Opinion | It is time to secularise marriage in South Africa
It has been 12 years since “marriage equality” was introduced to South Africa and the subject has once again been launched into the arena of debate. On 14 November 2006, South Africa became the first country in Africa and fifth in the world to legalise same-sex marriage. It was a highly contested process with many […]
Opinion | Straight Acting
During the thirteen years I was an actor, I played roles representing various gender identities, races and sexual orientations. I prided myself on being a versatile actor, one that aspired to be able to step into the “skin” of different characters of different ages from a variety of walks of life. I was game for […]
Editorial | FPB Appeals Tribunal must resign over homophobic ‘Inxeba’ ban
The members of the Film & Publication Board (FPB) Appeals Tribunal must follow in the footsteps of Jacob Zuma and resign after abusing their power to ban Inxeba (The Wound). In a shock announcement this week, the board said it had changed the film’s earlier 16 LS rating to X18, one usually given to hardcore pornography. […]
What’s love got to do with it?
Love makes the world go round, they say. We all feel it, hope for it and often miss it deeply when it’s gone. Here are ten things you probably never knew about love… 1: Love is diverse and gay. Contrary to what bigots claim, love is not ‘naturally’ heterosexual. Homosexuality has been found in all […]
New report reveals critical need for hate crimes law in SA
A new report, five years in the making, has exposed the devastating nature of hate crimes in South Africa, where LGBT people remain among the most vulnerable groups. On Thursday, the Hate Crimes Working Group (HCWG) launched its Hate & Bias Crimes Monitoring Form Project report at the Holocaust and Genocide Centre in Johannesburg. The research […]
Tantric pleasure and intimacy for men to men
They say that sex is all in the mind, but perhaps it’s also in the heart and soul. Can our lives in the bedroom be more than just the in-and-out, the release and rolling over? Conscious Sexuality expert and teacher Jonti Searll believes that intimacy is one of the most important – and often lacking – aspects […]
Urban Angels Launch Gallery
Therapy, B2K and Simply Blue recently joined forces to create Urban Angels – a new inclusive LGBTI event that’s shaking up the Jozi party scene. Urban Angels was launched at Club Simply Blue’s Mihouse venue in Selby on Saturday, 27 January with around 400 people partying till sunrise. “It’s a great concept and much needed,” […]
Will Uganda recognise slain LGBT activist David Kato as a hero?
It is now seven years (on 26 January) since homophobes killed Ugandan gay hero David Kato in cold blood. They murdered him just a few weeks after he won a court case against a tabloid newspaper in Uganda that had published the names of alleged homosexuals. With David’s death, Uganda and its LGBTI community lost […]
Ad industry fails to respond to needs of LGBTQ community
The blame for little to no representation of the LGBTQIA+ community in South African advertising lies squarely at the door of our ‘conservative culture’. While advertisers have worked hard to redress racial stereotypes in their creative executions, the same is not true for the LGBTQIA+ community. “Brands are not brave enough,” says Lynn Madeley, CEO […]
Porn may be screwing with you
I have to admit that porn has played a large supporting role in the backdrop of my life so far, and I have mixed feelings about this. Especially now that some researchers are suggesting that watching a lot of porn shrinks your brain, can make you “rapey” and is more addictive than other online activities, […]