LGBT News

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Man Faces Possible Death Penalty For Posting Drag Photo On Instagram

Gay Star News reports: A gay man in Abu Dhabi is facing a death penalty for posting images of himself in drag on Instagram. The 21-year-old from Lebanon is being prosecuted on charges of ‘practicing’ and ‘promoting homosexuality’. Abu Dhabi Criminal Court showed the young man wearing ‘short women’s clothes, wigs and make-up’. Prosecutors also claimed the man posted his …

Read More »

MASSACHUSETTS: State Supreme Court Grants Parental Rights To Former Partner Of Lesbian Mom

The case is important because the couple had never married. The Associated Press reports: The Massachusetts court that paved the way for same-sex marriage in the United States ruled Tuesday that an unmarried gay woman whose former girlfriend gave birth to two children through artificial insemination has the same parental rights as their biological mother. The Supreme Judicial Court, of …

Read More »

Interracial Gay Couple Stars In New Ikea Ad

Via AdWeek: “The idea of asking where did the American dream go was not to show that it went away,” explained Leslie Stone, director of strategic services for Ogilvy, the shop behind the creative work, “but that people are living it every day in diverse ways.” Literal diversity also figures big. One of the print ads shows two gay men …

Read More »

NORTH CAROLINA: Gov. Pat McCrory Laughably Claims Economy Is Booming In New Campaign Ad [VIDEO]

The Raleigh News & Observer reports: Gov. Pat McCrory is out with a new TV ad on Monday boasting of North Carolina’s economic gains. “When I entered office North Carolina had record unemployment, high taxes and huge budget shortfalls; it had been that way for years,” McCrory says in the ad. “Now, we have one of the fastest-growing economies in …

Read More »

On Mexico’s Surging Anti-LGBT Movement

Buzzfeed reporter J. Lester Feder has done a fascinating deep dive into Mexico’s nascent anti-LGBT movement, which first gained international headlines last month with massive protest marches against the president’s campaign to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide. A couple of key excerpts: The national media were stunned, and marriage equality supporters were incredulous. There had never been a serious national anti-LGBT …

Read More »

Democrats Celebrate LGBT History Month

Just in from the Democratic National Committee: “As LGBT History Month begins, we have so much progress to celebrate. From the Stonewall uprising to the many victories during the Obama presidency–including ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the Supreme Court wins that enacted marriage equality–our nation has made enormous strides. That progress would not be possible without the historic pioneers …

Read More »

DOMA Champion Edie Windsor Remarries At 87

NBC News reports: Edie Windsor, the 87-year-old LGBTQ activist whose lawsuit against the federal government helped paved the way for same-sex marriage nationwide, has gotten remarried. Windsor and Judith Kasen, 51, tied the knot on Monday at City Hall in New York, the New York Times reported on Saturday. “I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this joy and …

Read More »

NORTH CAROLINA: The Daily Show Pranks Locals With A Food Truck That Refuses To Serve Gays [VIDEO]

The Raleigh News & Observer reports: Comedy Central’s The Daily Show came to Raleigh recently to poke fun at House Bill 2 by operating a food truck that refused to serve gay people. The show parked a fake barbecue business called Bone Bros. Flamin’ BBQ outside Trophy Brewing on Maywood Avenue and the Ruby Deluxe bar on Salisbury Street earlier …

Read More »

LOUISIANA: Dem Governor Sues Attorney General For Blocking Contracts Over Their LGBT Protections

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: Gov. John Bel Edwards is suing Attorney General Jeff Landry for blocking state legal contracts over language meant to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from discrimination in the workplace. Edwards filed the lawsuit in a Baton Rouge state court Friday (Sept. 30), following a meeting with Landry in which the two officials were …

Read More »

Pew Research Survey: 51% Support Trans Bathroom Rights, 49% Support LGBT Public Accommodation Laws

Bustle reports: In case you needed a reminder that the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage didn’t fix all the problems facing the LGBTQ community, a recent survey by the Pew Research Center has found that just half of Americans support transgender bathroom access according to gender identity, rather than biological sex. The finding comes as part of more general …

