Thursday, 15 January 2009
House Of Rainbow on You Tube
Please Subscribe to our online video messaging and listen to life changing messages with Rev Rowland Jide Macaulay, founding Pastor of House of Rainbow Metropolitan Community Church Lagos Nigeria at http://www.youtube. com/HouseOfRainbow
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Important Announcement
Subject; Discussion on Discrimination on the Grounds of Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity in Nigeria.
Date; 18th March 2009,
Time; 4pm to 7pm.
Location To Be Announced
Contact Chibundu at chibundu12@yahoo.com, to find out more and register your interest to take part. Please pass on to your friends, allies and network.
Sunday, 11 January 2009
I Cry Aloud to God by Rev. Pressley Sutherland
I Cry Aloud to God, Psalm 77:1-4, by Rev Pressley Sutherland
http://www.goodhopemcc.org/ghmcc/content/view/490/163/
A prophetic exhortation about House Of Rainbow MCC Lagos Nigeria
I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that I may be heard.
In the day of my trouble I seek the Sovereign;
In the night my hand is stretched out without wearying.
My soul refuses to be comforted.
I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. Selah
You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak…
Psalm 77. 1-4
“Pastor Pressley, things are bad here…” Those were the words I had both expected and dreaded to hear from my friend Reverend Jide Macaulay. From the time he went home to Lagos, Nigeria to organise House of Rainbow Metropolitan Community Church, I had felt like a family member was in a combat zone. I said a silent prayer of thanksgiving as I listened to Jide’s voice. He was shaken, but physically unharmed. It transpired that Jide was in hiding and in need of refuge. Members of House of Rainbow had fled two by two throughout the city after receiving a tip that kill men and officers were on the way to their meeting place. They left in haste, leaving the space prepared for Sunday worship--a full cup for communion; a paten of bread for sharing.
House of Rainbow members have been the victims of an egregious and sustained media campaign exploiting their inclusiveness. Undercover reporters deceived the church by introducing themselves as members of the rainbow community seeking an affirming church. They were welcomed and loved by Jide and the congregation. In return for their kindness, these reporters secretly wrote and published a series of articles that were sensationalist and reckless. My colleague was referred to as ‘the so called’ Reverend, and incendiary language such as ‘evil’, ‘abomination’, ‘un-African’, ‘sodomite’ and ‘sign of the end times’ was used by pundits, bloggers and religious leaders to slander the good work of Jide and House of Rainbow. Photographs from birthday parties the reporters had attended were published, wrecking the lives of several young people, making them homeless and vulnerable to abusive attacks in the streets and markets of Lagos. The papers continued to be self-congratulatory, claiming they had closed House of Rainbow. Because my friend had to hide from their incited violence, they declared that his behaviour was an admission of guilt. These journalists published Rev. Jide’s home address (which was robbed that night), listed names of his family members, and began a public relations assault on his father’s Bible University, which has no formal links to House of Rainbow. Lives were nearly destroyed and vulnerable people are suffering. In a proudly Christian city, the opiate of self-righteousness took effect with disastrous results. Cry aloud, Body of Christ, this story is worth our tears and reflection.
Sometimes, in Christian cultures, it is as if the events recorded in the New Testament had never happened. People forget about the life-giving, graceful message of Christ. Instead, we revert to practicing a scapegoating piety where we think it pleases God to cast out people of different perspectives living in our communities. Minorities and disempowered people have traditionally born the brunt of such pious violence. Please hear me, my fellow spiritual travellers, the time for crucifixions is over. Crucifying lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and inclusively minded people is a New Testament abomination for our time. Jesus unambiguously demonstrated that the era for casting out and stoning others is over. His crucifixion was to end all crucifixions, not create a church with blood on its hands.
When it is unsafe for our friends to cry aloud to God as the Psalmist does, we who can must lift our voices and cry along with them. There is an image in scripture of the people of God as Rachel, crying for her children with no one to comfort her. The harsh reality of religiously condoned violence and prejudice is that there have been times in every human rights struggle when local religion has suppressed the voices of those seeking dignity and freedom. It doesn’t have to be this way. Historically, local religion has also shown the capacity to stand bravely with visionaries and outcasts until the casting out ceases, whatever the cost. We could be living out the best of our spiritual heritage instead of the worst. In a post-crucifixion world, we are responsible for working out our life’s purpose with a belief in grace and an attitude of care and generosity. It is not our calling to be judge and jury of the worthiness of our neighbours who cause us no harm. Christ’s harshest criticism was of those who would condemn others in the name of God, especially if the Spirit was doing a new work in their lives. I was in Lagos in January 2007, and I stand as witness to a beautiful and tender new work of the Spirit alive in the ministries of House of Rainbow.
