LGBT+ News Roundup 3!

We’re back again with a third week of LGBT+ News for you all!

There’s a lot of heavy, upsetting news in the world at the moment, especially with the crisis in Afghanistan which we’re working on a separate blog post on, but for today we’re going to try and spread a bit of joy by focusing on the happy LGBT+ news from the past week.

With that being said, this week...

BBC Radio 1 Hosting First Ever Drag Day Reclaiming Liverpool Pride

The World’s Oldest Ship is decorated for Pride

Gay Australian Penguins (yes you did read that right!)

BBC Radio 1 Hosting First Ever Drag Day

BBC Radio 1’s first ever ‘Drag Day’ will take place on Saturday August 21st (that’s tomorrow!)

Aled Haydn Jones, Head of Radio 1, said: “Our young audience love drag

culture so it’s right we celebrate and showcase the very best of UK drag.”

Drag Race UK Queens Tayce, Bimini and Lawrence Chaney will join Drag DJ Jodie Harsh to host their own shows throughout the day to highlight the UK Drag scene in a day filled with special remixes and surprise guests.

Let us know if you’ll be listening in while we march in the Bourne Free Pride Walking Parade!

Reclaiming Liverpool Pride

The LGBT+ community in Liverpool will be reclaiming Pride next month in a fight against LGBT+ violence and Rainbow Capitalism (businesses selling rainbow items for Pride month in order to make more money but not actively supporting LGBT+ people year round)

The organisation ‘Reclaim Pride Liverpool’ is a trans-led group of LGBT+ activists who have arranged a protest on September 18th at 1pm. They formed after Liverpool Pride was cancelled for the 2nd year in a row due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The main aims of the protest on September 18th are to demand:

• Better LGBT+ rights

• Better Trans healthcare

• A conversion therapy ban

• Social, racial and climate justice

• An end to the commercialisation of Pride.

Reclaim Pride Liverpool complained that “Pride events have become completely divorced from the very real political struggle [...] Pride is meant to be a protest where LGBT+ people can make their voices heard and demand better. You will [never] see that at a London Pride, Brighton Pride, Manchester Pride or Liverpool Pride, because they are now sponsored, funded and in some cases headed by banks and big businesses.”

They stated that say that “Anti-LGBT+ hate crime is out of control across the UK” as we have seen a shocking rise in the number of LGBT+ hate crimes in recent weeks, with more than one physical attack leaving people afraid of leaving their homes.

This rise in hate means that Reclaim Liverpool Pride is just one of many similar movements taking place in the UK at the moment such as the Reclaim Pride march which was held in London last month and the backlash facing Manchester Pride which we mentioned in our past 2 weekly recaps.

The World’s Oldest Training Ship is decorated for Pride

We’re now heading over to Denmark, where the world’s oldest training ship has decked out its sails in bright rainbow colours for Pride month.

Every year the Danish ship, Georg Stage, trains 63 young people as sailors, on a 20-week challenging voyage out into the world. As World Pride is currently taking place in Copenhagen, the ship made special changes to its usual look and swapped out white sails for one in each of the Pride colours to honour the LGBT+ community - and we think it looks great!

Gay Australian Penguins (yes you did read that right!)

Melbourne Zoo, Australia is rolling into mating season where not one, but two sets of gay gentoo penguins have coupled up! (This is way better than Love Island!)

The couples consist of Tiger & Branston and Jones & Klaus and although they can’t lay their own eggs they’re ready for the responsibility of parenthood!

Tanith Davis, lead birdkeeper at Melbourne Zoo, said “As male-male pairs can’t lay their own eggs, we will sometimes foster an egg to them from another pair. Sea Life Melbourne has had many same-sex couples in our breeding history, and they have been doting parents.”

Penguins are also a notoriously gay species and several same-sex penguin couples have been seen in zoos worldwide. This includes Sphen & Magic who hatched their first chick together back in 2018 at Sydney Zoo, Roy and Silo from Central Park Zoo who are the stars of their own children’s book “And Tango Makes 3”, and lesbian couple Marmalade and Chickpea at London’s Sea Life Aquarium.

London Sea Life manager Catherine Pritchard said: “Gentoo penguins are the ultimate romantics, and their dating techniques are truly unique – so much so that as humans, we could certainly learn a thing or two from their passion and commitment to finding a mate”

We wish Tiger, Branston, Jones & Klaus the best of luck on their road to becoming dads!

LGBT+ News Roundup 2!

