A judge who could pave the way to legalizing marriage equality in India took charge as chief justice, Bloomberg reported. As a judge on the top court, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud was a member of the five-member bench that decriminalized same-sex relations. He also ruled that same-sex couples and other non-traditional families are entitled to social benefits—another step in India's slow but gradual easing of colonial-era, anti-LGBTQ+ statutes. In August, Chandrachud said the decision to decriminalize all consensual sex among adults must be accompanied by changes in attitude.
Three Hong Kong judges supported a human-rights activist's bid to ask for recognition of his New York-registered same-sex marriage after his request for marital benefits in line with opposite-sex couples was twice turned down by city courts, The South China Morning Post reported. The Court of Appeal granted detained activist Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit a certificate to allow his last attempt to win full rights for married same-sex partners at the Court of Final Appeal. Sham—in custody facing subversion charges in connection with allegations he took part in an unofficial legislative primary election in 2020—married in the United States in 2013.
The Supreme Administrative Court of the Republic of Poland ruled that same-sex marriages of Polish citizens legally married in other countries were not expressly forbidden under the country's constitution, the Los Angeles Blade noted. "The provision of the constitution in question does not prohibit the statutory regulation of same-sex unions," said the court, adding that it was simply the case that "at present, the Polish legislature has not decided to introduce such solutions" into Polish law. The suit had been brought by Jakub Kwiecinski and Dawid Mycek—a gay couple who are popular vloggers and social-media celebrities who had legally married in Portugal.
The Nomad Capitalist unveiled its list of the most LGBTQ+-friendly countries to retire to. Spain topped the list, followed by The Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Malta, Argentina and South Africa. The outlet said of Spain that the biggest pride parade in the world is held in Madrid while other Spanish cities like Barcelona, Sitges, Ibiza and Benidorm are very LGBTQ+-welcoming. There are also many LGBTQ+-inclusive laws as well as a high standard of living with a superb healthcare system.
Peru publicly apologized to Azul Rojas Marín—a trans woman who survived rape and torture after being arbitrarily detained by three police officers in 2008, Worldcrunch noted. Fifteen years of legal battle had the case reach the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Peru's official apology comes two years after the Inter-American Court issued a sentence calling for 10 binding reparations—the first time that the Peruvian state has offered public reparations to a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
New UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is reportedly planning to remove legal protections for trans people from the Equality Act 2010, according to PinkNews, citing The Telegraph. According to The Telegraph,Sunak is planning to "review the Equality Act to make it clear that sex means biological sex rather than gender." Currently, the act protects people from discrimination on the basis of both sex and "gender reassignment."
Human-rights group All Out protested in front of the FIFA Museum in Zurich, Switzerland by kissing in a bid to persuade Qatar to remove its anti-LGBTQ+ laws ahead of the World Cup (which starts Nov. 20), PinkNews noted. The Nov. 8 protest had participants kiss and play soccer with a goal decorated with rainbow flags. Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar, and anyone convicted of same-sex activity can be punished by up to seven years in prison, while Sharia law may be applied to some Muslims, which imposes the death penalty for homosexuality.
In a related matter, Khalid Salman, a 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup ambassador, described homosexuality as "damage in the mind" in an interview with German TV outlet ZDF on Nov. 8, Human Rights Watch noted. He also remarked that being gay is "haram," which is Arabic for "forbidden."
Boy George was in tears during the Nov. 9 episode of I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here episode as late arrival Matt Hancock—the former British health secretary—entered the camp, PinkNews noted. Hancock shocked everyone with his appearance, including Boy George, who opened up about his mother's hospital treatment while Hancock was health secretary. George added he would have left the reality show if his mother hadn't turned out fine.
In Canada's province of Saskatchewan, a Regina family is speaking out against a church they say ambushed their LGBTQ+ 15-year-old daughter, CBC reported. Sierra Dickson, who identifies as queer, had been attending the Evangelical Free Church Regina kids club and later became a volunteer leader of the club. Dickson, who was just 14 at the time, was called into a meeting with the group leader and confronted about her sexuality. CBC reached out to Evangelical Free Church Regina, which said it would not comment.
On a related note, LGBTQ+ students have alleged mistreatment and want change at Briercrest College and Seminary—an hour east of Regina, The Canadian Press reported. The media outlet interviewed eight former LGBTQ students from across Canada who attended the college over the last two decades. They said they experienced homophobia, abuse and discrimination that left them fearful and vulnerable.
Rainn Wilson (TV's The Office) has changed his name to Rainnfall Heat Wave Extreme Winter Wilson to raise awareness about the environmental crisis and rapid warming of the Arctic region, Deadline noted. Wilson made the change to support a campaign being run by climate change awareness body Arctic Basecamp, of which he is a board member, to coincide with the United Nation's COP 27 meeting which recently took place in Egypt.
Hollywood's two biggest superhero movies of late 2022—Disney's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Warner Bros.' Dwayne Johnson tentpole Black Adam—are expected to be blocked from release in China, per The Hollywood Reporter. The move comes as Beijing regulators continue to crack down on U.S. access to the world's second-largest theatrical market. The first Black Panther film earned $105 million in China in 2018, while Johnson's movies have tended to do well in the country.
Starr Andrews became the first Black U.S. figure skater in history to win an ISU Grand Prix medal at Skate Canada International (SCI), according to Yahoo! News. On Oct. 29, Andrews, 21, earned a silver medal at the Ontario competition. She thoroughly impressed judges and the crowd with her second tournament program, which included her completing six triple jumps and landing a double axel Euler triple salchow.
Britain's Got Talent judge David Walliams has been accused of making "sexually explicit" and "derogatory" remarks about the show's contestants, Variety reported. According to The Guardian newspaper, which claims to have reviewed leaked transcripts from three episodes of the show, Walliams (the co-creator of the show Little Britain) called one contestant a "c—t" and said of a different female contestant "She thinks you want to f—k her, but you don't," adding she had given him a "boner" before it "shriveled up inside my body." In a statement, Walliams told Variety, "I would like to apologize to the people I made disrespectful comments about during breaks in filming for 'Britain's Got Talent' in 2020. These were private conversations and—like most conversations with friends—were never intended to be shared. Nevertheless, I am sorry."
