By Christopher Cappiello

Church of Scotland Inches Toward Blessing Gay Couples

The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland voted that the blessing of same-sex couples should be a matter of conscience to be decided by each individual minister, putting off until next year an official church-wide decision on the matter, the BBC reports.

After lengthy debate from both sides, the assembly narrowly defeated (322-314) an effort to prohibit clergy from blessing same-sex couples. Instead, the assembly voted 372-240 that the matter should be left up to each clergy member to decide. No minister would be disciplined for performing such a blessing, but none will be forced to do so against their conscience.

Last December civil partnerships for same-sex couples became legal in the United Kingdom, and there has been increasing pressure on churches to recognize and bless such relationships. The Church of England and its Worldwide Anglican Communion has experienced a serious schism on the issue of same-sex marriage and gay clergy, with the appointment of openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson in New Hampshire sparking an outcry from more conservative members.

Gay U.K. Firm Must Pay for Firing Pregnant Lesbian

The Brighton, England, employment tribunal ruled that a gay and lesbian-run real estate agency was guilty of firing a lesbian employee because she was pregnant, the BBC reports.

“We are satisfied beyond any reasonable doubt that the reason for the dismissal was pregnancy,” said tribunal chairman Charles Twiss. “He had to get rid of the claimant to avoid paying maternity pay.”

Corinna Slow was fired from her job as office manager at the Hove, East Sussex, office of 2Let last August when she was 16 weeks pregnant. The manager of 2Let, Kevin Newman, maintains he fired her over her poor work performance and did not find out that Slow was pregnant until the day after he fired her. 2Let bills itself as the first LGBT-run real estate agency in the U.K.

The tribunal ordered 2Let to pay Slow almost $25,000 in damages. The former employee lives in Brighton with her 3-month-old daughter Edith and her bus driver girlfriend, 33-year-old Hilary Noble.

“I think the decision was fair and I'm just looking forward to moving on and enjoying being with Hilary and Edith,” Slow told the BBC.

HIV Prevention Summit for Central America and Caribbean

In a joint effort by AIDS Project Los Angeles and the Gay Men's Health Crisis, the Institute for Gay Men's Health has planned the first ever summit for HIV prevention for men who have sex with men in Central America and the Caribbean. Participants in the May 25-26 event in La Ceiba, Honduras, will develop the first HIV Prevention Action Plan for MSM in the region.

“Central American and Caribbean countries have not developed any specific HIV prevention plans targeted to gay men and other MSM,” said Dr. George Ayala, national director of the Institute for Gay Men's Health, in a pre-summit statement. “Even though these men are at high risk for HIV transmission, local HIV prevention programs are working with limited resources and data to design and implement effective HIV prevention strategies and interventions to reduce the number of new HIV infections among gay men and other MSM.”

Cultural dynamics present challenges to public health officials looking to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in the region. “Sex between men is likely to be under-reported,” Ayala explains, “because homosexuality continues to be highly stigmatized in many parts of the region. Homosexuality is not necessarily a clear-cut social category, complicating further local efforts to obtain a clear epidemiologic picture.”

The Institute for Gay Men's Health estimates that almost 2 million people are infected with HIV in Latin America. Sexual transmission accounts for most new HIV infections, and HIV prevalence among MSM in the region is estimated to be between 8-18 percent.

Organizers hope to distribute 2,500 copies of the resulting action plan to program providers and public health personnel. The results of the summit will be presented at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto in August.

Prison for Organizer of Chinese Gay Parties

A Beijing man arrested last November for organizing parties for gay men to meet for sex has been sentenced to a year in prison, reports China Daily, the official government news service.

The man, identified only as Zou, used the Internet to attract gay men to his Beijing home. When a Nov. 11, 2005, party grew loud, neighbors contacted the authorities and police closed down the party, arresting Zou and 10 others.

“Ten suspected criminals, all males, were engaging in illegal sex activities,” the police report stated. “Zou's behavior constituted a crime of promoting promiscuity.”

In April 2005 Zou created a Web site called Beijing Sky on which he advertised “Hot Dream Party for Cool Beijing Boys.” “Since the ad was published, more and more people joined the parties,” Zou told the police, according to China Daily. “I was mainly in charge of getting people together, and providing a venue and music. I charged membership fees ranging from 30-50 yuan.” Zou's fees equaled $3-6.

“Although people today are gradually becoming more free to follow their sexual preferences, that doesn't mean the law will indulge them,” the judge hearing the case said. “People should choose healthy and proper lifestyles.”

A 2004 study revealed that more than 80 percent of gay men in China were ignorant about HIV transmission. A March 2006 study showed that 70 percent of college students were uninformed about HIV/AIDS. UNAIDS, the Joint UN Program on HIV/AIDS, has warned that China may face an explosion of HIV infections if the country does not adopt more proactive prevention education efforts.