How Targeting LGBTQ+ Rights Are Part of the Authoritarian Playbook

Explosions boom down the telephone line as former U.S. Marine Eddy Etue explains why he gave up a quiet life on the Californian coast to volunteer in the Ukrainian military as it battles Russia’s invasion.

same-sex couple onto the children's TV show. The animated programme, which has aired on Channel 5 since May 2004, is one of the most popular series aimed at children of pre-school age and follows the adventures, mishaps and friendships of titular character Peppa Pig. In Monday morning's instalment, the show made history by introducing its first same-sex parents, Mummy Polar Bear and Doctor Polar Bear.

Maura Healey, the barrier-breaking attorney general of Massachusetts, secured the Democratic nomination for governor on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, putting her on track to become the first woman to be elected governor in the state. If Ms. Healey wins in November, and if another Democrat running for governor of Oregon, Tina Kotek, also wins, they would become the first two openly lesbian governors in the country.

A court in Iran has sentenced two LGBTQ and intersex activists to death after their arrest for “promoting homosexuality.”

Sarah McBride, who currently represents Delaware’s 1st State Senate District, is seeking reelection this fall as her first term comes to a close. McBride made headlines in 2020 when she became the first openly transgender state senator in the nation’s history, and for the past two years has worked to reform social services and on healthcare legislation in the Delaware Senate.

How to support a friend through a breakupHow to stop physically comparing yourself to othersHow to train for a marathon with your dogDrag queens, trans people and all members of the LGBTQ+ community will not hide away in backstreet gay bars, like we did in the past. We will always put the fight for equality before profit.If I retire and all drag artists are treated with respect, kindness and paid equally – as they deserve – I can be happy.Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing James.Besanvalle@metro.co.uk. Share your views in the comments below. MORE : There is nothing inappropriate about drag queens performing for children MORE : How Drag Race’s Ginny Lemon shattered huge LGBTQ+ boundaries in Commonwealth opening ceremony: ‘This is a huge deal for queer people everywhere‘ MORE : I coached EastEnders’ new drag queen character – she’s going to be iconic

Reddit's popular "Am I The A**hole" forum where it received more than 13,200 upvotes and 1,400 comments. The post can be found here.The OP stated that while he's from "a small town in Texas, a super conservative Catholic area", he and his father moved to Manhattan when he was 15.

The Inland Empire Pride festival in Riverside, Calif., which was held on Sunday, was disrupted when far-right extremists demonstrated outside the event venue. Violent clashes erupted between protesters and those attending the festival with some individuals arrested.An anti-LGBTQ extremist, Chris Reyes, who has been active in the local community led the protest, and before the event ended, he would be pepper sprayed, bloodied, and arrested.

Tia Hopkins and Antonio Bowens last month became the first openly nonbinary candidates elected to the Maryland Democratic Central Committee.

Fairfax County School Board member Karl Frisch on Tuesday announced he is running for the Virginia House of Delegates.

Guy Lodge Film Critic Gianni Amelio was in his late sixties when he came out as gay a few years ago. The announcement preceded the release of his documentary “Happy to Be Different,” which worked toward an overriding sunniness in contemplating the trials and challenges of being gay in Italy at various points in the 20th century. In turning to a gay-themed narrative project, Amelio narrows the focus and dims the mood: “Lord of the Ants” takes as its subject the gay Italian author Aldo Braibanti, and the social and legal opposition he faced over his sexuality in mid-1960s Rome. Solemn, stately and perhaps a little stifled, it’s the kind of queer statement you might expect from a veteran filmmaker who wasn’t until relatively recently out and proud, and is rather poignant for that.

