CHURCH OF ENGLAND STILL WON’T BLESS GAY WEDDINGS
Ahead of same-sex marriage becoming legal in England and Wales next month, the Church of England has confirmed that it will not bless or recognise same-sex weddings. In a Statement of Pastoral Guidance on Same Sex Marriage issued late last week, the church clarified its stance on the issue, offering little consolation to LGBT Anglicans […]
LIVING IN ANTI-GAY COMMUNITIES REDUCES LIFE SPAN
A new study has found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people who live in anti-gay communities are on average likely to die 12 years younger than they would have if they’d lived in an accepting environment. Researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health undertook the study, the first of its kind, to look at […]
OBAMA WARNS UGANDA OVER ANTI-GAY BILL
President Obama has warned Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni that approving his country’s anti-gay law will “complicate” Uganda’s relationship with the US. Obama slammed the law, which will dramatically harshen existing penalties against gays and lesbians, in a statement issued by The White House on Sunday. “As a country and a people, the United States has […]
VIRGINIA COURT RULING A BLOW TO GAY MARRIAGE FOES
Opponents of gay marriage rights appear to be fighting a losing battle as another judge overturns a state’s ban on same-sex marriage. On Thursday, US District Judge Arenda Wright Allen ruled that Virginia’s ban on marriage for lesbian and gay couples is unconstitutional. “We have arrived upon another moment in history when We the People […]
“BLACK VALENTINE” FOR GAY UGANDANS
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni will sign his country’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill after all, a government spokesperson confirmed on Friday. AP reported that spokesman Ofwono Opondo tweeted that leaders in Museveni’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) party “welcomed the development as a measure to protect Ugandans from social deviants.” An NRM spokeswoman, Evelyn Anite, also confirmed the news […]
SCIENTISTS SAY THAT HOMOSEXUALITY 40% GENETIC
Adding to decades of speculation and research a new study suggests that male homosexuality is at least partly genetic. Scientists at Northwestern University in Chicago say that a gay man’s DNA contributes around 40% toward him being gay while the other 60% of his sexuality is probably based on environmental or other factors. The researchers […]
FACEBOOK LAUDED FOR NEW GENDER OPTIONS
Facebook has been praised for introducing a custom gender field that will allow users to more accurately reflect who they are. The company announced in a statement that people will now be able to select from an extensive list of gender identities for their profiles instead of just male or female. “When you come to […]
NIGERIA: MOB BEATS 1O MEN ACCUSED OF BEING GAY
There are reports that 10 men, perceived to be gay, have been beaten by a mob of around 40 people in Nigeria. According to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), the attack happened in the community of Geshiri near Abuja on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. Disturbingly, local police reportedly arrested […]
RUSSIA EXPANDS BAN ON GAY FOREIGN ADOPTION
Despite being in the international spotlight during the Olympic Games, the Russian government has provocatively expanded its ban on adoption by foreign married same-sex couples, reports The Moscow Times. In July last year, President Putin signed a law barring foreign married same-sex couples from adopting Russian orphans. The new decree, signed by Prime Minister Dmitry […]
GAY MEN WARNED OF UNDERAGE USERS ON SEX APPS
The UK’s National Crime Agency has warned gay men to ensure that the men they meet and exchange photos with on dating sites or sex apps like Grindr are over the age of 18. “No matter what age you are, if you’re in any doubt of your partner’s age – just don’t do it,” a spokesperson told […]