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NEWS & LETTERS, October-November 2006Queer Notesby Elise In a huge move for human rights, the cabinet of South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki approved a civil unions bill for same-sex couples which will now go to Parliament, where its specific benefits and rights will be determined. In 2005, South Africa's Constitutional Court ruled the country's common-law understanding of marriage was unconstitutional because it discriminated against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people (see Women Worldwide, May-June 2006 N&L). The South Africa Constitution bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. South Africa would be the first African nation to recognize same-sex relationships. * * * Two different state courts have ruled in favor of transgender people. Eric Buffong, a transgender man who was fired from his job as a cook at Equus restaurant in Westchester, N.Y., is protected by the state's human rights law, State Supreme Court Justice Joan Lefkowitz ruled. He can now proceed with his lawsuit against the restaurant. The ruling applies to the entire state of New York. And in Colorado, Civil Rights Division Director Wendell Pryor ruled that the firing of Danielle Cornwell, a transgender woman, violated the state's anti-discrimination law. Director Pryor found that the firing of Ms. Cornwell by Intermountain Testing Company was because she is a woman. * * * Latvian gay men and lesbians, and EU and U.S. supporters, held Pride events in their country, despite being verbally abused and having eggs thrown at them. The Pride events coincided with the Latvian parliaments rejection of a bill—presented by Latvia First, an anti-gay party—that would have banned the mass media from publishing articles about, or interviews with, gays or lesbians about their lives or gay rights in the mass media. The bill was rejected because it goes against national and international legislation. |
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