The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) ruled yesterday that Jamaica’s Anti-LGBTQ law, colonial-era ban on same-sex relations, known as the “anti-buggery” law, is incompatible with the American Convention on Human Rights. The Commission recommended that the law be repealed, and instructed the country to pay reparations to the plaintiffs in the case. Same-sex relations have been criminalized in Jamaica since colonial times under the Offences Against the Person Act, which prescribes a prison or hard labor sentence of up to 10 years. While the law has rarely been enforced in recent years, its continued existence has perpetuated pervasively negative…
Author: Keith Langston
According to the WHO, there are currently 3,413 confirmed monkeypox cases globally, with thousands more suspected cases that are awaiting verification from lab testing. Now, the HRC has launched a resource page about monkeypox that is specifically geared to the LGBTQ community. Info on the page includes risks, symptoms, what to know when having sex , and specific info for those living with HIV. It’s also creating a page with info on where and how to get tested and where to receive a vaccine. The US government has also stated it’s going to start offering vaccines to high-risk communities. For…
Hey, Chicagoans and visitors to the Second City! Are you looking for a great way to get outside, get some exercise, experience the beauty of your city. and help others? Take part in Chicago’s AIDS Run and Walk! In order to promote social distancing, the event will be taking place in various parts of the city throughout the week beginning September 28th. Event locations include Hyde Park, The Loop, and Lakeview, among others. There are numerous ways to take part – You can walk, run a 5k or 10k, support a participating team, or even simply by sharing the news…
The UK is implementing new laws as lockdown measures begin to ease up. In certain parts of the country, retailers are allowed to open back up at limited capacity, schools will begin to reopen, and certain people will be going back to work. To “keep citizens safe” during the easing of the coronavirus lockdown, however, the UK government has implemented some rather strange policies. Now, groups of up to six people from different households are allowed to gather outside, but no two people from different households can congregate together inside (unless it’s for special circumstances like a funeral). The law…
This year marks the 5th anniversary of Wes Anderson’s modern classic The Grand Budapest Hotel, which showcases the peculiar and curious life of a quirky European hotel. The Grand Budapest in the film has a striking resemblance to real life The Corinthia Budapest (Anderson visited the hotel to view its archival images when planning his film). The hotel’s Hollywood connection is what served as the inspiration for the Corinthia to create its “Grand Hotel Experience.” The Corinthia will transport guests back to the hotel’s magical heyday in the 1930’s…. Just like the film, which was set in Hungary’s glamorous 30’s, the Corinthia…
LGBTQ vacation company VACAYA is bringing entertainment to everyone during the coronavirus outbreak. Starting March 28, at 8pm ET, VACAYA will begin their Saturday Night Spotlight. Each weekend, the spotlight will feature a different performer, live from their own home. VACAYA knows that entertainers have suddenly stopped being able to generate any income, so in response, the company decided to create a way where their talent could still perform. Hence, Saturday Night Spotlight was born. VACAYA will be paying their performers per show, and a Venmo tip jar will also be available. To watch, all you need to do is…
Fans around the world became obsessed with the wild, almost unbelievable feud between big cat activist Carole Baskin and breeder Joe Exotic in Netflix’s popular docuseries, Tiger King. Now, Peacock dives behind the scenes of the lives of both Joe and Carole and explores their escalating conflict, and even the making of Tiger King with the new limited series Joe Vs. Carole. In the show, John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus) will play Joe Exotic and Kate McKinnon (SNL) will play Carole Baskin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62VFGOJhg8w Based on the podcast “Joe Exotic,” hosted and reported by Robert Moor, the series…
The angry moms over at One Million Moms (the alt-right hate group that’s anti-LGBTQ and promotes 1950s gender roles) are enraged once again, this time, at Sephora. The beauty product company has released a new holiday ad titled “Holiday Gifting 2021: It’s the Beauty You Give” which features various people giving and receiving gifts from the store. One vignette features a gay couple who (gasp!) kiss at the end of the commercial. Naturally, this offended the one million moms, who curiously only have 4,119 followers on Twitter (not exactly a million, but again, this is a group who believes that…
Jack Petocz, the student activist who organized Florida’s statewide school walkout over the state’s “don’t say gay” bill has been suspended indefinitely from his high school, Flagler Palm Coast. After the suspension, Petocz took to Twitter to share his story. https://twitter.com/Jack_Petocz/status/1499517610077085701 According to Petocz, the school initially supported his idea for a walkout (which ultimately saw thousands from across the state walk out in protest, including over 400 from his own school). However, shortly before the protest, the school’s principal decided he wanted to call off the walkout and school officials even began confiscating pride flags from students and around…
