Sad News: Gay Couple Christian & Syed Axed From British Soap Eastenders Leaving In November.
By SARAH FITZMAURICE
Their relationship caused controversy both on and off-screen but two of Walford’s biggest characters are set to leave the soap.
Christian and Syed, as played by Marc Elliott and John Partridge, are to leave EastEnders later this year, it has been revealed.
Marc,32, is said to have told bosses he wanted to leave the show in February, according to Digital Spy.
Bye Bye Walford: EastEnders has confirmed that they are writing out the characters of Christian and SyedIt has not be revealed how the characters will be written out of the soap
Speaking about the characters exit Lorraine Newman said: ‘Marc and John have been a fantastic part of EastEnders and the characters of Syed and Christian have been a huge success for the show. Their storylines have broken boundaries that have not been seen in a soap before and the love for them by the viewers can be seen in the ‘Chryed’ fans.’
‘When Marc announced he had decided to move on, we had a tough decision to make and after numerous conversations, which included John, it was decided that there is only one outcome for Syed and Christian. We wish them both all the best for the future.’
Speaking about the show, where he has been since 2009 Elliot said: ‘I have had a brilliant time on EastEnders over the last three and a half years and made some amazing friends. During this time, I have been blessed with some incredible storylines and am especially pleased that the show has tackled and raised awareness of the sensitive subject matter of being a gay muslim.’
Making history: EastEnders showed the first prime-time gay kiss in 1987 when Barry Clark and Colin Russell shared a smooch‘As an actor you are always looking for new challenges and I feel that now is the right time to move on and explore different projects, perhaps returning to my roots in theatre. I would like to thank everyone at EastEnders for the wonderful opportunity they have given me and for making this experience so much fun.’
Partridge added: ‘I have had the time of my life at EastEnders – but I have always gone with my gut – and leaving at the same time as Marc felt like the ONLY thing to do.
‘It is the right end to the story and for Christian. But also, excitingly, the start of a whole new chapter for me.’
Today John tweeted: ‘I am so very proud to have been a part of the show, I have LOVED it, but you have to know when to call time and it was time! #vivachyred’
When it was announced that Syed would share a kiss with Christian it caused controversy among some Muslin groups.
At the time Asghar Bokhari from the Muslim Public Affairs Committee said: ‘The Muslim community deserves a character that represents them to the wider public because Islamophobia is so great right now.
‘There’s a lack of understanding of Muslims already and I think EastEnders really lost an opportunity to present a normal friendly Muslim character to the British public.’
EastEnders made history in 1987 when the show screened the first on-sir gay kiss on prime time TV between Barry Clark and Colin Russell.
Shocking Reuters Article:Gays & Lesbians In Uganda Still Living In Fear Due To Anti Gay Bill!!!
By Jocelyn Edwards
KAMPALA | Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:47am EDT
(Reuters) – Peter, 23, used to enjoy hitting Kampala’s bars with his boyfriend until a draft bill dubbed “kill the gays” forced him into hiding.
“I’m so, so afraid. I just live indoors,” he says, sitting in the semi-darkness of the cramped two-room dwelling where he has lived since his family and friends turned on him after the bill was introduced in 2009.
In this conservative east African country, the bill that initially proposed hanging gays has pitted veteran President Yoweri Museveni’s government against two influential but opposing forces: the evangelical church and western donors.
Existing legislation already outlaws gay sex. The new legislation introduced by David Bahati, a backbench lawmaker in Museveni’s ruling National Resistance Movement party, would go much further.
It would prohibit the “promotion” of gay rights and punish anyone who “funds or sponsors homosexuality” or “abets homosexuality”.
Denounced as “odious” by U.S. President Barack Obama, the first draft, which threatened the death sentence for what it called “aggravated homosexuality”, languished in parliament for two years, never making it to the chamber’s debating floor.
Bahati re-introduced a mildly watered-down second draft in February and is confident of a “yes” vote even though the bill’s progress has stalled at committee level.
