“NewsWrap" for the week ending April 4, 2009 (As broadcast on "This Way Out" program #1,097, distributed 4-6-09) [Written by Greg Gordon, with thanks to Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley] Reported this week by Chris Wilson and Mike Wilber Marriage equality came to the Nordic nation of Sweden and to the Midwestern U.S. state of Iowa this week. Sweden’s Parliament approved legislation to make marriage laws gender-neutral, thus opening matrimony to same-gender couples. Registered partnerships for gay and lesbian couples were created in 1995. But a parliamentary committee in 2007 called them “outdated” and recommended marriage equality legislation. The new marriage law was approved by a wide margin in the 349-member Parliament. The vote was 261-to-22, with 16 abstentions and 50 absences. Six of Sweden's seven political parties supported the legislation, but Christian Democrats objected to use of the word “marriage” for gay and lesbian unions. The law takes effect on May 1st. Couples in registered partnerships can file an application to upgrade them to marriage, or just get married. The country’s Lutheran Church, which claims 74 percent of the population, has blessed registered partnerships since January 2007, and officially supported the new law. The Church synod will decide in October whether or not to allow same-gender marriage ceremonies in those congregations that approve such rites.0D Sweden joins 6 other countries in the world to open civil marriage to gay and lesbian couples the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Spain, Canada, and South Africa. Iowa’s Supreme Court on April 3rd made it the third U.S. state to open marriage to same-gender couples. In striking down state law defining marriage as exclusively heterosexual, the high court ruled that denying that institution to same-gender couples violated equal protection provisions of the Iowa constitution. Even some LGBT activists were stunned that the ruling was unanimous. The 69-page decision specifically rejected domestic partnerships or civil unions as alternatives, noting that “A new distinction based on sexual orientation would be equally suspect and difficult to square with the fundamental principles of equal protection embodied in our constitution.” Gay and lesbian couples can immediately obtain marriage licenses, and begin to legally marry on April 24th. There is no residency requirement. Camilla Taylor is senior staff attorney at Lambda Legal, which represented the 6 couples in the lawsuit challenging Iowa’s marriage ban. She told a news conference that the victory was “a testament to the strength of love, hope and courage.” Marriage equality advocates celebrated the ruling with rallies across the state. Iowa joins Massachusetts and Connecticut as the only U.S. states that allow gay and lesbian20couples to legally marry. California’s high court justices are expected to decide by June 30th whether or not to uphold the voter-approved Proposition 8, which overturned their May 2008 marriage equality ruling. The Iowa high court ruling is seen as being safe from any attempt in the Democratically controlled legislature to overturn it. Unlike California, a constitutional amendment in Iowa requires majority votes in 2 consecutive sessions of the state legislature before it can even go before the voters. In fact, Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal and House Speaker Pat Murphy issued a joint press release praising the decision. “Iowa continues to be a leader in guaranteeing all of our citizens' equal rights," the statement read. "When all is said and done, we believe the only lasting question about today's events will be why it took us so long." The Vermont state House approved a marriage equality bill this week. The measure already passed, by an overwhelming vote of 26-to-4, in the state Senate. Both legislative bodies are controlled by the Democrats. While the Senate margin virtually assures the more than two-thirds vote required to override a promised veto by Republican Governor Jim Douglas, the 95 yes votes in the 150-member House were 5 short of the 100 that would be required there. Douglas wants to maintain Vermont’s first-in-the nation civil unions for same-gender couples, which were created in 2000. However, Marty Rouse, national field director for the Human Rights Campaign, claimed that some House Democrats who opposed the marriage equality measure might be convinced to uphold the large majority vote and override the veto. Meanwhile, West Virginia’s House of Delegates rejected a proposal this week to constitutionally ban same-gender marriage. A constitutional amendment requires approval in the state legislature before it can go to the voters. West Virginia law already defines marriage as exclusively heterosexual, and the state does not recognize same-gender marriages legally performed in other jurisdictions. But conservative religious groups have lobbied for the constitutional ban, saying that existing law is not enough to “protect” what they call “traditional” marriage. North Dakota’s House soundly defeated a bill this week to add sexual orientation to categories protected from