In India, a Supreme Court ruling affirmed that same-sex couples and other non-traditional families are entitled to social benefits—a decision that stands in stark contrast to recent moves by Singapore to exclude LGBTQ+ people from the legal right to marry, the South China Morning Post reported. The law "must not be relied upon to disadvantage families which are different from traditional ones," the top court's two-judge panel wrote in its decision. "Familial relationships may take the form of domestic, unmarried partnerships or queer relationships." The case revolved around maternity leave benefits for a woman who had adopted her husband's children from a prior marriage, then conceived a child of her own.
Hong Kong's Court of Appeal dismissed a legal attempt by activist Jimmy Sham, who sought to have same-sex marriages overseas recognized in Hong Kong (officially, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China), RTHK.hk reported. Sham had launched a judicial review in 2018, arguing that the SAR government should recognize the marriage he and his partner entered into in 2013 in New York. The Court of First Instance rejected the legal challenge, with the judge saying Sham's application was wrong in principle and too ambitious.
German authorities arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with a fatal attack on a 25-year-old transgender man at an LGBTQ+ pride event in the western city of Muenster last month, ABC News noted. The victim—identified in German media only by his first name, Malte—had come to the aid of two women at the Aug. 27 Christopher Street Day event after they were insulted by an unknown man. The man then fatally attacked the victim, knocking him to the ground.
Mr. Gay Europe 2022—returning for the first time in three years—took place Aug. 15-21. The finalists included Andrea Pelone (Italy), Dennis Zahnen (Ukraine), Kevin Drabek (Czech Republic) and Paul Dennison (England), with Dennison winning it all, per Out Magazine. Past winners have included contestants from the Netherlands, Hungary, Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Sweden, Belgium, England and Bulgaria. In 2019, Bulgarian Alexander Petrov was crowned Mr. Gay Europe.
Anti-LGBTQ+ National Trust members are asking members to vote for the charity to ban "divisive" Pride events, PinkNews reported. The National Trust is a charity and membership organization for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which owns a huge variety of land and historic buildings. The resolution states: "Be it resolved that this AGM deplores participation by the National Trust in gay pride parades as divisive and an unaccountable waste of members' subscriptions." Any and all members who joined the National Trust on or before Aug. 27 are eligible to vote on resolutions, even if they do not attend the AGM in person or online, with a closing date of Oct. 28.
Yanhui Peng—co-founder of LGBT Rights Advocacy China, a Chinese advocacy group—continues to fight for Chinese LGBTQIA rights in China, but from the United States, per The Washington Blade. Peng (who currently studies at Yale University), among other things, speaks with IBM and other companies with offices in China about the need to support their LGBTQ and intersex employees. LGBT Rights Advocacy China shut down in November 2021 amid increased government restrictions against NGOs and what the Associated Press described as "social activism."
U.S. LGBTQ+ sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson defeated reigning Olympic gold medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah in the 100-meter race at the World Athletics Continental Tour silver meet in Lucerne, Switzerland on Aug. 30, Essence noted. This was Richardson's first win in three attempts against Jamaica's Thompson-Herah, who hold records in both the 100- and 200-meter races. Clocking in at 11.29 seconds, Richardson defeated the Jamaican track star by just one-hundredth of a second. Richardson missed last summer's Tokyo Olympics after she tested positive for marijuana and was banned from the games. (However, on Sept. 2, Richardson finished fifth in Jamaica as Jamaican Shericka Jackson upset compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce by 0.01 second, Loop Jamaica reported.)
People will reportedly march in a pan-European pride parade in Serbia later this month—whether the president likes it or not, CBC Radio reported. The Serbian capital of Belgrade is hosting this year's EuroPride, which culminates in a parade on Sept. 17. But President Aleksandar Vucic surprised the community when he announced on TV that the parade would be either canceled or postponed, citing political turmoil, economic strain and threats from right-wing extremists. The announcement has drawn widespread condemnation from human-rights organizations, including the United Nations, and was followed by a large anti-EuroPride protest in Belgrade
Australian radio host Kyle Sandilands defended his comments calling monkeypox the "big gay disease," claiming he was "giving the gays the warning," per PinkNews. Sandilands faced immense backlash after he talked about monkeypox on his KIIS FM show Kyle and Jackie O and described the virus as the "big gay disease floating around." He also said "only the gays" are contracting monkeypox, which is incorrect as multiple health officials have stated anyone can get the virus.
Also in Australia, Christian schools in Western Australia are sounding the alarm against the state government's plans to make changes to the Equal Opportunity Act and introduce law reforms to protect LGBTQI students in religious schools, The Star-Observer reported. The Australian Association of Christian Schools claimed that they may be forced to shut down their institutions in Western Australia if the government's proposals become law.
Call Me By Your Name's Timothee Chalamet blasted the social-media world at the Venice press conference for Luca Guadagino's Bones and All, in which he and co-star Taylor Russell play cannibal lovers on a road trip across the United States, per Variety. Among other things, he said, "I can't imagine what it is to grow up with the onslaught of social media, and it was a relief to play characters who are wrestling with an internal dilemma absent the ability to go on Reddit, or Twitter, Instagram or TikTok and figure out where they fit in." As for "Bones," the bisexual cannibal thriller received an eight-and-a-half-minute standing ovation at its premiere in Venice (for which Chalet wore a red backless jumpsuit).
A swimming cap made specifically for natural Black hair has received official approval from the global governing body for competitive swimming, NPR reported. Soul Cap is a covering made especially to protect hair that's thick, curly, braided or otherwise textured—which is often difficult to fit into smaller swim caps. FINA initially rejected the cap's use at the Olympics last year, claiming that athletes competing at the world stage have "never used, neither require to use, caps of such size and configuration," according to The Associated Press.