As I reflect upon recent events in Lagos, I am reminded of the night of the last Passover meal that Jesus shared with his friends. What felt like an ending became a new beginning. From that time forward, people would gather around the cup and bread, telling the story of how Love was healing the world in the midst of fear and violence, carrying the promise of Christ to each new generation. But on the night Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, I wonder if the original communion cup was left behind in the panic? If so, what happened to it? Perhaps, through a mystery of faith, that cup is the same one waiting today on a makeshift altar in an abandoned room in Lagos--waiting for the beloved community to return, waiting to heal and bring forgiveness, crying out to God for her children. Did the kill men, officers, or robbers notice the cup and bread when they got there? If they did, could they sense the cup crying for them too?
“This is my body broken for you,
My blood shed as a new covenant of forgiveness.
As you do to the least of these, so you do to me.”
The cup of communion cries out for us to value righteousness and justice rooted in compassion. Vigilante justice is not justice, it is rooted in the belief that might equals right, which we know is not true. Today, I cry aloud to God with Rev. Jide and House of Rainbow; with disappearing and executed young gay and lesbian leaders in parts of the Middle East; with women-loving-women raped and murdered in South African townships and abroad. Today, I cry aloud to God for my own ignorance and fear of difference, change, and new scriptural understandings. And I cry aloud for a broken communion. How many times will the Body of Christ need to be broken before we learn to be merciful?
I believe that Rev. Jide and House of Rainbow MCC will not only survive to worship another day, but will thrive when ‘this too shall pass.’ They carry within their hearts a Spirit-given vision of a more inclusive Lagos and Nigeria, and this vision has wings. It is part of a distinguished global Christian renewal movement toward greater openness and understanding of diversity. House of Rainbow is a new work of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches. UFMCC began as a group of 12 people in Los Angeles, USA in 1968, becoming an international fellowship within three years. The Spirit alighted like a spark in the midst of marginalised people throughout the world, and they began to gather in hopeful and visionary ways to live out a calling to Christian spirituality, inclusive community, and social justice. UFMCC does not set up missions as denominations did in the colonial and evangelical past. Our fellowship has grown by invitation and local initiative. An open communion remains the defining practice wherever MCCers worship.
My prayer today is that religious leaders across the spectrum of ideologies will decry acts of vigilantism and reckless media practices that endanger others, especially when dogmatic differences are at the heart of the situation. Perhaps the saddest point of reflection on the situation in Lagos is that no local religious leader has spoken out to stop the escalation. There are differing opinions when it comes to the ethics of sexuality, but surely we can find common ground in the belief in mutual dignity and the right to live without fear of violence. To understand why people of minority sexualities and genders would risk their lives to worship, one would need to understand the passion with which we value an open communion. The cup that cries aloud for her children is the ancestral voice of the suffering Christ. From this cup of bloodshed and forgiveness, we hear the cries of all who have been kept from the table before, as well as the lament of all who mistakenly became a stumbling block for others. An open communion celebration reminds us to remember the mercies shown to us in the past, while charging us to embody the breadth of Christ’s Love so that all who are thirsty may come and drink. It is the best that we have to offer one another. Cry aloud, Nigeria and all countries, your rainbow sons and daughters are bringing you a precious gift. May our world be blessed in receiving them.
God, teach us mercy along the way to understanding. Amen.
http://www.goodhopemcc.org/ghmcc/content/view/490/163/
A prophetic exhortation about House Of Rainbow MCC Lagos Nigeria
I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that I may be heard.
In the day of my trouble I seek the Sovereign;
In the night my hand is stretched out without wearying.
My soul refuses to be comforted.
I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. Selah
You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak…
Psalm 77. 1-4
“Pastor Pressley, things are bad here…” Those were the words I had both expected and dreaded to hear from my friend Reverend Jide Macaulay. From the time he went home to Lagos, Nigeria to organise House of Rainbow Metropolitan Community Church, I had felt like a family member was in a combat zone. I said a silent prayer of thanksgiving as I listened to Jide’s voice. He was shaken, but physically unharmed. It transpired that Jide was in hiding and in need of refuge. Members of House of Rainbow had fled two by two throughout the city after receiving a tip that kill men and officers were on the way to their meeting place. They left in haste, leaving the space prepared for Sunday worship--a full cup for communion; a paten of bread for sharing.
