NEWS

Miss Spain Pageant To Allow Transsexuals To Compete
by The Associated Press

The Miss Spain beauty contest has changed its rules to allow transsexuals and women who are mothers to compete for the title after its decision to dethrone a 22-year-old beauty queen because she had a child.Angela Bustillo, 22 and mother of a three-year-old boy, had won the title of Miss Cantabria _ a region of northern Spain _ in January, making her eligible to go on for Miss Spain. But on Feb. 13 organizers took the crown away, citing a clause in the regional contest that says contestants cannot have children or be pregnant.The decision sparked criticism in the Spanish media and Bustillo filed a lawsuit against Miss Spain organizers citing discrimination as male contestants in beauty pageants are not excluded because of paternity.Even the Spanish government rallied to her side demanding that organizers give her back her crown, saying that motherhood could not be used as grounds for discrimination.Miss Espana organizers now say they are changing the rules for mothers and transsexuals with the aim of avoiding any discrimination among candidates.


Jerusalem Anti-Gay Demonstration Turns Violent
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Seven police officers were injured when members of an ultra-Orthodox sect staging a rally Sunday night to protest this week's gay pride parade in Jerusalem began throwing rocks and stones at them.
More than 10,000 haredi took part in the rally, far fewer than the 100,000 organizers had predicted would turn out. The sect had been given a police permit for the rally - to let sect members vent their anger over a decision to allow the gay parade to take place on Thursday.


Colombia passes civil unions
(The Advocate)

Colombia's legislative body voted 62–43 to extend health care, social security, and inheritance benefits to same-sex couples, making it the first South American country to give such rights to gay couples. The vote last Thursday was the result of a long lobbying effort by LGBT activists, according to The Washington Post. Canada is the only other nation in the Americas to offer such benefits to same-sex couples on a federal level.

"I think this is an incredible victory that should resonate across both continents, north and south," Human Rights Watch director Scott Long said, according to the Post. "It should definitely be an example to the United States. Colombia is a country that's Catholic, with a conservative government, and they still recognize that this is the right thing to do.

Beauty, Lancôme Loves Men
by Bernardo van Eekhout, in Lifestyle & Fashion

Nothing will be more effective in the battle against so-called love handles than a solid number of sit-ups every week. So that’s exactly the training program Biotherm packed in with their bottle of Abdosculpt. Biotherm Homme’s first body gel has a double impact: weight reduction as well as firming the skin. It stimulates the breaking down of fat and tightens the skin. Active ingredients and special acids stimulate the natural peeling of the skin so that caffeine and other substances which help you lose weight can do their work.