European Human Rights Court fines Russia for banning gay Prides
The European Court of Human Rights has found that Russia contravened the human rights of its citizens by banning LGBT Pride parades. But will it make any difference? On Tuesday, the court ruled in favour of 23 applicants from different parts of Russia who claimed that local authorities had imposed severe restrictions on peaceful assemblies […]
Tanzania orders gay men to report to police
Tanzania’s increasingly homophobic government has ordered three men who are said to be gay to report to the police. The BBC reported that Deputy Health Minister Hamisi Kigwangalla accused the men of “spreading” homosexual activity through social media. If they did not hand themselves in for questioning, they would be arrested, said Kigwangalla. Neither the […]
Brazilian couple: We won’t let homophobic attack ruin Cape Town for us
The gay Brazilian couple who were victims of a homophobic verbal attack in Cape Town say the ugly experience won’t affect their love for the city and its people. Speaking to Mambaonline, Platão Gonçalves Terra Neto, who has been with his husband Rafael Terra for 11 years, expressed his shock at the incident that took place […]
In pictures: Thousands of LGBTQ people protest against Trump outside Stonewall Inn
New York City’s Stonewall Inn was the location of yet another historic protest on Saturday, as the LGBTQ community demonstrated against Donald Trump’s regressive policies. Organised by PFLAG NYC, alongside more than 60 other organisations, the rally focused on Trump’s controversial executive order limiting refugees, immigrants and visitors from a number of Muslim countries. There […]
Shocking! The moment a gay Brazilian couple were verbally assaulted in Cape Town
What was meant to be a commemoration of a gay Brazilian couple’s love on a Camps Bay beach turned into a homophobic nightmare. Photographer Wesley Vorster was asked by tourists Platão and Rafael, who are on holiday in Cape Town, to do a couple’s photo shoot on Glen Beach, with the city’s natural beauty as […]
Watch: Lady Gaga’s powerhouse performance embracing diversity at the Super Bowl
In response to the growing intolerance of the Trump era, Lady Gaga delivered a performance at the Super Bowl on Sunday that promoted America as a diverse and inclusive nation. The star wowed the audience by starting the spectacular half time show on top of the roof of the NRG stadium in Houston. Surrounded by […]
Trump not planning to sign sweeping anti-LGBTQ order “at this time”
The White House has responded to the leak of an alarming draft executive order that would legalise discrimination against LGBTQ people on the basis of religious beliefs. Details of the four page document, titled “Establishing a Government-Wide Initiative to Respect Religious Freedom,” were published by The Nation. According to the site, the order “seeks to […]
SAHRC confirms investigation into “no gays on date night” restaurant
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has officially instituted an investigation into the Ekurhuleni restaurant that bars same-sex couples from attending its date night events. According to Gushwell Brooks, SAHRC Communications Coordinator, the commission has to date not actually received any formal complaints about the Lake Restaurant’s discriminatory policy. “However,” he told Mambaonline, “due […]
Frank Ocean sued by his dad over anti-LGBT slur claim
Frank Ocean’s father, Calvin Cooksey, is suing him for $14.5 million over the R&B artist’s claim that he heard him use an anti-LGBT slur as a young boy. Ocean made the assertion in a June 2016 blog post about the Orlando massacre that addressed the hate faced by LGBT people. The musician wrote: “I was […]
Pigeons vs anti-gay hate speech: Equality Court process questioned
An LGBT hate speech case in the Equality Court in Johannesburg has become bogged down in details about the safety of pigeons, leading activists to question the efficacy of the system. Tim Trengove Jones, an English literature lecturer and cultural commentator, last year sued his neighbour, Elvira Oelofse, for allegedly making anti-LGBT slurs against him. […]