House of Rainbow members have been the victims of an egregious and sustained media campaign exploiting their inclusiveness. Undercover reporters deceived the church by introducing themselves as members of the rainbow community seeking an affirming church. They were welcomed and loved by Jide and the congregation. In return for their kindness, these reporters secretly wrote and published a series of articles that were sensationalist and reckless. My colleague was referred to as ‘the so called’ Reverend, and incendiary language such as ‘evil’, ‘abomination’, ‘un-African’, ‘sodomite’ and ‘sign of the end times’ was used by pundits, bloggers and religious leaders to slander the good work of Jide and House of Rainbow. Photographs from birthday parties the reporters had attended were published, wrecking the lives of several young people, making them homeless and vulnerable to abusive attacks in the streets and markets of Lagos. The papers continued to be self-congratulatory, claiming they had closed House of Rainbow. Because my friend had to hide from their incited violence, they declared that his behaviour was an admission of guilt. These journalists published Rev. Jide’s home address (which was robbed that night), listed names of his family members, and began a public relations assault on his father’s Bible University, which has no formal links to House of Rainbow. Lives were nearly destroyed and vulnerable people are suffering. In a proudly Christian city, the opiate of self-righteousness took effect with disastrous results. Cry aloud, Body of Christ, this story is worth our tears and reflection.
Sometimes, in Christian cultures, it is as if the events recorded in the New Testament had never happened. People forget about the life-giving, graceful message of Christ. Instead, we revert to practicing a scapegoating piety where we think it pleases God to cast out people of different perspectives living in our communities. Minorities and disempowered people have traditionally born the brunt of such pious violence. Please hear me, my fellow spiritual travellers, the time for crucifixions is over. Crucifying lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and inclusively minded people is a New Testament abomination for our time. Jesus unambiguously demonstrated that the era for casting out and stoning others is over. His crucifixion was to end all crucifixions, not create a church with blood on its hands.
When it is unsafe for our friends to cry aloud to God as the Psalmist does, we who can must lift our voices and cry along with them. There is an image in scripture of the people of God as Rachel, crying for her children with no one to comfort her. The harsh reality of religiously condoned violence and prejudice is that there have been times in every human rights struggle when local religion has suppressed the voices of those seeking dignity and freedom. It doesn’t have to be this way. Historically, local religion has also shown the capacity to stand bravely with visionaries and outcasts until the casting out ceases, whatever the cost. We could be living out the best of our spiritual heritage instead of the worst. In a post-crucifixion world, we are responsible for working out our life’s purpose with a belief in grace and an attitude of care and generosity. It is not our calling to be judge and jury of the worthiness of our neighbours who cause us no harm. Christ’s harshest criticism was of those who would condemn others in the name of God, especially if the Spirit was doing a new work in their lives. I was in Lagos in January 2007, and I stand as witness to a beautiful and tender new work of the Spirit alive in the ministries of House of Rainbow.
As I reflect upon recent events in Lagos, I am reminded of the night of the last Passover meal that Jesus shared with his friends. What felt like an ending became a new beginning. From that time forward, people would gather around the cup and bread, telling the story of how Love was healing the world in the midst of fear and violence, carrying the promise of Christ to each new generation. But on the night Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, I wonder if the original communion cup was left behind in the panic? If so, what happened to it? Perhaps, through a mystery of faith, that cup is the same one waiting today on a makeshift altar in an abandoned room in Lagos--waiting for the beloved community to return, waiting to heal and bring forgiveness, crying out to God for her children. Did the kill men, officers, or robbers notice the cup and bread when they got there? If they did, could they sense the cup crying for them too?
“This is my body broken for you,
My blood shed as a new covenant of forgiveness.
As you do to the least of these, so you do to me.”
The cup of communion cries out for us to value righteousness and justice rooted in compassion. Vigilante justice is not justice, it is rooted in the belief that might equals right, which we know is not true. Today, I cry aloud to God with Rev. Jide and House of Rainbow; with disappearing and executed young gay and lesbian leaders in parts of the Middle East; with women-loving-women raped and murdered in South African townships and abroad. Today, I cry aloud to God for my own ignorance and fear of difference, change, and new scriptural understandings. And I cry aloud for a broken communion. How many times will the Body of Christ need to be broken before we learn to be merciful?
