Gay Wrestler Anthony Bowens Lays the Smackdown on Christian Homophobes with Defiant Kiss

Anthony Bowens kisses boyfriend in front of crowd of homophobic protesters (Anthony Bowens/Instagram)
PINK NEWS: Pro-wrestler Anthony Bowens has received a flood of love and support after kissing his boyfriend in front of a crowd of homophobic protesters.

The All Elite Wrestling star posted a photo where he can be seen kissing his boyfriend, YouTube star Michael Pavano, in front of people holding signs bearing pro-Trump messages and anti-gay slurs.

Posting the photo to Instagram, Bowens said: “Stand up against hate” with the rainbow emoji.

Bowens, who came out as gay in 2019 after previously identifying as bisexual, shared the photo on Monday (6 December) and quickly received several supportive messages.

Fellow wrestling star and Olympic boxer Anthony Ogogo sent several emojis, including the rainbow flag, while producer Anthony Ramos wrote, “That’s right!!!”

Since coming out in 2017, Bowens has campaigned for LGBT+ visibility in sports. » | Emily Chudy | Tuesday, Dece,ber 7, 2021

Archbishop Desmond Tutu Compares Barbaric Anti-LGBT+ Laws to Apartheid: ‘I Can’t Keep Quiet’

Lifelong campaigner for human rights Archbishop Desmond Tutu. (UN Free & Equal)
PINK NEWS: Archbishop Desmond Tutu has compared anti-LGBT+ laws and violence to apartheid, insisting that he opposes them with the “same passion”.

The 90-year-old Archbishop Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has spent his life campaigning for human rights.

He was a major opponent of South Africa’s apartheid system, and has worked for universal suffrage, equal rights for women in the Anglican Church and LGBT+ rights.

In a video for the United Nations Free and Equal campaign, its “global campaign against homophobia and transphobia”, Tutu said: “I have to tell you, I cannot keep quiet when people are penalised for something about which they can do nothing.

“First, gender. When women are excluded, just simply and solely because they are women.

“But more perniciously, more ghastly, is the fact that people are penalised, killed, all sorts of ghastly things happen to them, simply, solely on the basis of their sexual orientation. » | Lily Wakefield | Saturday, November 27, 2021


Homophobic gang attack gay couple with hammer in terrifying street robbery: ‘I’m lost for words’: A gay couple say they were “violently attacked” while walking down the street in Radcliffe, Bury, on Tuesday. »

A New Crusade: Poland's Embrace of Catholicism and Anti-LGBT Ideology | Foreign Correspondent

Apr 28, 2020 • When Poland’s Archbishop of Krakow talks about fighting a plague, he’s not talking about the new coronavirus. He’s talking about gay rights.

“A certain ideology is a threat to our hearts and minds…so we need to defend ourselves just like against any other plague”, says Archbishop Jedraszewski.

In the 1980s Poland played a central part in liberating the world from communism. Now there’s a push to wind back many of those hard-won freedoms.

The Catholic Church and the Polish government are forming a holy alliance, joining forces to denounce Western-style liberalism as the new enemy.

“From the very beginning the history of the Polish state and Polish nation were connected with the history of Christianity”, says Archbishop Jedraszewski. “Christianity, nation and state were so tightly connected, they were almost inseparable.”

In today’s Poland, the Church is supporting government moves to discriminate against gay people, wind back sex education and outlaw abortion.

But feminists, gays and liberals are fighting back.

Foreign Correspondent’s Eric Campbell reports on a deeply divided nation in the throes of a culture war.

He meets the Archbishop of Krakow who likens gay activists to the much-reviled Soviets who occupied Poland after the Second World War

. “This time it is not a red but a rainbow plague”, says Archbishop Jedraszewski. Regional governments across Poland have declared about a third of the country ‘an LGBT free zone’.

Eric interviews critics of the current government, including Lech Walesa, the father of Polish democracy, who warns “our Constitution is being broken, the separation of powers has been violated and we have to do something about it.”

He meets a gay mayor in a small town who says the rhetoric from Church and state is leading to an “increase in hatred spreading against homosexual people.” And he films at a far-right rally in Warsaw where Catholic extremists are co-opting the Church in their bid to push their nationalist agenda and vision of Poland as a new theocracy.

While many Poles believe a religious revival will lead their country to the light, others fear it is opening the gates to something darker.

About Foreign Correspondent:

Foreign Correspondent is the prime-time international public affairs program on Australia's national broadcaster, ABC-TV. We produce half-hour duration in-depth reports for broadcast across the ABC's television channels and digital platforms. Since 1992, our teams have journeyed to more than 170 countries to report on war, natural calamity and social and political upheaval – through the eyes of the people at the heart of it all.

