In the shadows: Just 5% of LGBTI people in China are out the closet
In a clear indication that homosexuality remains a massive taboo in China, it’s been revealed that 95% of the nation’s LGBTI people remain in the closet. This statistic was included in the results of a survey of more than 30,000 respondents from all provinces in China, released on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, […]
Study looks at some of the challenges facing bears in the gay community
A study has found that American men who identify as bears often have lower self esteem and engage in riskier sex than other gay men. The research by academics at the University of Miami was published in the Clinical Journal of Nursing and aimed to highlight the issues facing this sector of the gay community. […]
Awesome queer doccies at Encounters 2016 this June
The annual Encounters film festival is screening a selection of some of the world’s best queer documentaries. Now in its 18th year, Africa’s leading documentary festival takes place in Cape Town and Johannesburg from the 2nd to the 12th of June. In addition to 39 feature films and 18 shorts, it will also include workshops, […]
The first openly gay head of the US military is sworn in
The new Secretary of the US Army, Eric Fanning, has become the first openly gay leader of any US military service. Fanning was nominated to the position by President Barack Obama in September. On Wednesday, Fanning, 47, was finally sworn into the post after being confirmed by the Senate. He worked as a Congressional staffer […]
Seychelles parliament votes to legalise homosexuality
In a historic move, lawmakers in the island nation of Seychelles have voted to scrap the country’s colonial era ban on homosexuality. On Tuesday, half of the 28 members of the National Assembly present agreed to pass an amendment to the penal code that decriminalises the act of sodomy. The other fourteen present abstained, while […]
Books: New South African transgender memoir published
A new book about the life and experiences of a transgender South African woman will be launched in Cape Town and Johannesburg in the coming weeks. Always Anastacia: A Transgender Life in South Africa, published by Jonathan Ball Publishers, is a memoir by medical doctor Anastacia Tomson. Born into a Jewish family in Johannesburg and […]
Did Prophet TB Joshua really see Brenda Fassie in hell?
It’s been reported that notorious Nigerian evangelist TB Joshua claims to have seen Brenda Fassie burning in hell. According to the site Imzansi, Joshua prayed to God asking him to show him hell and was granted the wish two weeks later. “I prayed for almost three hours. Suddenly I lost control of my body, my […]
Eleven years of slow and uneven progress on global anti-gay laws
Over the past eleven years, the number of a countries that outlaw homosexuality has dropped from 92 to 75, says the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA). The organisation released its annual State Sponsored Homophobia report, first published in 2006, on Tuesday, marked as the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. […]
Muslim nations block LGBT groups from Aids meeting
Eleven LGBT groups have been blocked from taking part in a United Nations meeting on HIV following objections by Muslim countries. Reuters reports that, led by Egypt, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) insisted that the NGOs not be allowed to attend the “high-level” event next month. While no reason was given, it is believed […]
Gay kiss sees South Africa’s homophobia seep to the surface
The WeTheBrave HIV awareness campaign says that homophobia is always close to the surface in South Africa after one of its ads featuring two men kissing came under fire. In a statement issued on the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, WeTheBrave said that a slew of complaints were submitted to the Advertising Standards […]