Was Gandhi gay? Correspondence between Gandhi and friend fuel speculation about nature of relationship

Letters between Indian leader Gandhi and his bodybuilding friend have fueled speculation about their true relationship, which may be shocking for countless admirers of otherwise legendary Indian leader Gandhi.

Lovers? Mahatma Gandhi (left) and Hermann Kallenbach (right) sit either side of a female companion

They detail his close friendship with a South African bodybuilder, Hermann Kallenbach, with some suggesting the pair may have had a physical relationship, reports Mail Online.

One, handwritten to Kallenbach, is addressed to ‘My dear Lower House’ and signed ‘Sinly yours, Upper House’.

Kallenbach, a German-born Jewish architect, lived with Gandhi in Johannesburg for about two years from 1907 – a year after Gandhi took a public vow of celibacy.The relationship between Gandhi and the wealthy South African was chronicled in a book two years ago by Joseph Lelyveld, former editor of the New York Times.

Read more about it this rather controversial issue: Mail Online
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Malaysia Opposition demand banning Gay Elton John from performing in Malaysia

Head of the youth wing of the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic party (PAS) Nasruding Hassan Tantawi has demanded that Elton John's concert "must be cancelled".

Elton John Photo: AP

"Artists who are involved in gay and lesbian activities must not be allowed to perform in Malaysia as they will promote the wrong values," he said.

Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia, where almost two-thirds of the 28 million population are Muslim, and is punishable by caning and up to 20 years in prison.

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John, who is scheduled to perform at a resort outside of Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, is an outspoken supporter of gay and lesbian rights. In 2005, he married his partner David Furnish in a civil ceremony and in 2010 they became parents to a son born to a surrogate mother.

Read more about it at: The Telegraph
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Gift of being Gay: Rise in sexually transmitted diseases blamed on reckless men under 25

New cases of sexually-transmitted diseases have risen in the past year because of  unsafe sex among young  heterosexuals and gay men, figures reveal.

Diagnoses in England rose by 2 per cent from 419,773 cases in 2010 to 426,867 last year. The steepest rise was in gonorrhoea, which leapt 25 per cent from 16,835 cases to 20,965.

This was followed by diagnoses of syphilis, which rose by 10 per cent from 2,650 to 2,915. Genital herpes rose by 5 per cent from 29,794 to 31,154.

The Health Protection Agency said there was a ‘significant rise’ in the number of diagnoses among gay men.

Read details: Daily Mail

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Santorum tangles with voters over gay marriage

[ via LA Times ] 6 Jan

Santorum tangles with voters over gay marriage

In town hall meetings across the southern portion of New Hampshire on Friday, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum continued to tangle with voters over the social issues that shaped his image on the national political stage long before he vaulted into prominence this week as a rival to GOP presidential front-runner Mitt Romney.

At Dublin School, a private ninth- to 12th-grade boarding school whose headmaster said the audience included three children of gay parents, Santorum’s voice dropped and became emotional as he argued that only a man and woman should have the “privilege” and “honor” of marrying.

Read more:  LA Times

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Washington governor backs gay marriages

[ via Huffington Post ] 5 Jan

Washington governor Chris Gregoire announced her support for gay marriage legislation on Wednesday, potentially putting the state on track to become the nation's seventh to fully recognize same-sex unions.

Democrat Gregoire, in the final year of her second term, is backing legislation to be introduced before the Washington state legislature, which reconvenes next week.

"It is time in Washington state for marriage equality," said Gregoire at a media conference in the state capital of Olympia. "It is time, it's the right thing to do."


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USA: Abortion, LGBT And Immigration Measures Set To Take Effect in 2012

[ via Huffington Post ] 29 Dec

Girls seeking abortions in New Hampshire must first tell their parents or a judge, employers in Alabama must verify new workers' U.S. residency, and California students will be the first in the country to receive mandatory lessons about the contributions of gays and lesbians under the set of state laws set to take effect at the start of 2012.

Many laws reflect the nation's concerns over immigration, the cost of government and the best way to protect and benefit young people, including regulations on sports concussions.

The laws have attracted mixed response from various segments of the society. For instance:

A California law will add gays and lesbians and people with disabilities to the list of social and ethnic groups whose contributions must be taught in history lessons in public schools. The law also bans teaching materials that reflect poorly on gays or particular religions.

Opponents have filed five potential initiatives to repeal the requirement outright or let parents remove their children while gays' contributions are being taught.

Read the full post by Huffington Post as the list of these laws, some very controversial, is too long to be mentioned here.

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