The death sentence clause is gone, as is the demand Ugandans report gays to the authorities, he told Reuters.
But the damage has been done, gay rights campaigners in Uganda say. A vitriolic homophobia is rising in Ugandan society, they say, pointing to the meteoric rise of the evangelical church as a driving force.
In the most recent clampdown, Uganda said last week it was banning 38 non-governmental organizations it accused of promoting homosexuality.
Two days before the announcement, police raided a gay rights conference outside Kampala, briefly detaining activists from around east Africa.
“Things were much better before the evangelical movement,” said Frank Mugisha, director of the gay rights group Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG). He accuses Uganda’s born-again pastors of spreading propaganda, including that homosexuals are “recruiting” young children.
EVANGELICAL INFLUENCE
Mugisha and other prominent gay rights campaigners say Bahati’s initial bill was introduced directly after a March 2009 conference in Kampala that hosted representatives from the U.S. “ex-gay” movement.
U.S. evangelical pastor Scott Lively, who spoke at the conference, said it focused on the “recovery from homosexuality” and warned Ugandans the gay movement sought to “homosexualize society” and undermine the institution of marriage.
Ugandan activists have filed a civil complaint against Lively in the United States, alleging he incited the persecution of gays in Uganda, violating international law.
A former lawyer who is now pastor of the Redemption Gate Missionary Society in Springfield, Massachusetts, Lively said his legal team has filed a motion to dismiss the complaint.
“The narrative of their case is that my speaking against homosexuality in Uganda led to a climate of hate and fear that led the government to take actions they wouldn’t otherwise have taken,” he told Reuters.
“The list of things they have put in their complaint do not amount to anything close to crimes against humanity.”
Lively said he received a copy of the draft anti-gay bill from an anti-gay activist in Uganda ahead of its introduction, and disagreed with language included in it.
“It was very harsh,” he said, referring to the proposal to execute homosexuals.
Lively, a reformed alcoholic who sees homosexuality as a “behavioral disorder” akin to alcoholism, said he sent back alternative language urging a focus on prevention and rehabilitation.
Some of Uganda’s pastors have been some of the bill’s most outspoken supporters.
“Would you accept that a thief should be licensed, that a prostitute should be licensed? There is no difference between a thief, a robber, a prostitute and a homosexual,” said Pastor Joseph Serwadda, who heads Kampala’s 6,000 member-strong Victory Christian Centre Church.
A wave of persecution followed the introduction of Bahati’s bill.
One local publication, Rolling Stone, embarked on a campaign to out Ugandan gays, publishing photos of more than two dozen of them and their names, sometimes under the banner “Hang them”.
“People didn’t pay much attention before. When the bill came out, they started noticing gays,” said Peter, whose three-year relationship ended when his partner became afraid to be associated with him after another tabloid outed Peter’s roommate.
Peter’s extended family called a meeting when they got suspicious.
“My sisters, my brothers, my aunties, my uncles, my grandpas, everybody needed me to change. They asked, ‘What seduced you to do that?’,” Peter said.
“(They said) if I didn’t change from what I am to what they called normal, I should just get out of the family.”
He withdrew from the outside world. Home alone for hours at a time, Peter reads the Bible he keeps by his bed for comfort. A wall decoration reads: “Jesus cares”.
PRAYED FOR HELP
While the proposed legislation has pushed many like Peter underground, for others it had the opposite effect.
“Biggie” Ssenfuka knew she was attracted to women from the age of seven. When she read the word lesbian in a dictionary, she says she immediately recognized herself.
Raised a Christian, Ssenfuka prayed to God and fasted in a desperate bid to alter her sexuality. She burned every letter she had received from other girls and tried dating a man.
“But still I didn’t change. I woke up and told myself this is life, be what you want to be and let people say what they want to say,” said Ssenfuka, who sports dreadlocks and baggy, boyish jeans.
“People thought that homosexuals are these beasts … they didn’t expect people from next door,” said Ssenfuka.