Read More »

Orlando To Host College Football Championship Yanked From North Carolina Over Anti-LGBT Hate Law

Poetic justice. Yahoo Sports reports: The ACC officially has a new location for its football championship game. The conference announced Thursday morning that the game will move to Orlando’s Camping World Stadium. The move comes two weeks after the conference, following an NCAA decision, decided to move all of its championships outside of the state of North Carolina because of …

Read More »

TEXAS: Life Sentence For Man Convicted In 2012 Deadly Attack On Teenage Lesbian Couple [VIDEO]

Corpus Christi’s NBC affiliate reports: A San Patricio County jury has returned a guilty verdict against David Strickland for the 2012 shootings that killed Mollie Olgin and critically wounded Kristene Chapa. Prosecutors were not pursuing the death penalty, therefore the defendant was given an automatic life sentence. Following the verdict, Kristene Chapa spoke to KRIS 6 News. “I was very …

Read More »

Gay Magazines Next And Frontiers Shut Down

South Florida Gay News reports: Bobby Blair’s dream to build an international media enterprise has apparently come crashing to a halt this week. SFGN has received information that the staff of Multimedia Platforms, which includes the Florida Agenda and Next Magazine in New York, has been let go, and there will be no print editions this week. Frontiers in LA, …

Read More »

California Becomes Sixth State To Prohibit State-Funded Travel To North Carolina Over Anti-LGBT Hate Law

The Sacramento Bee reports: North Carolina’s controversial law overturning local government protections for gays and lesbians could cost it some business with California state agencies. Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed a bill that prohibits state agencies from compelling their employees to travel to states with laws that allow discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The …

Read More »

First LGBT Pride Flag Launched Into Space [VIDEO]

The Huffington Post reports: Now there’s a new reason to seriously start investigating the possibility of civilian space travel: one of our favorite non-profit organizations just declared the universe LGBT-friendly. Planting Peace’s latest display of solidarity with the queer community involves a Pride flag, a high altitude balloon and a GoPro camera. The group, which regularly launches social activism campaigns …

Read More »

Pro Skateboarder Brian Anderson Comes Out [VIDEO]

Quite frankly, I was only dimly aware that professional skateboarding exists, but judging by all of this afternoon’s emails from JMG readers, this guy is a big deal in the sport. Hypebeast reports: Retired skateboarder Brian Anderson, who infamously won both Thrasher‘s prestigious Skater of the Year award and a World Cup of Skateboarding title back in 1999, has come …

Read More »

Glee Star Alex Newell Blows The Roof Off In Innovative HIV Prevention Dance Track For The CDC [VIDEO]

An innovative campaign and the song really IS fantastic. Mark King breaks it down at My Fabulous Disease: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has produced a music video that joyfully educates gay men about HIV prevention options. And it is foot-stomping fabulous. The song, “Collect My Love,” was released by The Knocks and it features vocals by …

Read More »

North Carolina Dem AG Roy Cooper +9 In New Poll

Via press release: The High Point University Poll finds that North Carolina’s top three election races continue to intensify with Hillary Clinton receiving support from 43 percent of likely voters and Donald Trump receiving support from 42 percent of likely voters. The percentages were calculated to include respondents who said they didn’t know exactly who they’d vote for, but were …

Read More »

AUSTRALIA: Marriage Plebiscite Said To Be Dead

Australia’s News Corp outlet reports: The February same sex marriage plebiscite will not proceed. Talks to save it collapsed today guaranteeing a bitter debate in Parliament where legislation for the national ballot will be defeated in the Senate by Labor and the Greens. In response to fruitless talks, Labor intensified its portrayal of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as a prisoner …

Read More »

BOSTON: Hat Sister John Michael Gray Dies

Provincetown legend John Michael Gray, one-half of the eternally famed Hat Sisters, has died of cancer. I first learned of the Hat Sisters back in the 80s from their regular appearances in the comic strip The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life Of Ethan Green and was completely starstruck when I finally met them in person at Provincetown’s Boatslip in 1994. Since …

Read More »