"We won't allow these sick people to hold gay parades in our country. It's against our traditions and our morals."

Zhuzhuna Tavadze, speaking to Reuters as she and thousands others confronted an LGBT-rights rally marking the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) and Transphobia in Tbilisi, Georgia, earlier today. About 50 pro-LGBT activists were forced to flee the scene as mobs of counter-protesters broke through police barricades. The head of the Georgian Orthodox Church on May 16 asked authorities to prohibit the LGBT-rights rally, calling such an action “a violation of the majority’s right.” (Reuters) 

“I urge you to continue your advocacy to further the cause of fair housing for LGBT individuals – and all Americans denied equal protection under the laws. Together, we can we ensure our nation’s continuing and full evolution on this issue.”

U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, speaking yesterday in D.C. at the midyear meeting of the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals. (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)  

English: Andy Murray, Australian Open 2010 Quarterfinals. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“I would hope there are no issues on the tour. You know, there have to be some players who are probably gay but I don’t think other players have any issues with it.”

-- British tennis player Andy Murray, ranked No. 2 in the world, responds to a question on how the men’s tour would handle a gay male player. The women’s tour has seen a number of openly lesbian players since Martina Navratilova came out in the 1980s. (Agence-France Presse

"This is the equivalent of authorizing homosexual marriage in Brazil.”

Raquel Pereira de Castro Araujo, who heads the human rights committee of the Brazilian Bar Association, responding to today’s ruling by the country’s National Council of Justice that same-sex couples cannot be denied marriage licenses. The council, headed by the chief justice of Brazil’s Supreme Court, oversees the country’s judicial system. While the council’s decisions are subject to appeal and the Brazilian Congress has yet to pass a law recognizing marriage equality, Chief Justice Joaquim Barbosa has advised that there is no reason for marriage-licensing offices to wait before granting same-sex couples access to licenses. (Australian Associated Press)

-- Elizabeth Ann Kronk, member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe and director of the Tribal Law and Governance Center at the University of Kansas School of Law, on the struggle the nation's tribes are having with same-sex marriage. Only three of the nation's federally recognized 566 Native American tribes have signed off on gay marriage, including Washington State's Suquamish Tribe, Oregon's Coquille Indian Tribe, and Michigan's Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa. The issue is of particular interest in the Native American community due to the notion of "two-spirit" individuals, a belief that certain people have both a masculine and feminine spirit. (Washington Post)

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"He was raped with beer bottles and had his skull smashed with a stone."

Natalia Kunitskaya, spokesperson for investigators for the Russian city of Volgograd, on the brutal murder of a 23-year-old man. She confirmed that the attack was believed to be a hate crime. Two men, aged 22 and 27, have been detained; they had been out drinking with the victim earlier. (NDTV)

"Today the music industry has lost one of its true heroes.

"With a heavy heart I must now report that Peter Rauhofer has lost his battle with brain cancer. He passed quietly today and is survived by his mother, Helga, who resides in Austria. She will transport Peter back home to his final resting place there, but to all that knew Peter, his heart will always be in New York City.

"It makes me sad, not only that I have lost a friend, but that the world has lost an amazing talent and that future generations will never get to understand the magic that Peter created night after night all over the world.

"He is gone too soon but we will always have the vast body of music that Peter left for us.

"Through his music, Peter will live forever. The brightest stars always burn out too soon. Peter, you were loved and you will be terribly missed. Goodbye my friend. Please rest in peace knowing that you have brought so much joy to so many of us. I ask that his true fans keep his legacy alive by sharing his music with anyone who may not have had the opportunity to experience it for themselves."

Rauhofer was well known for his work since the late 1980s, performing at some of the world's biggest gay dance clubs and parties. He also produced several albums and countless remixes for famous pop singers and dance music artists. Rauhofer won a 1999 Grammy for Remixer of the Year as Club 69. His unique sound inspired many of his peers.

