Outed anti-gay pastor urged gay teen to kill himself
An anti-gay reverend in Michigan has been outed on a gay dating app, amid claims that he also urged a gay teenager to kill himself. Gay blog Queerty revealed earlier this week that Pastor Matthew Makela from the St. John’s Lutheran Church and School had an active profile on Grindr. In screen grabs posted by […]
Wife won’t accept gay sex claim in doctor’s murder
As arguments concluded in the Dr Louis Heyns murder case on Wednesday, his family refuse to believe he solicited sex from his self-confessed killer. Marthinus van der Walt, 35, who admitted to killing the well known paediatrician in May 2013, has claimed that the doctor approached him and his brother Sarel, 42, in an area […]
India: Mom takes out gay marriage ad for son
Frustrated by her gay son’s continued single status, the mother of Mumbai human rights activist Harish Iyer has taken out an ad to find him a husband. It reads: “Seeking 25-40, Well-placed, Animal-Loving, Vegetarian GROOM for my SON (36, 5’11”) who works with an NGO, Caste No Bar (Though IYER Preferred).” It’s believed to be […]
Madonna stirs debate with gay Muslim-Jewish photo
Madonna has stirred up controversy with an image of an intimate gay moment between a Muslim and a Jew. The star posted the picture of the two men about to kiss on Instagram and Facebook, along with comment: “This image is 100% ❤ #rebelhearts”. The post drew thousands of comments, some homophobic, for and against […]
Gay sangomas demand recognition
It’s hard being gay and a sangoma, traditional healer Michael Khumalo told a workshop organised as part of the Khumbulani Pride events in Cape Town last Thursday. The community did not take gay sangomas seriously, Khumalo said. The workshop which was part of a series designed to educate communities about issues faced by gay and […]
Relief as Zambian court confirms activist’s acquittal
Zambian human rights activist Paul Kasonkomona will remain a free man after a court upheld his earlier acquittal. Kasonkomona was arrested in April 2013 as he left a Lusaka television studio after making comments live on-air supporting the rights of LGBT people and sex workers. He argued that these needed to be recognised in order […]
21 young men in “gay cult” arrest in Nigeria
Twenty-one youths have been arrested in Nigeria, apparently for belonging to a “gay cult”. According to The Nation, the men, all under the age of 25, were found with 122 condoms in a house in Ibadan, the third most populous city in the country. Police, who raided the house on 10 May, claimed that the […]
Obama marks International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia
President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, marked the annual International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT). In a statement issued by the White House on Saturday, Obama said that he remains committed to eradicating prejudice and discrimination against LGBT people in the USA and around the world. Below is his full statement: “Michelle and […]
Meet the first gay male head of state to marry in office
The Prime Minister of Luxembourg has become the first gay male leader of a country to enter into a same-sex marriage while in office. Xavier Bettel married his partner, architect Gauthier Destenay, on Friday in a private ceremony officiated by the mayor of the city of Luxembourg. The couple, dressed in dark suits, greeted well-wishers who […]
Ten years of slow progress for global gay rights
Ahead of Sunday’s International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), a new report reveals that fewer countries now ban same-sex love compared to a decade ago. According to ILGA’s 10th annual report on state homophobia, authored this year by Aengus Carroll and Lucas Paoli Itaborahy, homosexuality is currently illegal in 76 countries. This is a […]