NewsWrap for the week ending February 18, 2012

SUMMARY

Talk to the Hand - The UN's Organization of Islamic Cooperation notifies the world body's top human rights agencies that its 56-member nations object to the scheduled March 7th meeting on violence against sexual minorities because "abnormal sexual behavior" has "nothing to do with fundamental human rights" …

The Race Stops Here - Libya's newly-reinstated delegate tells the UN Human Rights Council that promoting LGBT rights threatens "the continuation and reproduction of the human race" …

Not in My Backyard - Tunisia's Human Rights Minister tells a national TV audience that sexual minorities have no rights in his country, and Gambia's President says recognizing the rights of LGBT people would "destroy our culture" …

Raid on Entebbe - Uganda's Minister for Ethics and Integrity leads a police raid on what local media describe as "a secret gay rights activists conference" in Entebbe …

Kill 'Em Here, Too - Liberia's former first lady and now senator follows Uganda's lead by introducing a bill to punish gay sex with execution …

Menage A Trois - three bills to open civil marriage to same-gender couples are introduced in Australia's parliament …

Patch Applied - the Canadian government makes good on a promise to close a legal loophole that questions the legitimacy of marriages of foreign lesbian and gay couples performed there …

Don't Ask, Don't DOMA - the U.S. Justice Department advises Congress that it will not defend the Defense of Marriage Act, which bans federal recognition of same-gender unions, in lawsuits demanding equal military benefits for married gay and lesbian service members …

Next Stop, Marry-land - with passage in Maryland's House of Delegates, a marriage equality bill clears what most believe to have been its biggest hurdle and sets the stage for the U.S. state to become the eighth to open civil marriage to lesbian and gay couples …

Garden Snake - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie makes good on his vow to veto a marriage equality bill approved by both legislative chambers, and repeats his call for a public vote on the issue ….

Read the complete NewsWrap text ... or listen to this week's podcast.