Coronation Street were in high spirits as they basked in the sunshine at Manchester Pride, as former cast member Katie McGlynn beamed in pink at the celebrations.This year, Manchester Pride is taking place across the August bank holiday weekend, having begun on Friday August 26 before wrapping up on Monday August 29.It was previously announced that the theme for the 2022 parade in the city was ‘March for Peace’, in order to emphasise ‘the importance of peace in a world where all LGBTQ+ people are free to live and love without prejudice at its heart’.With Corrie being filmed on the ITV soap’s set at MediaCity UK in Salford, Manchester, members of the cast joined in the parade, getting into the swing of things with vibrant, sparkly and show-stopping outfits.Katie, who starred on the programme from 2013 to 2020 before joining Hollyoaks from 2021 to 2022, went full-on Barbie, donning a hot pink cropped jacket and skirt ensemble.She completed her look with a rainbow fan, grinning from ear to ear at the joy-filled event.Dolly-Rose Campbell, who’s played Gemma Winter on Corrie since 2014, went all out with her silver sparkly dress, styling her hair with a rainbow of colours and adorning her face with glitter.Meanwhile, George Shuttleworth actor Tony Maudsley wore one of the most eye-catching tops of the day, wearing a white T-shirt with a muscly torso design on the front.

Drag Race UK finalist Bimini Bon Boulash shared their “disgust” after a boy was attacked leaving Great Yarmouth Pride last week.

Trixie Mattel, Gottmik and Violet Chachki were amongst the celebrities who attended GAY TIMES and Feel It’s exclusive preview of Nancy’s.

Conservative Party leadership announced Monday that Liz Truss was elected head of the party and will become the U.K”s new prime minister, replacing her fellow Tory, Boris Johnson, who announced his resignation this past July following a slew of scandals and resignations from his government.

In Chile, more than 60% of voters rejected a new progressive constitution that would guarantee a broad range of social rights, including rights for the LGBTQ+ community in the country. A draft of the proposed Constitution was made public before the referendum, and it called for gender equality in all institutions, public and private, as […]

Iran has sentenced two women LGBTQ+ rights activists to death over what authorities say are charges related to human trafficking.The country’s official IRNA news agency reported the news Monday. Since the news broke, many online have condemned the decision.Iranian authorities say the women, Zahra Sedighi Hamedani, 31, and Elham Chobdar, 24, have been accused of “corruption on earth,” according to media reports.The charge usually is used for those who have gone against Iran’s government, according to the Associated Press.

LGBTQ+ issues, particularly regarding the rights of Trans folks, have been at the centre of a hot debate during the Tory leadership race which ended on September 5 when Liz Truss was finally confirmed as Britain’s new Prime Minister. Since former Prime Minister Boris Johnson handed in his resignation earlier in July, the political debate […]

The #DropKiwiFarms campaign has finally seen success, with the website’s network provider blocking access to Kiwi Farms, the forum which has been used to target the Trans community as victims of ‘swatting’, ‘doxxing’ and death threats. Trans Twitch streamer, Clara Sorrenti, also known as Keffals in the digital world, is one of the most recent […]

Manchester Pride is one of the most anticipated and best-loved events in the LGBTQ+ calendar.It’s a celebration that holds a special place in my heart. I have family from the North West and I spent many of my ‘formative’ years in the city after moving there at 18.

Senate Democrats upon return from August recess are weighing whether to include a provision seeking to codify same-sex marriage into law as part of a measure that would temporarily continue funding the government as lawmakers hammer out the budget for the upcoming year.

Democrats in the House and Senate are looking to ensure same-sex marriage rights are codified into federal law after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June, leaving other similarly-based decisions in jeopardy as Justice Clarence Thomas signaled he wants them rescinded as well.