After an overwhelmingly positive response last week, we are returning with another LGBT+ News Roundup! This week we have stories from all over the world so buckle in, put your seat into an upright position and turn off all electronics as we prepare for take off!

Our headlines this week…

Trans Rights Protest held in London. 1,000 Year Old Skeleton may have been a Non-Binary Medieval Warrior! Homophobic Spanish Snickers Advert cut amidst waves of LGBT+ phobia

2 Trans Clinics staffed by Trans Medical Staff open in India

Manchester Pride: Donations raised to restore safer sex scheme as an investigation is launched into CEO’s finances.

So without further ado, let's get started!

Trans Rights Protest held in London.

Last Friday, August 6th, as we posted our last news roundup, protesters gathered outside Downing Street in London in the name of Trans Rights.

PinkNews correspondent Vic Parsons live tweeted the event and reported a calm atmosphere with hundreds of people in attendance and a few police officers scattered around the edge of the crowd.

The aims of the protest included:

• Legal recognition for non-binary people

• A total overhaul of the trans healthcare system

• Protection for intersex people under the Equality Act

• Access to free and timely healthcare for young trans people

• Removal/sacking of the Conservative equalities minister Liz Truss

• A ban on all conversion therapy

• Access to desired single-sex spaces (e.g. toilets) for all trans people

• A full reform of the Gender Recognition Act to allow transgender people to self-identify without the need for a medical diagnosis

The event lasted almost 3 hours and featured speeches from multiple trans activists, authors, politicians and artists (including our pal Fox Fisher from MyGenderation!)

Themes mentioned throughout all the speeches included exhaustion and anger at the treatment of trans people in the media and frustration towards Liz Truss (Government Equalities Officer) for failing to protect trans people from regular physical abuse and attacks to their rights.

The crowd was made up of a mix of public figures, trans elders and young people and people as young as 14 took to the stage to speak about their experiences. Overall, attendees felt that the event was a success and left feeling motivated to push forward for trans rights.

1,000 Year Old Skeleton may have been a Non-Binary Medieval Warrior!

For this report we’re travelling back through time and space to, Suontaka Vesitorninmäki, Finland in 1968 where workers stumbled upon a grave.

The skeleton was thought to have died between 1050 and 1300 AD. For historical context, that’s right the way through the Middle Ages from just before the Battle of Hastings to just before the Plague. At this time, Finland was under Swedish rule and control moved between several Viking clans.

Archaeologists tend to determine a person’s gender from how they were buried, as biology cannot tell us how they identified when they were alive. This particular skeleton was dressed in “typical feminine costume of the era” but had 2 swords, with one laid over their hip, which was usually associated with male Viking burials.

Back in 1968, this confused archeologists looking at the skeleton and they assumed it may have been a double burial or evidence of female warrior leaders. However, looking at it with a more sophisticated idea of gender-identity, modern historians are suggesting they “may well have been” a well-respected non-binary warrior of the Iron Age. It’s also thought that this may be a shaman (a priest or healer), who were often men who wore more traditionally feminine clothing.

Despite some confusion over the exact role of this person, these new ideas undeniably contradict previous beliefs that Vikings upheld a culture of toxic masculinity and that men with feminine social roles were disrespected.

Homophobic Spanish Snickers Advert cut admist waves of LGBT+phobia

A Spanish advertisement for the chocolate bar ‘Snickers’ has been removed after complaints that it was homophobic.

The advert featured asexual Spanish influencer Aless Gibaja ordering a ‘sexy orange juice’

Among many people who spoke out against the advert was Spain’s Equality Minister who questioned “who would think it is a good idea to use homophobia as a business strategy?” and left-wing group Podemos who critiqued Snickers for not being able to think of a commercial which “tells you that you are not yourself if you are effeminate”

Podemos also highlighted the political and cultural environment in which this advert has been allowed to air as there has been a recent wave of LGBT+ hate in Spain, including the murder of Samuel Luiz, a young gay man and nursing assistant who died following an attack from a dozen men, and whose death sparked nationwide protests.

Snickers Spain announced on Instagram that it was stopping the campaign and apologised for any ‘misunderstanding’ or ‘harm’ caused by the advert.

2 Trans Clinics staffed by Trans Medical Staff open in India

Two trans-led healthcare clinics have opened in Hyderabad, India to support trans people with their health, wellbeing and HIV status. These clinics will be staffed by trans doctors, nurses, managers and counsellors and will welcome all trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming patients.

