Exclusive Books sponsors Jozi Cats gay rugby tour
Exclusive Books, South Africa’s largest bookselling chain, has signed on as lead sponsor for the Jozi Cats #BtheWhistle gay rugby tour. The tour, which aims to blow the whistle on homophobia in sport, while inspiring other LGBTQI communities to start their own gay and inclusive rugby clubs, kicked off in Bloemfontein over the weekend. “Sport […]
Simon & I screening at Industry
Joburg queer social space Industry recently hosted a screening of activist and filmmaker Bev Ditsie’s documentary Simon & I; about her life and that of LGBTI struggle icon Simon Nkoli. Around 150 people attended the event in Maboneng, which not only marked World Aids Day but also celebrated the 15th anniversary of the original release […]
LGBTI group takes anti-gay political party to Equality Court
The Gay and Lesbian Network in Pietermaritzburg is standing up to a homophobic KwaZulu-Natal-based political party. The recently launched People’s Revolutionary Movement (PRM) has caused consternation with its stance against same-sex marriage, its belief that a “normal” society “consists of men and women”, and warnings of “Sodom and Gomorrah” if gay people are embraced. Following anti-gay […]
Watch! Here’s the trailer for the Tom of Finland biopic
A film about the life of iconic gay fetish artist Tom of Finland is set to hit the big screen, and the first trailer has just been released. The artist behind Tom of Finland was Touko Laaksonen, who produced more than 3,500 homoerotic drawings. Born in 1920, Laaksonen grappled with the homophobia of the times […]
Acclaimed gay film Moonlight gets 6 Golden Globe nominations
Moonlight, a coming of age drama about a gay African American man, is making waves as it stacks up a raft of award nominations and wins. On Monday, it became one of the most nominated films for the upcoming 2017 Golden Globe Awards, with acknowledgements in six categories. These include Best Motion Picture – Drama; […]
Driftsands LGBTI community take back the streets to honour Vovo (Pics)
Members of the LGBTI community took to the streets of Driftsands, near Khayelitsha, to honour slain lesbian Noluvo Swelindawo (Vovo) on Saturday. The group, consisting of Swelindawo’s friends, family, activists and supporters, sang and held up a large banner that read, “Her name was Noluvo”, as well as placards with messages such as, “Homosexuality is […]
Teen girls acquitted of homosexuality charges in Morocco
Sanity has prevailed after two girls who were tried for homosexuality in Morocco were acquitted of all charges. The teens, Sanaa (16) and Hajar (17), were arrested in October after they were reported by a neighbour or a relative who saw them kissing and hugging on the roof of a house in Marrakesh. The girls […]
Shocking report: 40% of trans people have attempted suicide
Transgender people in the US face enormous challenges and inequalities not experienced by other people, including a shockingly high attempted suicide rate. On Thursday, the largest survey of transgender people ever conducted was released by America’s National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE). More than 27,000 individuals took part in the poll, which revealed significant disparities […]
Northern Ireland asks Santa for marriage equality
All they want for Christmas is equality! Hundreds of shoppers in Northern Ireland have signed a card addressed to Santa Claus asking for same-sex marriage. The huge ‘Big Gay Christmas Card’ was placed in Belfast’s city centre on Thursday night. Members of the public were asked to sign it to show their support for the […]
Dismay at Pope’s renewed “damaging and insulting” ban on gay priests
A new Vatican document has reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s ban on gay men, and anyone supporting “gay culture”, from becoming priests. The 100 page document, The Gift of the Priestly Vocation, is a set of updated guidelines for priestly formation, and has been officially approved by Pope Francis. It states: “The Church, while deeply respecting […]