Five years on: David Kato remembered
The life of Ugandan LGBTI activist David Kato was honoured around the world yesterday, the fifth anniversary of his murder. Kato was the advocacy officer for Sexual Minorities Uganda (Smug) and is considered one of the founders of Uganda’s LGBTI human rights movement. He was bludgeoned to death with a hammer in his home on […]
Ian McKellen joins Oscars diversity fray over gay actors
Openly gay acting icon Ian McKellen has questioned why no openly gay actor has ever won an Oscar for best actor. The continued lack of racial diversity in the Oscars’ acting category came to a head this year, with luminaries such as Spike Lee, and Jada Pinkett Smith and her husband Will Smith announcing a […]
Toya Delazy wins international LGBT music award
Ground-breaking South African pop star Toya Delazy has won an international LGBT music award in New York. Delazy was on Sunday announced as the winner of Best International Song for her 2014 track Forbidden Fruit at the 9th Out Music Awards. The video for the song, from the album Ascension, features same-sex couples kissing and was seen […]
Portugal’s president blocks gay adoption bill
As he prepares to leave office, Portugal’s President Cavaco Silva has vetoed a bill passed by parliament to legalise adoption by same-sex couples. The legislation was approved by a majority of lawmakers in November to great celebration by the country’s LGBT community. Silva’s move on Monday will undoubtedly be a frustrating development. The president justified […]
2016 Pan Africa Regional LGBTI Conference for Joburg
The African chapter of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) has revealed that the third Pan Africa ILGA Regional Conference (PAI 2016) will be held in Johannesburg in May. It was announced at a launch in the city on Friday that the event will be themed, “Breaking Ground and Building Bridges,” […]
Will Smith’s ex-wife denies he is gay
Will Smith’s ex-wife has lashed out at claims by transgender actress Alexis Arquette that the former couple got divorced because she caught the Hollywood star having sex with a man. Arquette made the comment in response to Smith’s current wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s decision to boycott the Oscars this year because no black actors have […]
UN slams dropping of case against Malawi “kill gays” politician
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has criticised Malawi for dropping charges against a politician who recently called for the killing of lesbians and gays. Earlier this month, Ken Msonda, spokesperson for Malawi’s former ruling People’s Party, wrote on Facebook that arresting gays and lesbians would not work and that “the best way to […]
Pink Loerie celebrates 16 years in 2016
This year’s Pink Loerie Mardi Gras Arts Festival takes place in Knysna from Wednesday 27 April to Sunday 1 May. The 2016 theme is “Young at Heart and Never Been Kissed” and celebrates the event’s 16th anniversary. The festival will include 16 things to do in Knysna, 16 places of special interest in the region, […]
Anger as poppers set to be banned in the UK
The UK Parliament has moved to approve a bill banning poppers, a mild recreational drug favoured by some in the gay community who argue that it presents little risk. Poppers – technically called alkyl nitrates – are used by gay men around the world to make sex more pleasurable by heightening the senses, reducing inhibitions and […]
Gay online radio station launched in SA
A new online radio station for the South African LGBTI community has started broadcasting from Pretoria. Gay SA FM describes itself as “a voice for the South African lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) population, while at the same time providing useful information and entertainment.” The station promises a “crafted fusion of dance music, […]