A new documentary about Declan Flynn premiered on RTÉ last night prompting the community to call for urgent hate crime legislation. As well as remembering Declan and his life with friends and family, The Case I Can’t Forget: The Killing of Declan Flynn, which was commissioned to mark the 40th anniversary of the fatal attack, […]

Manchester Pride, which kicks off today.Explaining where the idea came from, Leo says that the aim was to create a queer dance party ‘that is uplifting and celebratory, and celebrates trans people on our own terms.’ Notable names on the bill for this year’s event include Heartstopper’s Yasmin Finney, viral drag superstar Juno Birch and performer and Mr Gay England’s first ever trans finalist, Chiyo.But while party-goers can expect to be entertained by an evening packed with DJs, drag, burlesque, cabaret, activism and music, exactly what will happen on the night remains an exciting mystery.‘I’d love to tell you, but I don’t know what’s going to happen – we chat to the artists, give them the theme and literally just get the party started,’ says Trans Filth & Joy fellow organiser Kate O’Donnell, Creative Director of Trans Creative. According to Leo, who goes by the pronouns they/them, what can be assured is that as well as being an entertaining event for trans people, it will be safe and supportive, too.‘Creating a space which is really fun and affirming feels incredibly urgent and important right now,’ they explain. ‘We want to give trans people and their friends – but in particular trans and non-binary people – space to relax, be free and feel wonderful about themselves,’ adds Kate. For her, having Manchester Pride champion the trans community in this way is a huge step in moving further towards positive visibility and representation.‘They’ve put us right at the front,’ she explains. ‘They’ve done some really brilliant grassroots stuff this year, with some elements of risk.

Teacher Enoch Burke has been jailed for contempt of court. Justice Michael Quinn issued the ruling on Monday, September 5, sentencing Burke to an indefinite prison term which can only be ended if the man agrees to purge his contempt, or a judge orders his release. Last Friday, Judge Miriam O’Regan ordered Burke’s arrest after […]

Two LGBTQ+ activists have been sentenced to death for spreading corruption, according to the Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights.

Paris – A court in Iran has sentenced to death two gay rights activists on charges of promoting homosexuality, campaigners said Monday, urging pressure from the international community to stop the implementation of the verdicts.The two women, Zahra Sedighi Hamedani, 31, and Elham Chubdar, 24, were sentenced to death by the court in the northwestern town of Urmia, the Hengaw Kurdish rights organization said.This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software.Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites. If this does not resolve the issue or you are unable to add the domains to your allowlist, please see this support page.

Below are our picks for some of the most fun and creative things to do this week in the DMV (and Rehoboth Beach) that are of special interest to the LGBTQ community.

The post Liz Truss: Where does the next Prime Minister stand on LGBTQ+ issues? appeared first on GAY TIMES.

The English Rugby Football Union (RFU) is facing a legal challenge to its recently imposed ban on Trans women competing in contact rugby.  It was revealed on Saturday that a pre-action protocol letter was issued to the RFU by Trans woman Julie Curtiss.  The report in the Telegraph claims that London-based law firm Russell Cooke […]

On August 27, a 25 year-old Trans man was assaulted and beaten while he was participating in a Pride event in the city of Münster, Germany. Days later, on Friday, September 2, he passed away in the hospital. More than 10,000 people gathered in Münster for the Christopher Street Day (CSD) Pride celebrations, organised in […]

Drag Race UK and Queerpiphany superstar Tayce revealed she and her friends were discriminated against by hotel staff in Birmingham.

Saturday, September 3 saw two peaceful Pride parades take place in Poland with a collective 5,000 attendees, despite the country’s significant anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and history of counter-protestors disrupting Pride events. The people of Katowice celebrated their sixth annual Pride event, this year in collaboration and solidarity with the Ukrainian city of Odesa, with an impressive […]

Fire Island star Joel Kim Booster has reacted to comments Billy Eichner made last week about LGBTQ content on streaming platforms.Eichner is currently promoting his movie, Bros. The studio-backed gay rom-com will hit theater screens later this month.

As reported by the Kurdish human rights organisation Hengaw on September 4, LGBTQ+ activists Zahra Sediqi Hamedani and Elham Chubdar have been sentenced to death in Iran. The charges against them include “spreading corruption on Earth” through the promotion of homosexuality as well as “promoting Christianity”. The two activists for LGBTQ+ rights were given the […]

German authorities have arrested a 20-year-old man in connection to a fatal attack at a Pride event.

