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Scottish Episcopal Church Angers Conservative Anglicans With Embrace of Same-Sex Marriage; and more in Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…equality vote in parliament in spite of polls showing overwhelming public support. United Kingdom: Elections bring record number of gay MPs, Tory coalition with anti-gay DUP Voters in Britain’s parliamentary elections not only denied Theresa May’s Conservative Party a majority; they also elected 45 gay MP’s to the House of Commons, where they make up 7 percent of seats, which Pink News says is the world’s highest. Nineteen are Conservatives. May…

Religious Resistance to Bolivian Gender Law; US Religious Right Celebrates Court OK For Romanian Marriage Initiative; Will LGBTs Be Banned from Indonesian TV?; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…y. Although the government has claimed that the “overwhelming majority” of Australians support a plebiscite, a poll released this week found only 48 percent of Australians backing such a vote, with support dropping sharply the more people knew about the vote. More from Paul Karp at the Guardian: When told the result of a plebiscite would not be binding and “politicians will still need to vote on whether to agree or disagree with what the public ha…

Holy Father, You’re Not Helping: The Problem with the Pope’s Plan to Consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

By Katherine Kelaidis

…and Eastern Orthodox Christians, one of the major feasts focused upon the Virgin Mary. The Vatican has announced that this year on the Feast of the Annunciation the Pope will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. While it would be unfair to assume bad intentions, it’s yet another glaring misstep in the pontiff’s handling of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a stark, and extremely public reminder, of the West’s entirely…

Marriage Equality Vote Costs Conservative MP a Trip to Australia

By Peter Montgomery

…in May. The letter telling Smith he was no longer welcome says the bill he supported “is at odds with the World Congress of Families’ definition of the natural family, marriage, and a child’s right to be raised by its mother and father.” The World Congress of Families is one vehicle by which American religious conservatives export their anti-abortion and anti-gay-rights ideologies (or as they would put it, their support for the natural family) ab…

Australians Vote Overwhelmingly For Marriage Equality; and More in Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…rwhelmingly support marriage equality; opponents seek religious exemptions Australian voters overwhelmingly expressed support for marriage equality in a non-binding mail referendum whose results were released on November 15. The win came in spite of a “well-organized religious campaign” urging a vote against marriage equality. According to the government, 79.5 percent of eligible Australians participated in the survey, including more than 78 perce…

Catholic Cardinal Slams Jesuit’s Bridge-Building Book; and More in Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…d people, more people, may die and those deaths will be on the head of the Australian government.” Mr Newhouse said Australia had a duty of care to those detained on Manus, which Canberra was ignoring. PNG’s conservative Christian culture also poses a threat to the gay men, outside of its laws, and Mr Taghinia said some of them would rather die in the centre than be forced into the community. For the man who fled Iran hoping to find safety in Aust…

Religious Hostility to Gay Nigerians; The Pope’s Visit To Africa; Ireland’s Religious Schools Can’t Discriminate Against Gays; Orthodox Church in Georgia Leads Anti-Gay Forces; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…rejected calls that he resign. Slovenia: Opponents of marriage equality lead in poll A poll released on November 30 suggests that opponents of marriage equality have an 11-point lead as the country heads toward a referendum later this month. Australia: Gay man elected to lower House In Australia, where the debate over marriage equality has been roiling for a long time, Trent Zimmerman was elected to the Parliament, becoming the first out gay memb…

In Sermon on Birth of the ‘Fatherland,’ Putin’s Patriarch Kirill Equates Invasion of Ukraine with Defense of Orthodox Faith

By Katherine Kelaidis

…the Russians’ prayers were likely more effective on a day dedicated to the Virgin Mary, implying that the Russian victory that day had been a direct result of the interventions of the Holy Mother. Not that the woman whom Orthodox Christians widely refer to as the Theotokos (the God-bearer)—i.e. the Virgin Mary, whose birth is the cause of the feast day—gets much attention the rest of the oration. Because she doesn’t. Instead, Patriarch Kirill rema…

Is LGBT-Muslim Clash Aiding Rise of Right in Europe?

By Peter Montgomery

…part of what one commentator called a “horror week” for marriage equality supporters: Sources inside the Yes camp have told news.com.au they are “frustrated” that the actions of a few individuals have “derailed” what they have insisted has otherwise been a respectful and dignified campaign. They’re also surprised at how much traction the No campaign has managed to achieve over a small number of incidents yet attacks on same-sex marriage campaigne…

Australian Church Nixes Straight Couple’s Wedding Over Their Marriage Equality Support; and More in Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…d the church to “respect their dignity”. Picture: SuppliedSource:News Corp Australia But Philip Freier, the head of the Anglican Church in Australia, has said there will be no “whole of church” position on the controversial plebiscite. Last Wednesday, Bishop Van Nguyen wrote that the postal survey concerns “the legal definition of civil marriage” and is therefore “not a referendum on sacramental marriage as understood by the Catholic Church”. He s…