Drake Attack Suspects Arrested (with thanks to Suzy Byrne) Irish gardai have arrested two men and charged them with beating and robbing U.S. writer, editor and literary agent Robert Drake. Drake was found on January 31 in the home in Sligo where he recently moved to research a novel, unconscious from severe head injuries. He has been hospitalized in Dublin in critical condition ever since. The two men, Ian Monaghan and Glen Mahon, later made a statement to police but were not held; they had alleged that they were defending themselves against a "homosexual pass" by Drake. Now they have been released on $14,000 bail each and will appear in court on March 18.
If the national prosecution service wins convictions against them on the charge of "causing serious harm," it could mean anything from a fine to a life sentence. Drake's friends in the U.S. continue to raise funds in the hopes of bringing him back for treatment at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where his physician partner, Scott Pretorius, is on staff.
[Ed. Note: Contributions may be sent to the Robert Drake Fund in care of the "Baltimore Alternative" (a periodical Drake wrote reviews for) at Box 2351, Baltimore, MD 21203.]
Costa Rica Group Loses Lawsuit
Costa Rica's gay and lesbian and AIDS advocacy organization Triangulo Rosa on February 26 lost a second lawsuit charging civil rights violations against public figures whose outspoken opposition in August forced the cancellation of a planned gay and lesbian festival in Quepos out of fear of violence against participants. The suit was filed against Minor de Jesus Calvo, a Roman Catholic priest who makes frequent media appearances. Calvo had used radio and television to call the festival "debauchery" and homosexual relationships "against nature" and "corrupt and loose," and to urge his audience to actively lobby and demonstrate in opposition. Triangulo Rosa president Francisco Madrigal called the ruling "a setback."
Triangulo Rosa's first lawsuit had been against Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Jose Roman Arrieta Villalobos; it was dismissed February 4 by a judge who affirmed the right to assembly but also the Archbishop's right to preach, and concluded that the festival "was not going to bring anything positive to the country." The group has also filed a complaint against Costa Rican President Dr. Miguel Angel Rodriguez.
Jamaica Resists EU on Rights
The European Union (EU) has increasingly proposed linking trade and aid agreements with civil rights, particularly sodomy law and death penalty repeal, but Jamaica announced its continued defiance on February 24. State Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Anthony Hylton held a press conference to say, "They have expressed their preferences, but we have set out our policy, which is dialogue yes, dictation no!" He said, "We will not allow [our laws] to become a condition of any negotiation. There is no consensus in the country on hanging, but it's the law. So too is the situation with homosexuality, which is illegal here. We see this as an attempt by Europe to influence our positions in other areas."
The EU proposals have been raised both at last month's meeting of the Central Negotiating Group in Dakar, Senegal regarding African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states' relations with the EU, and at the World Trade Organization - EU Roundtable negotiations in Brussels, which Hylton attended.
