Students create gender free school uniform

Naturally this is nowhere in the United States or Europe. This happened in the more progressive part of the world: New Zealand. I love how the kids have many options and that there was no parental interference as there would be here in the US. Also, it’s notable that the uniform options consist of a kilt and not a skirt.

A school has dropped gender uniforms for its school pupils.

Students can now wear trousers or skirts regardless of their gender under the new set of rules published by the school.

It began when some female students complained they were not allowed to wear trousers.

Now the school is to have [four] uniform options for students: shorts, long pants, culottes and a kilt, with students able to wear any of these, however they identify.

Full story

Emergency Plane Landing Due to Homophobe

This is just unbelievable. Should’ve just booted him out the plane without the landing part of this emergency.

A flight had to be diverted after the furious rant of a homophobic and misogynistic passenger, according to others onboard.

The US bound flight from Australia had to be diverted to Auckland, New Zealand, following the passenger’s furious rows aboard the flight.

According to the New Zealand Herald, the man was initially angry that he’d been placed in a middle seat.

He then escalated into a furious rant – spouting homophobic slurs and misogyny at anyone who engaged with him.

Full story

Here’s Why Gay Men Can’t Give Blood

Although this story speaks about Australia’s laws particularly, I felt the need to leave that part out of the title because it’s an issue here in the US. This is the 21st Century we live in. That we still treat people like this because of something they will probably never get is unacceptable. Now that we’ve achieved marriage equality here in the US, it’s time to focus on a new goal and I believe lgbt healthcare is it, with blood donation at the forefront.

In Australia, gay men who wish to donate blood are still forbidden from doing so despite advances in technology making it much safer.

First thing’s first: The ban isn’t simply on ‘gay’ men, it’s on any man who’s had sexual contact with another man (MSM) in the last 12 months.

That means any man, whether they’re single or in a committed relationship, must avoid all sexual contact with another man for 12 months in order to legally give blood. It also doesn’t matter whether that man always uses a condom, is regularly tested for HIV and other STIs or has a note form his doctor. The same rule applies to women who have sexual contact with MSM. (ie a woman with a bisexual partner)

There are similar rules in place around the world. In the U.S., MSM face a lifetime ban. In Canada the deferral period is five years and in New Zealand it is one year. In some countries, like South Africa and South Korea, there is no deferral period.

Full story

Jetstar Airways Investigating After Man’s Luggage Is Plastered With ‘I Am Gay’ At Airport

Wow. Just… wow.

An Australia-based airline apologized to a passenger after he reportedly found his suitcase covered in the airline’s baggage sticker tags reading, “I Am Gay.”

The Queensland, New Zealand man, who goes by Aaron on Twitter, said he was publicly humiliated upon retrieving the luggage at Perth Airport over the weekend after a Jetstar Airways flight.

Jetstar has apologized and said an investigation into the incident is underway.

“We are taking this matter very seriously and we have contacted the passenger to apologise for any distress caused,” a spokesperson told News.com.au.

Full story with photo of luggage and his blog post

Actor misses Comic-Con due to gay wedding

I admit it freely: I love Benedict Cumberbatch. He’s best known to me as the title character in the BBC’s newest version of Sherlock Holmes. I was in England when it premiered and watched the first two episodes. He was also most recently the villain in “Star Trek into Darkness”. I just think he’s a fantastic actor and now I have reason to love him even more:

Sherlock solves another mystery!

Benedict Cumberbatch, star of BBC’s “Sherlock” and the villain from “Star Trek Into Darkness,” was surprisingly absent from the year’s biggest pop culture event, the San Diego Comic-Con. There was a “Sherlock” panel at the convention, but series stars Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman (who plays Watson on the series) were only seen in a pre-taped greeting to the fans. While Freeman had an excuse (he was on set in New Zealand for the next installment of “The Hobbit” films), the reason for Cumberbatch’s absence was never given. Until now.

Cumberbatch himself revealed that instead of attending the “Sherlock” panel, he was busy officiating a gay wedding for his friend Seth Cummings, who tied the knot with Rob Rinder at the Hotel Hacienda in Ibiza.

Full story

France Legalizes Gay Marriage

This seems to have been way more of a struggle than it was down under (maybe being “upside down” clears the head of all of the bullshit?) but despite the hurdles, France has joined New Zealand, the Netherlands, Belgium and other countries legalizing gay marriage.

PARIS — France legalized gay marriage on Tuesday after a wrenching national debate and protests that flooded the streets of Paris. Legions of officers and water cannon stood ready near France’s National Assembly ahead of the final vote, bracing for possible violence on an issue that galvanized the country’s faltering conservative movement.

The measure passed easily in the Socialist-majority Assembly, 331-225, just minutes after the president of the legislative body expelled a disruptive protester in pink, the color adopted by French opponents of gay marriage.

Full story

New Zealand Approves Gay Marriage

I forgot that I heard about this on the way in to work yesterday. I’m glad that those cute Kiwis have approved gay marriage. Of course it seems that both New Zealand and Australia are all about the secular government, which I also like.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Hundreds of jubilant gay-rights advocates celebrated at New Zealand’s Parliament as the country became the 13th in the world and the first in the Asia-Pacific region to legalize same-sex marriage.

Lawmakers voted 77 to 44 in favor of the gay-marriage bill on its third and final reading Wednesday night. People watching from the public gallery and some lawmakers immediately broke into song after the result was announced, singing the New Zealand love song “Pokarekare Ana” in the indigenous Maori language.

Full story courtesy of Huffington Post