In Brief

PM WANTS BAN

John Howard has indicated he would like to see immigrants or refugees with communicable conditions, such as HIV, banned from settling in Australia. His views come after the National Audit Office found that the Immigration Department has knowingly approved visas for migrants with serious diseases, despite authorities’ inability to monitor them. Mr Howard told Macquarie Radio, “My view is the best result is that no one with those sorts of ailments is allowed into the country.”

SAVAGE PRIDE

Former Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes is to headline London’s Pride festival, organisers have confirmed. Hayes will join gay rapper QBoy and perpetual Pride performer Jimmy Somerville on the main stage in Trafalgar Square on Saturday 30 June.

SA GETS EQUAL

Laws recognising South Australian same-sex couples as domestic partners came into effect this week. The legislation will enable automatic property, inheritance and next of kin rights for couples, gay and heterosexual, who have been in a relationship for three years or more. South Australia was the last state to recognise same-sex de facto couples. Human Rights Commissioner Graeme Innes praised the laws for introducing fairness. Innes’s report into financial discrimination against same-sex couples in federal law has been provided to attorney-general Philip Ruddock, and will be publicly launched on 22 June.

NEW UNIONS

New Hampshire has become the eighth US state to grant partnership rights to same-sex couples. Democrat governor John Lynch signed a law last Thursday bringing in civil unions granting gay couples the same rights as married couples. The openly gay Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, the Reverend V. Gene Robinson, has said he and his partner would take advantage of the new law.

PEACEFUL MARCH

A week after gay rights protesters were beaten by police in Moscow, a Pride march in the former Soviet state of Latvia passed off without incident last Sunday. The parade, held in the capital city of Riga, attracted 400 people.

NO KISSING

A Polish television station has cut a scene from hit TV comedy series Little Britain that showed a gay vicar kissing his boyfriend, ABC News reported. The sketch featured the character Daffyd who claims to be the only gay in the village. A spokesperson for state broadcaster TVP said the show was “sometimes incomprehensible for the Polish public”.

SOCCER CHAMPS

The International Gay and Lesbian Football Association has announced the 2008 World Championships will be held in London and hosted by Leftfooters football club. This year’s championships take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina.