In Australia, a website called Grunt is focused on trans men who have sex with cisgender men, LGBTQ Nation reported. They're the target of this new sexual health campaign in Australia, aimed at providing important health information. The site serves as a clearinghouse for information about condoms, PrEP, PEP, risk reduction, resilience and sexual health empowerment, according to Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations ( AFAO ) CEO Darryl O'Donnell. The site is the creation of AFAO and the Peer Advocacy network for the Sexual Health of Trans Masculinities.
In England, Bishop of Grantham Nicholas Chamberlain has revealed that he is gay and in a relationship, Sky News noted. Chamberlain is in a long-term, celibate relationship with a male partner, he told The Guardian. His announcement came after an unnamed Sunday newspaper reportedly threatened to publish a story revealing his homosexuality. "Sexuality is part of who I am but it's my ministry that I want to focus on," he said, in part.
South Africa said it will now provide free treatment to all people infected with HIV, regardless of the condition of their immune system, LGBTQ Nation noted. Before the announcement by the country's health department, people were eligible for free treatment based on a certain measure of their white blood cells, which fight infection. The country leads the world in infections, and has one of the world's largest treatment programs, with more than 3.4 million people receiving HIV medication.
A man and his boyfriend were the victims of a homophobic tirade over the weekend when a London bus driver forced them to enter his bus using the rear entrance, NewNowNext.com noted. Omar Okai and his partner, Juan, were waiting at a stop when the driver's bus pulled up. However, the driver refused to open the front door for the couple; eventually, the driver allegedly told the couple, "I bet you like it in the backdoor." The couple were forced off the bus, and the two ultimately complained to Transport for London ( TFL ) and the police about the incident. TFL has since launched an investigation into the matter.
In Britain, a gay couple have reported their former landlord to the police after a campaign of anti-gay abuse that continued even after they moved from his property, Attitude noted. Olly McLellan, 32, and partner Scott Cole, 30, said their landlord would shout homophobic abuse at them, block their driveway and even refuse to fix things because of their sexuality. The pair ended the tenancy early after they used CCTV cameras to catch landlord Jason Gwillim searching their flat without permission, and moved to a new flat in Hertfordshire. However, the landlord tracked their new address down and sent a card that read, "The ugly poofs—sleep well."
The president of the Philippines called President Obama a "son of a b*tch," PinkNews reported. The country's newly-elected and frequently outspoken President Rodrigo Duterte made homophobic comments about U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg last month. Speaking about the United States, Duterte said that although Secretary of State John Kerry is "okay… I had an argument with their gay ambassador, the son of a whore. He pissed me off."
UFC fighter Nicolas Dalby expressed his love and support for the LGBT community during a weigh-in, according to PinkNews. The MMA fighter showed off a rainbow themed "We Are All Fighters" T-shirt during pre-fight preparations in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship recently. The Danish athlete posted a picture of himself holding the shirt on Instagram before highlight the importance of supporting the LGBT community. The UFC launched the "We Are All Fighters" line of merchandise in July, with proceeds going to the LGBT-based The Center in Las Vegas.
In Qatar, 18-year-old Luxy was arrested at Doha Hamad Airport and accused of cybercrime, indecency and being gay, Gay Star News noted. Luxy was visiting Qatar for the second time from Poland when he was detained at the airport by security. According to him, authorities said he was still in the system due a previous visit and that there were problems with his visa.
PinkNews noted that two men deported from France were planning to attack a gay nightclub, citing local media reports. The men, who were deported to Morocco, had been planning the attacks and were in contact with the so-called Islamic State ( ISIS ). The report suggests that the men, Redouane Dahbi and Ayyoub Sadki, had planned to attack the Place de la Republique. They had planned to attack a restaurant and a gay club, and then use various vehicles to run over pedestrians.
Hundreds of members of Toronto's gay community packed the Daniels Spectrum in Regent Park to discuss where Pride Toronto goes from here following months of controversy, The Toronto Sun reported. Among the slated topics what to do following the controversial move by Black Lives Matter ( BLM ), Pride's honored group, to disrupt the July 3 parade with a sit-in that led to the recent resignation of Executive Director Mathieu Chantelois over allegations he'd subjected staff to racist and sexist comments as well as sexual harassment. However, BLM members and their supporters quickly took over the town hall, using the platform to allegedly rail against police and shout down any viewpoints other than their own.
In Australia, a Sydney man faces accusations he put hydrochloric acid in the lubricant dispenser at a sex club for gay and bisexual people, according to an LGBTQ Nation item that cites The Sydney Morning Herald. The 62-year-old was apprehended after triggering an alarm on the lube dispenser at Arrows, which describes itself as "Sydney's premier health, recreation & social [center] where safe sex is permitted regardless of gender." He has been charged with administering poison intending to injure or cause distress or pain, among other offenses. No injuries have been reported so far.
A Russia-born performance artist says his relationship with sex has been changed forever, after having sex with a different man for 365 consecutive days, PinkNews noted. Mischa Badasyan, who lives in Berlin, had launched art project "Save the Date" in 2014. Initially, he sought out dates and hook-ups with the help of apps like Grindr, Tinder and Scruff, but he eventually resorted to old-fashioned cruising and picking up guys in the city's gay hotspots. He said: "My sexuality is very strange now. I don't go on dates with gay people anymore. The only way [I can] enjoy sex is voyeurism in men's bathrooms, and by picking up of straight, bi and undecided guys in the street in Berlin."
The leader of a Nigerian Christian Group has called on all world leaders to reverse their laws allowing marriage equality, OutInPerth.com noted. George Ogurie, president of Nigeria's Family Federation for World Peace Unification ( FFWPU ), claims that allowing same-sex couples to wed will affect the survival of the human race. The leader of the Christian group made his call as the organization marked the fourth anniversary of the passing of its founder, Korean-American priest The Rev. Sun Myung Moon.
A British newspaper says pedestrian crossing lights that promote LGBTI+ inclusion are causing confusion for tourists and people from the countryside, according to OutinPerth.com . For this year's Pride celebrations in London, the lights at pedestrian crossings around Trafalgar Square were switched from the traditional "man crossing street" image to images of same-sex couples crossing as well as symbols for same-sex relationships and transgender identities. It's not the first time two men have appeared on a crossing light, as a similar scheme was rolled out in Vienna during Eurovision last year.
British Olympic diver Tom Daley has revealed that he and fiance Dustin Lance Black will marry "early next year," On Top Magazine noted. Daley and Black, a Hollywood screenwriter, got engaged in October. When asked if the wedding will have a diving theme, Daley joked: "It's swimwear only. That's the dress code."
French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel has died at age 86, USA Today noted. French President Francois Hollande praised Rykiel—whose striped sweaters helped liberate women from suits—as "a pioneer" who "offered women freedom of movement" in a statement. Her early clients included Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve and Audrey Hepburn, according to Vogue.