Turkish Hotel Won’t Let Two Men Share a Room but Will Give Straight Couples ‘Tantra Sofas’

PINK NEWS: Holiday resorts and hotels in Turkey have been banning men from staying without female company, in widespread policies that discriminate against gay men.

The issue was revealed by travel site One Mile at a Time, after writer Ben Schlappig was alerted to the issue by a reader.

The reader was told by a the Lujo Hotel in Bodrum, Turkey, that his booking for two men to stay in one room was not allowed.

When he enquired about the reason, he was told it was because men simply party too hard when there are no women around.

However, if the hotel is against partying, its management has a strange way of showing it. » | Lily Wakefield | Thursday, September 9, 2021

Homophobia Is Alive and Kicking in European Politics and It’s Going Mainstream

iNEWS: All over the continent the far right are downplaying anti-LGBTQ violence – and in some cases, practising it

People in front of the Court House in Sofia, Bulgaria protest against homophobic attacks (Photo: Hristo Vladev/Getty)
It’s tempting to think that in Europe at least the LGBTQ community has virtually won its fight for equal rights.

In supposedly uptight Britain, same-sex couples on Strictly Come Dancing are told by straight judges to be a bit less… inhibited…

There are no same-sex shenanigans on Italy’s Ballando con le Stelle. But over there that’s the least of many gay people’s problems.

Thanks to the malign presence of the Vatican, and the nature of the far-right in its mainstream politics, Italy’s parliament is unable to pass a simple hate-crime law to combat the country’s (ample) homophobic violence – in spite of 10 years’ of trying.

Two far-right groupings voted last Wednesday to block the “Zan bill” in the Senate. Matteo Salvini’s League party and the even nastier “post-fascist” Fratelli d’Italia party led by Giorgia Meloni. Alessandro Zan is the politician and LGBTQ activist who promoted the bill.

National polls suggest they have the support of 24 per cent and 18 per cent of the Italian electorate, respectively. » | Michael Day, Chief Foreign Commentator | Published: Thursday, November 4, 2021; Updated, Friday, November 5, 2021

Gay Couple Murdered "In the Name of God" | Crime Documentary | Real Stories

Nov 13, 2018 • A morally complex post-colonial tragedy, the story of a murder and of Fiji, a small country divided along ethnic and class lines, told through the eyes of two very different families.

Director of the Fiji Red Cross John Scott and his partner of 20 years, Greg Scrivener were brutally murdered in the name of God by a young indigenous man, Apete Kaisau. John had reached international notice during the coup of 2000 when he assisted hostages seized by coup leader George Speight. He was also from one of the most powerful European Fijian families. The documentary explores a "Pacific paradise" fraught by its colonial history, ethnic and tribal tensions, class differences and political coups.

David Beckham Slammed for Reportedly Becoming Face of Homophobic Qatar in £150 Million Deal

David Beckham speaks with Nasser al-Khelaifi, chairman of Qatar Sports Investments. (AFP via Getty/ KARIM JAAFAR)
PINK NEWS: David Beckham has reportedly signed a deal worth £150 million to become the “face of Qatar” ahead of next year’s World Cup.

According to The Sun, Beckham will “promote tourism and culture” for the next decade in the country, which is strongly anti-LGBT+ and has an atrocious human rights record.

The deal was first reported by The Mail on Sunday in February, although it is still unclear what duties the role will involve. He will reportedly earn £15 million a year for the next decade.

Beckham, who in 2007 said he was “honoured to have the tag of gay icon” and is an ambassador for UNICEF, spent a week in Qatar this month, one of the most dangerous places in the world to be LGBT+.

In a vague statement, a spokesperson for Beckham told The Telegraph: “David has been visiting Qatar regularly for over a decade and went on to play for [Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain] so he has seen the passion for football in the country and the long-term commitment that’s been made to hosting this World Cup and delivering a lasting legacy for the region.

“He’s always talked about the power of football as a force for good.

“As we reach the one-year-to-go point, he joins the wider football community that is coming together for the World Cup 2022 and he’s looking forward to what he thinks will be a great tournament.” Homosexuality can be punished by imprisonment, flogging or death in Qatar » | Lily Wakefield | Monday, October 25, 2021

Daily Launches Fight against Anti-gay Hate Crimes after Spate of Attacks

Image: Adobe Stock
HTFP: A regional daily is fighting to unite its patch against hate crimes following a spate of attacks on gay people.

The Birmingham Mail has launched a new campaign called ‘Hands Not Hate’ after covering a series of assaults on LGBT+ people over the past two months.

As part of the campaign, the Mail has vowed to call out homophobia and share the stories of gay people across its patch who “may have once been afraid to show their true selves, and who may now be afraid full stop”.