The 29-year-old finally came out of the closet in 2009 after the bill was introduced. “I said, now I am going to be open.”
Still, activists like Ssenfuka are in the minority. The majority of gays are too afraid to go public.
Sitting in an open-air bar in Kampala on a Saturday afternoon is her girlfriend of one year, a woman with long braids who has children from a previous relationship.
Asked about her relationship with Ssenfuka, Patience was evasive. “I’m not exactly her friend,” she said, and refused to elaborate.
Ssenfuka and Patience are careful not to act like a couple openly.
“It’s tricky. You have to watch out, especially in public. You can’t just kiss, you can’t just touch and be happy,” Ssenfuka said.
“BLACKMAIL”
The bill’s floundering in parliament since 2009 signals Museveni is reluctant to proceed.
Stephen Tashobya, who chairs the parliamentary legal affairs committee tasked with scrutinizing the bill before a vote, said the committee had been “busy with other affairs”.
“The president made general remarks sometime back, more than a year ago, (that) he didn’t think that the bill was very urgent,” Tashobya said.
The one-time rebel leader is widely regarded as a shrewd political operator who knows how to curry favor from Western powers, as he has by sending troops to Somalia, and when feathers ought not be ruffled.
John Nagenda, among Museveni’s top advisers, told Reuters the president believed it was evil to indulge in homosexual acts.
“But on the other hand … while he himself doesn’t agree with it himself, he thinks that there must be a fair way of going about (things),” Nagenda said.
Museveni’s gripe, Nagenda said, was with donors threatening to cut aid to impose moral values.
“It treats us like children,” he said.
In October, British Prime Minister David Cameron threatened to cut aid to countries that did not respect gay rights. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton followed up in December.
“That is blackmailing, that is neo-colonialist and oppression. Attaching sharing of resources to a lifestyle of people is completely unacceptable,” said Uganda’s Minister of Ethics and Integrity Simon Lokodo.
“If you want to give (aid), you give it irrespective of our customs and cultures.”
London appears to have since softened its rhetoric. The British High Commission in Kampala told Reuters in a statement that the UK government had no plans to cut aid in connection with the bill.
However, the statement also said Britain’s diplomats were raising concerns over the proposed legislation “at the most senior level of the Ugandan government”.
Bahati is optimistic his bill will prevail in parliament.
“There is no amount of pressure, no amount of dirty tricks, that will prevent the parliament of Uganda from protecting the children of Uganda,” he said.
“We are not in the trade of values.”
Sydney Morning Herald Article: Gay Marriage Conscience Vote Will Stop Same Sex Marriage Becoming Legal In Australia.
Supporters of same-sex marriage are delaying a final vote in federal parliament hoping to shore up their numbers.
- ADVOCATES of same-sex marriage accept Parliament will defeat two bills later this year calling to legalise gay marriage but believe public pressure will ultimately prevail.
The Finance Minister, Penny Wong, one of the strongest proponents for a change to the Marriage Act, said yesterday that change would come.
”I think the campaign is not going to go away because, ultimately, it’s a campaign for people’s equality,” she said.
Same-sex marriage … proponent Penny Wong believes change will come. Photo: Andrew MearesA seven-member parliamentary committee split 4-2 against same-sex marriage yesterday with one abstention as it handed down a report which contained no recommendations, only information for all politicians to use to inform their final decision.
The committee chairman and Labor MP, Graham Perrett, along with fellow Labor MP Laura Smyth, favoured gay marriage while Liberal MPs Sharman Stone and Ross Vasta, and Labor’s Mike Symon and Shane Neumann opposed it.
The other member, the Liberal moderate Judi Moylan, gave no separate opinion.
Because both pieces of legislation are private members bills, time set aside to debate them is limited and no vote is expected until the end of this year at the earliest.
Priority will be given to the bill introduced by the NSW Labor MP Stephen Jones. The other is a Greens bill, sponsored by Adam Bandt.
”We’re short of the numbers at the moment but anything could change,” Mr Jones said.
