Exodus Ministry Loses Tax Exempt Status In New Zealand Because Homosexuality Does Not Need Curing, Australian Christian Lobby Urges Legislators To Reject Bill Allowing Gay Couples To Adopt, South African Sues Rotary Club Alleging Anti-Gay Sentiment, Authorities Argue British Spy Gareth William Was Straight

Exodus Ministries Trust Board, the New Zealand charter of the American-based Exodus Global Alliance, which claims that they are able to “cure” homosexuality, has had their charitable status revoked by the Charities Commission because the trust was not performing any public benefit because homosexuality is not a mental disorder and does not require curing. In making the ruling, the commission referenced an opinion by the American Psychological Association that there exists little evidence that homosexuality can be cured, and that attempts to do cause damage.

The Australian Christian Lobby is urging MP’s to reject a bill before Parliament that would allow adoption rights to same sex couples. The bill was introduced in June, and as MPs return from a winter recess, the bill will likely be debated Thursday in the lower house. David Nutt, a director of the ACL, called the bill “social engineering” that wilfully ignored the interest of the children. “This is not,” he said,” a gay rights issue – it is, as adoption always is, about the rights of the child.”

Rhett Gardener, an attorney at the Special Investigating Unit in South Africa, argues that he was forced to resign from one Rotary Club and subsequently denied membership in two other because he is gay. Gardener, who has filed a lawsuit, has been a Rotarian since 1996, but says that in May, 2007 another member of the Rotary Club of Pretoria West sent an e-mail suggested that other members had resigned because of Gardener’s “extramural activities.” Gardener says that “As a result of the homophobic attitude of prominent RCPW members I was, after months of extreme awkwardness and tension, forced to resign my club membership.” He applied to two other chapters, but was told that his application was again denied by members allegedly objected to his sexual orientation, and threatened to quit. The clubs and the members denied any and all wrongdoing, and dismiss claims of an anti-gay climate, and argue that the problems arose after Gardener treated the clubs as his “personal domain,” and said that they were objections with the “autocratic fashion with which Gardener was attempting to control the Rotary Club.”

Authorities in England allege that there exists no evidence murdered M16 spy Gareth Williams was gay, agreeing with his family and friends, who were “furious” at suggestions that 30 year old was gay and was involved a series of sadomasochistic affairs.