Olympic boss backs gay discrimination ban
The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, has called for the Olympic Charter to expressly ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Bach made the recommendation on Tuesday as part of a series of 40 proposed changes to the Olympic Games that will be discussed and voted on by the IOC […]
Gambia must stop wave of anti-gay arrests & torture
Amnesty International has condemned the shocking arrest, detention and torture of eight people since the beginning of the month as part of a crackdown on “homosexuality” by the Gambian authorities. Since 7 November, there have been reports that the country’s National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Presidential Guards have been carrying out a homophobic operation […]
Church fires Groblersdal minister over “gay” Facebook picture
The Afrikaans Protestant Church (APK) has dismissed a minister because he appeared in a photo with a group of LGBT people. Philip Olivier, 35, of the Groblersdal congregation, posted the picture in which he is seen at a social function hosted by Triarc, an LGBT insurance and medical aid company, on Facebook. According to Rapport, […]
Colin Farrell pleads for gay brother’s right to marry
Hollywood sex symbol Colin Farrell has spoken out in support of his gay brother’s right to marry in Ireland. In a heartfelt opinion piece for the Sunday World, Farrell urged his countrymen to vote in favour of marriage equality in next year’s same-sex marriage referendum. “My brother Eamon didn’t choose to be gay. Yes, he […]
Study links genes to male homosexuality
Another study has found evidence that being gay may be influenced by a man’s genetic make-up. Researchers from America’s NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute studied 800 gay brothers and found that the inclination towards homosexuality appears to be linked to genes on the X chromosome. There was also evidence of the effect of another gene […]
Dying The Simpsons creator saves Benjy the gay bull
There’s good news for Benjy the gay bull. The co-creator of The Simpsons has stepped in to save him after he faced being slaughtered because of his sexual orientation. Sam Simon, who is suffering from terminal cancer, has donated the £5,000 required to buy the pedigree Charolais bull so that he can live out his […]
Hundreds celebrate rainy Mamelodi Pride
Bad weather failed to dampen the mood of participants in the first-ever LGBTI Mamelodi Pride this past weekend. Due to the rain, organisers of the Tshwane township event, dubbed MamsPr!de, were forced to change venue; from Moretele Park to Thibo Café, a popular haunt for the LGBTI community in Mamelodi. Although the venue was already rented out […]
People’s Pride rejects 16 Days of Activism campaign
The group behind next weekend’s LGBTI People’s Pride march has rejected the South African government’s 16 Days of Activism campaign. The campaign aims to eradicate violence against women and children, but the Joburg People’s Pride Movement (JPP) said that the annual effort is nothing more than a “PR exercise” that should be replaced with “365 […]
Zachary Quinto defends “complacent, lazy” gays comments
Openly gay Hollywood actor Zachary Quinto has defended his recent controversial comments about gay men and their attitude to HIV and Aids. In an interview with OUT, the Star Trek and American Horror Story star slammed the approach by some in the gay community to dealing with the virus. “I think there’s a tremendous sense […]
Botswana gay group court ruling welcomed
Human rights groups have welcomed Friday’s Botswana High Court decision allowing the registration of that country’s LGBT rights organisation. The court ruled that it was unconstitutional for the government to continue to refuse to recognise Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana (LEGABIBO). The state had insisted that it could not register the group as the Constitution […]