The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, will vote against gay marriage but has allowed Labor MPs a conscience vote. Number crunchers estimate about 36 of the 70 Labor MPs will vote for same-sex marriage while 10 to 15 are undecided and the rest will vote against.
Tony Abbott will not allow a conscience vote and all Coalition MPs are required to vote against same-sex marriage. Backbenchers can cross the floor but any frontbencher who does so would have to resign from the shadow ministry.
Mr Bandt, who will hold off on his bill until later this year or next year, said the delay between the start of debate and the final vote would be used to increase public pressure on political leaders, especially Mr Abbott, to have a change of heart.
”I’m optimistic of achieving reform within the life of this Parliament with some more discussion and more persuasion,” he said.
Parliament’s standing committee on social policy and legal affairs received a record 276,437 responses to an online survey it conducted as part of its inquiry.
Church groups and the Australian Christian Lobby have fiercely campaigned against gay marriage, despite Labor’s bill exonerating the churches and any other religious groups from having to marry gay people.
Mr Perrett, who holds a marginal Queensland seat, said ”it is important to remember that God did not write the Marriage Act”.
With public opinion polls consistently showing majority support for same-sex marriage, Mr Perrett said it was incumbent upon MPs to respond to growing public support ”by categorically opposing laws that legitimise discrimination”.
Ms Stone and Mr Vasta said the Liberals had promised before the federal election not to legalise gay marriage.
”I do not accept that the view towards marriage has changed since the 2010 federal election,” Ms Stone said.
Religious Bigots In Ontario Trying To Stop Students From Forming Gay & Straight Alliances.
Thomas Cardinal Collins opposes students calling clubs ’gay-straight alliances’
KEITH LESLIE
Toronto— The Canadian Press
Published Monday, May. 28, 2012 6:48PM EDT
Last updated Monday, May. 28, 2012 11:42PM EDT
Public funding of Catholic schools clashed with the right to religious freedom Monday as one of the most powerful church leaders in Canada attacked the Ontario government’s anti-bullying legislation.
“Please consider the implications for all when legislation is enacted that overrides the deeply held beliefs of any faith community, and intrudes on its freedom to act in a way that is in accord with its principles of consciences,” said Thomas Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of Toronto.
The Liberal government initially said Catholic trustees could determine the name for new anti-homophobia student clubs called for in the legislation.
However, last Friday Education Minister Laurel Broten announced all schools would have to allow the groups to be called gay-straight alliances if that’s what the students want.
“Why is a piece of provincial legislation being used to micromanage the naming of student clubs?” asked Mr. Collins.
“We all are committed to obeying the law, but we can question whether the law is wise, whether the law is just or whether a law is a kind of intrusion or limiting of religious freedom.”
Ms. Broten said she changed her mind after hearing from students at committee who said they don’t want her or principals and trustees dictating the names of their clubs.
“We know that words matter. The message that we’re giving to Ontario students today is you will be listened to, it’s your club,” Ms. Broten told reporters.
“The premier and I were both very clear that it was not for us at Queen’s Park to tell them what the name of their club should be, but neither should it be for someone else sitting in some other office in the province to tell them what the name of their club can’t be.”
Ms. Broten didn’t want to speculate about what action she would take if the Catholic schools don’t allow clubs to be called gay-straight alliances, but suggested cutting funding for those who don’t obey the law was one option.
Mr. Collins, who is also president of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario, said trustees and principals are the legitimate stewards of the spiritual tradition of Catholic schools, not students.
“Should one student suddenly be able to determine the method to deal with the issues in a school?” he asked.
“I find that very puzzling. The point at issue here is the imposition of the one approach to deal with an issue to which there are many approaches.”
The cardinal warned other faiths could become targets of the government if the anti-bullying bill becomes law and doesn’t allow Catholic schools the right to deal with homophobia in their own ways.
“I would say to people of other faiths and even those who disagree with us on [gay-straight alliances]: if this could happen to us it can happen to you in some other area,” he said.
“When religious freedom becomes a second-class right, you also will eventually be affected.”
