Gauteng gay clubbing shock: Babylon & Industry shut down
Gauteng’s once thriving gay clubbing scene continues on the decline. Babylon, one of the leading gay clubs in the province, has unexpectedly shut its doors, just weeks after the closure of Industry. Bruce Walker, veteran party promoter and creator of the iconic Centurion nightclub, confirmed to Mambaonline that Babylon the Club is no longer open. “It closed […]
‘Gay because of absent father’ theory makes headlines
The discredited belief that not having a loving father can lead to boys becoming gay has been raised in the South African media again. Last week, the Sowetan ran an interview with social media star Thulasizwe ‘LaSizwe’ Dambuza in which he was quoted as saying that he became gay because of an absent father. Dambuza, […]
Pink Loerie defies fires & bigots to return to Knysna in 2018
The Pink Loerie Mardi Gras and Arts Festival is fluffing out its tail feathers as it confirms it will return to Knysna in 2018 with a new committee and an expanded programme. In the wake of the Knysna Fires (blamed by some religious bigots on gay weddings, nogal!) the annual Pink Loerie Mardi Gras and […]
KZN Health MEC’s wife says young gay people possessed by evil spirits
As activists work to reduce LGBT stigma in the health sector, the wife of KZN’s MEC for Health has unbelievably used the launch of an HIV youth programme to say that gay people are possessed. According to a 9 June report by Berea Mail, Mrs Nono Dhlomo earlier this month attended the launch of the Cato […]
Queen says Britain will continue to protect LGBT people
In a rare mention of LGBT equality, Queen Elizabeth II has vowed that Britain will not back down on LGBT rights, despite Brexit. The British monarch made the commitment during her speech on Wednesday in parliament, outlining the government’s plans for the next two years, following the recent elections. The poll led to Theresa May’s Conservative Party […]
Kenya bans LGBT-affirming cartoon shows on DSTV
DSTV has been ordered by Kenya’s homophobic and transphobic censors to immediately block six cartoon series for “promoting the deviant LGBT agenda”. The LGBT-affirming shows include Loud House, The Legend of Korra, Hey Arnold, Steven Universe, Adventure Time and Clarence, which are broadcast on the Nickelodeon (DStv 305) and Cartoon Network (DStv 301) channels. The […]
Here’s South Africa’s first drag reality TV show
Well known Gauteng drag star Betty Bangles is getting her own reality show in which she’ll groom three aspiring drag queens to compete in a major drag pageant. Coming to TV screens in July, Betty Bangles en die Dossers is described as a first of its kind on South African television that’s sure to raise a […]
Human Rights Court rules Russian ‘gay propaganda’ laws breach human rights
In a landmark ruling, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has declared that Russia’s so-called ‘gay propaganda’ laws are a violation of human rights. In the decision, issued on Tuesday, the Strasbourg-based court said that the laws breached the European Convention on Human Rights with regard to freedom of expression and the prohibition of […]
Unique album features queer voices from world’s most homophobic countries
A diverse group of queer musical artists from around the world have been featured in the groundbreaking new album Rainbow Riots. The album has been dubbed “a protest musical repertoire” and includes LGBTQ artists from Uganda, Malawi, South Africa and Jamaica – some of the most dangerous countries in the world for LGBTQ people. Released […]
Drama as Ugandan MPs find LGBT magazine in their pigeonholes
Uganda’s Parliament is up in arms after MPs discovered copies of a local LGBT publication in their pigeonholes. According to Uganda’s The Observer, 40 parliamentarians were left in a “panic” because “a woman sneaked into parliament with copies of the offending magazines and stashed them in the pigeonholes unnoticed”. In a sensationalistic report, the newspaper said […]