Tag: LGBTQ

Kevin Spacey in court (screen capture via GMA) Prosecutors in Massachusetts have dropped criminal charges against Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey just days after his accuser invoked his Fifth Amendment rights while on the witness stand. Spacey was facing charges of indecent assault and battery in connection to allegations stemming from an incident in 2016 where he was accused of ‘groping’ an 18-year-old male at a Nantucket bar, the Club Car Bar, where the then-18-year-old worked. According to the accuser, he was...

Russia has been ordered to pay three LGBTQ groups £38,850 for blocking them from becoming legal entities. The groups claim their applications to become legal entities were blocked by the country because their main aim is to promote LGBTQ rights. The three groups in question are Rainbow House, the Movement for Marriage Equality and the Sochi Pride House. The groups had attempted to register from between 2006 and 2011. In the ruling, the court unanimously found that Russia had discriminated against...

NBA star Dwight Howard (screen capture via Fox Sports) In an interview with Fox Sports, NBA star Dwight Howard directly addresses allegations whether he is gay and how a slew of rumors begun in the fall of 2018 impacted his life. Speaking to reporter Kristine Leahy, Howard says in simple language, “I’m not gay.” “It’s a lot of people who are , and they have to hide,” he said.  Howard, who is currently on the Memphis Grizzlies roster, says the experience of gay...

If you’ve tuned into a prominent European competitive League of Legends tournament in recent years then you’re probably familiar with shoutcaster James “Stress” O’Leary. The Cardiff-born commentator spent three years as one of the most prominent voices of the European League of Legends Championship Series, now known as the LEC. He’s also an out gay man, placing him firmly in the minority of the esports community. He’s faced a fair share of both supportive and hateful comments since revealing his...

A gay teenager says his family cut off his earlobe to permanently “mark” him as an abomination. The 19-year-old, who has only been identified as “Modou” in the press, is seeking asylum in the Netherlands on the basis of his sexual orientation. Homosexuality is currently punished with life imprisonment in his home country of The Gambia. Former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh had previously threatened to “cut the heads” off any LGBTI person. “I was so afraid to tell my family about my...

Billy Porter in FX’s POSE (image via Instagram/PoseOnFX) The 2019 Emmy Award nominations have been announced and, as anticipated, red carpet ninja Billy Porter snagged a well-earned nomination for Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his work as “Pray Tell” in FX’s acclaimed series, Pose. The series, which chronicles the ball culture of New York City in the late 80s at the height of the AIDS epidemic, received a total of 6 nominations including for Outstanding Drama Series. Billy Porter &...

The camp saw British hitmaker MNEK invite a host of diverse queer artists including Olly Alexander, Rina Sawayama, L Devine, Leo Kalyan, Sakima, Caitlyn Scarlett, Bryn Christopher and Ryan Ashley to collaborate and share their experiences. With songwriting and production credits for A-list artists like Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Little Mix, Christina Aguilera and even Beyoncé under his belt – as well as his own incredible studio album – MNEK knows what it takes to write a great song. We caught up...

Ryan Williams (image via Facebook) A gay man in the UK, who was knocked unconscious and severely beaten requiring medical attention at a hospital, has seen the photos of his injuries go viral on social media. Ryan Williams, of Preston, Lancashire, shared his story along with graphic photos of his injuries from the attack on Facebook. “I never thought in my life that I would get beaten up for being GAY!,” wrote Williams on his Facebook page. “Wtf has this world actually...

FIFA, the world organization that governs international soccer matches, recently launched a new simplified “disciplinary code” that highlights referees’ ability to end matches if fans utter homophobic or racist chants. The newly highlighted ability has existed since May 2017, leaving us to wonder how many referees will actually use it, what FIFA will do if they don’t and whether other stakeholders — like local governments, broadcasters, viewers and sponsors — will take action to end the hateful chants once and...

New York City Councilman Ritchie Torres (image via Facebook) New York City Councilman Ritchie Torres, the first LGBTQ official elected in the Bronx, has announced he will run to represent New York’s 15th Congressional District in 2020. The seat is being vacated by Democrat Rep. José E. Serrano, the longest serving Hispanic congressman in the country, who is retiring because he has Parkinson’s disease. Torres, currently the youngest member of the City Council, would be the first openly gay member of Congress...

The gay scientist and World War Two codebreaker, who was named the ‘greatest person of the 20th century’ by the BBC this year, will replace steam engine pioneers James Watt and Matthew Boulton when the note goes into circulation in 2021. It will feature a well-known photo of Turing, imagery relating to his historic work, and a quote from him which reads: “This is only a foretaste of what is to come and only the shadow of what is going...

US footballer Kelley O’Hara has seemingly nonchalantly come out by kissing her girlfriend after the US national team won this year’s Women’s World Cup. In the celebrations after the final whistle, Kelley ran to the stands, among others players, and kissed her girlfriend. Other members of the US women’s football team like Megan Rapinoe, Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris are also LGBTQ, the latter of whom are engaged. Writing on SB Nation, Kim McCauley praised Kelley, writing: “This is not a...

Last year, a storm erupted after it emerged that Scarlett Johansson had been cast as a trans man in biopic Rub & Tug. The discussion was caused by a lack of trans actors getting roles in the industry. Johansson initially brushed off criticism, saying: “Tell them they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman’s reps for comment.” However, the actress then took the decision to stand down from the role. “In light of recent ethical questions raised surrounding...

Green Man Gaming’s latest retro rhythm game, Pride Run, recently released its first trailer and it looks incredible. The game sees you keep a Pride parade on track in a rhythm based style, before taking on ‘Enemies of Pride’ in a one-on-one dance-off. The game will take place across 16 different locations including places like San Francisco and Berlin, as well as places more hostile to the LGBTQ community like Istanbul and Moscow. The ‘Enemies of Pride’ are styled after groups...