Mr. Collins did not point out that no other religious group gets public funding for their schools in Ontario.
The Ontario Catholic School Trustees Association called the word gay “a distraction” and said anti-bullying legislation is supposed to protect all students, not just those who are picked on because of their sexual orientation.
“We don’t want to focus on the name,” said OCSTA president Marino Gazzola.
“We want to focus on the content and what the groups are all about. These are externally developed groups that do not necessarily reflect the unique values of our students.”
The government could not say what percentage of Ontario households or voters are separate school supporters or how much taxpayers have to pay to subsidize the Catholic education system.
The Progressive Conservatives said the Liberals were picking a fight with the Catholic school system, which gets about 33 per cent of Ontario’s $24-billion annual education budget.
“The government has decided in this case to be aggressive, they want to provoke the Catholic education system for whatever reason,” said Tory education critic Lisa MacLeod.
The Green Party of Ontario said the gay-straight alliance issue is a good example of why the cash-strapped province needs to eliminate the separate school system entirely.
“This absolutely is an example of how dangerous it is when you start funding one religion at the exclusion of all others,” said Green Leader Mike Schreiner.
“We’re talking about cutting essential services, including a number of services in the education sector, without even considering or having a conversation about the most obvious source of duplication in the system, which is the fact that we fund two separate school boards.”
The Tories said they would try to block the amendment that would force Catholic schools to allow gay-straight alliances by that name.
“I’m personally of the view if children want a club they should have a club. However, you have to allow the school community to have a say in that as well,” said Ms. MacLeod.
“I believe that there needs to be less, not more government intrusion in the lives of people, and we don’t believe that Queen’s Park should be legislating kids’ clubs names, regardless of what they are.”
The New Democrats said the Liberals have finally got it right by admitting you can’t solve a problem like homophobia if you’re afraid to use the word “gay.”
“It’s pretty clear that all the boards should be following the same rules,” said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.
Shocking News: Violence Erupts When Gay Activists Attempt To Gain Right To Have Pride Parade In Moscow!!!
By Olivia Katrandjian
Gay Activists Detained While Demanding Right to Hold Parade
About 40 gay activists were detained by police in Moscow today while trying to demand their right to hold a gay pride parade, according to organizers of the march.
Russian authorities have repeatedly denied gays the right to hold protests.
The activists gathered outside the Moscow city council building, where they were accosted by Orthodox Christians before being detained by the police. The Christians attempted to break up the gathering, throwing water, attacking protesters, and grabbing the demonstrators’ rainbow flags.
Gay rights opponent Dmitry Tsarionov spoke to the crowd in front of a sign that read, “Moscow is not Sodom.”
“I will not allow perverts to bring the wrath of God onto our city,” he said, according to The Associated Press. “I want our children to live in a country where a sin that so awfully distorts human nature is not preached in schools.”
Gay activists tried to hold another protest at city hall, but were again detained, including Moscow Gay Pride founder Nikolai Alexeyev, who led the protests.
“It’s sad that Russia has completely turned into a totalitarian state. I was arrested because I opened my mouth in front of a group of journalists,”tweeted Alexeyev today. He also expressed frustration that more members of the gay community did not come out for the march.
“Once more today I was convinced of the bravery of a couple dozen activists and the complete cowardice of all gay partiers. They are the real pederasts,”read another tweet.
He told Interfaks that he was satisfied with the result of the “gay parade.”
“It again seemed to me that the government acted illegally,” he tweeted. He plans to hold another gay pride parade next year, to mark the 20-year anniversary of the 1993 lifting of the law that made being gay a crime.
Alexeyev was the first person fined for spreading “gay propaganda” to minors, which under a new law in St. Petersburg is a crime. Alexeyev stood outside St. Petersburg’s city hall with a sign that read, “homosexuality is not a perversion.”
The law, enacted in March, effectively bans homosexual publications, protests and events, such as parades. The Russian parliament is considering making the law a national one.
Gayblackcanada 