Funeral home refuses to cremate gay man’s body
After learning that Robert Huskey was married to a man, a Mississippi funeral home refused to accept his body, devastating Huskey’s husband and family. Huskey’s 82-year-old husband, Jack Zawadski, is now suing the Picayune Funeral Home for breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, and the intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. “What happened to this […]
Swaziland questioned over LGBTI rights
The kingdom of Swaziland has been asked to account for its lack of progress in protecting LGBTI people from legal and social discrimination. According to the Swazi Media Commentary blog, the UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) has submitted a series of questions to the country ahead of a July review of its adherence to the […]
Pink Loerie Mardi Gras 2017 Parade gallery
For the 17th year, the Pink Loerie Mardi Gras & Arts Festival took to the streets of Knysna for its anticipated annual parade. Local residents, charities, drag queens, lesbians and bears came together in a festive celebration of the LGBTQ+ community on Saturday 29 April. This gallery, by photographer Neil Coulson, captured the highlights of […]
Pink Loerie Mardi Gras 2017 roundup: Smaller festival still a success
There was general consensus that while the 2017 Pink Loerie Mardi Gras and Arts Festival was smaller compared to previous years, it was still a success. In its 17th incarnation, the annual Pink Loerie event paints the town of Knysna in the Western Cape pink. Shops, guest houses and the general public were decked out […]
Merkel calls out Putin over Chechnya anti-gay purge
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has publicly addressed the persecution of gay men in Chechnya in a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders met on Tuesday in Sochi, Russia. It was Merkel’s first trip to the county since 2015. After the meeting, Merkel spoke out about human rights concerns in Russia […]
Furore over government purchase of ‘gay’ lube in Uganda
Uganda’s health ministry has attacked a decision by officials to buy lubricants that will be provided to men who have sex with men (MSM) to prevent the spread of HIV. According to Daily Monitor, during a recent ministry quarterly review meeting, Dr Patrick Tusiime, the head of the National Disease Control Programme, revealed that almost […]
“Love’s all that matters” – Gay rugby player trolled over older fiancé
The large age gap between gay rugby player Sam Stanley and his older boyfriend has proven to be too much for online trolls to resist. Stanley first made waves in 2015 when he became the first English professional union player to come out the closet. Over the weekend, he announced that he’d gotten engaged to […]
US Supreme Court upholds ‘gay cure’ conversion therapy ban
LGBT minors in California will continue to be protected from “conversion therapy” after the US Supreme Court rejected an attempt to overturn a ban on the dangerous practice. The restriction bars mental health professionals, including counsellors, psychologists and social workers, in the state from attempting to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of those under […]
Russia: Activists arrested for protesting Chechnya’s gay persecution
Russian police have blocked a protest in St Petersburg against the deadly persecution of gay men in Chechnya. The demonstration was held on Monday in the centre of the country’s second largest city. Around 10 activists lay down on the ground, smeared in fake blood and covered by rainbow flags and the flag of Chechnya. […]
Opinion: Let’s not be “sies”- gender
As a teenager, I often presented as a girl, because I had a baby face and the art school I attended allowed me to grow a long blonde bob. I did it for various reasons. I was a very late developer and I got asked for my ID a lot less in clubs and bars […]