The clinics are part of the government’s 2019 Transgender Persons Act which enforced different punishments for crimes where the victim is cis versus trans, and included little to no protection for trans people in public spaces or the workplace, therefore resulting in a 1,000 person march from the trans community and their allies who saw the negative effect it could have on the very people it was trying to help.

The mission of the clinics is to prevent HIV which is more prevalent both in the trans community and in the city of Hyderabad than it is in the general population of India. Other aims include helping the economic status of the trans community and supporting their overall wellbeing.

Despite being linked to the controversial Transgender Persons Act, these clinics are an undeniable step in the right direction as they offer equal opportunity and they are “proof that we can also be doctors, nurses, medical examiners, resource staff, management staff, counsellors, psychiatrists and work so many other productive jobs just like cis gendered, heterosexual people.” (quote from celebrity drag artist Sushant Divgikar who opened the clinics)

Manchester Pride: Donations raised to restore safer sex scheme as an investigation is launched into CEO’s finances.

Last week we highlighted the criticism which Manchester Pride faced for cutting its long running funding of the safer-sex scheme, which provided free condoms and lube to the LGBT+ community in Manchester, due to loss of income as a result of Covid-19 restrictions on large gatherings.

Manchester Pride’s CEO, Mark Fletcher, went onto BBC Radio Manchester to defend the organisation from outcry that Manchester Pride was losing its community focus in favour of becoming a music festival with A-list headliners.

Fletcher claimed that, in order to cover higher costs for event infrastructure (free events and necessities such as security, water, and first aid), they needed bigger names so people would pay for tickets.

He also denied cutting ties with the LGBT+ Foundation, who supply the safer sex kits, and local LGBT+ charity the St George Trust. However, both charities have made a statement saying that this “contradicts conversations we have had about our longstanding funding agreements which have been ended by them”

Whilst in the interview, the CEO also admitted that he had taken a £20,000 pay rise in 2019, despite only 3% of Manchester Pride profits going to local LGBT+ charities (less than half of the 6% donated in 2018).

This all came together to result in a rising number of requests that the CEO and board of trustees step down, to which Fletcher firmly replied ”That’s not likely”

Meanwhile, in response to the funding cut, businesses from Manchester’s Gay Village stepped up to the plate to save the safer-sex scheme. Business owners came together in an emergency meeting last Friday (August 6th) and agreed to join forces to fund the scheme and support Manchester’s HIV charity George House Trust.

They launched a gofundme page with a goal of £100,000 to fund 90,000 safer-sex kits and agreed to each make a contribution and host fundraising events over the next year. Within 24 hours £26,000 had already been raised!

This success solidifies the ‘Stronger Together’ message which resonates so strongly within the LGBT+ community and shows that, when working as one, we can achieve anything.

LGBT+ News Roundup!

You asked for it and we're delivering, this is the first (hopefully of many) weekly LGBT+ news roundups. Our top stories for the week...

Strictly Come Dancing's First Male Same-Sex Couple!

LGBT+ Excellence at the Tokyo Olympics

Manchester Pride Criticised and London Pride Cancelled Wales' Pledge to Become Most LGBT+ Friendly Country in Europe

Da Baby Apologises for Hateful Comments Made at Miami Concert

Tan France Welcomes his 1st Son!

Strictly Come Dancing 2021 is going to feature the shows first male same-sex pairing!

2012 Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite will be competing this September as one half of the first male only couple on Strictly. It is currently unknown which of the professional dancers will be his partner.

In an official statement, John Whaite called this “a great step forward in representation and inclusion.” and said that he felt a mixture of “grateful, excited, and nervous”

Although this is Strictly Come Dancing’s first male same-sex couple, John Waite is following in the footsteps of boxer Nicola Adams who competed last year with professional dancer Katya Jones as the shows first ever same-sex dance partners. Unfortunately, they had to drop out of the competition after Katya tested positive for COVID-19, but they were incredibly successful in the short time they had on the show.

We all have our fingers crossed for John Whaite and his partner, here’s to hoping they stay healthy and snatch the glitter ball trophy!

2021 Tokyo Olympics

At least 182 of the athletes competing at the Tokyo Olympics this year are out as part of the LGBT+ community - that’s more than three times than in Rio 2016!

This number is also bigger than the total of all athletes who competed while publicly out as LGBT+ in the entire history of the Olympic games (even including the Winter games!)

If all the LGBT+ people were on one team together, they would have won a massive 23 medals so far (including 7 gold!) and would be placing 10th alongside the other countries.

