In Australia, the judge overseeing an inquiry examining the 30-year-old unsolved murder of former AC/DC manager Crispin Dye criticized New South Wales (NSW) Police after the revelation of explosive evidence in the case, The Advocate noted. The inquest, which was opened last November, is examining the 88 unsolved deaths of gay men in Sydney and NSW between 1979 and 2000—but it was just revealed investigators waited until this year and only upon request to send Dye's bloodstained clothing for forensic analysis. (Dye's unconscious body was found in 1993 and he died two days later, on Christmas Day.) "The record-keeping of police is, on one view, somewhat questionable," Supreme Court Justice John Sacker said, according to the Daily Mail. "At the moment, it's bordering on shambolic."
Turkish activists defied a ban to stage an annual gay pride march in Istanbul a month after Turkey's election followed an anti-LGBTQ+ campaign, The Guardian reported. A few hundred demonstrators waved rainbow flags and held rallies in various areas after being banned from Taksim Square. This year's Pride march reportedly started and finished earlier than expected without any street clashes or police violence, according to AFP journalists on the ground; however, protesting groups said more than 40 activists were detained.
British superstar Elton John spoke out against "disgraceful" anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being passed in Florida and across the United States while talking with Radio Times, per The Advocate. "It's all going pear-shaped in America," he said. "There's violence, [and] laws enacted in Florida [that] are disgraceful." He added, "There's a law now that, if you visit a doctor in Florida, they can refuse to treat you if you're gay, which I find just unbelievable," John said, referring to the "Right to Discriminate" law that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in May. "We seem to be going [backward]," John added, "and that spreads. It's like a virus that the LGBTQ+ movement is suffering."
Also regarding Elton John, more than 7 million viewers watched him on the BBC in what some speculated could be the musician's last-ever performance, Deadline noted. The legendary British singer's three-hour performance drew a near-50% audience share and became one of the most-watched TV shows of the year so far. John was joined on stage by singer-songwriter Stephen Sanchez and The Killers' frontman, Brandon Flowers.
The turnout for the LGBTQ Pride March in Mexico City was the largest since before the COVID-19 pandemic against a backdrop of an increase in hate crimes and amid grassroots unease about the corporatization of the event, according to La Prensa Latina. Under the banner "Liberty, justice, and dignity, They will never erase us!," the crowd—estimated at 600,000 individuals—made its way from the Angel of Independence monument to the Zocalo, the capital's massive main square. Amnesty International Mexico Executive Director Edith Olivares said that while the country has made advances in LGBT rights, much remains to be done: "It's a moment to remember that there is pride, there is celebration, but there are also pending issues and we have to eradicate all forms of violence and discrimination."
Also, more than 100 same-sex couples and trans people in Mexico City celebrated weddings and the completion of administrative processes to change their gender in a mass ceremony a day before the city's annual gay pride march, Reuters noted. About 120 couples met the requirements to get married under the slogan "Hand in hand, we march with pride," the city government said in a statement. In 2009, Mexico City became the first jurisdiction in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage; however, it wasn't until last year when the rest of the country entirely followed suit, with Tamaulipas becoming the final state to do so in October.
While celebrations were held around the world for Pride Month, there were no major LGBTQ+ events in China, as the country's largest Pride event has been suspended since 2021, the BBC noted. People taking part in political protests in China often face punishment, so instead of holding parades, ShanghaiPride (which had been behind the Pride event) had organized dance parties, community runs and film screenings in the city. Now, only a few low-profile events—such as "voguing balls"—are available.
On June 29, the Czech parliament's lower house gave initial approval to a bill that would allow same-sex marriages, although conservative lawmakers implied it could still face opposition and possible changes, Reuters reported. Marriage equality is legal in much of western Europe, but not in large parts of the center of the continent once under communist rule.
Three people (a professor and two students) were wounded when a knife-wielding man attacked a gender-studies class at the University of Waterloo in Canada's Ontario province, The Advocate noted, citing the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Police haven't given a motive, but a student said the man asked about the class's subject matter before he began stabbing people.
Russian clinics will soon include sexologists to help patients "overcome" homosexuality and various sexual "mental disorders," a health ministry order said, in the latest Kremlin attack on what it calls "non-traditional lifestyles," per Reuters. The order, which takes effect July 1, comes amid an attack on LGBTQ+ rights. The World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in 1990; Russia did so in 1999.
The BBC ordered an eight-part series based on What It Feels Like For A Girl—the acclaimed memoir by trans writer/journalist Paris Lees, The Advocate noted. The 2021 memoir explores Lees' life before transitioning from the perspective of a fictional character named Byron. Filming will start next year.
Global chart-topping Swedish duo Icona Pop—known for their song "I Love It (I Don't Care)"—revealed details about their second studio album, Club Romantech, which is set to drop Sept. 1 via Ultra Records/Iconic Sound Recordings/TEN Music Group, per a press release. (The duo consists of Aino Jawo and Caroline Hjelt.) Speaking about the album, Hjelt said, "As Icona Pop, we can release a pop tune or a super hard dance song, and that's who we are. When we started to write this album, we didn't have any rules. We just had a vision we wanted to share with our fans. We're inviting them into our world."
Alongside news that Ryan Seacrest will take over the U.S. version of Wheel of Fortune after Pat Sajak retires, out gay talk-show host Graham Norton will host the British iteration of the show on ITV, per The Hollywood Reporter. "My first ever TV job was a game show on ITV so this feels like coming full circle. You might even call it a wheel!" Norton, host of the popular BBC talker The Graham Norton Show, said in a statement. Production company Whisper North already produces a local version of Jeopardy!—hosted by another gay individual, Stephen Fry—for ITV.
Also regarding Graham Norton, the second season of Queen of the Universe—which he hosts—will land on streaming platform WOW Presents Plus as a box set, Variety noted. The Eurovision-style series finds countries going head to head with their top drag queens putting their real singing voices to the test. In the second season, former Spice Girl Mel B joins returning judges Michelle Visage, multi-Emmy and Grammy nominee Vanessa Williams and U.S. drag superstar Trixie Mattel.
On June 28, embattled actor Kevin Spacey arrived at UK Crown Court to face a month-long trial after being accused of sex offenses against four men, Deadline reported. Spacey has denied 12 charges, including sexual assault and indecent assault. The trial at Southwark Crown Court will last four weeks but it's not known if Spacey will take the stand in his own defense. The prosecution labeled Spacey a "sexual bully" who "sexually assaults other men" and "delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable."
In Brazil, the husband of Miss Gay Mato Grosso pageant runner-up Nathally Becker had a meltdown after the announcement of the winner, according to Men's Journal. After Emannuelly Belini was named the winner, Becker's husband rushed onto the stage, snatched the crown before it could be placed on Belini's head and threw it. In a statement, the pageant team congratulated Belini on her win while criticizing the unidentified husband's behavior.
