Tag: Australia

'No apology at all. Just an accusatory zombielike look in their eyes...' Dustin Lance Black is currently vacationing Down Under with his diver husband Tom Daley. But the star didn’t receive the warmest of welcomes from one store upon arrival at the Gold Coast. Dustin has now revealed that he was ‘stopped and accused’ of shoplifting by the shop Woolworths. ‘Thanks for the warm welcome’ The writer took to Twitter to share details of the incident in Woolworths on the Gold Coast. ‘OMG! Was just...

Australian rugby superstar Israel Folau is under fire after replying to a follower in an Instagram post who asked, “what was gods plan for gay people?” In the comments section of the post, Folau, who plays for New South Wales Waratahs, replied, “HELL.. Unless they repent of their sins and turn to God.” Folau, a devout Christian raised as a Mormon who converted to the Assemblies of God fellowship with his family in 2011, made headlines last September during Australia’s debate...

Same-sex couples can now adopt children anywhere in Australia. The Northern Territory was the last region of the country holding out against the tide of progress – until this week. In a historic move, lawmakers added amendments to the NT Adoption of Children Act which mean that same-sex couples – as well as de facto couples – can now legally adopt. Before now, only straight couples were allowed this right. The decision comes after the federal Parliament’s followed the country’s wishes – expressed...

Stuart Henshall and James Brechney tied the knot at Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Newlyweds in Australia shaded opponents of marriage equality Down Under in the most epic way: Stuart Henshall and James Brechney shredded “Vote No” posters into confetti for their wedding Saturday atop a float at Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. The couple, who both campaigned for marriage equality, held onto the homophobic fliers after the nationwide postal vote. During the voting period, which ran from September to...

Australia’s first married gay couple just ended in a heartbreaking way. Jo Grant from Queensland married Jill Kindt on December 15 in their home’s garden less than a week after Australia legalized marriage equality. The two had escaped the 30-day waiting period due to “exceptional circumstances” and officially became the first gay couple to marry under the new law. They were then quickly followed by 159 same-sex couples (and counting) wishing to get married. While the two kept things private, the news...

Over 300,000 people turned out for the 40th Annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, a dazzling weekend of parades, partying, and, oh yeah, a performance by Cher. The diva sang some of her biggest club hits, including “Strong Enough,” “All or Nothing,” “Believe,” and, of course, “Turn Back Time.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og9S_p8VeAc Of course, no LGBTQ celebration would be complete without lots and lots (and lots) of photos of hunky shirtless men dressed in skimpy little costumes. Scroll down for pics… https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf5a_log0vP/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf5VIsjhqUW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf7kBIcnHcD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf-qIvSgxRq/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf8FSXpg4Q9/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf4wqmSAwGd/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf7Gq53hu6N/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://instagram.com/p/Bf6_odoF_vG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf5Q-h7DWNT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf5cT6ehwwG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf2gvfujK0W/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf-dCCfHPq8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf-M8fFg2PG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf9kW67lXCv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf72Wndnbkv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf98zlxHgsR/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf-JnN1HMmv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf5pfV4Dqmz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf4ye5TAKk1/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf6sjunDCjx/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf42kVeBx92/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf5cNChhMsJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf7t-6xH0rn/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf7595Ulh3Z/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf4-teNnAAb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control

Warren Orlandi lost more than 500lbs in order to make the ascent up the iconic structure. On Thursday, the first same-sex couple married atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge, an iconic part of the city’s skyline. Exchanging vows atop the 92-year-old structure has become something of a trend for daring couples, but the union of Warren Orlandi and Pauly Phillips is special beyond the fact that they’re both men: Four years ago, Orlandi weighted 815lbs and was determined to lose enough weight...

Tony Abbott, who once claimed "the relationship between two people of the same sex cannot be a marriage," said he was "looking forward to having a new sister-in-law." Why let a little thing like civil liberties get between siblings? Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott attended the wedding of his sister Christine Forster to girlfriend Virginia Flitcroft on Friday, just weeks after the country legalized same-sex marriage. https://www.instagram.com/p/Betx43tjk_S/?utm_source=ig_embed “Great family occasion. Very happy for Chris and Virginia,” Abbott told reporters on the way...

How long does it take to know you’ve found the one? A couple years? A few seconds? Well, one couple says it only took them two months. 29-year-old Ricky Zhang and 24-year-old Zak Liu decided to get married January 12 after meeting only two months earlier. “Many people don’t believe in true love at the first sight,” said Ricky to DNA, “But, luckily, we found it.” On top of that, they also believe they are the first Chinese Gay couple to get...

It may technically be Australia Day today, but more people turned up to support Indigenous people atrallys across the country January 26 is officially Australia Day, the national holiday where everyone gets a day off to celebrate being Australian. The date was chosen because it was the date that British explorers landed in Botany Bay and began the colonization of the continent. But for Indigenous people in Australia it is not a day of celebration, but rather the day that marks the...

The 9/11 terrorist attacks came in a close second as the historical event that had the most impact on Australia Even though same-sex couples have only had the right to legally wed for a few weeks, Australians think achieving marriage equality was the most significant in the country’s history. The Australian Parliament passed marriage equality into law in December last year after 13 years of campaigning by marriage equality advocates. The parliament changed the Marriage Act after a national postal survey...

An outbreak of hepatitis A in Australia has prompted specialists to urge sufferers in Europe and the US to get tested. Since September 2017, there have been 950 confirmed cases of Hepatitis A across Europe since September 2017, which have been reported in 22 countries. Now a similar strain of the virus has been found in Victoria, Australia, prompting a free vaccination programme for men who have sex with men, leading doctors to encourage men who have sex with men to...

An actor and gay activist from Los Angeles, Matt Palazzolo, died earlier this week while hiking in Australia. Palazzolo was a longtime member of the West Hollywood Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board, a member of the Christopher Street West Board and active in community activism. Palazzolo was vocal and dynamic during the Proposition 8 demonstrations in California in 2008. According to ABC News in Australia, Palazzolo was found over a thousand feet from the trail that took them on a...

An Australian equal marriage campaigner has said that LGB couples are waiting to tie the knot because “they are too tired” after campaigning for their rights to marriage. After enduring nearly three months of campaigning to score an overwhelming 66.1% “yes” vote in the Australian same-sex marriage referendum, Australian Marriage Equality board member Sarah Midgley said that people probably need “a little break” before they get hitched in droves after the vote. “Many people maybe need a little break since the...