It is also encouraging readers to post a message of support on social media for Birmingham’s LGBT+ community using the hashtag #HandsNotHate. » | David Sharman | Monday, October 18, 2021

Raiders Coach Resigns after Homophobic and Misogynistic Emails

THE NEW YORK TIMES: In emails detailed by The New York Times, Raiders Coach Jon Gruden casually used misogynistic and homophobic language to disparage people.

In a postgame news conference Sunday, Raiders Coach Jon Gruden addressed an email in which he used a racist trope to describe DeMaurice Smith, the head of the N.F.L. Players Association. | Rick Scuteri/Associated Press
Jon Gruden stepped down Monday as the coach of the Las Vegas Raiders football team hours after The New York Times detailed emails in which he had made homophobic and misogynistic remarks, following an earlier report of racist statements about a union leader.

His resignation was a striking departure from the football league for a coach who had won a Super Bowl, been a marquee analyst on ESPN and returned to the N.F.L. in 2018 to lead the resurgent Raiders, which he had coached years before.

“I have resigned as Head Coach of the Las Vegas Raiders,” he said on Twitter in a statement issued by the team. “I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of Raider Nation. I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone.” » | Ken Belson and Katherine Rosman | Monday, October 11, 2021

Former California Cop Who Sued over Antigay Abuse Wins $2.2 Million

ADVOCATE: Jay Brome said he was subjected to homophobic harassment throughout his 20 years with the California Highway Patrol.

Former California Highway Patrol officer Jay Brome has received a settlement of $2.2 million in a lawsuit he brought against the CHP, saying his coworkers made his life on the job miserable because he’s gay.

Brome was a CHP officer from 1996 until 2015, when he took medical leave due to the stress of the homophobia he encountered. It began when he was in the police academy and continued throughout his CHP career.

“There was bullying or name-calling — ‘fag,’ ‘gay,’’’ Brome told The Sacramento Bee in 2018. “I had an instructor that told me … to take my skirt off and start acting like a man.”

At one point at the academy, according to his lawsuit, a fellow cadet aimed a training gun at his head and said, “I know you’re gay, tell me you’re gay or I’ll pull the trigger.” » | Trudy Ring | Monday, October 4, 2021

The AP Interview: Hungary Committed to Contentious LGBT Law

Peter Szijjarto, Hungary's minister of foreign affairs and trade, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at United Nations headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, during the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
ASSOCIATED PRESS: UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The right-wing populist government in Hungary is attracting conservative thinkers from the United States who admire its approaches to migration, LGBT issues and national sovereignty — all matters that have put the country at odds with its European partners, who see not a conservative haven but a worrying erosion of democratic institutions on multiple fronts.

Hungary’s top diplomat has a few things to say about that.

In an interview Thursday with The Associated Press on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly’s meeting of world leaders, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said his country would not cede ground on policies that have caused the European Union to impose financial penalties and start legal proceedings against it over violations of the bloc’s values.

“We do not compromise on these issues because we are a sovereign country, a sovereign nation. And no one, not even the European Commission, should blackmail us regarding these policies,” Szijjarto said.

Topping the list of contentious government policies: a controversial Hungarian law that the EU says violates the fundamental rights of LGBT people. That led the EU’s executive commission to delay billions in economic recovery funds earmarked for Hungary — a move Szijjarto called “a purely political decision” and “blackmail.” The law, he says, is meant to protect children from pedophiles and ”homosexual propaganda.”

“We will not make [make] compromises about the future of our children,” Szijjarto told the AP.

The law, passed in June, makes it illegal to promote or portray sex reassignment or homosexuality to minors under 18 in media content. It also contains provisions that provide harsher penalties for pedophilia. Critics say it conflates pedophilia with homosexuality and stigmatizes sexual minorities. » | Justin Spike | Friday, September 24, 2021


Does Hungary really belong in the European Union? The EU is progressive; Hungary, under this regime, is regressive. It is an outrage that the Hungarian government should be conflating being gay with paedophilia! An absolute outrage! It shows these people's ignorance and bigotry. – © Mark

Anti-gay Campaign Shows Russia's Worst Side

Jan 30, 2014 • As Russia prepares to host the Sochi Winter Olympics, Europe Editor Matt Frei reports that the country's campaign against gay people shows its worst side just when it hoped the world would see only its best.

Revealed: Michael Gove’s Sexist Jibes, Racist Jokes and Homophobic Slurs

THE INDEPENDENT: Chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster made the comments in Cambridge Union debates in the late 1980s and early 1990s

Read an article on this disgusting claptrap on here : Tory minister Michael Gove makes cutting jokes about gay people in resurfaced speech: Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove’s history of vile homophobic, racist and sexist remarks has been unearthed in a series of recordings.

