New South African gay film ‘Kanarie’ is making waves (Watch)
In the wake of Inxeba, South African queer filmmaking is on a high with the upcoming debut of Kanarie, a gay coming-of-age musical drama set in apartheid South Africa. The film’s first trailer has just been released and it’s sparking interest and excitement around the world. Kanarie (Afrikaans for Canary) tells the story of an 18-year-old […]
Hollywood | Alarming drop in LGBTQ film characters
Media lobby group GLAAD says that only 14 (12.8%) of the 109 releases from major Hollywood studios in 2017 included LGBTQ characters. That represents a significant decrease from the previous year (18.4%, 23 out of 125), and the lowest percentage of LGBTQ-inclusive major studio releases since GLAAD began tracking this in 2012. Not one of […]
Kenya | Former prime minister calls for unbanning of lesbian film
Kenya’s former prime minister and current opposition leader Raila Odinga has called for the acclaimed Kenyan lesbian love story Rafiki to be unbanned. Last month, Kenya’s notoriously homophobic film classification board (KFCB) blocked the film from being screened in the country ahead of its historic premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, a first for Kenya’s […]
Stash Crew celebrate queer identities with new video & EP
The South African gender-bending futuristic electro rap duo Stash Crew are celebrating queer identities and promoting sex positivity with their new music video and EP. The group, consisting of Whyt Lyon and Phaya Fly, say that their 8-track EP, titled genderfluidz, “pushes queer politics through provocative cutting edge lyrics and alluring psychoneurotic dance beats.” Genderfluidz […]
So Star Wars’ Lando Calrissian is sexually fluid. But do we see it?
Another big screen character, this time Star Wars’ Lando Calrissian, has been revealed to be queer. But will we actually see it? In an interview with Huffington Post, the father-and-son co-writers of the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story, Lawrence and Jonathan Kasdan, spoke about the character’s sexuality. The subject came up after early reviewers […]
Boston Gay Men’s Chorus | Planting seeds of change through music
The Boston Gay Men’s Chorus made headlines in 2015 with their historic performances in the Middle East. Now they are coming to South Africa this June. The chorus is the first openly gay international choir to tour the country. Consisting of 93 singers, each member has paid their way to perform in South Africa with […]
Director of Kenyan lesbian love story ‘Rafiki’ fears arrest
Wanuri Kahiu, the director of the groundbreaking Kenyan lesbian love story Rafiki, says she fears being arrested in her home country. Rafiki (meaning ‘friend’) is based on the award-winning short story Jambula Tree by Monica Arac de Nyeko. It is a coming of age tale about two Kenyan girls who fall in love and whose […]
Amazing! We’re blown away by the Queen biopic trailer (Watch)
The stunning trailer for the troubled and long anticipated movie about iconic band Queen and singer Freddie Mercury is rocking the internet. Bohemian Rhapsody: The Movie is described as “a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most […]
Eurovision cuts off Chinese TV station over gay ban
The Eurovision Song Contest has announced that a Chinese broadcaster will not be allowed to show Saturday’s final after it banned a gay-themed performance. On Tuesday, broadcaster Mango TV showed the first semi-final of the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest live in China but completely removed two of the performances. The one, Albania’s entry, was blocked […]
Somizi’s teachable moment on gay love: “We’re both men”
Somizi Mhlongo has used his powerful social media presence to educate his fans about stereotypical views of same-sex relationships. On Monday, the choreographer, socialite, performer and Idols South Africa judge posted a video on Instagram about how inspired he was by a sermon he heard at church the previous day. After sharing the message with […]