Gay and bisexual men still face outdated restrictions on blood donation. (Pexels) A study has revealed that when a lifetime ban on blood donation for queer men in the US was lifted, there was no “statistically significant” increase in HIV-positive blood. New research has revealed that there was “no increase in HIV incidence or HIV
Life
Professor Jane Ward said straight couples can learn from queer couples to have deeper and happier relationships. (Envato) A gender and sexuality professor has written a book explaining the secret to straight people having happier relationships — be more like queer couples. Jane Ward, a gender and sexuality studies professor at University of California, Riverside,
More than six in 10 queer people from Iran have been assaulted by anti-LGBT+ family members, and almost half have been sexually assaulted in public, according to a new report. The report, titled Hidden Wounds: A Research Report on Violence Against LGBTI in Iran, details the shocking violence queer people in the Western Asian country face
The gay bar was raided after rival drag queens sent fake complaints, according to the bar owner (Envato Elements) A gay leather bar in Baltimore was raided by a “COVID SWAT team” after a group of drag queens rivals allegedly sent fake complaints claiming the establishment was violating coronavirus rules. The Baltimore Eagle was raided
A gay asylum seeker has opened up about the terror he felt while sharing accommodation with two homophobes in the Irish refugee system. Preet Tahul, originally from Mauritius, told Hot Press magazine that he fled his homophobic family and sought asylum in Ireland – but the country’s harsh refugee system, known as direct provision, has left him
Pope Francis says sex ‘guarantees the perpetuation of the species’. (Getty/Franco Origlia) Pope Francis has declared that the pleasure of sex “comes from God”. Yes, really. The head of the Catholic church extolled the virtues of sex and eating in a book titled Terra Futura: Conversations with Pope Francis, released Wednesday (September 9). In an
Harpies, billed as Britain’s only LGBT+ strip night. (harpiesstripclub/ Instagram) The founder of a queer-inclusive strip night is rallying to raise funds for two Black dancers who, in the throes of an economy cratered by the coronavirus, are facing eviction and homelessness. Held at Metropolis, an east London strip club that regularly hosts queer nights,
A dad who reacted badly when his son came out as gay now wishes he could “turn the clock back” and make things right – but it might already be too late. The father wrote to The Sun’s advice columnist Deidre Sanders about his harsh reaction when his son first came out as gay. “I reacted badly
Researchers found that, across two years, drag use and levels of sexual compulsivity decreased while using PrEP. (Stock photograph via Elements Envato) People who use PrEP, a daily pill which prevents HIV transmission, are less likely to take illicit drugs and engage in compulsive sexual thoughts and acts, researchers said. Researchers in the Netherlands found
Stephen Lim, also known as Nadia Business, had been on the waiting list for a kidney transplant for six years. (nadiabusinessqween/ Instagram) A drag queen fighting chronic kidney disease has become the first patient post-lockdown to receive a life-saving kidney transplant at a Manchester hospital. Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) was forced to stop performing transplant
70 percent of cis lesbians “worry that their genitalia is abnormal”. (Polina Zimmerman/ Pexels) Research has revealed a huge disparity in genital confidence between straight and gay cis women, with seven in 10 lesbians worrying that their genitalia is abnormal. Bespoke Surgical, a private proctological and anal surgery practice, conducted a survey of 1,155 cisgender
Health secretary Matt Hancock unveiled the National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP) while speaking at the Policy Exchange think tank on Tuesday, August 18. (MattHancock/ Twitter) Following the announcement that Public Health England is to be replaced by a new National Institute for Health Protection, leading HIV and sexual health organisations have warned that the
Photo of Ukrainian nationalists burning a Pride flag in 2017 (Vladimir Shtanko/Anadolu Agency/Getty) A Pride flag has been set on fire in what human rights activists are saying was a deliberate “act of hate” against the LGBT+ community. The Pride flag was flying at a home in Rye City in Westchester County, New York State,
AJ Nesbitt is an 11-year-old trans girl, and actor and an author. (Nesbitt family) Trans girl AJ Nesbitt, who bravely came out to her classmates at six years old, is sharing her inspirational story with the world, becoming a published author aged 11. AJ Nesbitt’s mother began realising she was trans when she was three
An ancient Viking warrior who was given a hero’s burial may have been “transgender, non-binary or gender fluid”, according to researchers. Three years ago, the ornately dressed remains of a high-status Viking warrior from the mid-900s were discovered alongside swords, spears and two slaughtered horses in Birka, Sweden. Following studies, it was assumed that the
