No romance for lesbian couple turned away by Brakpan restaurant
A restaurant in Ekurhuleni has been accused of discrimination against a lesbian couple, telling them that its date night events are for straight people only. Mia Agrela and her partner hoped to enjoy the Lake Restaurant’s advertised romantic 7-course candlelight dinner, complete with a pianist and singer, but soon had their plans ruined. Agrela made […]
Tamara Dey: “I’ve always been an underdog”
Music diva Tamara Dey will be unveiling brand new dance tracks at this Saturday’s Therapy 20-year-reunion party at Carfax. She’s set to perform three times during the event, seen as Jozi’s most-anticipated bash of the year, alongside Therapy’s DJ family, including the iconic Stuart Hillary. Dey, who is also the voice of elctro-dance band Flash […]
Zimbabwe rejects LGBT rights, accused of “spin” on same-sex marriage
The Zimbabwe government has rejected recommendations to decriminalise homosexuality, claiming that the West tried to force it to accept same-sex marriage. The country’s media reported this week that Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced that Zimbabwe had “shot down” recommendations “on homosexuality” by European members of the United Nations Human Rights Council, but had accepted 142 other […]
Local LGBTI groups slam SA’s alarming “betrayal” at the UN
Update 11/11/2016: South Africa’s Department of International Relations has categorically denied that it supports efforts to suspend the recently appointed UN LGBT watchdog. Details here. Local LGBTI activists are outraged at South Africa’s support for the Africa Group’s attempt to suspend the UN Human Rights Council’s appointment of a global LGBTI watchdog. South Africa has signed […]
US pastor asks court to dismiss Uganda gay hate charges
A Massachusetts court will this week consider a request by hate pastor Scott Lively to dismiss charges against him of crimes against humanity in Uganda. Lively is being sued by the Center for Constitutional Rights in the US on behalf of Ugandan LGBT rights group SMUG in a first-of-its-kind case. He has been charged with crimes […]
Watch: Manila von Teez takes 2nd place in SA’s Got Talent
Drag star Manila Von Teez was the runner up on Sunday night’s finale episode of SA’s Got Talent 2016. The Capetonian performed to the Christina Aguilera song Show Me How You Burlesque, along with her two ever-present backup dancers. There was a giant “M” that dropped onto the stage, feather fans, much shimmying and, of […]
Vatican rejects priest’s claim that gay unions cause earthquakes
A Catholic priest says that the recent earthquakes in Italy are God’s punishment for allowing same-sex civil unions. Speaking to Radio Maria on 30 October, the day of a 6.6-magnitude quake, Fr Giovanni Cavalcoli stated that the disaster was “divine punishment” for “the offence to the family and the dignity of marriage, in particular through […]
Outrage grows over “medieval” arrest of teen girls for kissing
As details emerge of the abuse faced by two girls arrested for kissing in Morocco, a leading writer has condemned the country’s “medieval” laws. On Friday, a number of human rights groups slammed the prosecution of the girls, who are both minors, known only as Sanaa (16) and Hajar (17). According to reports, the girls […]
Now Tanzania also ends vital HIV programmes targeting gay men
Tanzania’s embarrassing excuse for a health ministry has announced that it has blocked HIV programmes targeting men who have sex with men. “We have suspended MSM (men who have sex with men) community-based interventions pending (a) review,” Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. According to Reuters, she justified the move by claiming […]
Kissing teen girls arrested for homosexuality in Morocco
Morocco’s criminalisation of homosexuality has notched up yet more victims; this time a 17-year-old and a 16-year-old girl. According to local media, the teens were arrested by police after they were seen kissing one another in a house in the city of Marrakesh on 26 October. A cousin videoed the girls kissing and showed it […]