In South Africa, a self-confessed drug addict admitted in the High Court in Pretoria that he had beaten his gay friend to death with a knobkerrie ( a short stick with a knobbed head ) after losing his temper because of the man's sexual advances, Iol.co.za reported. Juda Joseph Plekenpol, 31, was convicted by Judge Tshifiwa Maumela on charges of murder and robbery after the state accepted his guilty plea. Plekenpol admitted he had murdered 45-year-old Louis Eksteen in his house in Garsfontein in April 2013, and that he had robbed his victim of his car, cash and other items.
The police force in the Australian state of Victoria has issued a formal apology 20 years after a notorious raid on a Melbourne gay nightspot in which nearly 500 people were strip-searched, Gay Star News reported. Authorities raided Tasty nightclub in August 1994; its 463 patrons were held for seven hours, stripped, cavity-searched and, in some cases, assaulted. Only two of the 463 people present were found to be carrying drugs and even those charges were later dropped.
The University Grants Commission ( UGC ) in India has officially recognized trans people, creating a separate category for them in applications for scholarships and fellowships, according to Gay Star News. This means applicants filling out university forms will not be restricted to only choosing "male" or "female" gender identities. In April, India's highest court decreed an independent status for trans people and those who view themselves as a third gender.
A Chinese court is hearing the first case of its kind brought against a clinic that offers so-called "gay conversion therapy," BBC.com reported. A long campaign in Europe and America has been successful in shifting the medical consensus against such treatment, and now campaigners want Chinese doctors to follow suit. One physician who practices conversion therapy is Dr. Zhou Zhengyou; he said that he uses counseling alone, but added that others use aversion therapy that can involve electric shock or drugs.
Turkey's first-ever gay magazine has launched in print—and it features U.S. singer and gay icon Mariah Carey on its cover, Pink News reported. GayMag is aimed at Turkey's growing gay community, and features a range of news, culture, fashion and lifestyle articles. Editor-in-Chief Emir Akgun told Hurriyet Daily News, "We want to break all of the taboos, but step by step."
An anti-gay Ugandan rapper who called for all gay people to be burned has been axed from a performance in Birmingham, England, over his homophobic outbursts, according to Pink News. Bobi Wine was taken out of the Drum Arts Venue listings after management learned of his lyrics, which include the sentiment "Burn all the batty man." Wine, 32, who also runs a boxing club, has described himself as a "ghetto president" and believes he is a "role model" for Uganda's underprivileged youth.
Gay-rights activists in Uganda and around the world are celebrating a decision by the country's constitutional court to strike down a widely condemned anti-gay law on a legal technicality, The UK Guardian reported. A five-judge panel ruled Aug. 1 that the speaker of parliament acted illegally when she allowed a vote on the measure despite at least three objections that not enough MPs ( members of Parliament ) were in attendance. However, activists warned that homosexuality remains a criminal offense in the African country under colonial-era laws.
Human Rights Watch reported that a Moroccan appeals court has upheld the conviction of at least four men accused of same-sex acts, according to TheStar.com . The men, first arrested last April, were convicted on charges of "lewd or unnatural acts with an individual of the same sex," which is described under penal code article 489. Punishment is between six months to three years in prison, and a fine of $24 to $120 ( U.S. )
Two young men in Athens, Greece, say they were assaulted by up to 10 police officers because they were seen holding hands, NewNowNext.com reported. George Kounanis and Harry Vassilakis said they were in the city's historic quarter when police officers began verbally harassing them. When they complained about the taunts, a uniformed officer shoved Kounanis up against a wall and told him "this is what real violence is." Vassalakis and Kounanais called a helpline but were allegedly told to report the incident to police headquarters.
Three lesbian couples—one in Mexico and two in Austria—are vying for the parental rights that accompany both the beginnings and the dissolutions of their respective marriages, according to Advocate.com . In March, Alejandra Bandera Rosales and Claudia Brizeiry LÃ"pez Ramos became the first legally married same-sex couple in the Mexican state of Michoacan; since then, the couple has been fighting against a federal Family Code that would have them risk losing custody of their children if they traveled to states without equal-marriage rights. At the same time, the Austrian High Court has been hearing the cases of two lesbian mothers who claim their partners should have acces to child support money and caretaking time.
A criminal court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced a 24-year-old man to three years in jail and 450 lashes for trying to arrange a date with another man via Twitter, LGBTQ Nation reported. The court found the unidentified man guilty of "promoting the vice and practice of homosexuality." Members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice reportedly entrapped the man after using the social media site to invite him to meet for a date.
A British dad arrested for his July 14 anti-gay rant on Facebook says he's not homophobic—he was just having a bad day, Edge Boston noted. Paul Gair, a 42-year-old father of three, posted an anti-gay rant on the Chronicle Live Facebook page during Newcastle's Northern Pride Festival for LGBT people. "If your parents were faggots, you horrible gay cunts wouldn't of [sic] been born! Should be lined up and machine gunned, vile, disgusting cunts!" wrote Gair. Newcastle's Magistrate Court reportedly didn't like Gair's hate speech and threats, and arrested the father of three, fearing for the safety of festivalgoers.
In Vietnam, approximately 300 activists led a colorful parade through Hanoi in the nation's largest-ever gay-pride event, Australia Network News reported. Homosexuality remains taboo in Vietnam, but the country has witness a series of gradual advances, including the removal of fines for same-sex wedding parties. The Aug. 3 event was the third pride parade in Vietnam, and attracted a wide range of people, including local activists, foreigners and curious bystanders.
Speaking of Vietnam, a British couple has become the first to marry in that country, Gay Star News reported. Yein Kai Yee and Sutpreedee Chinithigun, both British citizens, had their wedding held by the British Embassy in Hanoi on July 29. It was the first in the country since England and Wales' marriage law came into effect in March.