GMB Union, one of the UK’s biggest trade unions, has demanded that the UK government finally reform the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) and tackle transphobia. The union, which counts more than 600,000 members, urged minister for women and equalities Liz Truss to introduce much-needed reforms in a letter earlier this week (August 11). In the
CCGSD/ The Bram & Bluma Appel Salon/ Mitchel Raphael courtesy of Christopher Karas A gay man in Canada has filed a human rights complaint with the United Nations over his country’s discriminatory blood donation ban on queer men. Christoper Karas, 24, from Brampton, Ontario, complained in 2016 to the Canadian Human Rights Commission over the
Queer men are more likely to be living with HIV in African countries that criminalise gay sex than those that do not, researchers have said. Johns Hopkins University researchers found that men who have sex with men (MSM) in sub-Saharan African nations where gay sex with is severely criminalised are at up to five times
A trans man is taking legal action against a Catholic hospital in Mayland, US, after staff refused him healthcare because they found it “immoral”. Jesse Hammons is suing the University of Maryland Medical System and the Saint Joseph Medical Center in Towson for violation of his First and Fourth Amendment constitutional rights and his rights
Northern Ireland’s most prominent conversion therapy advocate Mike Davidson has said the LGBT+ community is “like a cult” that nobody is allowed to leave. Davidson runs Core Issues Trust, a County Down based organisation that claims to “support” people with “homosexual issues” who want to become straight. The conversion therapy advocate told Christian Today that people are
A Florida school superintendent thinks being LGBT+ is a “personal choice” and cited God as the source for his claim. Bay County School Superintendent Bill Husfelt doubled down on his views at a school board meeting on Tuesday (July 14). Husfelt had previously been asked at a Republican roundtable dinner if he thought being LGBT+
A poignant new queer inclusive advert from Durex has an incredibly important message about sex in the age of coronavirus. The advert was released as part of the company’s “Let’s Not Go Back to Normal” campaign, which argues that the coronavirus pandemic can help to usher in better and safer sex for everyone. The powerful
A man produced a knife and hurled homophobic slurs during a robbery in New York City – but he was subsequently wrestled to the ground by the gay couple he attacked. Ricky Bellevue and Trevel Parrish approached gay couple Kelson Akomolafe and Edward Hoard and started shouting homophobic abuse at them last Tuesday (July 7),
Radam Ridwan: “There can be 100 people in a room discussing trans rights and 99 of them are cis and don’t believe in you.” (Jessica Ross) Dear reader: A real-life, living, breathing non-binary person here. Happy International Non-Binary People’s Day… today, I was spat at in Tesco. Finally, my day to shine! I am not
Intersex activist Pidgeon Pagonis has shared their heartbreaking story of how they learned about their medical history. In a Twitter thread shared earlier this week, Pagonis – who has reclaimed the word “hermaphrodite” – said that they had recently discovered new information about their body that they hadn’t previously known. When they were 18-years-old, Pagonis
Sweeping changes made to Tasmania’s gender recognition laws last year have made trans lives easier without creating any unintended consequences for cisgender people, according to the country’s Law Reform Institute. Last year, the Tasmanian government passed new laws which made gender optional on birth certificates and allowed trans people to legally identify as their correct
A viral video of a guy surprise proposing to his boyfriend has turned us into a blubbering, weeping mess – and serves as a timely reminder that there are good things in the world. In the video, Cody distracted his boyfriend Brandon by asking him to look at something in the distance. He then quickly
Doulas are not medical professionals, but they provide parents with emotional and physical support, as well as advocacy and information, before, during and after birth. (Envato) A group of queer doulas is meeting the needs of trans and non-binary expecting parents, helping them to feel supported, affirmed and seen. Birth and parenthood are already scary journeys
Tanya Compas, Otamere Guobadia and Electra Pain (L-R) taking part in the TikTok Pride campaign. Pride Month has drawn to a close for another year, and street parties are still out of the question, but that shouldn’t stop us from coming out together to celebrate our queerness. June 2020 was a Pride Month unlike any
Brennan Gregg came out to his parents in the most ingenious way. (Screen captures via TikTok) A guy came out as gay to his family during a quarantine quiz night and if your heart doesn’t race while watching it, well, we recommend seeking medical attention immediately. Brennan Gregg took to TikTok Wednesday morning (July 1)