A Small Victory for LGBT Equality

Gay rights seem to be becoming more and more unequal in the United States. Some progressive states have been powering ahead with full legal and social equality for people of any sexual orientation. Same-sex marriage has been introduced in several parts of the country, as has tough anti-discrimination law. Nationally, progress is being made too: in just a few years, the federal government has moved from ridiculous policies like “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (the policy which allowed homosexuals to fight for their country, provided that they kept their sexuality a secret) to the recognition of same-sex marriages.

But sadly, some parts of America seem to be moving in the other direction.

The Republican majority in Arizona’s state legislature passed a bill, asserting the “right” of business owners to refuse to serve people on religious grounds, last week. The policy was universally recognised as targeting the LGBT community. In a scenario eerily similar to the pre civil-rights era, entire groups could have been excluded from shops, restaurants and clubs for the crime of being in a minority. Naturally, the legislation provoked a public outcry, but there was also surprisingly vocal opposition from business. Organisations from Apple to American Airlines attacked the measure, as did local businesses worried that it would damage tourism associated with Arizona’s hosting of next year’s Super Bowl.

As if that coalition was not formidable enough to prompt a rethink, various figures in the GOP (Republican Party) rushed to condemn the bill. When Mitt Romney is more socially liberal than you on a given issue, you have either made a mistake… or you are a fascist. In any case, Arizona’s Republicans must have been torn between two of their most fundamental instincts: cronyism with capitalist interests, and draconian laws to assert “moral” behaviour. In the few days after the bill was voted through, three Republican state senators announced that they had changed their mind. I’m sure that would have been a great help. Nevertheless, the final decision was not theirs to make: it is the Governor who decides whether to sign bills passed by the state legislature into law, or to exercise her veto.

Governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer (Republican), decided to veto the legislation a few hours ago. That is wonderful news that allows the people of Arizona to turn their attention to the problem that their representatives want to drag their state back in time to become a stunted monosociety. I doubt those responsible for this throwback will pay for it, but attempts should be made to see that they do.

In the meantime, thank goodness for moderates like Jan Brewer.

The World This Week:

Arizona legalises discrimination against homosexuals

Opponents have reacted with fury to to the passing of an “anti-gay” bill by Arizona’s state legislature. The US state’s Republican administration voted through a bill that will allow businesses to refuse to serve homosexuals, if they feel that they have religious grounds to do so. The move sparked demonstrations in the cities of Phoenix and Tuscon, though these are not the last defence against the legislation. Business leaders are leaning heavily on the Governor to veto the bill. Businesses who fear the impact of potential boycotts ahead of the 2015 Super Bowl, which is to be hosted by the state, are eager to avoid damaging Arizona’s image.

New Indian province formed

India is to gain its 29th state, Telangana, after proposals were approved by the federal government. The state, which encompasses a population of 35,000,000, will be carved out of the eastern Andhra Pradesh region. The move comes despite resistance from the government of Andhra Pradesh, which is particularly aggrieved due to the loss of its capital city of Hyderabad to the new state. Yet such opposition is drowned out by the decades-long campaign for Telangana, a farming-centred region which considers itself long neglected by the federal political and economic leadership. One observer noted: “this is the first time that the central government has moved to create a new state in the face of such opposition from the “parent” state.”

857,000 at risk of starvation in Somalia

The UN’s director of humanitarian operations has spoken out after his department’s appeal for its humanitarian fund raised just $36 million out of its $933 million target. The UN warned that approximately 10% of Somalia’s population is in desperate need of food. This is a consequence of further droughts and population displacement hitting the region’s beleaguered population. “Somalis have suffered endlessly for almost 25 years. We cannot be distracted now from our task to stay with them, to help to consolidate these fragile gains … and this requires funding”. It is felt in some circles that crises elsewhere on the international scene has drawn attention away from lower-profile but severe problems in East Africa.

Scandal of Europe’s empty homes

Figures collated by the Guardian newspaper show that there are some 11 million houses standing empty across the European Union- compared to 4.1 million who are homeless. The problem is particularly acute in Spain, in which 14% of homes are empty. Housing charities observed that even in countries suffering from a shortage of affordable housing, such as Ireland and Spain, there are large numbers of vacant homes. More expensive housing units are more likely to be owned by absentee investors, which is prompting heightened calls for restrictions on speculation. David Ireland, Chief Executive of the Empty Homes charity, said “Homes are built for people to live in, if they’re not being lived in then something has gone seriously wrong with the housing market.”

Ukranian interim President calls for EU links

In a dramatic break with his missing predecessor,  the interim President of Ukraine, Oleksandr Turchynov, declared his intention to re-open free trade negotiations with the European Union. This marks a firm move away from the Russian sphere of influence and back towards the EU by the east European Nation. However, “opposition” parties have instructed protestors not to withdraw from Kiev’s Independence Square until a new government is formed. With increasingly hostile rhetoric about Turchynov emerging from local officials in the Russian-leaning east of the country, the stability of any pro-Europe government is far from assured.

Reindeer wiped out by South Georgia government

Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI), a British territory located south of the Falkland Islands, has successfully killed off its reindeer population. The cull represented a £900,000 programme to eliminate the non-native species due to the devastating effect it was having on the indigenous bird population. Norwegian officials were flown to the territory to assist in the programme, resulting in the execution of some 6,600 reindeer.