Gay couple save life of homophobe who abused them for three years

A married gay couple in Birmingham, England saved their homophobic neighbor in a house fire, after years of verbal abuse.

Bryn and James Tudor experienced years of verbal abuse from their neighbor, Baljit Koonar, according to Sunday Mercury. Even after Baljit Koonar was forced to sign a “Good Neighbour Agreement” in 2008, the abuse continued.

Last week, Koonar received a 18-month supervision order and was forced to pay the couple £150 as compensation.

Just a few weeks before that, Koonar and his family were trapped in a deadly fire.

“I was sleeping when something woke me up at around 5am. I could taste smoke in the back of my mouth,” James explains.

“I couldn’t see anything out of the front window, but when I went to the back there was smoke billowing out of next door and the family were on the roof.”

Koonar, his wife, their two children, and the children’s grandmother were stranded on the roof.

After rushing to get a ladder, the couple helped the family down to safety and brought them into his home. They offered them water and and chocolate to calm them.

“Our thoughts weren’t about him. We wanted to get the kids down as soon as we could. You don’t think about anything that person has done, it’s just about the value of human life.”

James hopes that they can now be “proper neighbours,” if not, friends.

(Photo: Todd Klassy)

Catholic cardinal says gay marriage is the work of the devil

Argentina’s highest-ranking Catholic prelate has warned that the country’s gay marriage bill is a “machination” of the devil, reports Pink News.

Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio has called on priests in Buenos Aires, where he is archbishop, to protest against the bill, which is progressing through Argentina’s parliament.

In a letter to the monasteries of Buenos Aires, he wrote: “Let’s not be naive, we’re not talking about a simple political battle; it is a destructive pretension against the plan of God .. We are not talking about a mere bill, but rather a machination of the Father of Lies that seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God.”

Mexico City passed a law legalised gay marriage recently, but if Argentina’s bill becomes law, it will be the first country in Latin America to legalise the practice. The bill also proposes giving gay couples the right to adopt.

Flower power fights homophobia: The Pansy Project

Artist Paul Harfleet plants pansies at the site of homophobic abuse, he finds the nearest source of soil to where the incident occurred and generally without civic permission plants one unmarked pansy.

The flower is then photographed in it’s location and posted on his website, the image is entitled after the abuse. Titles like “Let’s kill the Bati-Man!” and “F*cking Faggot!” reveal a frequent reality of gay experience which often goes unreported to authorities.

This simple action operates as a gesture of quiet resistance, some pansies flourish and others wilt in urban hedgerows.

The artist began by planting pansies to mark his own experience of homophobia on the streets of Manchester UK though now he plants pansies for others both on an individual basis and as part of various festivals and events.

For more information visit thepansyproject.com.

A quote by Joey Comeau

See Equalitopia’s archive of LGBT-related quotes.

Life As He Knows It: A Short Comic by Lucy Doan

(Click for bigger version)

via happymonsters:

I’ve read and listened to many stories from the LGBT community, and I know for the fact that the story can be very, very real. If your views differ from mine, please do not attack me. Gay protesters like those do exist, and I am merely illustrating what I’ve seen for so many years. What I depicted in this comic is REAL, whether or not it happens to the majority of the community or not, whether these things happen often or not - it is real. Thank you.

edit. marriage is not just for procreation. Marriage is a constitution which grants 1,800+ constitutional rights to couples, including making crucial medical decisions and being able to visit your partner in the hospital. Thanks :]

British rugby club fined £40,000 for homophobic chants by fans

Castleford Rugby Club have been fined £40,000 by the Rugby Football League after fans aimed homophobic abuse at Crusaders winger Gareth Thomas, reports BBC News.

Thomas, 35, announced in December 2009 that he was gay.

“The RFL finds homosexual abuse unacceptable, which is reflected in the size of the fine,” RFL spokesman John Ledger told BBC Sport.

Castleford chief executive Richard Wright said he was “shocked” by the decision, adding the club will appeal.

Gay rights in developing countries

In February, we posted the quote: “Coming out as gay: In some countries it means losing your friends, in other countries it means losing your life.” This chart by The Economist shows the legal and social penalties of being gay in some of these less fortunate countries.

Uganda currently has a pending anti-homosexuality bill, which would give the death sentence to gay people. Not only would gay people be at risk, but anyone with knowledge of an individual being gay person could receive the death sentence if they don’t report them to authorities. A pastor showed gay porn in church in an attempt to gain support for proposed anti-homosexuality laws.

Recently, a court in Malawi convicted a gay couple of gross indecency and unnatural acts.

See Equalitopia’s news about: Iraq, Zimbabwe, Malaysia, Malawi, Uganda

(Chart by The Economist, via Rubiety)