A gay army veteran who served in Afghanistan and Northern Ireland, stepped in to shut down an attack by a belligerent and violently homophobic man on a bus in London, NewNowNext.com noted. Former Grenadier Guardsman Lee Wardle, who works as a bartender at a gay bar, told the Evening Standard he heard a man having a loud conversation on his phone that was full of bigoted remarks. When Wardle and another passenger ( identified only as Adam ) asked the man to stop, the situation took a violent turn—with the anti-gay man attacking Adam before Wardle subdued him.
OutRight Action International announced its reaction to the United States withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council. In a press release, the organization stated, in part, "Withdrawing from the Council sends a message to other countries that its acceptable to walk away from the system when it doesn't suit you to be there. Imagine, what would happen if all countries walked away from the UN because of disagreements? ... OutRight believes in the international system and the integrity of the Human Rights Council. We look forward to continue working with everyone who share these values."
Israel's ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, applauded President Trump's decision to pull out of the United Nations Human Rights Council at a pride reception at the embassy in Washington, D.C., according to LGBTQ Nation. An inside source who asked to remain anonymous said only a handful of people applauded Dermer's comment—but most attendees stayed silent as the ambassador praised Trump's latest attack on human rights worldwide. Trump enjoys a close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Using the hashtag #PrideOverGenocide, direct-action activist group Voices4 amassed more than 2,500 comments on Budweiser's most recent Instagram post to call out what the group calls the beer giant's hypocrisy in sponsoring the World Cup in Russia, where violations of LGBTQ+ rights are taking place, and NYC Pride in the same weekend, according to a press release. Notable people who have participated in the protest include Tom Daley, Dustin Lance Black, Milk, Hey Rooney, Harper Watters, Chellaman, drag queen Detox, Andrew Chappelle ( from the original cast of Hamilton ), Munroe Bergdorf, Kyle Krieger and Levi J. Foster.
A survey has found that nearly a quarter of gay men in England wanting PrEP are unable to access it, according to Gay Star News. The study, carried out by Public Health England, also found that men living outside of London faced greater difficulty obtaining it. Unlike the United States and Australia, PrEP is not widely available in England. There is currently an ongoing NHS Impact trial, limited to 10,000 participants, to determine whether to make the treatment available nationally.
British physician Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, 85, was one of the first individuals to identify AIDS—and is now set to debut as a composer, BuzzFeed News reported. The concerts will be held at London's ornate Fitzrovia Chapel, in what was once the Middlesex Hospital, and the site of Britain's first AIDS ward. Although incorrect in its reasoning, the early advice of Sonnabend ( who founded what would later become amfAR ( American Foundation for AIDS Research ) ) provided the blueprint for safer sex that is still used today.
The Equal Opportunities Commission ( EOC ) has questioned the Hong Kong Public Libraries' decision to remove children's books with LGBTQ themes from public view, calling it an unnecessary move that may place "new limits on children's access to books," The Hong Kong Free Press reported. In a statement to the publication, the EOC said that the removal of the books may be unnecessary, given that seven of the titles concerned were considered "neutral in nature" by the public libraries themselves. The Leisure and Culture Services Department ( LSCD ) confirmed that 10 titles—all children's books that touch on LGBTQ themes, such as Introducing Teddy, and The Boy in the Dress—were moved to "closed stacks," a storage area where books can only be accessed upon request.
For the third consecutive year, the rainbow flag was raised on Parliament Hill in Ottawa ( Canada's capital ) to celebrate Pride Month, PinkNews noted. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the rainbow flag above Parliament Hill to mark Canada's commitment to greater LGBT inclusivity and equality. Trudeau was joined at the ceremony alongside his LGBTQ special advisor, Randy Boissonnault.
A notoriously homophobic Neo-Nazi group took aim at Pride Month in a series of "Happy AIDS Month" posters plastered around an Australian city, Gay Star News noted. The Antipodean Resistance, which describes itself as "Hitler's Youth," put the posters up in Melbourne on June 25. The posters appeared in the inner-city suburb of Prahran, which has one of the highest LGBTI populations in Melbourne. People spotted the posters along the busy shopping strip Chapel St.
Ex-Wales rugby captain Gareth Thomas has said he is amazed that football fans are still getting away with homophobic chanting at matches, the BBC noted. The statement comes as he attempts to change the law to put homophobic and transphobic abuse on par with racial abuse at sporting events. Thomas made 100 appearances for Wales and came out as gay in December 2009.
On a related note, FIFA has again levied a $10,000 fine against Mexico after its fans chanted the anti-gay "puto" during its World Cup opening match against Germany, Outsports.com noted. The website called the amount of the fine "feckless," adding it's "a number so absurdly inconsequential to Mexico Soccer that the amount underlines and bolds FIFA's message to the rest of the world that soccer's governing body has absolutely no interest in, or commitment to, stopping fans from offending LGBTQ people around the world with an anti-gay chant in stadiums."
W Hotels announced the global rollout of "Wake Up Call," the brand's signature music festival series that will make stops at three W Hotels this year: W Hollywood ( Sept 1-3 ), W Barcelona ( Sept 21-23 ) and W Bali ( Oct 4-6 ), a press release noted. Performers will include Charli XCX, Phantogram, Gorgon City, Betty Who, Angus & Julia Stone, Pete Tong, Boston Bun and more. See WakeUpCallFest.com .