I believe that Rev. Jide and House of Rainbow MCC will not only survive to worship another day, but will thrive when ‘this too shall pass.’ They carry within their hearts a Spirit-given vision of a more inclusive Lagos and Nigeria, and this vision has wings. It is part of a distinguished global Christian renewal movement toward greater openness and understanding of diversity. House of Rainbow is a new work of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches. UFMCC began as a group of 12 people in Los Angeles, USA in 1968, becoming an international fellowship within three years. The Spirit alighted like a spark in the midst of marginalised people throughout the world, and they began to gather in hopeful and visionary ways to live out a calling to Christian spirituality, inclusive community, and social justice. UFMCC does not set up missions as denominations did in the colonial and evangelical past. Our fellowship has grown by invitation and local initiative. An open communion remains the defining practice wherever MCCers worship.
My prayer today is that religious leaders across the spectrum of ideologies will decry acts of vigilantism and reckless media practices that endanger others, especially when dogmatic differences are at the heart of the situation. Perhaps the saddest point of reflection on the situation in Lagos is that no local religious leader has spoken out to stop the escalation. There are differing opinions when it comes to the ethics of sexuality, but surely we can find common ground in the belief in mutual dignity and the right to live without fear of violence. To understand why people of minority sexualities and genders would risk their lives to worship, one would need to understand the passion with which we value an open communion. The cup that cries aloud for her children is the ancestral voice of the suffering Christ. From this cup of bloodshed and forgiveness, we hear the cries of all who have been kept from the table before, as well as the lament of all who mistakenly became a stumbling block for others. An open communion celebration reminds us to remember the mercies shown to us in the past, while charging us to embody the breadth of Christ’s Love so that all who are thirsty may come and drink. It is the best that we have to offer one another. Cry aloud, Nigeria and all countries, your rainbow sons and daughters are bringing you a precious gift. May our world be blessed in receiving them.
God, teach us mercy along the way to understanding. Amen.
Friday, 9 January 2009
SENEGAL; Free AIDS Activists
For Immediate Release
Senegal: Free AIDS Activists
Eight-Year Sentences in Threatening Conditions for 9 Accused of ‘Indecent and Unnatural Acts’
(New York, January 9, 2009) – The sentencing in Dakar on January 6, 2009 of nine men who were involved in HIV-prevention work, on charges of “indecent and unnatural acts” and “forming associations of criminals,” shows how laws against homosexual conduct damage HIV- and AIDS-prevention efforts as well as the work of human rights defenders, Human Rights Watch said today.
“These charges will have a chilling effect on AIDS programs,” said Scott Long, director of Human Rights Watch’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights program. “Outreach workers and people seeking HIV prevention or treatment should not have to worry about police persecution. Senegal should drop these charges and repeal its sodomy law.”
HIV and AIDS advocates in Senegal report that the ruling has produced widespread panic among organizations addressing HIV and AIDS, particularly those working with men who have sex with men and other marginalized populations.
These nine men apparently were arrested merely on suspicion of engaging in homosexual conduct. In that case, international human rights provisions mandate their immediate release. So long as they remain detained – given the general climate of hostility against men perceived to engage in homosexual conduct and the risk of violence against them – Senegalese authorities should ensure their safety by separating them from other prisoners, if necessary. The authorities must also ensure that the men receive any necessary medical care, including antiretroviral therapy.
The men were detained on December 19, 2008, after several police officers burst into the private residence of an HIV outreach worker some miles outside Dakar at 11 p.m. and arrested all nine men in the house. The police confiscated condoms and lubricants – tools used for HIV-prevention work. The police forced several of the men to disclose family members’ phone numbers and threatened to inform their families. Sources told Human Rights Watch that the men were beaten in detention, which would constitute a significant violation of Senegal’s international human rights obligations.
The men were charged with violating article 319.3 of Senegal’s penal code, which provides that “whoever commits an improper or unnatural act with a person of the same sex will be punished by imprisonment of between one and five years.” Reports received by Human Rights Watch indicate that the men were not engaged in any activity considered criminal under Senegalese law.
At the trial, prosecutors apparently used the materials found in the house that are standard HIV-prevention tools used in outreach work as evidence of homosexual conduct, for which the men received the maximum five-year sentence. They were also found guilty of “criminal association” in violation of article 238 of the penal code, permitting the judge to add three years to their five-year term.
“Senegal’s sodomy law invades privacy, criminalizes health work, justifies brutality, and feeds fear,” said Long. “This case shows why it is time for the sodomy law to go.”