Among this massive group of amazing athletes are:

• Quinn, a midfielder on the Canadian women’s soccer team who identifies as nonbinary and was the first athlete to compete who openly identifies as transgender

• Alana Smith, who competed in street skateboarding on a board displaying their they/them pronouns and is the first openly nonbinary competitor to represent the U.S.

• Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand who was the first openly trans woman to compete at the Olympics

• Tom Daley, the UK’s very own gold medal winner in diving, who is openly gay (if you haven’t seen the footage of his son Robbie watching him win or the pictures of him knitting in the stands at Tokyo we highly recommend you look them up for a heart-warming moment!)

Although there’s still a huge way to go in terms of full inclusion for LGBT+ athletes, this rise in representation reflects a worldwide society which is becoming more accepting of the LGBT+ community and in which progress can and will be made.

For now, let’s sit back and cheer on Team LGBT+ as they continue to smash it!

Manchester Pride Criticised and London Pride Cancelled

Manchester Pride has been slated for dropping it’s safer sex scheme.

This year, Manchester Pride chose to cut funding for the provision of free condoms and lube, something it has been offering since 1994.

The free condom and lube safer sex scheme began as a tool to combat the HIV epidemic when it was at its height in the UK. Originally, free condoms and lube were given to gay and bisexual men working, living in or visiting Manchester, but this soon expanded to provide for the entire LGBT+ community. It is the longest running scheme of its kind in the whole world and has distributed over 31 million safe sex packages in the last 27 years.

Manchester Pride has previously always funded this project, but revealed in a social media post this week that it was, “no longer in a position to continue funding” since Covid-19’s restrictions on in person gatherings had detrimental effects on their income.

While this is understandable, many Manchester residents have reacted with anger who complained that Manchester Pride has become a pop music festival, rather than the community focused event it used to be, especially as ticket prices have skyrocketed to £76.

Where do you stand on this? Should Manchester Pride focus on their profits to ensure they can continue to put on an event every year or should they focus on the community they are celebrating and provide essential safer sex services and reduced ticket prices to ensure inclusion?

While Manchester Pride falls under criticism, London Pride has been cancelled for a second year, due to fear that it will be a coronavirus ‘super-spreader’ event. Organisers announced today that the celebrations, due to take place in September, could not work under current Covid-19 guidelines.

Wales

Wales has launched their plan to become Europe’s most LGBT+ friendly country!

The plan was drawn up by a panel of LGBT+ ‘experts’ (group leaders from across Wales with their own expertise and experiences) and has been released to the public for their thoughts. The plan aims to “tackle the long-term structural inequalities that still exist, to challenge discrimination and to create a country without prejudice.”

Key points from the plan include:

• Reforming the Gender Recognition Act in order to make it benefit trans people

• Using “all available powers” to ban “all aspects of” LGBT+ conversion therapy

• Creating strong relationship between LGBT+ people and the police

• Investigating the lack of LGBT+ hate crimes which are formally reported,

• Designing a fully inclusive school curriculum

• Ensuring colleges and universities are LGBTQ+ inclusive

• Increasing support for Pride events across Wales by sponsoring Pride Cymru and establishing a country-wide Pride fund with its own co-ordinator.

Da Baby

Moving across the pond for some news from the USA, Rapper Da Baby made some homophobic and ignorant comments at his concert Rolling Loud Festival in Miami.

The comments he made were negative and false in regards to LGBT+ people and those living with HIV and AIDS. For the sake of controlling this false information and hateful speech we will not be repeating them here.

Since Da Baby came out with these comments last week, he has been removed from the lineup of multiple festivals. Furthermore, celebrities such as Elton John, who founded the Elton John AIDs Foundation, and Dua Lipa, who featured the rapper on her track ‘Levitating’, have come forward saying they are “surprised and horrified” and to dispel these “HIV mistruths”

Da Baby has now come out with an apology on Instagram for his “misinformed comments” and 11 HIV charities banded together to reach out to him and request a private meeting in which they can tackle misinformation.

Their open letter described the comments as "inaccurate and harmful" and added that "It's fear and stigma that keep people, particularly black Americans, from accessing HIV prevention or care that white Americans have historically and continue to access more easily.” They also urged him to “use your platform and celebrity to heal not harm."

Tan France

To end on a happier note, Queer Eye’s Tan France and his husband Rob have welcomed their first child via surrogate!

Tan revealed the birth of his son via an Instagram post welcoming Ismail France to the world, born 7 weeks early on July 10th and finally arriving home this week. The post now has over a million likes, including high profile celebrities such as Gigi Hadid and, of course, the rest of the Queer Eye gang.