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Australia’s ruling party endorses gay marriage

SYDNEY — Australia’s ruling party voted Saturday <December 3rd> to endorse same-sex marriage, a reversal of its long-standing position that has little practical effect on the chance of gay marriage being legalized in the country.

The impact of the vote at the center-left Labor Party’s annual conference was diluted by the party’s endorsement of a motion by Prime Minister Julia Gillard to allow lawmakers to make a “conscience vote” on bills attempting to legalize gay marriage. That means legislators can vote on the issue according to their personal beliefs rather than being forced to vote in line with the party’s official position.

Gillard’s government holds a wafer-thin majority in Parliament over the conservative Liberal Party — which opposes same-sex marriage — and several Labor members personally oppose gay marriage. So any bill proposing to legalize gay marriage will still face a tough battle.

Recent polls show a majority of Australians favor allowing same-sex marriage, and several Australian states already permit civil unions between gay couples. But Gillard opposes any changes to Australia’s Marriage Act, which prohibits same-sex marriage.

She called the party’s support of the conscience vote “the right decision,” but brushed off questions about its endorsement of the policy change.

“My focus was on the conscience vote and people should be able to vote in accordance with their conscience — and certainly now they will,” Gillard said.

Marriage equality advocates said they were disappointed with the conscience vote, but praised the policy change as historic.

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(Reuters) – A ballot initiative requiring Los Angeles porn actors to wear condoms has qualified to go before city voters in a presidential primary election in June, organizers said on Tuesday.

America’s second-largest city is home to the multibillion dollar U.S. porn industry, which health advocates say is riddled with sexually transmitted diseases.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation said the city clerk certified the over 71,000 signatures it helped collect, far more than the 41,000 needed for the ballot initiative.

“There are thousands of STDs in this industry,” said Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, adding that jurisdictions pass the issue around like a hot potato.

“It’s the ick factor. They don’t want to deal with this because it’s sex, and because it’s porn,” he said.

Weinstein compared the measure to other public health laws that the city enforces, like those regulating massage parlors and smoking in public.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has issued over $125,000 in fines against porn producers in the past five years for various violations, but some of those citations are on appeal, according to figures from the agency.

Despite facing fines, most major porn companies continue to film without condoms.

“History has shown us that regulating sexual behavior between consenting adults does not work,” said Diane Duke, executive director of Free Speech Coalition, the trade association for the adult entertainment industry.

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Brent Corrigan’s Oral Exam

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN1AbMHwCsM

See more on www.dcfukit.org.

Brent Corrigan’s Oral Exam

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN1AbMHwCsM

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Brent Corrigan’s Oral Exam

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN1AbMHwCsM

Veja mais em www.dcfukit.org

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