NEWS
Latest LGBTIQ news from Australia and around the world
Village People respond to Trump entering rally to ‘Macho Man’
The Village People say their music is “all-inclusive” and they don’t have a problem with Donald Trump playing gay anthem “Macho Man” at his rallies. The band spoke out after Trump entered a rally in India to the song, alongside India’s nationalist leader Narendra Modi, earlier this week. However, the Village People said despite an …
Croatian town sets fire to gay couple effigy
Locals in the Croatian town of Imotski cheered as they burnt an effigy of a gay couple and their baby to a crisp. See the footage below. People of the town decorated the effigy and paraded it through the streets before setting it down to burn. The two men depicted were kissing and wrapped in …
Advocacy company questions organisation of gay rodeo
The Supportah group of companies today published an open letter to Josh Goyne, ‘the gay cowboy’, concerning a gay rodeo advertised for October. Goyne recently began selling tickets to the rodeo on Eventbrite. Josh Goyne, the gay cowboy Josh Goyne, became known as the gay cowboy after posting videos concerning vilification regarding his sexuality designed …
Aqualicious: ‘deep sadness’ over death of Anthony Stott
Aqualicious Masters Swimming Club recently paid tribute to longtime member Anthony Stott. Although the circumstances of Anthony’s death remain unclear, police allege three people detained and assaulted him for over six hours on 10 February. After apparently escaping, a truck struck him on the nearby highway and he died at the scene. A Tweed Heads …
Insta-famous porn star charged over ‘revenge porn’
Insta-famous porn star Fabricio Da Silva Claudino appeared in a Sydney court yesterday charged with 13 revenge porn offences. The prosecution alleges the Brazilian previously took photographs and a video of a partner without consent and uploaded them to the internet. The 31-year-old allegedly used his mobile phone to film himself having sex with his …
Ireland’s gay Prime Minister Leo Varadkar resigns
Leo Varadkar resigned as Irish Prime Minister this week. Previously, his party, Fine Gael, failed to win a majority in the parliamentary elections held on 8 February. With no other party winning a majority either, Ireland’s parliament remains in a political deadlock. With four candidates for the office of Taoiseach or prime minister, two other …
Backlash against ANZ’s confronting Mardi Gras campaign
LGBTIQ Australians have some thoughts about a new ANZ campaign calling out homophobic slurs ahead of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. ANZ, a Mardi Gras sponsor, released new research showing 80% of Australians had experienced anti-LGBTIQ language in the previous year. But ANZ found only 41 percent of ‘straight’ Australians “believe that hurtful, homophobic …
WATCH: Trans man shares top surgery joy in viral video
Australian transgender man Sol Hall’s emotional reaction after waking up from his top surgery has gone viral. On Tuesday, the 22-year-old shared the powerful video to Twitter of the doctor carefully removing his bandages in hospital following the surgery. “I’d like to share my very personal chest reveal moment with the world,” Sol wrote on …
Indonesian ‘family’ bill would force gay people into rehab
A proposed “Family Resilience” law by Indonesian lawmakers targeting homosexuality and S&M sex would see “offenders” sent to state-sanctioned rehab centres. The proposed law would require anyone “suffering” from “sexual deviations” to report themselves to rehabilitation facilities for treatment. The bill lists homosexuality, incest and sadomasochistic sex as such “deviations,” defined as “urges to achieve …
Student walkout over fired teachers at Seattle school
A student walkout at Kennedy Catholic High School in Seattle today arose from the abrupt departure of two popular teachers. The school claims the ‘highly capable’ teachers ‘voluntarily resigned’. However, the fiancé of one of the teachers said the school ‘specifically’ no longer employed Paul Danforth because of their engagement. However, both Sean Nyberg and …
Important message behind new suicide prevention campaign
A new Queensland suicide prevention campaign is encouraging everyone to have difficult – but important – conversations about suicide. The Queensland Council for LGBTI Health has launched the “Talking Heals” campaign, in partnership with a number of other organisations. The campaign, appearing on billboards around Brisbane, acknowledge “sharing stories of suicide can be hard”. The …