Chileans on Sunday overwhelmingly rejected a new constitution that would have enshrined LGBTQ rights in an unprecedented way.

Celebrity Lingo viewers all had the same complaint as they tuned into the first episode of the star-studded spin-off, hosted by RuPaul. The prime-time celebrity version of the show is fronted by the Drag Race legend, rather than Adil Ray, who hosts the popular daytime original. And long-time fans of the format were not happy that their regular presenter had been replaced by the Hollywood superstar.

Poland’s LGBTQ+ community celebrated Pride with peaceful marches after years of opposition.

Joel Kim Booster is speaking out.

New York’s Yeshiva University is trying to bypass a state court ruling that orders the university to recognize a gay pride group on campus.One of the country’s oldest Jewish Orthodox schools in the nation, the New York-situated Yeshiva petitioned the Supreme Court to allow them to block the YU Pride Alliance from being granted official recognition at the university. In an “emergency petition” sent to the court on August 29, Yeshiva cites that it is a “deeply religious university,” and as such, believes it should be allowed to deny the group on the basis of religious beliefs.On June 14, the New York State Supreme Court had ruled that Yeshiva was not actually a “religious institution” under New York law, indicating that the university had to comply with New York City Human Rights Laws banning all discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender.

A “palenqueras,” preparing the fruit for our group in San Pedro Claver Square in Cartagena. Photo by Heather Cassell

Bad Bunny after the Puerto Rican trap star locked lips with a male backup dancer at the MTV VMAs.And in 2019, a straight male concertgoer apparently shouted out that he’d turn gay for singer Troye Sivan. (“Troye was like, ‘I don’t think that’s how it works, but OK,’” an eyewitness tweeted.)These homo-curious hall passes might just be empty promises, of course, or they might be expressions of heteroflexiblity, an increasingly popular sexual identity.Or these comments might be dispatches from deep in the closet, as one Twitter user observed.

From the swoopy early-Bieber-esque hair and skinny jeans of the One Direction era to custom Gucci jumpsuits in every color of the rainbow, Harry Styles has gone through one of the most epic style evolutions this decade has seen. The English singer/actor has seemingly donned every look imaginable in the realm of nouveau glam rock, but he’s also been known to dabble in dandyish, fruitcore, and gender-fluid aesthetics. He’s a bit of a style chameleon in that sense, able to pull off anything from a (relatively) lowkey shirt-jacket-jeans combo to a full-on body suit bedazzled for the gods.Here, we highlight some of the most iconic Harry Styles outfits ever to grace the stage, red carpet, and wherever else the artist has strutted his stuff – plus some pieces that can help you get close enough to the real thing. Channel your inner Styles with these nine great looks. RELATED: Watch Harry Styles’ full, uncut ‘X Factor’ audition for first timeUpon the release of his first solo album, Styles also debuted his new signature style at that time: structured suits in floral and 70s-inspired prints.

It goes without saying that society has something of an obsession with penis size. For some men, it’s a source of insecurity. For others, it’s a source of great pride.

Harry Styles, el príncipe del pop de este verano, se ha ganado su corona plasmando las fantasías de millones de personas y dándole un enfoque aparentemente innovador a la proyección de la identidad sexual diversa. Mientras hace crecer su reino y conquista la cultura pop, Styles también ha sido acusado —en sus dos últimos lanzamientos discográficos— de utilizar la identidad queer para pulir su fama sin declararse explícitamente queer.

A United Nations (UN) expert said they were concerned about the future of LGBTQ+ rights in the US after a recent ten-day visit. 

Meta, the parent company for Facebook, is currently running ads for Protect Texas Kids, founded by  right-wing extremist Kelly Neidert, to run ads “baselessly calling people pedophiles,” journalist Steven Monacelli reported today (Saturday, Sept. 3) via Twitter. “Meta has allowed these ads to reach thousands of people.”