The men’s arrest and detention violates article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees the right to liberty and security of person and rights against arbitrary detention. Senegal ratified the ICCPR in 1978, without reservations. Criminal trials under article 319.3 of the penal code violate Senegal’s treaty commitments. Senegal should repeal article 319.3, which also severely hampers HIV/AIDS-prevention and education efforts, barring large populations from access to treatment and care.
The men were arrested only days after Senegal served as the host for the 15th International Conference on AIDS and STIs (sexually transmitted infections) in Africa (ICASA). Presentations at this conference pointed out the apparent contradiction in some countries, such as Senegal, which target HIV/AIDS-prevention efforts at populations of men of who have sex with men but continue to criminalize same-sex relations. Advocates working in HIV and AIDS prevention point out that such an approach necessarily drives the targeted populations underground and mitigates the efficacy of HIV intervention efforts.
Article 7 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders specifically provides that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to develop and discuss new human rights ideas and principles and to advocate their acceptance.” The report of the special representative of the secretary-general on human rights defenders to the UN General Assembly specifically identifies human rights defenders from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex communities as being at particular risk and has called for greater state vigilance in protecting their rights.
The United Nations Human Rights Committee, which authoritatively interprets the ICCPR and evaluates compliance with its provisions, found in the 1994 case of Toonen v. Australia that laws criminalizing consensual homosexual conduct among adults violate the ICCPR’s protections. According to UNAIDS data, at least 5 to 10 percent of HIV infections worldwide occur through sex between men, though this figure varies considerably by region. Laws criminalizing consensual sexual conduct drive these vulnerable populations underground and permit gross violations of the fundamental rights to life, freedom of expression and association, and health.
For more of Human Rights Watch’s work on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/en/category/topic/lgbt-rights
For more of Human Rights Watch’s work on HIV/AIDS and human rights, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/en/topic/health/hiv/tb
For more information, please contact:
In New York, Scott Long (English): +1-212-216-1297; or +1-646-641-5655 (mobile)
In New York, Joseph Amon (English): +1-917-519-8930 (mobile)
In Brussels, Reed Brody (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese): +32-2-737-1489; or +32 -498-625786 (mobile)
Senegal: Free AIDS Activists
Eight-Year Sentences in Threatening Conditions for 9 Accused of ‘Indecent and Unnatural Acts’
(New York, January 9, 2009) – The sentencing in Dakar on January 6, 2009 of nine men who were involved in HIV-prevention work, on charges of “indecent and unnatural acts” and “forming associations of criminals,” shows how laws against homosexual conduct damage HIV- and AIDS-prevention efforts as well as the work of human rights defenders, Human Rights Watch said today.
“These charges will have a chilling effect on AIDS programs,” said Scott Long, director of Human Rights Watch’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights program. “Outreach workers and people seeking HIV prevention or treatment should not have to worry about police persecution. Senegal should drop these charges and repeal its sodomy law.”
HIV and AIDS advocates in Senegal report that the ruling has produced widespread panic among organizations addressing HIV and AIDS, particularly those working with men who have sex with men and other marginalized populations.
These nine men apparently were arrested merely on suspicion of engaging in homosexual conduct. In that case, international human rights provisions mandate their immediate release. So long as they remain detained – given the general climate of hostility against men perceived to engage in homosexual conduct and the risk of violence against them – Senegalese authorities should ensure their safety by separating them from other prisoners, if necessary. The authorities must also ensure that the men receive any necessary medical care, including antiretroviral therapy.
The men were detained on December 19, 2008, after several police officers burst into the private residence of an HIV outreach worker some miles outside Dakar at 11 p.m. and arrested all nine men in the house. The police confiscated condoms and lubricants – tools used for HIV-prevention work. The police forced several of the men to disclose family members’ phone numbers and threatened to inform their families. Sources told Human Rights Watch that the men were beaten in detention, which would constitute a significant violation of Senegal’s international human rights obligations.
The men were charged with violating article 319.3 of Senegal’s penal code, which provides that “whoever commits an improper or unnatural act with a person of the same sex will be punished by imprisonment of between one and five years.” Reports received by Human Rights Watch indicate that the men were not engaged in any activity considered criminal under Senegalese law.
At the trial, prosecutors apparently used the materials found in the house that are standard HIV-prevention tools used in outreach work as evidence of homosexual conduct, for which the men received the maximum five-year sentence. They were also found guilty of “criminal association” in violation of article 238 of the penal code, permitting the judge to add three years to their five-year term.