Joe Gauthreaux: "Trying to imagine a world without any new Peter Rauhofer mixes is not a world I like to imagine. Although the work he did will love on forever, it doesn't change that a legend has been lost."

Hex Hector: "The music world had lost yet another of it's shinning stars."

Carl Cox: "Very sad day indeed, your music will always be here for us."

Oscar G.: "Today I lost a friend and we all lost a great artist. Peter is a giant part of House Music history. He inspired so many artists and rocked so many dance-floors with his music. The world over. He will truly be missed."

Offer Nissim: "A friend, a partner, an inspiration. Peter was the one who gave me my first international recognition, fulfilling my dream to get my track ('That's the way I like it' with maya simantov) printed on vinyl record in his successful label 'STAR69,' and for that i will always be grateful for him. His music will stay with us and forever live in our hearts."

Victor Calderone: "Incredibly sad to hear the news. The Industry has lost a great talent. Thank you for the inspiring sessions we shared."

Cevin Fisher: "Peter also knew his music and he had a deep history and knowledge of music, music production and technology, and no matter what, you have to agree, that winning a Grammy and re-mixing some of the Top artist in music, sets you apart from the pack and puts you in a special class of DJ's/Producers."

Roland Belmares: "Though I didn't get to know him very well personally, I'll never forget the first time I was introduced to him in 99, the shock on my face when he already knew my name must have been priceless.  As big a talent and as dedicated to his craft as he was, he never looked down on those of us trying to work up the ranks."

Chris Cox: " His records always rocked a floor, and his productions always gave me something to strive for. He leaves behind a fantastic musical body of work."

Danny Tenaglia: "Many people will come and go in this business, but very few will ever achieve all that Peter had achieved in over 2 decades with his undying devotion and dedication to dance music. He brought so much joy to dance floors globally and his music will sorely be missed but it shall live on forever!"

Frankie Knuckles: "Respect to a great producer. Sleep well, Peter."

You can hear some of Peter Rauhofer's last works on SoundCloud, BeatPort, or YouTube.

On May 2, Dodson wrote on Facebook:

"I have to renounce myself, I'm no longer into homosexuality I want a wife and family, I want to multiply and raise and love my family that I create. I could care less about the fame and fortune, I've giving all that up to know the true history of the bible. For I am the True Chosen Hebrew Israelite descendant of Judah. And as True Israel I know that there are certain things we just can't do. And I totally understand that now. I don't need a Mercedes Benz, I don't need a big house in Beverly Hills all I need is the Most High and my family (Israel). I have been awaken by the great and so should you...."

On Friday, gossip site TMZ interviewed Dodson and asked him several pointed questions about his confusing announcement. He said he wanted to "stop classifying [himself] as a homosexual," and declared homosexuality "foolishness" which needed to be moved aside just in case he should meet a woman to marry. He attributed his new "heterosexual" persona to lengthy biblical research and a revelation that Jesus was black and the "tribes of Israel" had included black people. He said:

"I just been searching for myself to find out who I was." 

Dodson said he had been with a woman before, and claimed that, if he saw another woman who was "nice-looking" or "presentable," he might continue on to something further. In a separate HuffPost interview, he seemed emotionally distraught about not having children like his siblings. He indicated to TMZ that he was never the type of person to sleep around. In contrast to these assertions, Dodson also seemed to indicate a lingering attraction toward men:

"To be truthful, I'm not going to lie to you. I still like --. When I see a presentable male walk past, I be like, 'Oh, my God!' But then I think like, 'Come on, getting it together. Let's get it together, you can move away from that.' It's not going to happen in one day...."

One of his most passionate personal issues seemed to be a distaste for his recent years of "dressing like a girl," even though he appeared in both interviews to have long, accented braids. Dodson told Huffington Post that:

"Before I even came out as saying that I'm gay..., I was dating women.... This is not new to me. I know women. I always liked the art of a woman. And I guess it got so much to the point that..., instead of trying to be with that, I was trying to be that."

