World Gay Celebrities List

Saturday, September 17, 2011

LGBT rights in the Isle of Man

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in the Isle of Man over the past couple of years have become more liberal after years of lobbying, LGBT people have made progress in getting legal recognition (such as an equal age of consent and employment protection from discrimination in 2006, gender recognition in 2009 and both civil partnerships and the adoption of children in 2011), however same-sex marriage is still banned (just like the United Kingdom) and both hatred and prejudice are still around on the Isle of Man. Male homosexuality has been legal since 1992 on the Isle of Man.

Law regarding same-sex sexual activity

Prior to September 1992, Same-sex sexual activity was illegal, then after decriminalization, the age of consent was set at 21 (in line with the UK at that time); then in 2001, the age of consent for male homosexual acts was lowered to 18 under the Criminal Justice Act 2001 (c.4). In 2006 under the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2006 (c.3), the age of consent was lowered to 16, became gender-neutral for all sexual conduct; regardless of gender and/or sexual orientation.

Gender identity/expression

Transsexual persons are allowed to change their legal gender and to have their new gender recognised under the Gender Recognition Act 2009 (c.11).

Recognition of same-sex relationships

Today, civil marriage for same sex couples is banned under the Marriage and Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2011 (c.3). However, civil partnerships are legal (in the same way as civil partnerships is recognised in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Jersey). The bill for legalization passed all stages of both the House of keys and the Legislative Council and was signed into law on March 15, 2011. The Civil Partnership Act 2011 (c2) took effect on April 6, 2011.

Adoption and family planning

Under the Civil Partnership Act 2011 (c.2), same-sex couples in the Isle of Man since April 6, 2011 are allowed equal access to full joint or step adoption in the same way as adoption for same sex couples is recognised in the United Kingdom - including England, Wales, Scotland, Jersey and Guernsey, but not Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Discrimination protections

Under the Employment Act 2006 (c.21), the Isle of Man adopted legislation that outlawed the dismissal of employees on the grounds of their sexual orientation and became effective from 1 September 2006. At the time Isle of Man LGBT reports that the government at the time was "falling behind" in line with European Human Rights decisions.

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About This Blog

This blog is about of notable gay, lesbian or bisexual people, who have either been open about their sexuality or for which reliable sources exist. Famous people who are simply rumored to be gay, lesbian or bisexual, are not listed.

The historical concept and definition of sexual orientation varies and has changed greatly over time; for example the word "gay" wasn't used to describe sexual orientation until the mid 20th century. A number of different classification schemes have been used to describe sexual orientation since the mid-19th century, and scholars have often defined the term "sexual orientation" in divergent ways. Indeed, several studies have found that much of the research about sexual orientation has failed to define the term at all, making it difficult to reconcile the results of different studies. However, most definitions include a psychological component (such as the direction of an individual's erotic desire) and/or a behavioural component (which focuses on the sex of the individual's sexual partner/s). Some prefer to simply follow an individual's self-definition or identity. See homosexuality and bisexuality for criteria that have traditionally denoted lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people.

The high prevalence of people from the West on this list may be due to societal attitudes toward homosexuality. The Pew Research Center's 2003 Global Attitudes Survey found that "people in Africa and the Middle East strongly object to societal acceptance of homosexuality. Opinion in Europe is split between West and East. Majorities in every Western European nation surveyed say homosexuality should be accepted by society, while most Russians, Poles and Ukrainians disagree. Americans are divided – a thin majority (51 percent) believes homosexuality should be accepted, while 42 percent disagree." Attitude towards homosexuality in Latin American countries have increasingly been more legally tolerant, but the traditional society and culture in even major countries like Mexico and Brazil have nevertheless remained rather unaccepting and taboo about the subject.

Throughout history and across cultures, the regulation of sexuality reflects broader cultural norms.

Most of the history of sexuality is unrecorded. Even recorded norms do not always shed full light on actual practices, as it is sometimes the case that historical accounts are written by foreigners with cryptic political agendas.

Throughout Hindu and Vedic texts there are many descriptions of saints, demigods, and even the Supreme Lord transcending gender norms and manifesting multiple combinations of sex and gender. There are several instances in ancient Indian epic poetry of same sex depictions and unions by gods and goddesses. There are several stories of depicting love between same sexes especially among kings and queens. Kamasutra, the ancient Indian treatise on love talks about feelings for same sexes. Transsexuals are also venerated e.g. Lord Vishnu as Mohini and Lord Shiva as Ardhanarishwara (which means half woman).

In the earlier centuries of ancient Rome (particularly during the Roman Republic) and prior to its Christianization, the Lex Scantinia forbade homosexual acts. In later centuries during, men of status were free to have sexual intercourse, heterosexual or homosexual, with anyone of a lower social status, provided that they remained dominant during such interaction. During the reign of Caligula, prostitution was legalized and taxed, and homosexual prostitution was seen openly in conjunction with heterosexual prostitution. The Warren Cup is a rare example of a Roman artefact that depicts homosexuality that was not destroyed by Christian authorities, although it was suppressed. A fresco from the public baths of the once buried city of Pompeii depicts a homosexual and bisexual sex act involving two adult men and one adult woman. The Etruscan civilization left behind the Tomb of the Diver, which depicts homosexual men in the afterlife.

In feudal Japan, homosexuality was recognized, between equals (bi-do), in terms of pederasty (wakashudo), and in terms of prostitution. The Samurai period was one in which homosexuality was seen as particularly positive. In Japan, the younger partner in a pederastic relationship was expected to make the first move; the opposite was true in ancient Greece. Homosexuality was later briefly criminalized due to Westernization.

The berdache two-spirit class in some Native American tribes are examples of ways in which some cultures integrated homosexuals into their society by viewing them, not with the homosexual and heterosexual dichotomy of most of the modern world, but as twin beings, possessing aspects of both sexes.

The ancient Law of Moses (the Torah) forbids men lying with men (intercourse) in Leviticus 18 and gives a story of attempted homosexual rape in Genesis in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, the cities being soon destroyed after that. The death penalty was prescribed.

Similar prohibitions are found across Indo-European cultures in Lex Scantinia in Ancient Rome and nith in protohistoric Germanic culture, or the Middle Assyrian Law Codes dating 1075 BC.

Laws prohibiting homosexuality were also passed in communist China. (The People's Republic of China neither adopted an Abrahamic religion nor was colonized, except for Hong Kong and Macau which were colonized with Victorian era social mores and maintain separate legal system from the rest of the PRC.) Homosexuality was not decriminalized there until 1997. Prior to 1997, homosexual in mainland China was found guilty included in a general definition under the vague vocabulary of hooliganism, there are no specifically anti-homosexual laws.

In modern times nine countries have no official heterosexist discrimination. They are Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, South Africa, and Spain. This full non-discrimination includes the rights of marriage and adoption. Portugal has also marriage rights for same-sex couples but this right does not include same-sex adoption. The Canadian Blood Services’ policy indefinitely defers any man who has sex with another man, even once, since 1977. LGBT people in the US face different laws for certain medical procedures than other groups. For example, gay men have been prohibited from giving blood since 1983, and George W. Bush's FDA guidelines barred them from being sperm donors as of 2005, even though all donated sperm is screened for sexually-transmitted diseases.

World Gay Celebrities List

Saturday, September 17, 2011

LGBT rights in the Isle of Man

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