World Family Policy Center Newsletter

* News relative to protecting the family worldwide *

Volume 3 Issue 12 - April 5, 2004

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QUOTE OF THE DAY: “ Over three thousand people representing

many nations, religions and cultures gathered in Mexico City for the

largest conference ever held in defense of the family, the World Congress

of Families III. Participants, who sometimes wage a lonely struggle in

defense of life, marriage and the natural family, went home inspired and

energized recognizing that a huge 'pro- family army' is mobilizing around

the globe."

—Ambassador Ellen Sauerbrey, United States Ambassador to

the UN Commission on the Status of Women, April 5, 2004

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Today’s Contents:

A. Featured Articles:

1. Mass Lawmakers Ban Gay Marriage, Grant Civil Unions

2. Afrobarometer HIV/AIDS

3. Study: Asian Suicide Rate Higher in Women

4. Brazil To Launch Program On Gay Rights

5. Bush Signs Unborn Victims Act

B. Coming Events

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FEATURED ARTICLES

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1. Mass Lawmakers Ban Gay Marriage, Grant Civil Unions

Mon Mar 29, 2004 08:17 PM ET

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss

BOSTON (Reuters) - Massachusetts lawmakers on Monday ended

seven weeks of emotionally charged debate by agreeing to ban -- for

this year at least -- gay marriage while granting same-sex couples

similar rights under civil unions.

In a 105 to 92 vote, legislators ended a third marathon session of often

tearful and impassioned debate to accept a compromise amendment,

hammered out by senior Senate leaders, that may alter the nation's

oldest constitution in 2006.

Responding to last year's state court ruling that will allow same-sex

couples to marry after May 17, lawmakers cleared a first hurdle but

will have to vote on Monday's amendment again in 2005 and put it

to a public vote in 2006 before it could become law.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=4692769

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2. Afrobarometer HIV/AIDS

IDASA, 2004-04-01

Afrobarometer Briefing Paper No. 12

Across fifteen countries surveyed in Round 2 of the Afrobarometer,

our data indicate that large proportions of people (especially in East

and Southern Africa) have either lost family or friends to AIDS, or

suffer under the burdens of AIDS by caring for sick family members

or orphans. Yet despite exposure to the pandemic, we find that ordinary

Africans have not yet grasped its full collective social, economic or

political significance. Poor people demote AIDS to a low priority

problem behind more immediately pressing concerns like jobs or

hunger. Citizens are undecided about whether their governments

should divert scarce resources from these and other important priorities

to fight the AIDS epidemic in their country.

To access full document:

http://www.idasa.org.za/

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3. Study: Asian Suicide Rate Higher in Women

Thu Apr 1,10:52 PM ET

By EMMA ROSS, AP Medical Writer

LONDON - Although suicide rates around the world are about

three times higher for men than women, evidence is mounting

that in developing countries in Asia, suicide is far more common

among young women than men.

In a study this week in The Lancet medical journal, researchers

give the first picture of suicide among young people in India. In

a region near Vellore in southern India, more than twice as many

young women aged 10 to 19 committed suicide as men in the same

age group.

The study found the average suicide rate for women in that age group was 148 per 100,000, compared with 58 suicides per 100,000 men.

Globally, the suicide rate for men is about 24 per 100,000, and about 6.8 per 100,000 for women.

To read entire article:

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040402/ap_on_re_as/asian_suicide_2

4. Brazil To Launch Program On Gay Rights

U.N. Wire

Friday, April 2, 2004

After withdrawing a U.N. resolution earlier this week that would

condemn discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, the

Brazilian government announced it will launch on April 16 a

program on gay rights in the country (Agencia Estado/Yahoo!

Noticias, April 1, U.N. Wire translation).

Brazil withdrew the U.N. resolution on Monday saying at a meeting

of the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva that for the

second consecutive year, the text did not have sufficient international

support, especially from Islamic countries (U.N. Wire, March 30).

To read entire article:

http://www.unwire.org/UNWire/20040402/449_22415.asp

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5. Bush Signs Unborn Victims Act

Federal Law Establishes 2 Crimes Against Pregnant Women

By Amy Goldstein

Washington Post Staff Writer

Friday, April 2, 2004; Page A04

President Bush yesterday signed legislation, sought by social

conservatives for years, that elevates the rights of fetuses by

making it a separate offense to harm an "unborn child" while

committing a violent federal crime against a pregnant woman.

The law is entangled in the politics of abortion, but Bush side-

stepped the larger controversy, portraying the hard-fought measure

as a matter of criminal justice. "As of today, the law of our nation

will acknowledge the plain fact that crimes of violence against a

pregnant woman often have two victims," the president said.

To read entire article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43285-2004Apr1.html

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COMING EVENTS

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Note: The preceding excerpts are highlights of current events and do not

necessarily represent the views of the World Family Policy Center

or Brigham Young University.

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Newsletter created and distributed by:

World Family Policy Center

J. Reuben Clark Law School

Brigham Young University

Managing Director: Richard Wilkins

Executive Director: A. Scott Loveless

Newsletter Editors: Gary B. Lundberg and Joy S. Lundberg

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circulated through the WFPC News network, you may submit them to

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