In a new lawsuit, Jamii Erway describes the horrific situation she faced at the Raleigh Durham airport back in 2019 when she was the victim of a ‘false positive’ result at the TSA security checkpoint. At the time, Erway, who is transgender, was just 15 years old. Due to the flagging, TSA told her that in order to enter the terminal, she’d have to undergo a strip search and genital search. According to The News and Observer, “A 2019 ProPublica report examined the TSA’s civil rights complaints over a three-year period and found that 5%, or 298 complaints, involved transgender…
At the popular South by Southwest festival (SXSW) over the weekend, singer Lizzo took the mic to condemn Texas officials for their anti-abortion and anti-trans policies. Recently, Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, told Texans to spy on their neighbors and report anyone they believed might be aiding their child with gender-affirming care. Telling people to spy on and report their neighbors is literally something that was happening in Nazi Germany. Over the weekend at the festival, Lizzo stood up for civil rights. According to NBC News, Lizzo said, “I’m proud to rep Houston, but I’m not proud to rep Texas politics…
Over the weekend, at the New York installation of DragCon, RuPaul had a very special announcement to make at the ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday morning: Drag Race is becoming a live spectacle and will be housed within the historic and flamboyant Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The show will feature a rotating cast of some of Drag Race’s biggest Queens, including, Aquaria, Kim Chi, Kameron Michaels, Asia O’Hara, and more. The performances begin January 2020, and pre-sale tickets go on sale tomorrow, September 10th at Drag Race Live, and a traditional pre-sale begins on Ticketmaster the following day, September,…
Opera singer Lucas Bouk used to be a mezzo-soprano before transitioning. He was worried about making the transition because there was a chance the hormones could impact his voice and singing career in the world of opera. However, Lucas decided to follow his truth and now lives openly as a trans man. He’s also continued singing, sharing his talents with the world. However, on August 14th, Bouk will perform for the first time as a baritone instead of a mezzo-soprano. On August 14 and 15, Bouk will take part in the On Site Opera, an opera pop-up taking place in…
Netflix recently released the Dave Chappelle stand-up special, The Closer, in which the comedian mocked trans women and the LGBTQ community as a whole (a topic he’s brought up in numerous specials now). Netflix has stood by the comedian and says they support his right to free speech and won’t take action. For many Netflix employees, this was the final straw. Now, employees will stage a walkout on Tuesday, October 20th to show Netflix how serious they are about their concerns for Chappelle’s stand-up film. Now, Bloomberg has revealed that employees had actually made internal concerns about The Closer before…
Starbucks is in a bit of a predicament at the moment. The company just released an ad in the UK that depicts Starbucks as being welcoming and accepting of everyone. The main character in the commercial is a young trans man who feels safe using his name at a Starbucks store. Soon after the ad was released, the trans community raised their issues with the recent allegations that the company is transphobic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcSP1r9eCWw The company has a history of high-profile instances of discrimination, while also having a history of high-profile efforts for inclusion. Their most recent brush with controversy has…
Earlier this summer President Biden announced that he’d be appointing a Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons. And while the title may be long, the role is actually quite straightforward and incredibly important in today’s world. According to the White House, the role is “critical to ensuring that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons around the world.” The Special Envoy will be a member of the Department of State. In the formal declaration, it was revealed that Biden had chosen Jessica Stern to fill the role. Stern has long been…
Aruba, one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly destinations in the Caribbean, is taking extra steps to provide a sense of security for anyone looking to get married or have a honeymoon on their beautiful Island. With Aruba’s new Happily Ever After Guarantee, anyone who books a destination wedding or honeymoon for 2021, can postpone and reschedule for any coronavirus-related reason for up to a year. The program has a very liberal policy on what counts, as long as it is related to COVID-19. Whether that means a sick family member or a future outbreak that shuts down travel. As long…
Quibi has announced that on Monday, May 4th, Adam Rippon’s new series Useless Celebrity History will premiere. The show is hosted by figure skater and Olympic medalist, Adam Rippon, and explores the most random events in pop culture history. From Rhianna to Lindsay Lohan and Snooki, Rippon will be digging up everything from the biggest celebrity scandals to the fiercest red carpet moments. The series will combine interviews, reenactments, and skits. https://twitter.com/Adaripp/status/1256327225571282944 Rippon teased the premiere of the show on his Twitter account by taking part in the #MetGalaChallenge which encourages people to try and make their own homemade Met…