Obama accused of “appeasing homosexuals”
Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has claimed that President Obama selected an openly gay man to lead the US army in order to pander to gay people. On Friday, last week, Obama announced his selection of Eric Fanning, who is currently the Acting Under Secretary of the Army, to serve as the Secretary of the […]
Gambian LGBT abuse, torture highlighted
In a damning report, Human Rights Watch has documented Gambia’s appalling human rights violations over the last two decades, including those against LGBT people. The 81-page report, State of Fear: Arbitrary Arrests, Torture, and Killings, describes the human rights situation in Gambia since President Yahya Jammeh took power in 1994 and ruthlessly repressed all forms […]
Look: Guys kiss for Kim Davis
Who knew activism could be such fun! A new social media campaign is urging men to kiss their male friends to show homophobic county clerk Kim Davis that love will win out. The campaign was launched with a video by US comedians Matt Ott, Jericho Davidson and Mike Albanese. “So, what we want you to […]
Elton John: Pranks are funny, homophobia is not
Elton John has responded to the Russian pranksters who called him pretending to be President Putin. Earlier this week, the singer made global headlines when he claimed on social media that he had promising talks with the Russian leader over the phone about the plight of the country’s LGBT community. It was later revealed that […]
American rugby pledges to end homophobia
As the 2015 World Cup is set to kick off, the United States’ national rugby body has affirmed its commitment to ending homophobia in the sport. Last week, USA Rugby signed a memorandum of understanding outlining its partnership with International Gay Rugby (IGR). The move follows IGR’s March 2015 agreement with World Rugby to promote […]
Nepal joins SA as new constitution protects LGBT people
Nepal has passed a new constitution that provides explicit protections for LGBT people from discrimination, violence, and abuse – a first for an Asian nation. It also joins only a handful of countries, including South Africa and Ecuador, that have enshrined equal rights protections for LGBT people in their national constitutions. Nepal’s Parliament endorsed the […]
Acclaimed proudly South African gay film to screen in cinemas
A new gay and lesbian themed South African big screen drama that’s already won international accolades will be released in local cinemas on Friday 2 October. While You Weren’t Looking is the first feature film produced by the Out in Africa Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and possibly the first LGBT South African feature produced […]
Another loss for Mr Gay South Africa as Zander Barnard passes away
Zander Barnard, a popular Mr Gay South Africa 2015 finalist and a well known Cape Town GP, has passed away at his home at the age of 32. Barnard graduated with an MBChB at the University of Stellenbosch and specialised in sport and exercise medicine. He was in private practice and consulted for Gentlemen’s Health, […]
2015 Feather Awards to honour hunks and activists
The nominees for the 7th Annual Chevrolet Feather Awards have been announced. The awards are described as a celebration of high-profile individuals – LGBTI and otherwise – who, the organisers say, have inspired, scandalised and amused South Africa’s LGBTI community over the past year. The controversial event has over the years been criticised by some […]
Zizipho Pae demoted by UCT’s SRC
Although homophobic student leader Zizipho Pae’s expulsion from the UCT Student Representative Council (SRC) was reversed by the university, she is no longer Vice President External. On 21 July, the university’s SRC voted to remove Pae from the SRC after she posted on Facebook that legalising same-sex marriage was “institutionalising and normalising sin!” She added, […]