Call to NOT boycott Bermuda over same-sex marriage reversal
In the wake of a legal challenge against Bermuda’s reversal of same-sex marriage rights, an international LGBTQ group has rejected calls for a tourist boycott of the island. Last week, Rod Ferguson, a gay Bermudian living in the US, filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court arguing that the new Domestic Partnership Act is unconstitutional. […]
Hate crimes petition handed to SA Justice Department
Thousands of people have called on South Africa’s Department of Justice to submit the long-pending hate crimes bill to Cabinet. On Wednesday, the Hates Crimes Working Group (HCWG) together with AllOut delivered a petition signed by 21 519 individuals to the department, calling for the bill to be moved forward. It has been over a […]
Gay Western Cape man says he was beaten and raped in rehab
A Mitchells Plain man has alleged that he was abused, beaten and raped at a Cape Flats rehabilitation centre because he is gay. According to the Daily Voice, 36-year-old Aasim (not his real name) entered a programme at the Akhbar Rehabilitation Centre in Schaapkraal eight months ago to treat his addiction to heroin. Aasim, who […]
USA | Religious exemption laws threaten LGBT equality
Human Rights Watch has warned that “religious exemption” laws passed by state legislatures around the United States are “a thinly-veiled assault” against the rights of LGBT people. The organisation said in a new report that, in the absence of robust non-discrimination protections, these laws function as a license to discriminate rather than a good faith […]
“It’s your life!” Gay Valentine video school teen speaks out
One of the Western Cape schoolboys seen in a heartwarming Valentine’s Day viral video has opened up about inspiring other gay youth. The video, shot at a high school on Valentine’s Day last week, shows a teenage boy in uniform, waiting outside a classroom with a balloon, red roses and a gift bag. His surprised […]
Kenya | Historic bid to strike down gay ban in court
Kenya’s High Court will this week hear a historic challenge against colonial-era laws that target the country’s LGBT community. On 22 and 23 February, rights group the Kenyan National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) will argue that sections of the Kenyan Penal Code are in breach of the constitution and deny basic rights to Kenyan […]
Russia | Only Putin can save you from the gays
A homophobic video urging Russians to vote for President Putin in the upcoming election or face having gays move in with them has been watched by millions. In the video, a middle-aged man, played by well-known Russian actor Sergei Burunov, debates the value of voting with his wife as they get ready for bed. In a […]
LGBTIQ+ activists protest ‘Inxeba’ ban at FPB meeting
LGBTIQ+ and free speech activists have staged a demonstration against Inxeba’s ban at a meeting of the Film & Publication Board (FPB). On Monday, the activists attended a public consultation on the FPB’s classification review process at Gallagher Estate in Johannesburg. The gathering was one of a series around the country that aimed to engage […]
Gus Kenworthy kissed his boyfriend at the Olympics and made history
It was just a quick kiss between two men in love at the Olympic Games, but for the still conservative sports world – and the American viewing public – it was a huge deal. On Sunday, NBC was broadcasting live as openly gay American Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy prepared for his qualifying run at the […]
Death threats, homophobia and boycotts over Tom Daley baby news
The announcement by Tom Daley and his husband Dustin Lance Black that they are having a baby has been met with a homophobic backlash against the family. While the response to the happy news was largely positive, a stream of abusive reactions online and in the mainstream media made it clear that anti-LGBTQ bigotry remains […]