France fines three over gay hate tweets
A French court has fined three people for tweeting a gay hate comment that called for the killing of gay people. The three users included the homophobic hashtag “let’s burn the gays on…” (#brûlonslesgayssurdu) in their tweets in August 2013. The tweets came in the wake of the controversial legalisation of same-sex marriage in France. […]
Macedonia moves to ban gay marriage
Lawmakers in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have moved to ban same-sex marriage and to hamper the recognition of civil unions. The European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights reported that the Southeast European country’s parliament voted on Tuesday in favour of an amendment to constitutionally define marriage as a union between a man and […]
Pride, The Imitation Game, Looking & Sam Smith get GLAAD Media Awards noms
GLAAD, America’s LGBT media advocacy organisation, has revealed the nominees for its 26th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. The awards recognise and honour media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives. The nominees on the television series front include Amazon’s smash hit and Golden Globe […]
Oscar-nominated The Imitation Game on SA screens
The critically acclaimed The Imitation Game hits South African cinemas this week. It’s a dramatic portrayal of the life and work of one of Britain’s most extraordinary unsung heroes, the gay genius Alan Turing. Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness, and TV’s Sherlock) and Keira Knightley (Atonement, Pride and Prejudice) star as Turing and his […]
Listen! Giorgio Moroder’s awesome new collab with Kylie Minogue
Giorgio Moroder, the founder of disco and an electronic music trailblazer, has released his brand new single Right Here, Right Now, featuring Kylie Minogue. An uplifting disco collaboration between two dance floor icons, the single will be featured on Moroder’s upcoming album, 74 is the New 24 (his first solo album in over 30 years). […]
Health concerns over “new poppers”
Gay men are being warned to be cautious of new products being sold or used as poppers that may cause serious harm. The original version of poppers consists of alkyl nitrites and remains popular among some gay and bisexual men, often being sniffed during sex due to their relaxing effect on the muscles of the […]
British Cucumber star refuses to say he’s straight
Freddie Fox, who stars in the new gay British television series Cucumber, has refused to be defined as a straight man. Fox plays Freddie Baxter in the eight-part series, which is produced and written by Queer as Folk creator Russell T Davies. “I’ve had girlfriends, but I wouldn’t wish to say ‘I am this or […]
Trans, bi & lesbian people included in State of the Union speech
For the first time in history, an American president has mentioned lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in a State of the Union address. “That’s why we defend free speech, and advocate for political prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or religious minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender,” said Obama in […]
Lee Daniels: Homophobia rampant in African American community
The openly gay Oscar-nominated director of Precious has spoken out against homophobia in the African American community. Lee Daniels made the comments while promoting his new television drama, Empire, which he co-created. The series is about an African American music and entertainment family business and features a prominent gay storyline. “Homophobia is rampant in the […]
Ireland’s health minister comes out as gay
Ireland’s Minister for Health, Leo Varadker, has become the first openly gay Irish cabinet minister. Varadker, who is of Indian heritage, came out to the public in an interview on RTÉ Radio 1 on Sunday. “I am a gay man, it’s not a secret, but not something that everyone would necessarily know but isn’t something […]