Homophobes Carve ‘F****t’ into Man’s Flesh in Horrific Broad Daylight Attack in Madrid

Protesters rally against anti-LGBT+ violence in Puerta del Sol, Madrid after the killing of Samuel Luiz. (Getty)
PINK NEWS: A gang of eight hooded assailants launched a “vicious” attack on a gay man in Madrid, Spain, in broad daylight, carving the word “faggot” on his backside.

Two months after the horrific killing of Samuel Luiz, a 24-year-old gay man, in A Coruña, Spain, sparked international outrage, another homophobic attack has shocked and repulsed Spain.

The 20-year-old victim was assaulted in the Malasaña neighbourhood at around 5:15pm Sunday afternoon (5 September). His attackers sliced him with a knife as they barked “maricón [faggot]” at him outside his apartment complex, Policía Municipal Madrid said according to elDiario, a Spanish-speaking news outlet.

The victim, who has not been named, was returning home when the group “with their faces covered, ran and cornered him” and followed him into the building entrance.

They called him a “s**teater” and “disgusting” as they slit his upper lip. The man later reported the incident at a police station in the capital city.

The level of impunity seemingly felt by the attackers left officials stunned, a police spokesperson told elDiario.

“This is the first assault of this kind we have heard of,” they said.

“The investigation is focusing on CCTV footage and on finding witnesses in order to identify the alleged attackers.” Spain’s prime minister ‘vehemently’ decries homophobic attack that left activists speechless » | Josh Milton | Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Homophobic Attackers in Madrid Carve Antigay Slur Into Victim's Butt »

Say NO to Homophobia!

Image: Adobe Stock

Fighting Homophobia

GQ Deutschland started a campaign back in 2013 to fight against homophobia. Straight actors kissed on the lips in the #Mundpropaganda campaign. Check out GQ Deutschland for more information.
With many thanks to gcn for this great photo. It’s where I found the photograph. Actually via Google Images.

Ghana’s ‘Hate-filled’ Anti-LGBT+ Bill Bears Signature of America’s Religious Right, Activists Warn

LGBT+ rights are heavily suppressed in Ghana. (Creative Commons)
PINK NEWS: A “hate-filled” bill that criminalises LGBT+ “propaganda” has been officially presented in Ghana’s parliament – and activists say it carries the fingerprints of America’s religious right.

The “Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021” would introduce a raft of policies punishing everything from sex toys and anal intercourse to trans healthcare and LGBT+ allyship.

Referred to a parliamentary committee by house speaker Alban Bagbin on Monday (2 August), the bill would see LGBT+ allies, as well as those who have provided or received gender-affirming healthcare, facing three to five years in prison. Even two people of the same gender kissing on the cheek or holding hands would be criminalised.

In statements to PinkNews, activists described the bill as an affront to human rights, as well as a troubling example of what a government-sanctioned, religious right wing can achieve in only a few months.

“We were shocked by its content and how they managed to put together so much hate in a single document,” Rightify Ghana said.

“When you read the content of the bill, you get the idea that the bill itself was not produced in Ghana. It has the signature of US right-wing groups.” » | Josh Milton | Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Tokyo Olympics Sparks Anti-LGBT Slurs on Russian TV

Transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard was singled out for abuse. EUROPEAN PHOTOPRESS AGENCY
BBC: The participation of openly gay, lesbian and transgender athletes in the Tokyo Olympics has led to an upsurge in anti-LGBT commentary on Russian state TV.

Extremely offensive language, some of which appears in this article, was used by the hosts and guests on talk shows aired by the country's two most popular television channels.

Even though the Kremlin has tended to not publicly support anti-LGBT sentiment, it fits in with the state ideology of defending Russia's "traditional values" against the West.

The state-run channels dedicated several of their talk shows to speak disparagingly about LGBT athletes at the Games, using words like "abomination" and "perversion".

In response, an International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesman told the BBC they were contacting the official Russian broadcaster, one of the two channels in question, to express their concern.

"Discrimination has absolutely no place at the Olympic Games," they said in a statement.

What was said on air?

British gold medal-winning diver Tom Daley, who is gay, and a transgender woman weightlifter from New Zealand, Laurel Hubbard, were particularly targeted on Rossiya 1.

The 26 July edition of the 60 Minutes programme was especially rife with slurs. One of the panellists, Alexei Zhuravlyov, who is a member of the Russian parliament, said he was "disgusted" by gay and transgender people.

"We stand opposed to all this smut and perversion, strongly opposed," he told the show, pointing at the studio screen which showed Hubbard.

"We stand against this abomination," he shouted. At one point, Zhuravlyov used an offensive Russian word to describe gay men. With video » | Vitaly Shevchenko | BBC Monitoring | Wednesday, August 4, 2021

This Question Will Stump the Religious Homophobe

Quote thanks to Pinterest.

On God and Homophobia

Image thanks to Pinterest.