And the court has agreed to hear the petition.

In his petition, Sushil Kumar Kaushal said “even animals don’t indulge in such activities,” adding that allowing gay sex would help spread HIV/AIDS.

The latest development indicated that despite a recent Delhi High Court ruling, gays in India still face a long battle to gain acceptance – social and legal – in this deeply conservative country where even heterosexual sex is talked about in hushed tones.

“If such abnormality is permitted, then tomorrow people might seek permission for having sex with animals,” Kaushal said.

Wow. What a slap in the face to those who worked so hard to overturn the ban.

And in related news, India’s top television yoga expert Swami Baba Ramdev is also challenging the ruling, claiming homosexuality is a “disease” that can be cured by yoga.

Pardon me but what century is this?

Michael Jackson has died from cardiac arrest at age 50.

Love him or loathe him, Jackson’s talent was undeniable, and his contribution to pop music will likely never be matched. While I was never a huge fan, particularly in later years, I will still mourn his passing. Perhaps his most memorable video, and my favorite, below (excuse the ad at the front, but it was the best quality I could find):

As my partner so eloquently put after hearing the news… today we are “saddened by the passing of an Angel, and the death of a King.”

Good bye Farrah. Goodbye Michael. You will both be missed.

Former pinup girl and television actress Farrah Fawcett passed away from cancer today at the age of 62. Fawcett was best know for her role as Jill Munroe on the 70’s hit Charlies Angles, and for the iconic poster below which helped launched her career into stardom.

Her long time love Ryan O’Neil released the following statement:

“After a long and brave battle with cancer, our beloved Farrah has passed away. Although this is an extremely difficult time for her family and friends, we take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years and the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world.”

She will be missed.

A Fresno hospital has been asked to apologize, and adopt policy changes after a lesbian was denied access to her partner after she collapsed at the Meet in the Middle 4 Equality march last month. Teresa Rowe, and her partner Kristin Orbin, who suffered an epileptic seizure near the end of the 14 mile march, began to experience discrimination the moment the ambulance arrived.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) have sent a letter to the Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno on behalf of the couple, seeking an apology and the policy changes listed below:

1. Adopt a comprehensive visitation’ policy that:
   • Affirms all patients’ rights to have visitors, explicitly including same-sex partners and their children;
   • Outlines a clear process for determining when visitors will be restricted and how that decision will be communicated; and
   • Includes a grievance procedure in the case of visitation denial that can be acted on quickly in an emergency situation
2. Ensure that your hospitals’ non-discrimination policy explicitly describes LGBT individuals as a protected group;
3. Ensure that that your patients’ bill of rights explicitly describes the rights of LGBT patients;
4. Provide LGBT healthcare training to the Emergency Department staff at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno; and
5. Participate in the 2009 Healthcare Equality Index, an annual survey of healthcare industry policies and practices related to LGBT individuals and families.

The Community Regional Medical Center has until June 22, 2009 to respond to the letter or risk possible legal action. The hospital however has already issued a statement denying any wrongdoing.

Rowe and Orbin told their story to ABC7 in San Francisco. Watch: