LGBTQ

70 percent of cis lesbians “worry that their genitalia is abnormal”. (Polina Zimmerman/ Pexels) Research has revealed a huge disparity in genital confidence between straight and gay cis women, with seven in 10 lesbians worrying that their genitalia is abnormal. Bespoke Surgical, a private proctological and anal surgery practice, conducted a survey of 1,155 cisgender

Health secretary Matt Hancock unveiled the National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP) while speaking at the Policy Exchange think tank on Tuesday, August 18. (MattHancock/ Twitter) Following the announcement that Public Health England is to be replaced by a new National Institute for Health Protection, leading HIV and sexual health organisations have warned that the

A father in a southern England town assailed his own 15-year-old son – humiliating him and whipping him with a television cable – all because he joined Grindr. Courts in Plymouth heard how the father launched into a brutal display of dominance against his own child as he lashing he son 20 times while calling

Photo of Ukrainian nationalists burning a Pride flag in 2017 (Vladimir Shtanko/Anadolu Agency/Getty) A Pride flag has been set on fire in what human rights activists are saying was a deliberate “act of hate” against the LGBT+ community. The Pride flag was flying at a home in Rye City in Westchester County, New York State,

Margaret Atwood (Leonardo Cendamo/Getty), Luca Guadagnino (Frazer Harrison/Getty), Judith Butler (Agentur Gmbh/Getty) Margaret Atwood, Ed Harris, Judith Butler and Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino are among more than 70 cultural figures who have condemned rising anti-LGBT+ sentiment in Poland in a powerful open letter. Poland’s LGBT+ community has been targeted by a

AJ Nesbitt is an 11-year-old trans girl, and actor and an author. (Nesbitt family) Trans girl AJ Nesbitt, who bravely came out to her classmates at six years old, is sharing her inspirational story with the world, becoming a published author aged 11. AJ Nesbitt’s mother began realising she was trans when she was three

A gay lawmaker and coronavirus survivor tried to donate plasma to help others – but he was turned away because of his sexuality. Shevrin Jones, a Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives, went to a blood drive on August 7 with his mother Bloneva Jones and his father Eric Jones. The three decided

An ancient Viking warrior who was given a hero’s burial may have been “transgender, non-binary or gender fluid”, according to researchers. Three years ago, the ornately dressed remains of a high-status Viking warrior from the mid-900s were discovered alongside swords, spears and two slaughtered horses in Birka, Sweden. Following studies, it was assumed that the

A gay Catholic official has been accused of fraudulently using a coronavirus relief scheme to buy a yacht, a townhouse and a luxury sports car. Kenneth Gaughan, 41, fraudulently received more than $2.1 million in payment protection program (PPP) loans and economic injury disaster loans (EIDL), the United States Department of Justice has alleged. He

GMB Union, one of the UK’s biggest trade unions, has demanded that the UK government finally reform the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) and tackle transphobia. The union, which counts more than 600,000 members, urged minister for women and equalities Liz Truss to introduce much-needed reforms in a letter earlier this week (August 11). In the

A federal judge has decided that it’s OK for a photographer to refuse to work a same-sex wedding – despite the fact that nobody has ever asked her to do so. Chelsey Nelson, of Chelsey Nelson Photography, describes herself on her website as “a Louisville, Kentucky photographer and private photo editor with a heart for

A woman was convicted for hurling transphobic abuse on Southend seafront (John Keeble/Getty) A 23-year-old woman has admitted in court to spewing “disgusting” transphobic abuse at another woman as she walked along an English seafront. Annabel Forbes was accused of hurling anti-trans insults at a woman on the Eastern Esplanade in Southend, Essex, at around

Vanessa Solórzano. (Twitter) Vanessa Solórzano, a 20-year-old trans sex worker, was stabbed to death by a taxi driver in northwest Argentina Tuesday morning (August 11) all because he didn’t want to pay. Close friends described Solórzano as a fiercely loyal person who dreamed of becoming a makeup artist. She had began sex work to help

Trans women Gabriela Amaya Cruz (above) and Jae Bucci claim they were mistreated in a Miami jail (Instagram/@ladyparaiso) Two trans women have described the “dehumanising” treatment they faced at the hands of police after being arrested at a Black trans lives matter demonstration. Gabriela Amaya Cruz and Jae Bucci were among more than 30 people

