A third of Aussie teen boys homophobic
Australian boys are engaging in homophobia at an alarming rate, says a troubling new study. According to mental health group Beyondblue, a third of teenage boys would not approve of having a gay person in their friendship group. A quarter also think it’s ok to describe something they don’t like as “gay”. The study of […]
Moroccan and Canadian tourist arrested on gay charges
Two men, a local and a Canadian tourist, have been arrested by police in Morocco on charges of having gay sex. According to local media reports, the 25-year-old Moroccan man, who works at a tourist resort, laid apparently false charges of rape against the tourist. It’s alleged that the charges were fabricated to counter the 35-year-old Canadian […]
Partial victories as anti-gay religious freedom laws curtailed
Religious freedom laws that could be used to discriminate against LGBT people in the US states of Indiana and Arkansas have been amended for the better, but gaps remain. On Thursday, facing massive pressure from businesses and human rights groups, Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed legislation limiting the damage the state’s new Religious Freedom Restoration Act […]
‘Vicious’, Ian McKellen’s gay sitcom, comes to SA
Vicious, the brilliant British sitcom about an elderly gay couple’s love-hate relationship, is being screened in South Africa this month. The Hobbit’s Ian McKellen and stage legend Derek Jacobi play Freddie and Stuart, who’ve been together and living in their London flat for 48 years. Now retired, they spend their time entertaining friends, looking after […]
Surprise as Arkansas governor sends back religious freedom bill
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has surprised many by refusing to sign his state’s religious freedom bill, at least until it’s been amended. Hutchinson had previously expressed his support for the bill, which would allow for discrimination on the basis of religious views. However, amid this week’s massive and unprecedented backlash against the state of Indiana’s […]
School suspended lesbian pupils over refusal to wear skirts
Allegations of homophobia and gender identity discrimination have come to the fore at another high school in Johannesburg’s East rand. Eight female pupils at the Tholulwazi Secondary School in Tsakane were suspended last month because they refused to wear skirts. OurHealth reported that the girls, who instead chose to wear trousers, were told not to return […]
Interview: Madonna’s Rebel Heart beats true
Madonna’s new studio album Rebel Heart is her best in a decade. It’s an eclectic mix of classic pop and folk, along with edgier, more progressive dance and hip-hop sounds. While the 19 track version available in South Africa may at first appear to lack cohesion, Rebel Heart is held together by the iconic singer/songwriter’s […]
Update: Polygamous gay marriages to be legalised in South Africa
In an unexpected move, the Constitutional Court has ruled that polygamous same-sex marriages must be legalised in South Africa. In the groundbreaking ruling on Wednesday, the court said it is unconstitutional to limit marriage between more than two partners to only a man and multiple women. Under South Africa’s Recognition of Customary Marriages Act, 1998, […]
Jamaica’s prime minister rants at gay rights protesters
In an extraordinary public rant, Jamaica’s Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has defended her government’s record on gay rights, despite the continued murder and criminalisation of LGBT people. Simpson Miller’s speech at the 6th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference in New York on Thursday last week was disrupted by LGBT rights activists The furious head of state […]
Indiana faces mounting outrage and boycotts over anti-gay law
The US state of Indiana is under siege from businesses, politicians and human rights groups over its new anti-gay “religious freedom” law. The legislation will allow individuals and companies to refuse to serve LGBT people if they feel it is against their religious beliefs. Republican Indiana Governor Mike Pence, who signed the law, has insisted […]