North America
You Can’t Pray The Gay Away: Netflix Premieres Documentary About Conversion Therapy
The streaming giant Netflix will host to the 2021 documentary Pray Away. The film, directed by Kristine Stolakis and produced by Ryan Murphy and Jason Blum, looks at the leaders of Exodus International, one of the most controversial ‘ex-gay’ conversion therapy organisations during the 1970s, reports TV Blackbox. The documentary also interviews survivors of the… Read more »
Out skateboarders Alana Smith and Alexis Sablone bring a rainbow of diversity to U.S. Olympic Team
Alexis Sablone is queer and Alana Smith is bisexual. They’ll compete for Team USA in the sport’s first Olympic appearance. Alana Smith and Alexis Sablone are leading the charge for LGBTQ representation in skateboarding for the United States at the Tokyo Olympics with the debut of the sport at the Summer Games. Sablone is a… Read more »
Carl Nassib, the First Openly Gay N.F.L. Player, Has Been a Football Everyman
“I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now,” the N.F.L. lineman said. He comes from a football family, was a standout at Penn State and has taught his teammates about personal finance. Las Vegas Raiders defensive lineman Carl Nassib walked outside his home in West Chester, Pa., looked directly into his phone and… Read more »
The ‘Global Closet’ is Huge—Vast Majority of World’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Population Hide Orientation, YSPH Study Finds
The vast majority of the world’s sexual minority population — an estimated 83 percent of those who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual — keep their orientation hidden from all or most of the people in their lives, according to a new study by the Yale School of Public Health that could have major implications… Read more »
Say G’Day To Drag Race Down Under
Since its inception in 2009, the reality drag competition has been on a rollercoaster that only goes up. Hosted by RuPaul, arguably the most famous drag queen internationally, the show has had 13 seasons producing some of the world’s most beloved drag superstars. Drag Race Down Under will feature Australia and New Zealand queens and… Read more »
Negative attitudes towards effeminacy associated with internalized homophobia among gay and bisexual men
Most members of the LGBTQ+ community recognize that it, like many marginalized and minority communities, suffers from internal struggles centered on identity and the outward display of personality traits and behaviors that generate discrimination from the general public. Effeminacy among gay and bisexual men, and the (perceived) rejection of gender stereotypes associated with it, is… Read more »
Amazon to stop selling books that frame LGBTQ+ identities as mental illness
Retail giant announces decision in letter to Republican US senators about removal of book by conservative academic Amazon will no longer sell books that frame gay, lesbian, transgender and other sexual and gender identities as a mental illness. The company made the announcement public in a letter sent to Republican senators who had asked why… Read more »
Three dads, a baby and the legal battle to get their names added to a birth certificate
Three dads, a baby and the legal battle to get their names added to a birth certificate (CNN) – Meet Ian Jenkins and his partners, Alan and Jeremy. They’re a “throuple”: a committed polyamorous relationship involving three people. And after a complicated and expensive court battle to all become legal parents, the trio are raising… Read more »
Homophobes are more likely to be stupid, according to science
There is a scientific link between lower levels of cognitive intelligence and being homophobic, a study has found. Researchers at the University of Queensland, Australia, drew correlations between those who record a low intelligence quotient (IQ) score and those who express bigoted, prejudiced views. This connection, scientists wrote in the journal Intelligence, is the first… Read more »
The Life and Death of Modern Homosexuality
Abolish the capitalist forces that produced “gay people” Sexual Hegemony: Statecraft, Sodomy, and Capital in the Rise of the World System by Christopher Chitty. Duke University Press, 240 pages. Ever Since The Modern Invention of homosexuality, many homosexuals have been profoundly invested in claiming that homosexuality is not a modern invention, or even an invention… Read more »
Openly Gay Mark Levine Launches Campaign For Virginia Lieutenant Governor
Virginia state Delegate Mark Levine, an openly gay Democrat from Alexandria, has launched his campaign for lieutenant governor. According to the Washington Blade, Levine’s successful bid would make him the state’s first openly LGBT officeholder elected statewide. Levine announced his campaign on Monday, December 21 on social media. “Injustice has always gotten under my skin,”… Read more »
Canadian Métis federation votes for non-binary gender option on citizenship cards in ‘respect of basic human rights’