discrimination in the state. The vote was 54-to-34. Opponents of the measure, lead by Republican Robin Weisz, argued that being gay or lesbian "is not something that you're born with... It is a behavior, and it is a lifestyle choice." But the European Parliament voted this week to extend current anti-discrimination protections to cover goods, facilities and services, including healthcare. Protections previously applied only to workplace discrimination based on age, disability, religion , or sexual orientation. Existing anti-discrimination rules in various E.U. member countries only protect certain groups from discrimination, or only in certain situations. Sweden, which will next assume the rotating presidency of the E.U., has vowed to implement the broader new anti-bias provisions. Emine Bozkurt, a Dutch member of the European Parliament who led the negotiations on the issue, called the new provisions a "wonderful victory" for human rights. Corine Mauch this week became the first woman to be elected mayor of Zurich Switzerland’s largest city. When she takes office in late Aril she’ll also become Europe’s first openly lesbian mayor. The mayors of Paris, Berlin, and Hamburg are each openly gay men. A member of the center-left Social Democratic Party, the 49-year-old and partnered Mauch defeated Kathrin Martelli, who represented a coalition of center-right parties, by more than 11,000 votes of the nearly 42,000 cast. Martelli made Mauch’s sexuality an issue during the campaign. But while the office is largely ceremonial in Zurich, Mauch’s overwhelming victory is seen as a significant advance. The timing also couldn’t be better: Zurich will be hosting LGBT people from across the continent at the annual EuroPride festival and parade hheld in a different city each year soon after Mauch takes office. Inflammatory attacks on gays and lesbia ns have escalated in Uganda. A few speakers have appeared at rallies sponsored by conservative Christian groups in recent weeks claiming to have “quit” being homosexual, and “confessing” that they’d previously paid school children to “turn gay.” A leading Roman Catholic priest was also accused of “recruiting” young followers into homosexuality. Ugandan ethics minister James Nsaba Buturo this week claimed that United Nations member countries were trying to “impose homosexuality” on the rest of the world. “Many lies are being peddled,” he said. “Such lies include foolish claims that some people are born as homosexuals. They are busy enticing Ugandans to join them.” About 20 brave LGBT activists held a press conference of their own this week in Kampala to condemn the allegations and demand basic civil rights. Speakers insisted that sexual orientation is unchangeable, and said that the so-called “ex gays” had been paid by rightwing groups to fuel anti-gay hatred. A member of parliament this week called for legislation to ban such public advocacy. Consensual adult same-gender sex is outlawed in Uganda and punishable by up to life in prison. Some government officials have been pushing for additional laws to make any public displays of homosexuality a crime. Uganda’s leading Muslim cleric has called for gays and lesbians to20be rounded up and marooned on an island in Lake Victoria until they die. Updating recent “This Way Out” reports, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has stayed a lower court ruling that ordered the state of Louisiana to issue a revised birth certificate to show both names of a child’s 2 gay adoptive fathers. A New York court issued an adoption decree to Oren Adar and Mickey Smith for their Louisiana-born son in 2006. Louisiana law only allows adoptions by heterosexual married couples or single individuals. The state appealed the lower court ruling, which had cited U.S. Constitutional provisions that require states to recognize judgments and orders issued in other states. But the 5th Circuit this week put that judgment on hold, and ordered legal briefs to be submitted in the case, which is expected to be heard later this year. And finally, a so-called “rebel” Roman Catholic priest in the Australian state of Queensland has vowed to continue his ministry after being forced to leave his church building. Father Peter Kennedy was fired from South Brisbane’s St. Mary’s Catholic Church by his Archbishop for violating Church doctrine, including his outspoken welcoming of sexually active gays and lesbians and the blessing of same-gender couples. The priest had initially refused the eviction notice, but later agreed to mediation that will have him vacating St. Mary’s after a final mass on April 19th. His congregation has been strongly behind him, and thousands of other people have attended services there to show their support since the controversy began. Father Kennedy remains a Roman Catholic priest, and announced this week that he’ll begin a new ministry at the nearby Trades and Labour Council building, to be called “St. Mary’s In Exile.” He said that the congregation will begin looking for a new permanent home, but that he’ll begin holding mass at the temporary location on April 20th to be preceded by a march from the original St. Mary’s location.