Latin America, Israeli blood and a tweeting air force

Your Daily Package of newsy and naughty bits from around the world

Inter-American court orders countries to accept equal marriage

The Costa Rican–based Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ordered its signatory countries, most of Latin America, to recognize same-sex marriage. Costa Rica says it will comply with the ruling, but other conservative countries are scrambling to find a way out. [Agence France-Presse]

Israeli gay men may donate blood

Israeli gay men may now freely donate blood, although it will pass through a special testing process before entering the supply. Formerly, gay men had to be celibate for a year before donating. [JTA]

LGBT rights take centre stage in Korean reforms

As South Korea struggles over its future through a reform of the country’s constitution, LGBT rights have become a key issue, with a powerful Christian lobby facing off against a budding gay movement. [Korea Expose]

Saudi Arabia arrests men over wedding scene

Police in Saudi Arabia say they have arrested several men who appeared in an online video of a wedding scene involving two men. [BBC]

Indonesian Air Force sparks Twitter fight

When the official Twitter account of the Indonesian Air Force declared that LGBT recruits would not be considered because they were not mentally healthy, it started an online debate between its followers. [Straits Times]

Niko Bell

Niko Bell is a writer, editor and translator from Vancouver. He writes about sexual health, science, food and language.

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