Canada’s Manitoba Métis Federation has unanimously agreed to introduce a non-binary gender option on its citizenship cards – at no extra cost. Announcing the news on 18 December, Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) president David Chartrand said: “We want our citizens to be themselves and not have to hide or be denied their identity.” “We want… Read more »
Supreme Court Affirms Rights For Same-Sex Couples
The high court’s decision not to hear Box v. Henderson leaves in place a lower court’s ruling that found Indiana must place both mothers on their child’s birth certificate. The justices rejected the case without explanation. In its petition to the court, Indiana argued that listing two mothers on a birth certificate undermines a “biological… Read more »
Supreme Court hands down victory for lesbian moms
Indiana tried to make it harder for lesbian couples to be recognized as parents. The Supreme Court said no. The Supreme Court has denied Indiana’s petition to hear a case involving the rights for same-sex spouses to appear on their children’s birth certificates, leaving in place an appeals court decision in favor of listing the… Read more »
Dancing Six Feet Apart? They’d Rather Not
The coronavirus pandemic has upended the lives of many American families. Follow this weekly feature called “Family, Interrupted” to find out how. The wedding date came and went. No vows. No toasts. No tears from proud family and friends. The coronavirus pandemic caused Matthew Cohen, who works in the operations department of a technology company,… Read more »
Two of Trump’s judges strike down laws banning ‘conversion therapy’ on children
Two therapists said the ban on the dangerous ‘cures’ undermined their freedom of speech. Two judges, appointed by President Donald Trump, have struck down laws in Florida that banned ‘conversion therapy’ on children. The laws, in the city of Boca Raton and Palm Beach County, banned therapists from trying to ‘cure’ people’s sexual orientation or… Read more »
Ryan Fecteau Makes Political History In More Ways Than One
Ryan Fecteau, a 28-year-old gay man who was re-elected to Maine’s House Of Representatives, has been nominated by the Democrats to be the next Speaker Of The House, making him both the youngest person and the first LGBTIQA person to hold the office, Out reports. Joining the rainbow wave of LGBTIQA candidates who have won… Read more »
Joe Biden appoints trailblazing transgender war veteran to presidential transition team
President-elect Joe Biden has tapped transgender veteran Shawn Skelly to be part of his presidential transition team at the Department of Defense. Donald Trump banned transgender people from serving openly in the US military. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris – who were declared the winners of the US election on Saturday (7 November) – have… Read more »
Barbadian immigrant makes history as his diocese’s first-ever openly gay Black bishop in 180 years
Reverend Deon Kevin Johnson, an immigrant from Barbados, has become the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri’s first-ever openly gay Black bishop in its 179-year history. Johnson was ordained and consecrated as the 11th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri in a ceremony on Saturday, June 13 at Christ Church Cathedral in St Louis, Missouri. Accoring… Read more »
Virginia becomes first southern state to enact comprehensive discrimination protections for LGBT+ people
The governor of Virginia has signed into law comprehensive discrimination protections for LGBT+ people, making it the first southern US state to do so. Governor Ralph Northam signed senate bill 868, the Virginia Values Act, into law on April 11. The act protects people in the state from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender… Read more »
Canadian Government Introduces Bill To Ban ‘Ex-Gay’ Therapy
The Canadian government on Monday introduced legislation that would ban therapies that attempt to alter the sexual orientation or gender identity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Canadians. Such therapies go by names such as “conversion therapy,” “reparative therapy,” “sexual orientation change efforts” or “ex-gay therapy.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau campaigned on implementing such a… Read more »
Progress toward LGBTQ equality ‘is a jagged line.’ Here’s what has changed over the past decade.
In 2010, no states outlawed conversion therapy for LGBTQ minors, banned health insurers from excluding transgender-related coverage or offered gender neutral options on licenses and birth certificates. Ten years later at the dawn of a new decade, roughly 20 states have these protections in place. Breakthroughs? Or evidence of a plodding pace on the road… Read more »
Commemorating the Victims of Canada’s ‘Gay Purge’
A national memorial will soon rise to the thousands of people whose careers were ruined because of their sexual orientation. One of the most extraordinary things about the “gay purge” of Canada’s public servants, members of the military and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is that it continued until 1992. That was a quarter-century after… Read more »
Which California City Is the Best for Queer Travel?