Dodson told TMZ that he grew up in a homophobic, suppressive Chicago "hood," and that, for some reason, he now feels uncomfortable with the level of acceptance gay people are receiving in today: 

"For now, everybody be like, 'Yeah! Praise gay, praise gay!' It kind of looks suspicious to me."

For gay rights supporters, much of Dodson's charm had wore off last July. At that time, Dodson sought media exposure as a vocal supporter of Chick-fil-A restaurants while others were actively pressuring that company's head, Dan Cathy, over his antagonistic views and affiliation with anti-gay marriage organizations. 

Antoine Dodson's insistence that bible study can cure homosexuality comes one week after John Paulk publicly retracted his support for an ex-gay group he once led. Paulk was another well-known religious man who claimed for years to have successfully suppressed his homosexuality. In April, Paulk apologized for all the pain he had caused.

"If you see a man trying on dresses, you’re going to feel uncomfortable.”

So says the owner of Jenny's Bridal Boutique in Saskatoon, Canada, to CBS News, after refusing to help Rohit Singh, a trans woman, shop for her wedding dress. According to Singh,

who has lodged a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, the owner refused to let her try on any bridal dresses, telling her "Sorry, we don't allow men to wear dresses here."

An embarrassed Singh was forced to leave the store, and when asked about the treatment she received said, "Discrimination. I'm damn sure it's discrimination."

Saskatchewan's Gender Equality Society learned of the incident and organised a protest of the store, where dozens came to object to the owner's treatment of Singh -- who said the overwhelming support she received had made her incredibly happy. She was later able to find a wedding dress at a different store -- whose service was apparently excellent -- marrying her husband on Monday, April 29th.

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“I’m just so happy that our club is finally going to be allowed to meet. There’s only about a month left of school, but that’s still a month we can use to start doing the work to make this school a safer and more welcoming place.”

Bayli Silberstein, an 8th-grader at Carver Middle School in Leesburg, Fla., commenting after a settlement was reached today – a day after she filed suit – with the Lake County School Board allowing her to start a Gay-Straight Alliance student club. Silberstein’s mother, Erica Silberstein, also commented, saying of her daughter, “All she ever wanted was to make her school a better place. I’m proud of her for fighting so hard, and I hope her story is a lesson that even if things seem tough, you can make things better.” (ACLU of Florida) 

"He disagreed, and I said, 'We agree to disagree' and he said 'No, I'm right and you're wrong.'"

LeRoy Butler, a former safety with the Green Bay Packers, recalling a conversation this week with an unnamed pastor. Butler was booked for $8,500 to speak at an anti-bullying event at the unnamed pastor’s church, but that invitation was canceled after Butler tweeted, “Congrats to Jason Collins,” referring to the NBA player who came out in a Sports Illustrated article Monday. Butler says the church told him that if he removed the tweet, apologized for it and asked for God’s forgiveness, the event could go on as planned. (The  Sports Xchange)

"Our commitment doesn't change, but we will have a burden lifted off our shoulders. Loving and committed couples need legal protections."

Anna Simon, who with her partner, Fran Simon, was the first to receive a Colorado civil union certificate, at 12:02 a.m. today, Denver time, one minute after the law took effect. (Associated Press)  

“[G]ay people can just grow their own food.”

An unidentified staffer for Washington state Sen. Sharron Brown (R), who has introduced a bill to grant businesses the right to deny services to any individual based for religious reasons, answers the question of what gays who live in rural areas are refused service by the only local grocery store.

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“I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay. … I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I’m happy to start the conversation.”

Jason Collins, of the Washington Wizards, coming out in the May 6 issue of Sports Illustrated. (Sports Illustrated) 

"The truth is we don't have enough openly gay and lesbian MPs being selected for parliament; just as we don't have enough black and minority ethnic MPs and we don't have enough women MPs. Parliament ought to represent the country -- it ought to look like the country that we stand for and represent."

-- Shadow Home Secretary and Labour Member of Parliament Yvette Cooper in a speech at Stonewall's Workplace Conference.

Source: Pink News

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