Fridae

Pope slams gay marriage

Vatican City - Pope John Paul launched yet another tirade against same-sex marriage saying that it is an attack on the fabric of society and called on Catholics to combat what he said was an "aggressive attempt (by gays) to legally undermine the family." While delivering his pre-Christmas message on Saturday, the 84-year-old said: "Attacks on marriage and the family, from an ideological and legal aspect, are becoming stronger and more radical every day. Those who destroy this fundamental fabric cause a profound injury to society and provoke often irreparable damage."

The Pope also condemned abortion, artificial procreation and equal status for cohabiting couples as undermining the marital state. "These things that are presented as civilised progress or scientific conquests, in many cases are in fact a defeat for the dignity of human life and for society," his statement read.

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Critics in fury as book claim Lincoln was gay
United States - A new biography that claims Abraham Lincoln was bisexual or gay has provoked fierce criticism especially from the US Republican camp. The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln by psychology professor Clarence Tripp, released by Simon & Schuster in January 2005, says the sixteenth president of America who won the American civil war and ended slavery had affairs with young men.

Although gay campaigners have made similar claims in the past, this is the first time the issued is being thrust into the mainstream. Tripp wrote that despite having a wife and having four children, Lincoln had a passionate affair with Joshua Speed, a neighbour with whom he shared a bed for four years while in his late teens. Tripp also focused on Lincoln's friendship with David Derickson, the captain of his bodyguards. The book contains an extract from a regimental history reporting that Captain Derickson often slept in the same bed as Lincoln.

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China's gays know little about AIDS: survey
Harbin, China - A report in the state run Xinhuanet reported that according to the country's first ever survey on homosexuals, at least 80 percent of China's estimated five to 10 million gays mistakenly believe they are safe from HIV/AIDS. Conducted by the center of AIDS control and prevention under the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with its branch office in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, they survey, found 80.6 percent of the gay men are totally ignorant of their exposure to the virus or underestimate the risk.

Lu Fan, chief of the center of AIDS control and prevention, said that among all sexually active Chinese men, approximately two to four percent are gays, and as many as 1.35 percent of those are infected with the AIDS virus. "The gay community is one of the most vulnerable groups but they have long been ignored in China," said Lu. Infection rates among gay men were expected to rise rapidly unless prevention efforts were taken because many of them have extremely limited knowledge of the disease, practice unprotected sex and have multiple sex partners, he added. The survey revealed that about 50 percent of Chinese gays have more than one partner and some have had more than 100.

Researchers also found that 17.4 percent of MSM also have female partners and 12.6 percent of them who are married have increased the likelihood for the virus to spread to heterosexuals and their offspring. Lu urged public health authorities and the general public to have a balanced attitude toward the homosexuals and make HIV/AIDS knowledge more available. The survey was conducted in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang and information was largely collected from pubs, parks, public bathrooms, squares, cyber cafes and other public places from unspecified number of men.

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Ellen DeGeneres spilts with girlfriend
Los Angeles, US - Out Hollywood star Ellen DeGeneres has broken up with her partner of almost four years. The star had issued a statement exclusively to The Advocate magazine as the news of their spilt came days before her upcoming year-end cover story in the magazine with now ex-partner Alexandra Hedison was due to hit the newstands. DeGeneres said she regrets that readers will be confused by the timing of her breakup and expressed her continuing love for Hedison despite their split.

Both women said that the timing of the magazine's publication was unfortunate but that the split was unforeseen. "The one thing I regret about this cover story is that it will be confusing for people to read and not understand what is going on," DeGeneres said.

"My life was documented by Alex for The Advocate. That was the first time we had done anything like this. Who knew that the publication and timing of it would prove to be bittersweet?" Hedison added, "I would never have done this story if I had thought we would not be together today." The 46-year-old DeGeneres said: "Life is full of surprises, and no one knows what tomorrow brings. This is not easy, but we are really working on handling this in a healthy, private way. And it should go without saying that we continue to respect and honour one another. We both supported and helped each other through some very hard times, and that support is still there."

The story of DeGeneres's split with Hedison broke publicly on Friday, December 10 while the New York Post's Page Six column linked Degeneres to Arrested Development and former Ally McBeal star Portia de Rossi the following Monday.

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Erasure's Bell reveals he has HIV
Erasure singer Andy Bell has revealed he is HIV positive. In a statement posted on Erasure's website (www.erasureinfo.com) on Dec 14, the 40-year-old said he had been diagnosed with the virus that causes AIDS in 1998. A spokesperson for Bell said the singer has admitted his condition because he plans to speak out and educate young people about HIV and AIDS.

"Being HIV does not mean that you have Aids. My life expectancy should be the same as anyone else's so there is no need to panic� There is still so much hysteria and ignorance surrounding HIV and Aids. Let's just get on with life." He added that he has been taking combination therapy since his diagnosis. His long-time partner Paul Hickey, who has also been tested positive for the virus, has written about the singer's condition in a book due to be published next year. Bell and former Depeche Mode keyboardist Vince Clarke formed Erasure in 1985 and have had hits including "A Little Respect," "Sometimes" and "Ship of Fools."

The duo will release a new album, Nightbird, in January and are due to embark on a European tour in February next year; followed by a US leg of 10-15 cities in April and May.

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