“Senegal’s sodomy law invades privacy, criminalizes health work, justifies brutality, and feeds fear,” said Long. “This case shows why it is time for the sodomy law to go.”
The men’s arrest and detention violates article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees the right to liberty and security of person and rights against arbitrary detention. Senegal ratified the ICCPR in 1978, without reservations. Criminal trials under article 319.3 of the penal code violate Senegal’s treaty commitments. Senegal should repeal article 319.3, which also severely hampers HIV/AIDS-prevention and education efforts, barring large populations from access to treatment and care.
The men were arrested only days after Senegal served as the host for the 15th International Conference on AIDS and STIs (sexually transmitted infections) in Africa (ICASA). Presentations at this conference pointed out the apparent contradiction in some countries, such as Senegal, which target HIV/AIDS-prevention efforts at populations of men of who have sex with men but continue to criminalize same-sex relations. Advocates working in HIV and AIDS prevention point out that such an approach necessarily drives the targeted populations underground and mitigates the efficacy of HIV intervention efforts.
Article 7 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders specifically provides that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to develop and discuss new human rights ideas and principles and to advocate their acceptance.” The report of the special representative of the secretary-general on human rights defenders to the UN General Assembly specifically identifies human rights defenders from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex communities as being at particular risk and has called for greater state vigilance in protecting their rights.
The United Nations Human Rights Committee, which authoritatively interprets the ICCPR and evaluates compliance with its provisions, found in the 1994 case of Toonen v. Australia that laws criminalizing consensual homosexual conduct among adults violate the ICCPR’s protections. According to UNAIDS data, at least 5 to 10 percent of HIV infections worldwide occur through sex between men, though this figure varies considerably by region. Laws criminalizing consensual sexual conduct drive these vulnerable populations underground and permit gross violations of the fundamental rights to life, freedom of expression and association, and health.
For more of Human Rights Watch’s work on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/en/category/topic/lgbt-rights
For more of Human Rights Watch’s work on HIV/AIDS and human rights, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/en/topic/health/hiv/tb
For more information, please contact:
In New York, Scott Long (English): +1-212-216-1297; or +1-646-641-5655 (mobile)
In New York, Joseph Amon (English): +1-917-519-8930 (mobile)
In Brussels, Reed Brody (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese): +32-2-737-1489; or +32 -498-625786 (mobile)
Friday, 26 December 2008
Sunday, 21 December 2008
In a First, Gay Rights Are Pressed at the U.N.
In a First, Gay Rights Are Pressed at the U.N.
By NEIL MACFARQUHAR
UNITED NATIONS — An unprecedented declaration seeking to decriminalize homosexuality won the support of 66 countries in the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, but opponents criticized it as an attempt to legitimize pedophilia and other “deplorable acts.”
The United States refused to support the nonbinding measure, as did Russia, China, the Roman Catholic Church and members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. The Holy See’s observer mission issued a statement saying that the declaration “challenges existing human rights norms.”The declaration, sponsored by France with broad support in Europe and Latin America, condemned human rights violations based on homophobia, saying such measures run counter to the universal declaration of human rights.
“How can we tolerate the fact that people are stoned, hanged, decapitated and tortured only because of their sexual orientation?” said Rama Yade, the French state secretary for human rights, noting that homosexuality is banned in nearly 80 countries and subject to the death penalty in at least six.France decided to use the format of a declaration because it did not have the support for an official resolution. Read out by Ambassador Jorge Argüello of Argentina, the declaration was the first on gay rights read in the 192-member General Assembly itself.
Although laws against homosexuality are concentrated in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, more than one speaker addressing a separate conference on the declaration noted that the laws stemmed as much from the British colonial past as from religion or tradition.Navanethem Pillay, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, speaking by video telephone, said that just like apartheid laws that criminalized sexual relations between different races, laws against homosexuality “are increasingly becoming recognized as anachronistic and as inconsistent both with international law and with traditional values of dignity, inclusion and respect for all.”
The opposing statement read in the General Assembly, supported by nearly 60 nations, rejected the idea that sexual orientation was a matter of genetic coding. The statement, led by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, said the effort threatened to undermine the international framework of human rights by trying to normalize pedophilia, among other acts.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference also failed in a last-minute attempt to alter a formal resolution that Sweden sponsored condemning summary executions. It sought to have the words “sexual orientation” deleted as one of the central reasons for such killings.Ms. Yade and the Dutch foreign minister, Maxime Verhagen, said at a news conference that they were “disappointed” that the United States failed to support the declaration. Human rights activists went further. “The Bush administration is trying to come up with Christmas presents for the religious right so it will be remembered,” said Scott Long, a director at Human Rights Watch.
