Ethiopian LGBTQ+-rights activists said that authorities are targeting venues frequented by LGBTQ+ people in the nation, particularly in the capital city, Addis Ababa, per The Advocate. In addition, LGBTQ+ Ethiopians are allegedly being subjected to violence by private citizens. There has been some evidence presented showing that the Addis Ababa Tourism Bureau and Addis Ababa Police Commission have encouraged the public to report business establishments that allow "homosexual activities," LGBTQ+-rights organization House of Guramayle noted.
Two men were stabbed while standing outside the Two Brewers bar, an LGBTQ+ nightclub, in South London and police are investigating the attack, The Advocate noted. London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the attack, calling it "a tragic reminder of why we need Pride" and promising his full support to police in a post to Twitter (now X). The bar released a statement expressing their support for the police and their investigation, as well as for the two men who were attacked.
A German police spokesman said the "Memorial to Persecuted Homosexuals under National Socialism" at the edge of Berlin's Tiergarten Park was vandalized, per The Los Angeles Blade. The spokesperson said that a park security official observed a male suspect "papering" the monument with slips containing biblical verses condemning homosexuality and then attempting to set the memorial ablaze by tossing a burning object at it. The suspect fled when confronted by the guard. The memorial—in the shape of a cube with a window insert with a video of a same-sex couple kissing—was first erected in 2008.
With the new Prime Video film Red, White, & Royal Blue out, The Advocate ran an article about eight reputed LGBTQ+ British royals in history. A few of the royals include King William II (William Rufus), King Richard I (Richard the Lionheart), Queen Anne, and Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon. In the movie, British royal Henry Fox-Mounchristen-Windsor (played by Cinderella's Nicholas Galitzine) falls in love with the first son of the United States of America, Alex Claremont-Diaz (played by Minx's Taylor Zakhar Perez).
Thousands of people marched and cheered along Montreal's Rene-Levesque Boulevard on Aug. 13 in what has become the largest Pride parade organized by Fierte Montreal to date, CBC reported. About 15,500 people took part in the parade, representing 192 different groups and community organizations, according to Fierte Montreal Executive Director Simon Gamache. In June, Fierte Montreal received $250,000 in federal funding dedicated to ensuring the safety of people at Canadian Pride events. The Fierte Montreal Festival actually took place Aug. 3-13 with the theme "Never Without Our Pride," per a press release.
The band The 1975 has been fined $2.6 million because of lead singer Matty Healy's on-stage same-sex kiss with bandmate/bassist Ross MacDonald to protest Malaysia's anti-LGBTQ+ laws while at a Malaysian festival, Out reported. Because of Healy's act of protest, the next two days of the Good Vibes music festival were canceled; now, the festival's organizer, Future Sound Asia, wants the band to pay the fine. A group of Malaysian musicians and vendors is also prepping a class-action lawsuit against The 1975, and even the Malaysian LGBTQ+ community has condemned the protest, calling it "white savior behavior" and "purely performative activism."
Wearing one of Swatch's Pride-themed watches in Malaysia could now lead to three years in jail, with the government claiming the colorful watches are "harmful to morality," PinkNews reported. The watches are part of the brand's 2023 Pride collection, launched in May, which features six different watch faces in Pride colors; each watch strap is made up of two bands that create the full Pride flag. According to CNN, anyone who wears, sells, imports or distributes the watches in Malaysia could face three years in jail and a fine of up to 20,000 ringgit (around $430 U.S.) if convicted. Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia, with gay sex punishable by fines and prison terms of up to 20 years.
A gay Portuguese man claimed he was arrested in Istanbul, Turkey and jailed for 20 days because he "looked gay," per PinkNews. In late June, Miguel Alvaro's holiday took an unexpected turn when he was arrested by police in Istanbul after asking for directions. The arrest coincided with a nearby LGBTQ+ parade that was unsanctioned by authorities, and Alvaro said he believes the officers had orders to arrest a certain number of people in connection with the event. It isn't illegal to be gay in Turkey, but the country has become an increasingly hostile place for queer people.
Actor Pedro Pascal and out British thespian Russell Tovey, who are friends, had plans to visit an art gallery in Margate, England, where they were showing an exhibition called "'ADHD Hyper Fixation and why it looks like I love Pedro Pascal"—only to find that the venue was closed, Queerty noted. Joined by gallerist Robert Diament, the trio commemorated the experience with a selfie of the three of them outside the Rhodes Gallery. Eventually, word of the visit got back to the artist, Heidi Gentle Burrell, who shared with The Independent her glee that Pascal wanted to see her work—and her disappointment that Pascal couldn't actually get in.
Openly gay British actor Stephen Fry (It's a Sin; Heartstopper; Bones) recalled how, as a closeted teen, reading about Oscar Wilde left him "terribly worried," PinkNews noted. Talking with Radio Times, Fry opened up how discovering gay playwright Oscar Wilde's fate made him realize his own sexuality—and had him scared of being similarly "cursed." Wilde achieved fame in Victorian London for works such as The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) and The Importance of Being Earnest, which premiered in 1895—the same year he was jailed for sodomy and "gross indecency" due to his same-sex relationships. After his release in 1897, Wilde was exiled to France and suffered from declining health before dying at 46 in 1900.
Polling in the UK revealed that whether British soccer player Jordan Henderson can still be considered a supporter of LGBTQ+ rights will hinge on whether his transfer to Saudi Arabia silences him, euronews noted. Henderson accepted an offer to join Saudi team Al Ettifaq—despite his history of supporting LGBTQ+ visibility in soccer and campaigning against homophobia in the sport. While some have seen the player's transfer as a betrayal of the LGBTQ+ community, a YouGov survey showed that the public would be more supportive if Henderson continues to speak out against anti-LGBTQ+ statements and actions.
Now Barbie is causing a ruckus in Algeria. Authorities there pulled the box-office hit from local cinemas over its "damaging morals," per Deadline. An "official source" told Reuters the movie was taken out because it was deemed to "promote homosexuality and did not comply with Algeria's religious and cultural beliefs." Private news site 24H Algerie first reported the ban, noting that the government informed the local distributor MD Cine and leading theaters that the film was being pulled for "damaging morals."
Musician/social-media influencer Wendy Guevara has become the first trans woman to win a Mexican reality-TV series by taking the top prize on La Casa de los Famosos Mexico, per PinkNews. Basically a Mexican version of Celebrity Big Brother, Guevara defeated others such as Peruvian actor Nicola Porcella (who was runner-up) and politician Sergio Mayer.
Adding to the "Drag Race" empire, Drag Race Germany will premiere on WOW Presents Plus globally on Sept. 5, day-and-date with its airing on Paramount+ in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, per a press release. This will be the first German version of the Emmy-winning franchise, and will feature 11 queens from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. They are Barbie Q, Kelly Heelton, LeLe Cocoon, Loreley Rivers, Metamorkid, Nikita Vegaz, Pandora Nox, Tessa Testicle, The Only Naomy, Victoria Shakespears and Yvonne Nightstand; Gianni Jovanovic will host.