Brisbane doctor blasts ‘harmful’ religious discrimination bill
A Brisbane doctor who specialises in LGBTIQ healthcare has slammed the government’s “harmful” religious freedom bill. Dr Ryan Williams is a GP at Stonewall Medical Centre in Brisbane. The long-running centre is one of four in the city specialising in care for LGBTIQ people. “I’m a proud gay man myself, and the majority of my …
Research: 80% of LGBTIQ people experience online bullying
Research by GALOP finds 80% of LGBTIQ people experience online bullying. The bullying includes threats of violence and threats to out people. The 700 respondents to the survey came from across the United Kingdom. 58% of the reported incidents occurred on Facebook and 34% on Twitter. Of the remainder, 19% occurred in the comments sections …
Judi Jabour – Labor for Central Ward
Growing up in a small country town, Judi Jabour – Labor for Central Ward, learned the importance of community. In the city, she found that sense of community again when she moved to New Farm in inner-city Brisbane. She has lived there for the fifteen years since with fiancé Linda. Judi understands the importance of …
How Queensland schools can support their trans students
The Queensland Human Rights Commission has unveiled two new guidebooks to help transgender and gender diverse students and their schools. The QHRC’s Trans@School guides cover topics including names and pronouns, records, medical information, toilets, uniforms, and sports. Queensland Human Rights Commissioner Scott McDougall said the guides came about following increasing inquiries from schools and students. …
Pete Buttigieg’s brilliant response to homophobic sledge
Democratic Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg has said he “won’t be lectured on family values” by conservative shock jock Rush Limbaugh after homophobic jibes about his marriage. Buttigieg is one of the many contenders vying for the Democratic Presidential nomination against Donald Trump in the 2020 US election. If elected, the 38-year-old would be the first …
Brian Greig on Margaret Court: a champion of homophobia
Margaret Court is not the flag bearer of religious freedom that the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) and her supporters would have you believe. She is in fact, a champion of homophobia. Elected to federal parliament in 1998, Brian Greig declared he was gay in his maiden speech. As an LGBTI rights activist in Western Australia …
Sunshine and rainbows for Mardi Gras Fair Day
Sunshine and rainbows as far as the eye could see greeted revellers at Mardi Gras Fair Day in Sydney’s Victoria Park today. With 80,000 people expected at the event, attractions abounded for everyone. Acts like Ngaiire and Jamarz on Marz lit up the ANZ Main Stage. Ngaiire Jamarz on Marz Clover Moore Ever mindful of …
No rainbow flags allowed at Folau’s debut
Catalans Dragons insisted on no rainbow flags at Israel Folau’s debut match for the team. Club officials forced two fans to remove flags during the match. Folau recently signed a contract with Catalans Dragons, agreeing to make no public comments on homosexuality. Catalans Dragons won the game against Castleford Tigers at Perpignan in France. During …
Fake Tahitian prince set for release and deportation
Joseph Hohepa Morehu-Barlow, or Joel Morehu-Barlow, the fake Tahitian prince who stole over $16 million from Queensland Health, is set for release from jail and deportation back to New Zealand. Morehu-Barlow, originally sentenced to 14 years jail, became eligible for parole in 2016. After beginning work for Queensland Health in 2007, Morehu-Barlow eventually became a …
IR Claims: Getting screwed at work? 1800FORKED
Industrial Relations Claims recently took a harder approach in their advocacy for workers and contractors. I asked Miles Heffernan from IR Claims about the reason for the company’s new phone number, 1800FORKED. “I’m sick of the bullshit. We’ve been in this game a long time, and we still see employers simply ignoring worker’s rights. This …
200-year-old diary shows tolerance always existed
A historian examining the 200-year-old diary of a Yorkshire farmer discovered previously missed entries arguing for increased tolerance towards homosexuality. Matthew Tomlinson’s diary covers the period from 1806 until 1839. It found its way into the Wakefield Library sometime before the 1950s. Matthew Tomlinson lived from about 1770 until 1850. A widower at the time …