Organizers of the first Bermuda Pride parade, which took place Aug. 31, said they were overwhelmed with the outpouring of support, The Royal Gazette reported. The response was a huge surprise to, among others, Roderick Fergusonwhose case was responsible for the Domestic Partnership Act ( DPA ) being overturned and the re-legalization of same-sex marriage in Bermuda. MaryEllen Jackson, who joined Ferguson in the legal battle against the DPA, said the turnout was "amazing."
A Russian bakery has been fined for a homophobic sign banning gay people, NewNowNext.com noted, citing The Moscow Times. The Ipakov Brothers bakery in the city of Kemerovo, in southwest Siberia, opened in February, upon which time it hung a wooden sign warning, "Faggots are not allowed." Co-owner Anton Ipatov told 360 TV the sign wasn't discriminatory because, in his view, gay people are abnormal and force "normal people" to change their lifestyle.
Lawmakers in the southern Mexico state of Oaxaca have approved updating the civil code to authorize same-sex marriage, the Associated Press reported. Mexico's Supreme Court ruled previously that it is unconstitutional to ban same-sex marriage; however, in states where it wasn't overtly authorized, it has been up to individual couples to sue in court for the right to wed.
In Australia, a Sydney school has apologized after an assignment was issued to year nine students to contact their local member about supporting Israel Folau, the so-called "the face of religious freedom," News.com .au reported.The former pro sports star is in the midst of a court case with Rugby Australia, who cancelled his contract over numerous social media postsincluding one in which that stated gay people and others would be destined for hell. The assignment said Folau"who stands as the face of religious freedom"had become the "most discussed and divisive figure" in Australia in recent weeks.
Brazil tops GayCities' list of places that LGBTQ+ people should avoid when planning their next vacation, Out.com reported. The website cites the extremely high rate of violence against LGBTQ+ people in Brazil, where 445 people were murdered in 2017 because of their gender identity or sexual orientationmore than one killing each day. Also, according to Brazilian activist groups, more than 160 trans people were killed in 2018. Brazil's right-wing president, Jair Bolsonaro, has claimed he would rather have a dead son than a gay one and has said he would beat a same-sex couple if he saw them kissing.
Germany, Italy and Canada announced they will increase their contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, The Washington Blade reported. German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G-7 summit in Biarritz, France, announced her country has pledged to increase its contribution to the Global Fund by 1 billion euros ( $1.1 billion )or 17.5 percentover the next three years. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte also announced his country will increase its contribution by 161 million euros ( $178.9 million )or 15 percentduring the same period. Canada, on Aug. 22, announced it would increase its contribution to the Global Fund by 15.7 percent. In June, then-British Prime Minister Theresa May announced her country would increase its contribution by 1.4 billion pounds ( $1.71 billion )or 16 percent over the next three years.
In Canada, supporters of Calgary's LGBT community rallied around a large vehicle belonging to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association of Canada that was parked downtown, CBC.ca reported. "It stings that it's here," said protest organizer Mike Morrison. The association opposes LGBT rights and homosexuality itself, which it decries as a sin and something to be overcome. In a statement, the association said the vehicle is part of its outreach services and noted it was invited to Calgary to participate as an exhibitor at the Pentecostal World Conference going on in Calgary.
Japanese artists are celebrating the recent release of gay crime film El Angel with their one interpretations of the main character, Instinct Magazine noted. The moviewhich premiered in the United States in November 2018focuses on a 17-year-old in 1970s Argentina named Carlitos Robledo ( played by Lorenzo Ferro ). The film then shows Robledo meeting another teen named Ramon ( played by Chino DarÃn ); together, the two become a "Bonnie and Clyde"-type duo who end up at the center of a major murder investigation. Now, the film is making its way to Japanand, to honor that release, BL ( Boys' Love, or gay romance ) comic artists have joined together to release a series of artwork inspired by the film.
The BBC has said it is "completely open" to the idea of same-sex couples competing on Strictly Come Dancing, according to Gay Times. The development would come after years of campaigning for the show to make the move. The statement was issued after the Daily Mirror claimed a show insider had told them same-sex pairings would happen next year.
The Dutch city of Rotterdam will host the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest, after it beat out neighboring city Maastricht, Gay Times noted. The contest will be held at the Ahoy Rotterdam Arena, which has a capacity of 16,000. The semifinals for the contest will be held May 12 and 14, with the grand final being held May 16.
At the Toronto International Film Festival, the Helen Reddy biopic I Am Woman had its debut, Deadline noted. I Am Woman covers the beginning of her pop careerwhen she arrives in NYC with a 3-year-old daughter and no money to eventual superstardom and a marriage to her drug-addicted manager, Jeff Wald; it leads to a triumphant third act that ends in Washington D.C., where Reddy again got to sing that famous anthem at the infamous 1989 Women's March in front of 300,000 who sang along. Up for sale at Toronto, I Am Woman was directed by Unjoo Moon.
Pop singer Troye Sivan was not happy with how his interview with a New Zealand LGBTQ publication turned outand spent days on Twitter criticizing it and Out Magazine for what he called "wildly invasive," "innapropriate [sic]," and "disappointing" coverage," Insider.com stated. He first voiced his displeasure after a recent interview with Gay Express surfaced on Twitter in which questions included asking Sivan if his longtime boyfriend would give him a "hall pass"an exception in a monogamous relationshipfor Sivan's celebrity crush, Shawn Mendes; and if Sivan was a top or bottom ( which the singer declined to answer ). Out Magazine originally responded, "it's a bit hypocritical for Sivan to act as if talking about his sex life is taboo when he wrote a whole ass album about bottoming"but later apologized.
Colombian reggaeton king Maluma has teamed with Puerto Rican gay icon Ricky Martin for the song "No Se Me Quita," from Maluma's latest studio album, 11:11, Gay Times noted. The freshly-dropped music video sees the two stars party on the beach, Baywatch style ( although there's no same-sex action ). It's not the first time they've teamed up, as they previously collaborated on "Vente Pa' Ca," one of the biggest Spanish-language hits of 2016.