The saxofonist Yamile Burich, accompanied by her band integrated by the guitarist Sebastián Valsecchi, Sebastián Casaccio as bass and Nicolás Segura as drummer, voice by Suhel Mahmud were presented at the Cosmo Axel hotel bar Buenos Aires.

Axel Hotel Buenos Aires: http://www.axelhotels.com/buenosaires

Butter Party at Axel Hotel Berlin, June 2010.

www.axelhotels.com/berlin

The art comes to Axel Hotels Buenos Aires by the hand of the artist RAUL CONTI, come and discover the works of this artist born in Argentina in 1931 and a U.S. citizen since 1996.

Hands are shaken and pick up the Suns, flowering plants with roots above ground suggesting uprooted youth, bright yellow, the rebirth of corn or American sentiment, a broken color, the lonely death of the native Indian, plants, earth, fertility and rebellion are part of the wonderful world that reveals this great painter.

Raul Conti has made important individual exhibitions in Argentina, Panama, Colombia, United States, Spain and Puerto Rico. Between his works we can find pictures, aerotintas, serigraphs, etchings, tapestries, paintings and sculptures, over 50 years of work

On Wednesday April 28th at 19:30 at Axel Hotel Buenos Aires

“The issue is not their sexual orientation,” the spokesperson told me then. “It’s whether they are a good judge or not. It’s not even pertinent to the equation.”

That post, it turns out, caused quite a stir in religious right circles. And now the group has rather abruptly backtracked, releasing a new statement along these lines:

“We can assure you that we recognize that homosexual behavior is a sin and does not reflect God’s created intent and desire for humanity. Further, we at Focus do affirm that character and moral rectitude should be key considerations in appointing members of the judiciary, especially in the case of the highest court in the land. Sexual behavior — be it heterosexual or homosexual — certainly lies at the heart of personal morality.”

I wanted a bit more on this. So I asked the author of this statement, Tom Minnery, a senior vice president with the group, how this backtracking came about.

“I don’t think it’s correct to say we’re backtracking,” he told me. “We didn’t get it right the first time.”

Asked if the new statement meant that being homosexual is a deal-breaker, Minnery replied: “Someone who is a practicing homosexual is a non starter for the group.” Asked if this was the case no matter what the person’s views, he replied: “That’s correct.”

Pretty unequivocal. Now, as Steve Benen notes, there was always reason to be a bit skeptical of the group’s initial openness to supporting a gay SCOTUS nominee. But the group’s willingness to go on record at all along those lines had some gay activists glimpsing a possible cultural sea change way out there on the horizon.

Looks like that moment remains a long way off.

Original posting: http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/supreme-court/religious-right-group-we-cant-support-gay-scotus-no-matter-what-her-views-are/

At present, the party has no MPs, although leader Caroline Lucas MEP, standing for Brighton Pavilion, is its best hope of representation in parliament.

Keeping up the theme of “fairness”, as espoused by Labour and the Lib Dems’ manifestos, the document is titled ‘Fair is worth fighting for’.

The most notable LGBT policies are opening up civil partnerships and marriages to straight and gay couples and ending the gay blood donation ban.

Other policies include amending the Equality Act to protect LGBT people from harassment, removing equality law exemptions for faith schools and refusing visas and work permits to singers who condone homophobia.

On foreign issues, the Green Party says it would “support” gay movements in homophobic countries and ensure asylum for those fleeing homophobic persecution in line with asylum granted to other groups.

Caroline Lucas said: “We are delighted that our general election manifesto includes strong commitments to further extend the rights and freedoms of LGBT people.

“Much remains to be done to end homophobia and transphobia and the Greens are proposing further far-reaching reforms, most of which will cost little or nothing. We challenge the other parties to match our LGBT pledges.”

The Green Party’s human rights spokesperson, Peter Tatchell added: “The Green Party will go into the general election as the only party campaigning for full marriage and partnership equality.

“Our manifesto commitments show up the shortcomings of the other parties.”

Phelim Mac Cafferty, chair of LGBTGreens, attacked the Conservative Party and said they had “failed to commit” to gay-friendly promises made by David Cameron in the last week.

He said: “In Brighton Pavilion we are leading in the polls, ahead of the Tories who only this week have once again failed to commit to promises on gay marriage in their manifesto.”

The Greens are the only party to have pledged to legalise marriage for gay couples. Although Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg told PinkNews.co.uk earlier this year he supported full marriage equality, the promise is not in his party’s manifesto.

Instead, the Lib Dems say they will get tough on hate crime, end deportations of LGBT people to countries where they will face deportation, press for the recognition of civil partnerships around the world, broaden the legal definitions of transgendered people and aim to return more LGBT MPs to parliament.

Labour’s manifesto for the general election promises that more money will be invested in tackling homophobic bullying in schools if the party is returned to power, along with removing a ‘free speech’ amendment added to hate crime legislation and making sex education for children compulsory.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives’ manifesto, also published this week, contains only one issue which relates specifically to gay people – to include them in the party’s plans to reward marriages and civil partnerships in the tax system.

It does not include pledges on striking out convictions of men convicted of homosexuality offences or doing more to tackle homophobic bullying, both of which Mr Cameron made in the fall-out of the row his shadow home secretary Chris Grayling created when he said he agreed bed and breakfast owners should be allowed to bar gay couples.

Original post: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/04/15/green-party-makes-14-gay-friendly-election-promises/

Axel Hotel Barcelona is a heterofriendly boutique hotel in the center of Gayxample (Eixample), Barcelona. www.axelhotels.com/barcelona