Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

WORLD Court rulings, Dutch apology, trans candidates win, Global Black Pride
by Windy City Times staff
2021-12-05

This article shared 2424 times since Sun Dec 5, 2021
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Botswana's Court of Appeal upheld a 2019 ruling that decriminalized gay sex, effectively striking off two sections of the penal code that had outlawed homosexuality, according to Reuters. Before the 2019 High Court ruling, which was praised by international organizations and activists, engaging in gay sex in Botswana was punishable by up to seven years in prison. Reading the unanimous decision by five judges, Court of Appeal Judge President Ian Kirby (who was slated to retire Nov. 30, shortly after the ruling, AllAfrica.com noted) said the criminalization of consensual same-sex activities violated the constitutional rights of LGBTQ+ persons to dignity, liberty, privacy and equality.

The Delhi High Court asked the Union government to respond to a new application seeking permission to livestream the court proceedings on a bunch of petitions for recognizing same-sex marriages, The Hindu reported. A bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh, which is currently seized of five separate petitions of several same-sex couples, posted the hearing in the case on Feb. 3, 2022. Senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, appearing for the applicants, said the issue raised in the petitions was of national importance, particularly regarding the LGBTQ community, which composes nearly 8 percent of country's population.

The Dutch government publicly apologized for a now-defunct law that required transgender people who wished to change the gender on their birth certificates to undergo surgery and sterilization, The Hill noted. "For decades, people underwent medical procedures that they did not want at all. But they knew they had no other choice," said Dutch Minister for Education, Culture and Science Ingrid van Engelshoven in a speech. "Others have waited because of this law; they were forced to postpone becoming themselves for years."

Trans political candidates made history with Bangladesh and Chile, per Xtra. A small town in Bangladesh voted to elect the country's first trans mayor, as Nazrul Islam Ritu won an election for chair of Trilochanpur Union in Kaliganj Upazila, Jhenaidah, by a landslide. Chile elected its first trans official to the national legislature on Nov. 21, just as the country heads into an election cycle that could put LGBTQ+ rights at risk. Activist Emilia Schneider Videla, who won by more than 26,000 votes, will represent District 10 of Santiago in the National Congress of Chile when she is sworn in next March. The Dec. 19 presidential runoff election is between far-right populist Jose Antonio Kast (who opposes marriage equality and abortion) and leftist Gabriel Boric.

The third annual edition of a Pride event celebrating Black queer people around the world online will be presented in a hybrid format in Toronto in 2022, giving folks an opportunity to participate in the festivities in person for the first time, according to Gay City News. After the first two events were entirely virtual, Global Black Pride organizers hope the millions of online viewers who attended in the past will come to the weekend-long in-person/virtual event slated for July 28-31, 2022. Global Black Pride is spearheading the event with support from a Toronto-based organization called Blackness Yes! as well as Pride Toronto.

In England, two young gay men were viciously attacked and robbed with a hammer, fists and hateful words by a group of other young men recently, according to out.com . Ryan Winnard, 21, told the Manchester Evening News he and his boyfriend, Max Green, 18, were walking and holding hands in Radcliffe when they were jumped by five to six assailants wearing balaclavas. The LGBTQ+ community has suffered a string of attacks recently in England.

The European Commission (EC) began the second phase of its infringement procedure against EU member state Hungary due to discriminatory amendments adopted in June in the country that ban the "portrayal and the promotion of gender identity different from sex at birth, the change of sex and homosexuality, an ILGA-Europe statement said. The commission said that it found Hungary's official response to its initial notification insufficient, so it started the second phase of the infringement process by sending Hungary a letter known as a "reasoned opinion," outlining the parts of the new Hungarian statute that are breaching EU law, and demanding that these be changed. If Hungary doesn't abide by the reasoned opinion, the case will be referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

In Canada, an Anishinaabe two-spirit woman filed a human-rights complaint against the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), alleging discrimination at southwestern Ontario's largest hospital and hoping to bring systemic change to the healthcare system, CBC.ca reported. Hollee George, 44, described her two-day experience at LHSC in November 2020 as terrifying and dehumanizing. What began as an appointment for a routine endoscopy ended with the hospital wanting to discharge George in the middle of the night with no personal belongings and nowhere to go. She also said she overheard offensive comments and was treated with a lack of trust. LHSC was unable to comment specifically about George's case, but told CBC News it is committed to improving the patient-care experience and creating an environment that is inclusive.

