Austria legalises same-sex marriage from 2019
Austria’s Constitutional Court has thrown out the predominantly Catholic country’s ban on marriage equality, describing it as discriminatory. Although same-sex couples have been allowed to register their partnerships since 2010, marriage has been defined as only being possible between ‘different sex’ partners. On Tuesday, the court backed a complaint by two women who were not […]
Man alleged to have raped lesbian teen TWICE to ‘turn her straight’ granted bail
Two men who are alleged to have brutally raped a young KwaZulu-Natal woman who identifies as a lesbian have been released on bail, reports the Gay & Lesbian Network (GLN). The 17-year-old girl from Watersmeet, just outside of Ladysmith, who is open about her sexual orientation (she identifies at a butch lesbian), was viciously attacked […]
Watch: Aussie MP proposes to boyfriend in parliament
In what could be a world first, an Australian MP has proposed to his same-sex partner while addressing parliament. During a debate on the introduction of a same-sex marriage bill, Liberal MP, Tim Wilson, 37, fought back tears as he thanked his partner, primary school teacher Ryan Bolger, 34, for the sacrifices he’d made for […]
Tanzania | Woman arrested, another on the run over same-sex kiss
Police in north-western Tanzania have arrested a woman and are hunting for another after they were filmed kissing and hugging at a party. The authorities targeted the first woman, who is from the town of Geita, after a video clip of the same-sex affection was shared on social media. The video is also said to […]
Fury as Anglican priest calls for prayers for Prince George to be gay
A call by a senior Scottish Episcopal Church minister for LGBTQ rights supporters to pray that Prince George turns out to be gay has been described as a “curse”. The Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth, head of St Mary’s Cathedral in Glasgow, suggested that if the young prince came out, this could finally make the Church of […]
What were they thinking? Gay couple face jail time for naked temple selfies
A gay American married couple are in serious trouble after they posed for semi-nude photos in front of a Buddhist temple in Thailand. Travis and Joseph Dasilva, both 38, were arrested at Don Mueang International Airport when they tried to leave the country on Tuesday night. The couple had earlier posted pictures on social media of […]
Nowhere to run | Crisis for ‘terrorised” LGBTI people in Central America
LGBTI people in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras are fleeing discrimination and gender-based violence in their countries, only to face further risks in Mexico and the USA. In a new report, Amnesty International says that gay men and trans women in particular are being targeted by criminal gangs and members of security forces in their […]
Gay adult film awards drops racist category after backlash
The GayVN Awards has responded to criticism that the gay adult film industry is riddled with racism and bigotry by dropping its “ethnic” category. Last week, porn performer Hugh Hunter declined his three nominations, pointing out that black, Latin and Asian actors had been excluded from leading categories such as Best Actor and Best Supporting […]
Army head urges troops to protect Zimbabwe from ‘foreign’ homosexuality
Adding to fears that LGBT people will continue to be oppressed in Zimbabwe, the country’s army chief has lashed out at homosexuality as a threat from the West. Speaking at a Culture Day celebration in Bulawayo on Monday, Zimbabwe National Army Commander Lieutenant-General Philip Valerio Sibanda called on over 1,000 graduating recruits to defend the […]
Gay fans warned of danger at Russia World Cup
Football anti-discrimination group Fare had admitted that gay and lesbian fans may be at risk if they show public affection while attending next year’s World Cup in Russia. The group’s executive director, Piara Powar, announced that it will publish a guide to help LGBT attendees better understand the dangers they may face. “The guide will […]