The official American position was based on highly technical legal grounds. The text, by using terminology like “without distinction of any kind,” was too broad because it might be interpreted as an attempt by the federal government to override states’ rights on issues like gay marriage, American diplomats and legal experts said.“We are opposed to any discrimination, legally or politically, but the nature of our federal system prevents us from undertaking commitments and engagements where federal authorities don’t have jurisdiction,” said Alejandro D. Wolff, the deputy permanent representative.
Gay-rights advocates brought to the conference from around the world by France said just having the taboo broken on discussing the topic at the United Nations would aid their battles at home.
“People in Africa can have hope that someone is speaking for them,” said the Rev. Jide Macaulay of Nigeria.
By NEIL MACFARQUHAR
UNITED NATIONS — An unprecedented declaration seeking to decriminalize homosexuality won the support of 66 countries in the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, but opponents criticized it as an attempt to legitimize pedophilia and other “deplorable acts.”
The United States refused to support the nonbinding measure, as did Russia, China, the Roman Catholic Church and members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. The Holy See’s observer mission issued a statement saying that the declaration “challenges existing human rights norms.”The declaration, sponsored by France with broad support in Europe and Latin America, condemned human rights violations based on homophobia, saying such measures run counter to the universal declaration of human rights.
“How can we tolerate the fact that people are stoned, hanged, decapitated and tortured only because of their sexual orientation?” said Rama Yade, the French state secretary for human rights, noting that homosexuality is banned in nearly 80 countries and subject to the death penalty in at least six.France decided to use the format of a declaration because it did not have the support for an official resolution. Read out by Ambassador Jorge Argüello of Argentina, the declaration was the first on gay rights read in the 192-member General Assembly itself.
Although laws against homosexuality are concentrated in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, more than one speaker addressing a separate conference on the declaration noted that the laws stemmed as much from the British colonial past as from religion or tradition.Navanethem Pillay, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, speaking by video telephone, said that just like apartheid laws that criminalized sexual relations between different races, laws against homosexuality “are increasingly becoming recognized as anachronistic and as inconsistent both with international law and with traditional values of dignity, inclusion and respect for all.”
The opposing statement read in the General Assembly, supported by nearly 60 nations, rejected the idea that sexual orientation was a matter of genetic coding. The statement, led by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, said the effort threatened to undermine the international framework of human rights by trying to normalize pedophilia, among other acts.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference also failed in a last-minute attempt to alter a formal resolution that Sweden sponsored condemning summary executions. It sought to have the words “sexual orientation” deleted as one of the central reasons for such killings.Ms. Yade and the Dutch foreign minister, Maxime Verhagen, said at a news conference that they were “disappointed” that the United States failed to support the declaration. Human rights activists went further. “The Bush administration is trying to come up with Christmas presents for the religious right so it will be remembered,” said Scott Long, a director at Human Rights Watch.
The official American position was based on highly technical legal grounds. The text, by using terminology like “without distinction of any kind,” was too broad because it might be interpreted as an attempt by the federal government to override states’ rights on issues like gay marriage, American diplomats and legal experts said.“We are opposed to any discrimination, legally or politically, but the nature of our federal system prevents us from undertaking commitments and engagements where federal authorities don’t have jurisdiction,” said Alejandro D. Wolff, the deputy permanent representative.
Gay-rights advocates brought to the conference from around the world by France said just having the taboo broken on discussing the topic at the United Nations would aid their battles at home.
“People in Africa can have hope that someone is speaking for them,” said the Rev. Jide Macaulay of Nigeria.
Sunday, 7 December 2008
About Spirituality And Sexuality
You are invited to join http://spiritualityandsexuality.ning.com/
About Spirituality And Sexuality
Spirituality Spirituality is very much part of the human life. As a mission we help people on a journey to reconcile sexuality and spirituality. Spirituality in Africa and elsewhere is considered Spiritual food and the need to reconcile, worship, meditate and pray is very important, this also adds to the well being of the people. The spiritual life and existence of LGBTI people also negates guilt and lifelessness. The spiritual needs of sexual minorities is not different from that of sexual majority. Our ministry also look at helping people deal with the aftermath or discovering of being sexual minority, then we assist with reconciling their religious belief with understanding their sexual orientation and how that impact on their life and society. We use education and apply formal acknowledgement of the existence and validation of sexual orientation and identity to liberate and validate the individuals.
