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Saturday 25 May 2013


International Heroes and Villains, 2012

Posted in: People
By Craig Young - 4th January 2013

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Who stood out in the international GLBT rights arena in 2012? And who tried to send us back in time?

Heroes:

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Frank Mugisha from Sexual Minorities Uganda
Francois Hollande (France), David Cameron (United Kingdom) and Uruguay: For pressing ahead with plans for marriage equality despite orchestrated antigay campaigns from their respective Christian Rights. The Cameron administration also deserves strong praise for cutting all foreign aid to Uganda.

Sexual Minorities Uganda: For their heroic opposition to David Bahati's murderous Anti-Homosexuality Bill despite a toxic atmosphere of threats, intimidation, violence and murder directed against LGBT Ugandans.

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Rodney Croome
Desmond Tutu: The former Anglican Archbishop of Capetown has continued to be a strong and assertive voice for human rights, and condemned Uganda for the proposed passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

John Baird: The Canadian Tory Foreign Minister has been a strong voice in international condemnation of antigay activities in Uganda and elsewhere.

Rodney Croome: This veteran Australian LGBT campaigner deserves the most praise possible for perseverance against the tide of bipartisan religious social conservative interference in Australian federal politics and his continuing efforts to secure marriage equality.

Peter Tatchell: For a lifetime of achievement promoting LGBT rights in the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Iran and elsewhere.

Villains:

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Pope Benedict
Pope Benedict XVI: For hypocrisy in his continuing invective against LGBT global citizens and attacks on marriage equality, relationship equality and same-sex parenting, given that his own church hierarchy is guilty of concealment, denial and attempted intimidation and harrassment of countless victims of clergy paedophilia over the decades.

Rebecca Kadaga and David Bahati: The Speaker of Uganda's Parliament and the sponsor of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill deserve particular opprobrium for their role in advocacy and facilitating attempted passage of one of the world's most draconian and murderous pieces of antigay legislation.

Westboro Independent Baptist Church: This venomous US fundamentalist cult persists in harrassing and picketing not only LGBT events, but also military funerals and commemorations of tragedies like Hurricane Sandy and the Connecticut school shooting tragedy.

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Mark Regnerus
Mark Regnerus: This University of Texas conservative Catholic opponent of marriage equality and same-sex parenting deserves only derision for his ineptly designed bogus 'proof' of the 'harms' of same-sex parenting, which has led to active renunciation from most responsible US child health, welfare and development organisations. Also mentioned- Social Science Research, for facilitating the deception; and the Witherspoon Institute for disseminating the propaganda, including to Family First and other Christian Right homophobes in New Zealand.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: For his clownish anti-Semitism and murderous homophobia in the Islamic Republic of Iran.


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Craig Young - 4th January 2013

Related Links:
GayNZ.com's 2012 New Year’s Honours
GayNZ.com's 2012 New Year’s Dishonours