The Brazilian Supreme Federal Court ruled nine to one that homophobia is now punishable with up to five years in prison, The Washington Blade reported. Their decision equates homophobia to racism in terms of prison time. In 2019, the Supreme Federal Court criminalized homophobia and transphobia. The Brazilian Association of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Travestis, Transsexuals and Intersex People petitioned for additional protections and penalties.
A Glasgow, Scotland school has become the first in the country to fully embed LGBTQ+-inclusive education across its curriculum, per Sky News. Castleton Primary School is the first to complete the national implementation and evaluation toolkit, which assists schools in implementing the Scottish government's approach to LGBTQ+-inclusive education. In 2019, the Scottish government launched a dedicated package of resources to "promote equality, reduce bullying, and improve the educational experiences of LGBTQ+ children and young people." Scotland became the first country in the world to fully roll out LGBTQ+-inclusive education across the school curriculum.
Also regarding Scotland, Playbill staffers recently selected the most memorable shows created by, for, and about the LGBTQIA+ community at that country's Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Choices included Cowboys and Lesbians, Kathy Maniura: Objectified, Mary O'Connell: Money Princess, Bacon and Monet X Change: Life be Lifein', among other shows. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (which concluded Aug. 28) is the biggest arts festival in the world, with nearly 3,500 shows.
Global Affairs Canada updated its travel advisory for the United States by warning LGBTQ+ people that some state laws may affect them on their travels, CBC reported. "Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons. Check relevant state and local laws," read the new advisory. The updated advice does not mention any specific law or state policy, and it doesn't suggest staying away from any particular state. When asked for details, a department spokesperson cited anti-trans laws.
A recent article that ran in The Lancet was entitled "Reauthorize PEPFAR to prevent death, orphanhood and suffering for millions of children." Considering the current challenge to the five-year reauthorization of the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), researchers used 2023 UNAIDS estimates on the prevalence of children orphaned by AIDS, infant and young child HIV-infections, and incidence of adult and child AIDS deaths in sub-Saharan Africa to estimate PEPFAR's effect on child survival and health. The scientists concluded that losing PEPFAR would result in death, orphanhood and suffering for millions of children.The full article is at https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)01723-3/fulltext.
Religious leaders in Ghana, including the Catholic bishops, issued a statement saying the West African nation will not compromise its values to satisfy foreign investors promoting LGBTQI+ rights, according to Crux, which covers the Catholic Church. In a joint statement, members of the three Christian Ecumenical Councils in Ghana—the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, the Christian Council of Ghana and the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference—called on Western countries to "stop the incessant attempts to impose unacceptable foreign cultural values on us." The reaction came after the U.S. ambassador to Ghana warned against passage of the "Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values" bill, initially drafted in August 2021, that would punish those promoting same-sex relationships with prison sentences of up to 10 years.
A student has been expelled from his studies at a Russian university and has left the country after being accused of promoting so-called "LGBTQ+ propaganda" through his video makeup tutorials, PinkNews reported. Max is part of a steady stream of people escaping Russia following the invasion of Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin's crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights. Max—who studied architecture and urban planning at Kuban State University—told PinkNews that he's frightened because it's "dangerous" for him in Russia, adding that authorities are "looking for" him.
Pope Francis criticized the "backwardness" of some conservatives in the U.S. Catholic Church, saying they have replaced faith with political ideology, Newsweek reported. The pope made the comments during a private meeting on Aug. 5 in Lisbon with members of the Jesuit religious order, of which he is a member, during his trip for World Youth Day. However, the pontiff also created controversy by recently praising Russian imperialism (a policy President Vladimir Putin has invoked to justify his ongoing war), sparking anger from Ukraine, per NBC News.
Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science Robbert Dijkgraaf said The Netherlands—once among the world's leaders regarding LGBTQ+ rights—has been failing to create a more open society for all people lately, Bloomberg reported. "In the Netherlands, we, for a long time, felt we were frontrunners, we were leading the world, we were very proud of our tradition of being very tolerant and open," Dijkgraaf said ahead of the annual Pride parade on Amsterdam's canals. "But I feel that this is something that we need to push for more because it's totally not obvious that we'll automatically become a more inclusive society."
The Republic of Botswana and the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the designation of the Botswana National HIV Reference Laboratory as a WHO Collaborating Center, per a press release. This will enable a deeper collaboration with WHO in advancing the health and well-being of people living with HIV. The release stated, "Recognition of [certain] standards does not only allow Botswana's public laboratories to be compared with the world's best laboratories, but it gives confidence to both patients and clinicians that patient management and care are based on correct disease diagnosis."
New forensic evidence identified a person of interest in the 1993 death of Australian rock band AC/DC's former manager, Crispin Dye, the BBC reported. Dye passed away on Christmas Day, two days after he was found with severe head injuries in an inner city Sydney suburb. The person of interest, named only as NP252 (and who had an extensive criminal history), died in 2002; it is not clear if he played a role in Dye's death based on current available information. His death is being examined as part of a broader inquiry into gay hate crimes in New South Wales.
Out gay wrestler Anthony Bowens was one of the winners at what organizers claimed was the biggest ever pro-wrestling event in Europe—in front of 81,000 fans at London's Wembley Stadium, according to INTO. Bowens, wrestling partner Max Caster and occasional teammate Billy Gunn defeated the House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King and Buddy Matthews). Last September Bowens made history when he and Caster triumphed at the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) Dynamite meet in New York City; in doing so, Bowens became the first out-gay AEW champion in the organization's history.
RuPaul's Drag Race UK—whose fifth season is starting soon—has revealed its lineup of guest judges, a press release noted. Guest judges will include actress/comedian Aisling Bea, pop star Alexandra Burke, actress Cush Jumbo (The Good Wife), designer/musician Daphne Guinness, actor/comedian Joel Dommett, supermodel Kristen McMenamy, singer Sophie-Ellis Bextor, actor Suranne Jones and actress Yasmin Finney. RuPaul will return to head a judging panel that will also include Michelle Visage, Alan Carr and Graham Norton.
Legendary musician Elton John was discharged from the hospital after slipping at his home in France, per The Hollywood Reporter. "Elton visited the local hospital as a precautionary measure. Following check ups, he was immediately discharged this morning and is now back at home and in good health," a statement read. John, 76, ended his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour last month in Stockholm; it began in 2018.
Spain's entire coaching staff from its Women's World Cup win, except for manager Jorge Vilda, have resigned over the Luis Rubiales controversy, the BBC noted. FIFA suspended Spanish FA president Rubiales after he non-consensually kissed forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips following the team's final victory over England in Sydney. Rubiales has refused to resign over the incident and the Royal Spanish Football Federation has said it will take legal action over Hermoso's "lies." Also, the Spanish government has taken further steps toward suspending s Rubiales after submitting all necessary documentation to the country's Court of Arbitration of Sport (TAD), per CNN.
Bell Canada is ending its 28-year sponsorship of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Variety confirmed. The telecommunications company, a lead sponsor since 1995, will not continue its partnership with TIFF after the festival's 48th edition this year that will run Sept. 7-17. The festival recently announced the world premiere of the Lil Nas X documentary Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero.
