Watch: Gay father and sons describe bullying
A gay Hawaiian father has posted a moving video pleading for acceptance in the wake of the ongoing bullying of his two sons because of his sexuality. Joshua Alameda Franklin says he created the clip, which has gone viral, to highlight the impact of bigotry on children. “It is really serious. I wanted to share […]
SABC weakly distances itself from homophobic presenter
The SABC has issued an unconvincing statement distancing itself from sports presenter Coudjoe Amankwaa’s homophobic comments. Amankwaa tweeted on Sunday that homosexuality is “a problem” and an “abnormality”, amidst other anti-gay comments. On Monday, SABC Sport used Twitter to address the furore in response to his comments on social media. It stated: “@SPORTATSABC is distancing itself […]
Gay man arrested for own “safety” from mob attack
Police arrested a gay man in Ghana after a mob threatened to lynch him when his would-be lover turned him in to the local community. According to Adom News, the unnamed man allegedly offered to pay a young man, Yaw Ansoh, to have sex with him in the town of Nkawkaw, in the south of […]
SABC presenter says homosexuality is a problem and abnormal
An SABC sports presenter has revealed his true colours with a series of homophobic tweets, leading to calls for the broadcaster to take him to task. Coudjoe Amankwaa, a sports analyst, researcher and scriptwriter at the SABC, started the furore on Sunday when he tweeted: “Is gay a naturally born condition or a choice?” The […]
A third of Aussie teen boys homophobic
Australian boys are engaging in homophobia at an alarming rate, says a troubling new study. According to mental health group Beyondblue, a third of teenage boys would not approve of having a gay person in their friendship group. A quarter also think it’s ok to describe something they don’t like as “gay”. The study of […]
Moroccan and Canadian tourist arrested on gay charges
Two men, a local and a Canadian tourist, have been arrested by police in Morocco on charges of having gay sex. According to local media reports, the 25-year-old Moroccan man, who works at a tourist resort, laid apparently false charges of rape against the tourist. It’s alleged that the charges were fabricated to counter the 35-year-old Canadian […]
Partial victories as anti-gay religious freedom laws curtailed
Religious freedom laws that could be used to discriminate against LGBT people in the US states of Indiana and Arkansas have been amended for the better, but gaps remain. On Thursday, facing massive pressure from businesses and human rights groups, Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed legislation limiting the damage the state’s new Religious Freedom Restoration Act […]
Surprise as Arkansas governor sends back religious freedom bill
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has surprised many by refusing to sign his state’s religious freedom bill, at least until it’s been amended. Hutchinson had previously expressed his support for the bill, which would allow for discrimination on the basis of religious views. However, amid this week’s massive and unprecedented backlash against the state of Indiana’s […]
School suspended lesbian pupils over refusal to wear skirts
Allegations of homophobia and gender identity discrimination have come to the fore at another high school in Johannesburg’s East rand. Eight female pupils at the Tholulwazi Secondary School in Tsakane were suspended last month because they refused to wear skirts. OurHealth reported that the girls, who instead chose to wear trousers, were told not to return […]
Will Nigeria’s new president be better for gays?
Muhammadu Buhari has become the first opposition leader to be democratically elected into power in Africa’s most populous nation. But will he be more accepting of LGBT equality than his predecessor? The current president, Goodluck Jonathan, has certainly been no friend of the LGBT community. In January last year, he signed the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) […]