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NEWS & LETTERS, May 2002
Column: Queer Notes by Suzanne Rose
Iran is launching its first
AIDS awareness campaign without the mention of gay sex. Facing a rapid increase
in the number of people becoming infected and fearing a major epidemic, the
government has been forced to give its approval to an AIDS education program.
The subject of sex is taboo in Iran and homosexuality is forbidden by law. As
part of the new program, high school students will receive material describing
how people can be infected that will not mention sex between two men. *** In a unanimous decision,
Australia's high court rejected a challenge by the Catholic Church that would
have prevented single women and lesbians from having access to in-vitro
fertilization treatments. An earlier federal court decision had ruled that
restricting the women's access violated the Federal Sex Discrimination Act. *** The American Civil Liberties
Union's National Prison Project filed suit against the executive director of the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice, along with over a dozen officials at the
James Allred prison in the town of Iowa Park. The suit states that Roderick
Johnson was subjected to rape and sexual slavery on a daily basis for a year and
a half at the prison. Having had a "safekeeping status" at a previous
prison, Roderick was denied that status at Allred. The special classification is
designed to protect inmates at risk for brutality because of their sexual
orientation or other factors. Roderick went through seven classification
hearings on his behalf; each time his requests were rejected. |
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