the dormitory and all have now been expelled.

South Africa bans discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation but the country still suffers from homophobia.

South African education officials are investigating why the school was closed.

Education Department spokesman Sihle Mlotshwa told the Mercury that schools were not permitted to expel pupils for being gay.

By PinkNews.co.uk • February 26, 2010

Radcliffe films PSA to help prevent suicide among LGBT youth

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:37:00 +0000

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has filmed a public service announcement to help prevent suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.

Radcliffe made the film for The Trevor Project, a non-profit US organisation that runs a 24-hour helpline. The 20-year-old actor said he knew many gay men when he was growing up. "Then I went to school and (for) the first time I came across homophobia," he said. "I had never encountered it before. It shocked me." He added: "I have always hated anybody who is not tolerant of gay men or lesbians or bisexuals. Now I am in the very fortunate position where I can actually help or do something about it." The public service film was shot at the Trevor Project's offices on Wall Street, New York, and will be aired this spring. Last year, the organisation revealed that Radcliffe had given them a "major donation".

From BBC News

See the interview on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzFMBYVMSVg Associated Press

He would kill his own son

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:23:00 +0000

A member of Uganda’s parliament – which is currently debating ananti-gay bill that would punish homosexuality with death – said Fridayat a human rights forum he would kill his own son if he found out his son were gay.

The forum’s keynote speaker, Makau Mutua, immediately denounced MP Otto Odonga for his comment.“I am baffled by the kind of hatred you spew against gay people, including your desire to be a hangman,” Mutua tod the forum, Xtra, a gay news source in Canada, reported. “Would you apply to be a hangman if the person to be hanged were your son?”

Anti-gay sentiment growing in Kenya

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 17:15:00 +0000

The wave of anti-gay sentiment in Kenya continues to grow. The mob violence on Feb. 12 over the alleged wedding of two gay men has lead to house-to-house searches for gays, attacks on gays in the street and the sacking of an AIDS clinic.

Denis Nzioka, a gay activist in Kenya told Gay City News,“Ever since the outburst of violence in Mtwapa, gay people have had tofear for their lives. Vigilante groups are hunting down gay men, goingdoor to door, and anyone who is overly flamboyant is attacked in thestreet.”

In late January, rumors of a gay wedding began circulating inMtwapa. Radio stations reported the unconfirmed story. In earlyFebruary, religious leaders told their congregations to expose the gaysin Mtwapa.

“We shall stand firm to flush out gays who throng this town everyweekend from all corners of this country,” the Council of Imams andPreachers of Kenya and the National Council of Churches of Kenya saidin a joint statement last week, The Daily nation reported.

New York-based Human Rights Watch sent a letter to Kenyan officials telling the government to protect the nations LGBT citizens.

“The government is sitting silent while mobs try to kill humanrights defenders and assault people they suspect are gay,” said DipikaNath, researcher in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender rightsprogram at Human Rights Watch. “Inaction is complicity, and silence canbe lethal.”

Technically, it is not illegal to be gay in Kenya. Kenyan lawdictates that certain types of sex are “crimes against natural law.”

“They criminalize anal sex,” for gays and straights, Nath said. “However, in practice these laws are intended to target gays.”

Nath said many gays are in hiding and living in fear for their safety.

“A few people can’t go back to their homes. They are going to have to be in hiding for a little bit longer,” she said.

by Ruth Schneider

365gay.com

Gay bashing reporter at the Olympics

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:54:00 +0000

Eddie Mcguire a reporter that covered the mens figure skating decided to make remarks about the outfits some of the skaters had been wearing. Appearently he felt the need to use the spotlight to let everybody know how he felt about gay people cause he needed to respond to his coleague Mick Molloy after he said "They don't leave anything in the locker room do they" with "they don't keave anything in the closet either" or responding to another skaters outfit as "That's a bit brokeback isn't it" while Malloy tried to apologize, Mcguire decided to keep it up. I can't believe that somebody is allowed to be on TV and make remarks like that about skaters who worked hard to get to the Olympics and so what if they are gay....Is that an Issue...are you afraid that a Gay Person might beat out a straight person....omg a queer winning the Olympics?

Marc