Marriage certificates registering the union between two people of the same sex abroad are valid in Armenia, the justice ministry told PanARMENIAN.net . According to the Family Code, marriages between Armenian citizens, those between Armenian citizens and foreigners or stateless persons, which have been registered outside Armenia, are valid inside the country after consular legalization. Also, the Code stipulates that marriages registered in another country that are in line with that particular state's legislation are valid in Armenia.
Malta is on the verge of legalizing same-sex marriage after the government brought forward legislation to scrap gendered references to marriage in the country's legal system, The Independent reported. The draft law, which has received the backing of the centre-right opposition Nationalist Party, will abolish gendered terms such as "husband," "wife," "mother" and "father" from the country's Marriage Act and other laws, and replace them with gender-neutral terminology. It will also be made legal for gay couples to adopt children.
It is unclear if U.S. President Donald Trump brought up the topic of anti-gay abuses happening in the Russian republic of Chechnya when he met face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, according to MetroWeekly.com . The two leaders reportedly met for two hours, along with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. According to Tillerson, the discussion about the election accusations was "robust and lengthy"—but he did not say if he or the president had raised concerns over reports from human-rights watchers that hundreds of gay and bisexual men are being kidnapped, detained and tortured in secret facilities inside Chechnya.
Russia's Bolshoi Theater has canceled a much anticipated ballet about dancer Rudolf Nureyev just three days before the opening night, LGBTQ Nation reported. The ballet about Nureyev ( who defected from the Soviet Union to the West in 1961 ) was directed by Kirill Serebrennikov, known for bold productions that poke fun at Russia's growing social conservatism. Bolshoi director Vladimir Urin denied reports that the show had been scrapped because of its frank portrayal of Nureyev's gay relationships. Urin simply said that the ballet wasn't ready and it will instead premiere next year.
Ireland is considering giving official recognition to non-binary people, PinkNews reported. Under current Irish law, people older than 18 are able to change their legal gender through a simple legal process, without the need for medical documentation. Gender recognition is also available to teenagers from age 16, but only if they secure a court order. Even this freedom does not stretch to non-binary citizens, who are only able to choose between male and female designations.
Sources stated Iraqi actor Karar Noshi was kidnapped and murdered in Baghdad because of his effeminate appearance and rumors about his sexuality, according to NewNowNext.com . Noshi, a student of Baghdad University's College of Fine Arts, was known for his long blond hair. He had been the subject of trolling on social media, where several Facebook pages nominated him as "the Beauty King of Iraq." Kurdistan24 reported Noshi's body was dumped on Palestine Street in central Baghdad, and there was "evidence he had been tortured and viciously stabbed."
New Zealand lawmakers unanimously apologized for the "tremendous hurt and suffering" of hundreds of men who were convicted of homosexuality during the years it was treated as a crime, The Miami Herald reported. Parliament took the rare step of issuing a formal apology to all those unfairly convicted under the antiquated laws. Lawmakers also approved the first stage of a bill that will allow the men to have their criminal records wiped clean, legislation that comes four years after the South Pacific nation legalized same-sex marriage.
U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins ( R-Louisiana ) has apologized after officials at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum criticized him for narrating part of a five-minute political video from inside a former gas chamber at the former Nazi concentration camp in Poland, LGBTQ Nation noted. Recording his thoughts with what appears to be the front-facing camera of his cellphone, he walks from the tracks where millions of victims were herded into the camp, and into the museum. The video is no longer viewable at its original page, but NOLA.com shared it on its YouTube channel.
A man in West Belfast, Northern Ireland, has reportedly been targeted by violent gangs and subjected to abuse for the past three years because of being gay, NewNowNext.com noted. His mother, Paula Devine, told Belfast Live that her 25-year-old son has been incessantly harassed since moving into the neighborhood. Anti-gay bullies have smashed in the windows of his home and spray painted his front door with slurs, and have even stoned him and his dog as they were trying to get out of the house.
A British Ambassador has opened up about living in fear of persecution, living at the time that the gay people were forced to hide in the closet, PinkNews reported. Until 1991, gay men and lesbians were officially barred from working for the British Diplomatic Service, and many went to great lengths to conceal their sexuality. Sir Stephen Wall—a diplomat who served as Britain's ambassador to Portugal and permanent representative to the European Union—has discussed his experiences as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office launched a booklet on the historical injustices faced by gay people in the service.
Four players from Sport Clube Gaúcho, a Brazilian soccer club based in Passo Fundo, Brazil, have had their contracts immediately terminated after a video of them engaging in a locker room sexcapade appeared online, Queerty noted. The 11-second video was reportedly recorded and uploaded to the internet. It depicts one player on his knees in front of two other players while a fourth player records, laughing hysterically.
For the first time, British musical-theater star Ben Forster has spoken with a publication about being gay, according to Attitude. Speaking as he takes on the lead role in The Phantom of the Opera in London's West End, Forster told the story of how he came out to his friends and, later, his family. He also pointed out that this is the first time he's ever really spoken about his sexuality, saying, "I've never really been asked, which is why I've never commented."
Police reportedly broke up an "orgy" in June in an apartment belonging to a Vatican priest, according to a NewNowNext.com item that cited Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano. The official tenant of the apartment is the secretary of Cardinal Francesco Coccopa-l-merio, a key adviser to Pope Francis. It's been reported drugs were found on the premises, as well as a group of men engaged in sexual activity. The priest, who was purportedly in line for promotion to bishop, was taken for questioning.
Canadian soldier Megan Couto has become the first woman to lead the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, KFOR.com reported. Leading 40 of her fellow soldiers, the 24-year-old commanded the Queen's Guard during the centuries-old ceremony, which normally takes place about four times a week outside Queen Elizabeth's official London residence and attracts thousands of onlookers.
