Powerful | Muslim mom defends son’s gay wedding after community backlash
A Canadian mother has been subjected to intense homophobic religious abuse after she celebrated her son’s same-sex marriage. The controversy followed the marriage earlier this month between Ali Reza, a Vancouver Muslim man, and his husband Paul. Reza’s family, including his mother Siddika, supported the union and attended the ceremony. Others from their Shia Ithna-Asheri sect, sadly, […]
Marriage (in)equality in SA | Home Affairs Minister responds to Mambaonline
Mambaonline recently published an article about Minister of Home Affairs Hlengiwe Mkhize rejecting a call by COPE MP Deidre Carter to remove a discriminatory provision in the country’s same-sex marriage law. The controversial clause, Section 6 of the Civil Union Act, allows Home Affairs marriage officers to refuse to marry same-sex couples. The provision is […]
Gay SA film, The Wound, wins major Outfest award
South African gay-themed drama Inxeba (The Wound) continues to receive global critical acclaim, winning Outfest’s International Grand Jury Prize in Los Angeles on the weekend. Outfest, one of the world’s most prestigious LGBT film festivals, said the film received its top international prize because it “breaks new ground through skilful storytelling and stunning cinematography and […]
As gay purge resumes, leader says Chechnya must be purified of gays
Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov has denied claims that gay people have been targeted in Chechnya, yet went on to call for them to be “taken away” to “purify our blood”. In an interview with David Scott for HBO’s Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel, set to be broadcast in full on Tuesday, Kadyrov was asked about the state’s […]
Revealed: South African doctors’ group’s shocking anti-LGBT propaganda
A South African organisation called Doctors for Life International (DFL) is spreading dangerous anti-LGBT misinformation, including that LGBT people are a danger to children. Mambaonline was recently alerted to a disturbing YouTube video shared on the group’s Facebook page. It states that the “LGBT community is trying to humanise paedophilia and legitimise paedo-sexuality”. DFL appears […]
Heroes star comes out as gay after being ‘outed’
Following claims that he refused to play a gay character while starring in Heroes, actor Thomas Dekker has now come out as gay himself. Openly gay producer and Heroes writer Bryan Fuller commented last week that an unnamed gay actor’s management would not let him play his character as gay on the show. “I had a […]
Ghana | Christian leaders warn that gays are planning to “take over”
Religious leaders in Ghana are fueling homophobia and warning that gay people will take over the government if Christians are not vigilant. According to The Chronicle, Lawrence Senyo, President of the Ashanti Regional Christian Council of Ghana Youth Ministry, made the claim at the Kumasi Methodist Youth Fellowship Conference, at the Kwame Nkrumah University of […]
UN urged to tackle health and well-being of LGBTI people
Countries must address the health of LGBTI people, which is consistently poorer than that of the general population, says a new report. Released by the Global Forum on MSM and HIV (MSMGF) and OutRight Action International, the report argues for a global health and development approach that is inclusive of LGBTI people. Released ahead of […]
Malta overwhelmingly votes for marriage equality
Despite being a predominantly Catholic country, lawmakers in Malta have voted to become the 15th EU nation to allow same-sex couples to marry. In a nearly unanimous decision, MPs voted 66-1 to pass a bill to make Malta’s Marriage Act gender neutral. The words “husband” and “wife” will be replaced with “spouse”. The bill also replaces […]
Home Affairs minister rejects call to amend discriminatory Civil Union Act
Minister of Home Affairs Hlengiwe Mkhize has refused to back an amendment to remove a major discriminatory provision in the country’s same-sex marriage law. Section 6 of the Civil Union Act allows Home Affairs marriage officers to refuse to marry same-sex couples. This means that the service is simply not offered in many Home Affairs […]