Tennis player Samantha Stosur, 37, said she will play the Australian Open and then is likely to retire during next season, tennis.com noted. The Aussie wants to play in front of her home crowds before ending her career. The 2011 US Open champion became a mother last year, when partner Liz Astling gave birth to the couple's first child.

A spokesman for Sydney's Sea Life Aquarium revealed the famed same-sex Gentoo penguin couple Sphen and Magic will celebrate the third anniversary of their partnered relationship with a special frozen fish cake, out.com noted. Penguins can only hatch one egg at a time, so extra eggs are routinely given to empty-nested couples; Sphen and Magic have already hatched two eggs together. Last year, lesbian penguins Electra and Viola incubated and hatched a penguin chick at the Oceanographic Aquarium in Valencia, Spain.

Leftist opposition candidate Xiomara Castro declared victory in the Honduran presidential election, with early results giving her a commanding lead and putting her on track to become the first female leader of the Central American country, Reuters reported. Castro, the wife of former President Manuel Zelaya, was competing in a field of more than a dozen candidates, and supporters hailed a triumph that would end a dozen years of conservative rule and return the left to power for the first time since Zelaya was deposed in a 2009 coup. According to The Guardian, Castro has pledged to loosen the country's draconian abortion laws; Honduras is one of only four countries in Latin America that prohibits abortion under any circumstance.

Barbados cut its last remaining bonds to the British monarchy after nearly 400 years, CNN.com noted. In a ceremony, Prince Charles acknowledged the "appalling atrocity of slavery" as the nation removed Queen Elizabeth II as head of state and inaugurated its first-ever president. Official events marking the island's historic transition took place in National Heroes Square, decorated in the national colors of gold and ultramarine, in the heart of the capital of Bridgetown.

Egyptian soccer legend Mohamed Aboutrika recently delivered a two-minute homophobic rant in his current role as a pundit on the Qatari television network beIN Sports, calling homosexuality "dangerous" and an affront to humanity, out.com noted. "This phenomenon is not only against Muslim nature but it's against human nature," Aboutrika said, according to a report in Deadline. "Allah says in the Quran that we have to honor the children of Adam but by doing this homosexuality we are not honoring humans, we are humiliating them." The former soccer player's ire was raised when queried about the UK Premier League's recent Rainbow Laces campaign.

Mexican regulators approved Canadian Pacific's $31-billion deal to acquire Kansas City Southern, which could create a railroad linking Mexico, Canada and the United States, The Hill noted, citing the AP. The deal includes 2.884 Canadian Pacific shares and $90 in cash for each shareholder, as well as Canadian Pacific assuming $3.8 billion of Kansas City Southern's debt. Canadian Pacific beat Canadian National's (CN's) $33.6-billion bid due to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) declining to approve a part of CN's bid.

The European Film Awards canceled its plans for a physical ceremony this year due to rising COVID numbers in Germany, Deadline noted. A small ceremony for nominees only was due to take place in Berlin on Saturday, Dec. 11. Instead, it will now take place in a hybrid of digital formats, including pre-produced and live online.


This article shared 2424 times since Sun Dec 5, 2021
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Pride 365 event emphasizes year-round support for LGBTQ+ employees 2024-03-07
- Queer employees are queer all year-round. The need for employers to accordingly support and uplift them year-round was the core message at Howard Brown Health and Citywide Pride's Pride 365 "Out of Office to Out in ...


Gay News

Center on Halsted to host trans youth & family summit 2024-02-19
- Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., has announced that its Trans Youth & Family Summit 2024 will take place March 16. This year marks the sixth annual event, which partners between Youth Services' Pride Youth ...


