Victory as SA votes against African countries to block anti-LGBT move
South Africa has voted to uphold the recent creation of an LGBTI watchdog by the UN Human Rights Council. In September, the council appointed Vitit Muntarbhorn, an international law professor, as the UN Independent Expert to address violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. African countries at the UN then proposed a […]
Web censorship of LGBTQ content on the rise
Internet content and websites dealing with LGBTQ issues are increasingly blocked or taken down on moral grounds across the globe, according to the latest Freedom of the Net report. Freedom House released the annual comparative assessment of trends in internet freedom in the world on Monday at Google, D.C.. The nonprofit organisation collected data from […]
Charges dropped against 30 HIV positive gay men
Activists have welcomed news that criminal charges have been dropped against 30 gay men living with HIV for having sex without a condom in the Czech Republic. Last week, local media reported that state prosecutors had withdrawn the charges due to lack of evidence. It was first revealed in February that Prague’s Public Health Authority […]
Report: KZN lesbian couple attacked by community head
A KwaZulu-Natal lesbian couple have claimed that they were thrown out of their community by the local induna for being “possessed”. Nonkululeko and Nokuthula Mthembu told News24 that they had moved into a home in KwaNgcolosi, outside of Durban, three months ago. The women claimed that after community leader Induna Mlethwa Ndlela discovered they were […]
Winnie & Caster win big at the 2016 Feather Awards
Caster Semenya won two awards at Thursday night’s glittering 2016 Chevrolet Feather Awards in Johannesburg. The star-studded eighth annual event, at Kyalami’s Theatre on the Tracks, was hosted by Lumko Johnson and Khanya Mkangisa, under the theme of “it took a community”. Semenya, winner of the 800m gold medal at the Rio Olympics following weeks […]
Obama to award Ellen DeGeneres the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Ellen DeGeneres is one of 21 achievers who’ve been named as recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama. The award is America’s highest civilian honour, “presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other […]
Ivory Coast: Gay couple jailed even though being gay is legal
Despite private same-sex intimacy being legal in the Ivory Coast, a court has sentenced a gay couple to 18 months in jail. According to Abidjan.net, the men – known only as PL, a 31-year-old security guard, and LA, 19 – were caught having sex by a relative. The relative contacted the police and the two […]
Hate crimes bill feedback deadline extended
The government has extended the deadline for public submissions on the recently published hate crimes and hate speech bill. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development announced on Wednesday that feedback on the draft legislation must now be submitted by 31 January 2017. The original deadline was 1 December 2016. The date was moved following requests […]
Cape Town school removes gender from hair & jewellery regulations
A Cape Town high school has taken a step forward when it comes to gender equality with a new gender neutral hair and jewellery regulations. According to News24, Westerford High School’s governing body decided two weeks ago to remove any reference to gender in the policy. For the first time, boys will be allowed to […]
How To Get Away With Murder star comes out as… straight!
After years of speculation, hunky How To Get Away With Murder actor Jack Falahee has finally revealed that he’s actually straight. Falahee, who plays the role of gay law student Connor Walsh in the hit show, has previously refused to address his own sexuality; but that all changed this week. In a series of Twitter […]