Gay Humanist Website Leads the Way

The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) has become one of the first organisations in the world to convert its website to the latest standard for web pages, the Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML). Officially endorsed on 26 January this year, XHTML paves the way for access to the World Wide Web through the new generation of hand-held and other devices which some estimates indicate will account for 75% of all Internet document viewing by 2002.

The GALHA site provides access to a growing online collection of material from the Gay and Lesbian Humanist magazine, selected for its general interest both to lesbians and gay men and to humanists and other freethinkers. The most recent additions include two series of articles, one dealing with lesbian and gay Affirmation Ceremonies, the other on the topic of Humanism and Homosexuality in the Netherlands.

Non-religious affirmation ceremonies celebrating love and commitment between lesbian or gay partners have been available in the UK since 1987, arranged originally by GALHA and since 1996 by its associated charity, the Pink Triangle Trust. The series of articles on the website charts the development and ever-growing popularity of the ceremonies over this period.

The Dutch have long had a reputation as one of the world’s most liberal and enlightened societies. The Netherlands also has a tradition of humanism and for many years was home to the headquarters of the International Humanist and Ethical Union. The second series of articles gives an insight into the history of the country and the way in which the development of the social climate we see today has gone hand-in-hand with the rise of humanism as an influence in the land.

Another popular feature of GALHA’s website is the Online Bookstore. This includes a range of books, each linked to a detailed and high-quality review, which again are likely to be of interest both to lesbians and gay men and to humanists and other freethinkers.

Visit the GALHA site at http://www.galha.org.