A participant prepares for a Pride Run, an event of ShanghaiPRIDE. (JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty) The oldest and largest Pride festival in China, ShanghaiPRIDE, has announced that it is “taking a break from scheduling any future events”, in a huge blow to the country’s LGBT+ community. When ShanghaiPRIDE began in 2009 there were 3,000 people in attendance,

A gay mayor and Democratic candidate who had hook-ups with college students may have been set up by those seeking to sink his campaign, leaked messages suggest. Alex Morse, 31-year-old mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts, is currently campaigning for a seat in Congress. His bid was derailed a week ago, when three college groups — the

Cartier has sparked confusion and outrage by claiming two men featured in a Chinese advert are father and son, rather than a gay couple. The advert was released ahead of China’s Qixi Festival on August 25, often described as the Chinese equivalent of Valentine’s Day. The French jewellery brand promoted its Trinity ring as the

Pose star Dominique Jackson and transgender model and activist Munroe Bergdorf head up the line-up for the digital UK Black Pride festival. Like many Pride events, the physical UK Black Pride gathering was cancelled in 2020 due to coronavirus, but organisers have put their all into creating a day-long celebration of Black queer experiences. The

The UK’s home secretary Priti Patel is planning to fully decriminalise the sale of poppers. Not usually known for liberal stances on anything, Patel confirmed on Wednesday that she is “minded” to explicitly exempt poppers from laws banning former ‘legal highs’. Alkyl nitrites, popularly known as poppers, are sold in the UK as room odourisers

Jaida Essence Hall was the deserved winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 12. (Getty) Drag Race season 12 winner Jaida Essence Hall said she doesn’t know a “single Black queen” who hasn’t suffered racism at the hands of so-called fans. Jaida talked candidly about discrimination, the Black Lives Matter movement and growing up queer in

The anti-gay Liberty University has picked another anti-LGBT evangelist to stand in for the scandal-hit Jerry Falwell Jr. Falwell Jr, a key evangelical Trump ally, agreed to step aside from his position at the private Virginia Christian university this month after long-running concerns about his conduct reached new heights when he posted a photo of

Kamala Harris, a staunch LGBT+ ally, has been confirmed as Joe Biden’s vice presidential running mate. Joe Biden had been widely tipped to choose Kamala Harris, who becomes the first Black woman and the first Asian-American to run on a major party’s presidential ticket, despite the fact the two were briefly fierce rivals for the

Jordan Kirk and his husband had been trying to enter Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, Arkansas A gay man has spoken out after he was denied entry to a casino because he was carrying a “suspicious” purse. Jordan Kirk and his husband had been visiting Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, Arkansas

A political candidate in Washington state pulled down a church’s rainbow flag and branded it the “sodomite flag.” Daniel Charles Svoboda, a candidate for the Washington House of Representatives on behalf of the fringe “Trump Republican Party” – not to be confused with the Republican Party – could face charges over his actions. Trump-loving political

The Hallmark Channel is to include a lesbian wedding in one of its films for the first time after a pledge to improve LGBT+ representation, and homophobes are furious. Known for its steady supply of unchallenging and wholesome made-for-TV films, the channel has long been criticised for its lack of LGBT+ representation, but recently promised

Love, Victor, the television spin-off to the trailblazing movie, Love, Simon. (Hulu) Disney streaming platform Hulu has officially ordered a second season of its Love, Simon spin-off Love, Victor — and it will take an edgier, more grown-up tone. Despite a troubled history that saw the show booted off of the “family friendly” streaming platform Disney

Evgeny Lebedev (L) and JK Rowling. (Stuart C. Wilson/TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty) Evgeny Lebedev, one of 36 new members of the British Parliament’s unelected House of Lords, said in an opinion piece published Saturday (August 8) that he will use his seat in the upper house to “fight to stop online mobs killing free speech”.

Thousands of transgender people and their allies take to the streets for London’s first ever Trans+ Pride march on 14 September, 2019. (WIktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto via Getty Images) The departing chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has said that the “toxic debate” over trans rights will prove damaging to UK society if it

Mina Gerges is the latest addition to the Drag Race Pit Crew. (Instagram/Mina Gerges/Crave) When Canada’s Drag Race unveiled its Pit Crew, fans were instantly bowled over by Mina Gerges, its first “plus-sized member”. Since its inception, Drag Race has relied on its Pit Crew to help out with challenges, serve as backing dancers and

A federal district court in Idaho, US, ended a Republican-backed law that banned trans people from changing their birth certificates Friday (August 7) in a stunning victory for activists. The District Court of Idaho ruled that recent changes made by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare violate a current injunction from a 2018 law.