OTTAWA
(AP)
—
A
former
interim
leader
of
the
Conservative
party
has
resurfaced
at
the
helm
of
a
national
campaign
against
gay
marriage.
And
Dr.
Grant
Hill
isn’t
backing
down
from
views
that
once
branded
him
as
homophobic.
He
says
he’ll
spread
his
message
at
the
pivotal
Conservative
policy
convention
this
week
as
the
party
tries
to
cast
itself
as
election-ready.
Conservative
leaders
had
planned
to
avoid
debate
on
contentious
issues
such
as
gay
marriage
and
abortion,
but
a
fierce
internal
backlash
forced
them
to
retreat.
Hill
says
few
people
are
willing
to
risk
being
criticized
by
stating
what
he
says
is
scientifically
obvious:
that
the
“homosexual
lifestyle”
includes
“distinct
health
negatives”;
that
those
with
an
“unwanted
sexual
preference”
can
choose
to
change
it;
and
that
children
do
best
when
raised
by
straight
couples.
Legislators
shouldn’t
dilute
that
ideal
by
opening
marriage
to
gays,
says
Hill,
an
Alberta
MP
for
10
years
until
he
decided
not
to
run
in
last
year’s
election
and
returned
to
his
career
as
a
surgeon.
JEDDAH,
Saudi
Arabia
—
A
gay
wedding
party
resulted
in
the
arrests
of
110
men
by
Saudi
Arabian
security
forces,
according
to
Al-Wifaq,
an
online
Saudi
newspaper
that
has
connections
to
the
nation’s
interior
ministry.
Police
raided
a
wedding
hall
last
week
after
receiving
a
tip
and
found
the
men
dancing
and
“behaving
like
women,”
Al-Wifaq
reported.
Although
80
of
the
Saudis
later
were
released,
30
faced
charges
in
a
Jeddah
court,
according
to
the
newspaper.
Saudi
Arabia
punishes
homosexuality,
which
is
illegal
in
the
country,
by
flogging,
jail
or
death,
Al-Wifaq
reported.
The
raid
came
a
day
after
two
men
who
allegedly
were
lovers
were
executed
in
the
city
of
Arar
for
allegedly
killing
a
Pakistani
who
found
out
about
their
relationship,
the
newspaper
reported.
The
interior
ministry
said
Ahmed
al-Enezi
and
Shahir
al-Roubli,
both
Saudis,
ran
over
Malik
Khan
in
their
car,
beat
him
on
the
head
with
stones
and
set
fire
to
his
body,
“fearing
they
would
be
exposed,
after
the
victim
witnessed
them
in
a
shameful
situation.”
Last
year
the
Saudi
police
raided
another
event
described
as
a
gay
wedding
party
for
two
African
men
from
Chad
at
a
hotel
in
the
holy
city
of
Medina.
About
50
people
were
arrested.
One
of
the
Chadians
claimed
the
party
was
a
rehearsal
for
his
wedding
to
a
woman,
but
investigators
said
that
party
invitations
“indicated
it
was
a
gay
function.”
MEXICO
CITY
(AP)
—
A
Roman
Catholic
organization
urging
chastity
and
prayer
for
people
with
same-sex
desires
has
opened
a
branch
in
Mexico,
the
country’s
council
of
bishops
announced
last
week.
Courage
Latino
is
an
offshoot
of
the
Courage
Apostolate,
founded
in
1980
by
Father
John
Harvey
in
New
York.
It
said
the
organization
“is
focused
on
moral
health
through
the
practice
of
chastity,
prayer
and
service.”
Courage
Latino
is
based
in
Cuernavaca,
south
of
Mexico
City,
and
is
led
by
Father
Buenaventura
Wainwright.
It
also
will
have
offices
in
other
cities
across
the
country.
BANGKOK,
Thailand
(AP)
—
Bangkok
authorities
have
denied
reports
they
are
mulling
a
gay
rights
group’s
request
to
offer
classes
on
homosexuality
and
tolerance
at
the
city’s
primary
schools,
saying
officials
have
no
intention
of
adopting
the
plan,
a
report
said
last
week.
Pensri
Pichaisanit,
the
Bangkok
Metropolitan
Administration’s
deputy
governor,
was
quoted
earlier
by
the
Nation
newspaper
as
saying
officials
had
told
the
Bangkok
Rainbow
Group
to
draft
an
outline
of
the
course
on
homosexuality
for
consideration.
But
on
March
18,
the
Nation
quoted
Pensri
as
saying
there
had
been
a
misunderstanding,
and
that
“the
BMA
does
not
intend
to
add
such
lessons
because
homosexuality
remains
a
sensitive
and
contentious
issue.”
“Parents
have
expressed
concern
that
lessons
on
homosexuality
might
confuse
children,”
she
said,
according
to
the
report.
The
proposal
had
been
floated
by
the
Bangkok
Rainbow
Group
in
hopes
of
promoting
tolerance
among
fourth-
to
sixth-grade
students.
Although
Thailand
is
a
conservative
Buddhist
society,
homosexuality
and
cross-dressing
are
widely
tolerated.
PRAGUE
—
Czech
Republic
lawmakers
defeated
the
idea
of
gay
unions
last
week
for
the
fourth
time,
according
to
Gay.com.uk.
The
Chamber
of
Deputies,
the
Lower
House
of
the
Parliament
of
the
Czech
Republic,
turned
down
a
Registered
Partnership
Act
to
allow
same-sex
couples
some
legal
rights,
the
Web
site
reported.
Activists
with
the
Gay
&
Lesbian
League
had
hoped
that
the
country
would
come
more
in
line
with
democratic
standards
in
other
EU
countries
if
the
legislation
was
approved,
according
to
news
reports.
The
bill
was
defeated
in
its
third
reading
by
one
vote,
but
gay
activists
said
they
plan
to
continue
their
work
to
legalize
gay
partnerships
and
eliminate
discrimination
of
gay
Czechs,
media
outlets
reported.
