Students: UCT’s homophobic SRC vice-president must fall
The University of Cape Town’s LGBTI campus group has called for homophobic SRC Vice-President Zizipho Pae to be removed from her position. On Wednesday, RainbowUCT issued a statement reacting to the outrage generated by Pae’s Facebook comments on the weekend in which she called homosexuality “a sin” in response to the legalisation of same-sex marriage […]
Twice-divorced Donald Trump can’t justify opposing gay marriage
US Presidential candidate Donald Trump has exposed the limpness of his ideological position on same-sex marriage when confronted about his three marriages. The businessman-cum-showman was asked by CNN journalist Jake Tapper how he could justify his insistence on only supporting “traditional” marriage considering his own chequered experience with the institution. “What do you say to […]
An astonishing 26 million people “went rainbow” on Facebook
It’s been revealed that 26 million people around the world changed their Facebook profile pictures this past weekend to show their support for LGBT equality. Two interns at the social media company created the tool to allow users to layer a rainbow effect over their profile pictures to mark Pride month, which is celebrated in […]
UCT SRC leader in hot water over alleged gay “sin” post
A top student leader at the University of Cape Town (UCT) has been accused of posting homophobic comments on her Facebook page. On Sunday, Zizipho Pae, the Acting President of the SRC (Student Representative Council), posted: “We are institutionalising and normalising sin! Sin. May God have mercy on us…” Most of her followers understood her […]
Durban Pride takes to city’s beachfront
More than 1,500 people marched through Durban’s streets and beachfront on Saturday to celebrate the 2015 edition of Durban Pride, held under the theme of “common ground.” The day kicked off with a flag raising ceremony at the Amphitheatre on North Beach, at which speakers addressed the past, present and future of LGBTI equality in […]
It’s official! It’s now legal to be gay in Mozambique
In positive but sadly unusual news in Africa, Mozambique has become one of a minority of countries on the continent that do not outlaw gays and lesbians. On Monday, the country’s new penal code came into effect, removing articles in the previous penal code that allowed for “security measures” against people “who habitually engage in […]
Kenyan government could ban LGBTI NGOs
A taskforce reviewing laws on NGOs in Kenya has recommended that the government ban groups supporting LGBTI equality. According to Daily Nation, the team, led by MP Sophia Abdi, presented its findings last month to Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru. It called for the law to be changed to allow groups involved in “indecency,” espionage […]
Russian homophobes furious over Facebook rainbow app
A notoriously homophobic politician has called for Facebook to be blocked in Russia as the social media site exploded in rainbow colours this weekend to mark LGBT Pride. Vitaly Milonov, a member of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly and ardent supporter of laws to ban “gay propaganda”, expressed his outrage to the RSN radio station […]
Watch: Police attack Pride march in Turkey
The 13th annual Istanbul Pride parade has been violently stopped from going ahead by police. While LGBT communities in cities such as Durban, London, New York and San Francisco celebrated Pride this weekend, their Turkish brothers and sisters were denied the right to so on Sunday. Thousands of LGBT people, friends and journalists who gathered […]
Tutu welcomes same-sex marriage in America
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has taken to social media to welcome Friday’s legalisation of same-sex marriage in the US. On Saturday morning, Tutu posted: “Opposing apartheid was a matter of justice. Opposing discrimination against women is a matter of justice. Opposing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a matter of justice.” He concluded […]