Sexuality This deals with the nature of human sexuality known; however in many parts of the world sexuality outside the “dictated norm” namely heterosexual is strongly denied, mystified and vilified. Religious leaders and mainstream organisations reject sexual minorities. Those with any form of sexuality, sexual expressions or identifies as a sexual minority faces gigantic oppressions by society, religion, the law and customs. In many countries there are no legislative processes or powers that addresses protection against discrimination or indeed existing societal phobias.
What we aim to do at Spirituality and Sexuality Forum Promote and assist LGBTI people on a journey to reconcile their faith with sexual orientation. Assist with process of Coming Out and understanding sexual orientation and identity. We work by exploring limitations that inhibits reconciliation of sexual orientation with culture, faith traditions and the Law. We found that many people struggled with reconciling sexuality with spirituality and have often associated either being lesbian, bisexual or gay as an abomination, this has had drastic effect on the rise of destructive behaviour and mental health. With this forum, we are confident that there will be changes in peoples' attitude towards self and moving from destructive behaviour to understanding themselves. Self hatred to self love and improvement on self esteem and assertiveness. Welcome to the forum and we pray that your journey to reconciling spirituality and sexuality will be fulfilled. Be Blessed, Be Good, Be Loved
Rev Rowland Jide Macaulay - LLB, MTh, FACTS. Founding Pastor, House Of Rainbow MCC, Lagos Nigeria;P.O.Box 1430 Isolo Lagos Nigeriahttp://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/07/17/purefoy.nigeria.gay.church.cnn+234 1 741 0978, +234 (0) 805 256 7170, +234 (0) 702 8161496 Nigeria;Yahoo ID; revjide;Alternative email; revjide@yahoo.com;Blog; www.revrowlandjidemacaulay.blogspot.comBlog; www.houseofrainbowmcc.blogspot.com Web; www.mccchurch.org
About Spirituality And Sexuality
Spirituality Spirituality is very much part of the human life. As a mission we help people on a journey to reconcile sexuality and spirituality. Spirituality in Africa and elsewhere is considered Spiritual food and the need to reconcile, worship, meditate and pray is very important, this also adds to the well being of the people. The spiritual life and existence of LGBTI people also negates guilt and lifelessness. The spiritual needs of sexual minorities is not different from that of sexual majority. Our ministry also look at helping people deal with the aftermath or discovering of being sexual minority, then we assist with reconciling their religious belief with understanding their sexual orientation and how that impact on their life and society. We use education and apply formal acknowledgement of the existence and validation of sexual orientation and identity to liberate and validate the individuals.
Sexuality This deals with the nature of human sexuality known; however in many parts of the world sexuality outside the “dictated norm” namely heterosexual is strongly denied, mystified and vilified. Religious leaders and mainstream organisations reject sexual minorities. Those with any form of sexuality, sexual expressions or identifies as a sexual minority faces gigantic oppressions by society, religion, the law and customs. In many countries there are no legislative processes or powers that addresses protection against discrimination or indeed existing societal phobias.
What we aim to do at Spirituality and Sexuality Forum Promote and assist LGBTI people on a journey to reconcile their faith with sexual orientation. Assist with process of Coming Out and understanding sexual orientation and identity. We work by exploring limitations that inhibits reconciliation of sexual orientation with culture, faith traditions and the Law. We found that many people struggled with reconciling sexuality with spirituality and have often associated either being lesbian, bisexual or gay as an abomination, this has had drastic effect on the rise of destructive behaviour and mental health. With this forum, we are confident that there will be changes in peoples' attitude towards self and moving from destructive behaviour to understanding themselves. Self hatred to self love and improvement on self esteem and assertiveness. Welcome to the forum and we pray that your journey to reconciling spirituality and sexuality will be fulfilled. Be Blessed, Be Good, Be Loved
Rev Rowland Jide Macaulay - LLB, MTh, FACTS. Founding Pastor, House Of Rainbow MCC, Lagos Nigeria;P.O.Box 1430 Isolo Lagos Nigeriahttp://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/07/17/purefoy.nigeria.gay.church.cnn+234 1 741 0978, +234 (0) 805 256 7170, +234 (0) 702 8161496 Nigeria;Yahoo ID; revjide;Alternative email; revjide@yahoo.com;Blog; www.revrowlandjidemacaulay.blogspot.comBlog; www.houseofrainbowmcc.blogspot.com Web; www.mccchurch.org
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