Should you vacation in San Francisco, West Hollywood, or Palm Springs? As one of the country’s most progressive states, California has long been a haven for queer people. And when you factor in legal marijuana and an abundance of sunshine, spending the holidays there was a no brainer. Thankfully, I was able to build a… Read more »
Senate Confirms Openly Gay Ambassador To Lithuania
The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed the nomination of Robert Gilchrist as the U.S. ambassador to Lithuania. Gilchrist is at least the fifth openly gay person to serve in an ambassadorial role under the Trump administration, the Washington Blade reported. Senators confirmed Gilchrist with a voice vote. President Donald Trump nominated Gilchrist, a career Foreign… Read more »
How gay marriage won America
The decade saw a seismic shift in how society views LGBTQ people. When Robin Tyler married Diane Olson 11 years ago, she assured her it would be a small, simple wedding. “I promised Diane something very quiet, not a spectacle,” Tyler said, laughing. The reality was anything but: Friends and family had to stand on… Read more »
One of Chicago’s oldest churches will now become an LGBT homeless youth centre
One of Chicago’s oldest churches will soon be transformed into one of the only holistic, queer-friendly centres for the LGBT homeless at-risk youth in the city. The Black Methodist for Church Renewal has stood in the heart of Chicago’s South Side since 1926. The 12,000-square-foot space remained empty for years after the congregation moved to… Read more »
How Today’s Queer Artists Are Revising History
By revisiting and refuting the cultural history of the West, this group is using time as its primary medium, looking backward to inform a different kind of gay future. 1. Habitations in History Two women and their baby stare straight at us from the American past. Jessie Evans-Whinery, as she is identified in the caption,… Read more »
UBC exhibit of rare books and artifacts chronicles 100 years of queer history
Items dating back to 19th century reveal stories about homosexuality and key cultural moments A new exhibit of rare books, flyers, postcards and pamphlets on display at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna unveils some unique artifacts of queer history. A Queer Century, first shown at the university’s Vancouver campus, highlights some of the changing perceptions of… Read more »
144 Out LGBT Candidates Won Elected Office In 2019
As of Tuesday, 144 openly LGBT candidates have won election in the United States in 2019. With six races undecided and six candidates heading to a runoff, 99 of the 200 known openly LGBT candidates on the ballot Tuesday won their races. The demographics were released Tuesday by the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which works to… Read more »
Suicidal Ideation and Attempt in Transgender and Cisgender Adolescents
Studies that we have published on transgender adolescents have raised concerns about their mental health, especially if the environment in which these teens live is not supportive. But are transgender youth more likely to consider or attempt suicide compared to cisgender adolescents? To answer that question, Thoma et al. (10.1542/peds.2019-1183) studied suicidality in trans- and… Read more »
No single gene associated with being gay
A genetic analysis of almost half a million people has concluded there is no single “gay gene”. The study, published in Science, used data from the UK Biobank and 23andMe, and found some genetic variants associated with same-sex relationships. But genetic factors accounted for, at most, 25% of same-sex behaviour. Advocacy group GLAAD said the… Read more »
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson Attends Pride For First Time As An Openly Gay Man
Longtime Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson participated in Pride activities last week for the first time as an openly gay man. Watson, who has served as mayor since 2010 and previously led Ottawa from 1997 to 2000, came out the day before the start of Ottawa’s weeklong LGBT Pride festival in an op-ed published in the… Read more »
Most LGBTI Americans welcome police at Pride parades
They also approve of corporations and ‘sexual kink’ groups A new survey reveals most LGBTI Americans are welcoming of police and other groups, such as corporations, at annual Pride parades. BuzzFeed News and Whitman Insight Strategies conducted the survey from 5-10 June, speaking to 801 LGBTI people in the US. Most of the respondents identified… Read more »
Gus Kenworthy and more finish the first day of the AIDS/LifeCycle
A record amount was raised this year Each year, thousands of people get on their bicycles to make an unforgettable journey. They bike 545 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles in the AIDS/LifeCycle, all to raise awareness and funds for HIV/AIDS. The AIDS/LifeCycle first began in 1993 as the California AIDS Ride. Since then,… Read more »
Colorado becomes 18th state to ban conversion therapy on minors
Gay Gov. Jared Polis also signed a bill for LGBTI identification rights Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed into law numerous pieces of LGBTI legislation on Friday (31 May), including a bill banning conversion therapy on minors. Polis, who became the first openly gay US governor when he was elected last year, described conversion therapy… Read more »
Ohio public library cancels Drag 101 day after ‘veiled threats’
Many of the messages came out of state A public library in Ohio canceled a drag event after receiving ‘veiled threats’ from various messages. The Delaware County District Library planned a one-day Drag 101 class on 5 June. Library officials organized the class specifically for a teen audience in mind. Selena T. West, former Miss… Read more »
Nearly half of US LGBTI employees believe being out will hurt their career
More than half have heard anti-LGBTI comments According to a new survey of LGBTI attitudes in the US workplace, nearly half of all LGBTI employees fear being out will hurt their careers. Glassdoor, a website specializing in workplace reviews, published the survey on Thursday (30 May). The Harris Poll conducted the survey from 26 April… Read more »
‘We won’t slow down’: LGBTI groups and more celebrate the Equality Act
It passed in the House of Representatives this morning On Friday (17 May) morning, the House of Representatives in the United States Congress passed historic legislation for LGBTI equality. In a 236-173 vote, mostly along party lines, the Democrat-controlled chamber passed the Equality Act. This bill provides federal protections for LGBTI people on the basis… Read more »
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