Gay News

Lakeside Pride Wilde Cabaret Valentine's Day Feb. 17 2024-02-16
--From a press release - Lakeside Pride Wilde Cabaret puts their own spin on Valentine's Day with a show celebrating things done and sacrificed for love - not just romantic love, but love for pets, friends, family and art. Join the ...


Gay News

GLAAD, NFL host third annual pre-Super Bowl event 'A Night of Pride' 2024-02-08
- On Feb. 7, LGBTQ+ media-advocacy organization GLAAD, along with The National Football League (NFL), hosted the third annual "A Night of Pride" at Caesar's Palace in Super Bowl LVIII's host city of Las Vegas, a press ...


Gay News

Chicago Fire FC announces 2024 theme nights; Pride Night will be June 1 2024-01-19
--From a press release - CHICAGO (Jan. 18, 2024) — Chicago Fire FC announced the club's theme nights for select home matches during the 2024 regular season, driven by Carvana. The Club's 2024 calendar features 11 theme nights, including the return ...


Gay News

WORLD Austria proposal, conferences, Pride marches, tennis player, Gay Games 2023-11-03
- In Austria, a historic proposal by the country's Ministry of Justice sees 33 million euros (approximately $35 million U.S.) set aside to compensate those who were persecuted or convicted of consensual same-sex acts—although critics say th ...


Gay News

NHL reverses decision to ban Pride Tape, allowing players to show support for LGBTQ+s 2023-10-24
--From a press release - (New York, NY - October 24, 2023) Today the National Hockey League (NHL) reversed its decision to ban Pride Tape and other displays of support for LGBTQ people on the ice, stating: "After consultation with the ...


Gay News

THEATER Company of 'Wolves': Redtwist's Dusty Brown on gay Riding Hood retelling, Grindr, gender identity 2023-10-16
- It's all about Pride in 2023-24 at Redtwist Theatre. The 19th season for this North Side black-box theater includes three very different productions, starting with Wolves, called a "gory, gay reimagining of 'Little Red Riding Hood.'" ...


Gay News

NHL bans Pride Tape from hockey games and practices 2023-10-11
- The National Hockey League (NHL) has designated that athletes will no longer be able to show support to the LGBTQ+ community while playing, according to Out, which cited Outsports. The league has issued a ban of ...


Gay News

GAY HISTORY MONTH George Harris reflects on his late husband and Dallas activism 2023-10-10
- Special to Windy City Times. To mark Gay History Month, this article appears courtesy of Dallas Voice and the LGBT History Project. When George Harris and Jack Evans became the first couple to legally marry in ...


Gay News

Illinois colleges make list of most unsafe places for LGBTQ+ youth 2023-10-05
- Campus Pride has released its list of the worst places for LGBTQ+ youth—and several Illinois colleges and universities are on it. According to a press release, "the Worst List identifies the 'absolute worst, most unsafe campuses ...


Gay News

GAY HISTORY MONTH Putting an end to the myths of Stonewall 2023-10-02
- Special to Windy City Times. In recognition of Gay History Month, this article appears courtesy of the LGBT History Project and Philadelphia Gay News. For years, people have debated what actually happened that night in June ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ 'Sex Education' star, Rotten Tomatoes, Jessica Lange, Queer/Art 2023-09-08
Video below - Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa officially came out during an interview with Elle UK, according to Out. "I remember being at Manchester Pride, going through the streets with all my boys, shaking my cha-chas, living it ...


Gay News

Brave Space Alliance holds Post Pride Mixer 2023-08-30
- On Aug. 27, Brave Space Alliance held its Post Pride Mixer at popular lesbian-owned bar Nobody's Darling. The social gathering celebrated past accomplishments while looking forward to new horizons for both the service organization and the ...


Gay News

UIC among nation's top 30 campuses for LGBTQ+ students 2023-08-25
--From a press release - The University of Illinois Chicago has been named one of the top 30 colleges and universities for LGBTQ+ students, according to Campus Pride, a national organization serving LGBTQ+ and ally student leaders and campus organizations in ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.