Hanania Ben-Shimon—the gay Israel Defense Forces reservist who was wounded as he killed one of the terrorists in the attack at the A-Za'ayem checkpoint near Ma'ale Adumim recently—published a post in which he pleaded that his case not be used to promote either "divisive or aggressive" discourse or relaxed gun policies, The Jerusalem Post noted. He also posted, "I saw posts attacking the members of the government who congratulated me and wished me well, for using me as a hero when necessary and throwing me aside when I asked for rights as a gay person and I saw the use of my name by certain ministers in order to promote ideological-private interests. I am indeed a gay man who lacks basic rights at times, and I have a bellyful of raging disagreements on some of the main issues in life, even with my parents, not to mention such and such elected officials. And yet I always try to manage these discussions and debates in a respectful manner that does not descend into personal lines, and I would be happy for it to be the same on my behalf."
Manuel Guerrero Avina—an HIV-positive openly gay dual British and Mexican citizen—is being held because of his sexuality in Qatar, per The Washington Blade. Avina, a Qatar Airways employee, has been imprisoned since Feb. 4 after responding to a fake Grindr text. "Qatar police used a false Grindr profile to contact Manuel and invite him to participate in a meeting with other people from the LGBT community in the city of Doha," Avina's brother, Enrique, told British outlet The Mirror. Enrique added, "He has been denied the right to a lawyer and has been forced to sign documents in Arabic without a translator to assist him. Even worse, he has been prevented access to antiretroviral medicines he needs to be able to live with HIV, which constitutes an act of torture and puts his life at risk."
Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo said he will not sign a bill that would further criminalize LGBTQ+ people until the country's top court rules that the measure is constitutional, per The Washington Blade. On Feb. 28, legislators passed the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill that would, among other things, criminalize allyship. Ghana is among the dozens of countries in which consensual same-sex relations are still criminalized.
A Ukrainian army combat medic was stripped of honors awarded to his unit by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church after the church leadership found out he was gay, per The Washington Blade. Viktor Pylypenko—a medic with 1st mechanized battalion, 72nd Black Zaporozhians Brigade medical corps—and his fellow servicemembers were awarded medals for "sacrifice and love to Ukraine" by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of the Kyiv Patriarchate's Patriarch Filaret for their actions and deeds serving in the Donbas region against the Russian invaders. Later, the soldier published a post on his Facebook page thanking Filaret for the award, thinking that the UOC changed its attitude toward the LGBTQ+ community. However, the church then denied awarding Pylypenko, saying he "received a thank you from the church, exclusively as a defender of Ukraine, not as an LGBT activist. … Patriarch Filaret did not personally award the Pilipenkoví medal and did not know about his sinful tendencies."
Stavros Gavriliadis and Dimitris Elefsiniotis made history with their wedding, which marked the first same-sex wedding in Greece since the country legalized same-sex marriage and adoption, PinkNews noted. The couple made their vows in Nea Smyrni, South Athens on March 2 with the mayor's blessing. Gavriliadis and Elefsiniotis have been together for 20 years and share three children; they voted in favor of the marriage-equality bill, which led to the country becoming the first country with a Christian Orthodox majority to legally approve same-sex marriage and adoption.
Couple Richard Sankar and Tim Haymon sued the Caribbean territory of Turks and Caicos in order to have their marriage recognized, per The Miami Herald. Nine months into the marriage, performed in Fort Lauderdale, the couple ran into problems. Based on his marriage to Sankar—a citizen who works for Turks & Caicos Sotheby's International Realty—Haymon applied to legally reside and work in the islands without a work permit; however, the territory's immigration office denied the request, saying that Haymon did not meet the definition of "spouse." Haymon and Sankar said when they initially tied the knot in Broward County, Florida, they did not think about the challenges in Turks and Caicos.
In an exclusive interview with The Washington Blade, Alba Rueda—Argentina's former Special Representative on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity—talked about recent setbacks in LGBTQ+ rights in the country. Among other things, the former ambassador (herself a transgender woman) described how the closure of her position and the elimination of the Women, Gender and Diversity Ministry represent a significant setback in the protection of LGBTQ+ rights in Argentina. She emphasized that while the country was a pioneer in passing progressive laws for the LGBTQ+ community, the lack of effective implementation and declining government commitment are jeopardizing these advances.
The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA) announced at ITB Berlin that it has selected Seville, Spain as the host destination for its 2026 Global Convention, a press release noted. IGLTA is partnering with the Sevilla City Office with support from Tourism of Andalucía and Turespana to bring the event to Seville. The convention will be hosted in November at Seville's conference/exhibition center FIBES, which is home to the annual Tourism Innovation Summit and welcomed the World Travel & Tourism Council Summit in 2019.
Openly gay Canadian actor/director Xavier Dolan has been named president of the Un Certain Regard Jury, celebrating emerging talent, for the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival taking place this summer, per Deadline. Dolan said, in part, "I see, in this responsibility I'm assigned, the opportunity to focus with the members of the Un Certain Regard Jury on an essential aspect of the art of film: stories told truthfully." A self-taught filmmaker, Dolan made his feature directorial debut at 19 with I Killed My Mother, an adaptation of his own short story, which was chosen to represent Canada at the Academy Awards. He's also helmed films such as Heartbeats, Mommy and The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, among others.
UK singer, actor and LGBTQ+-rights activist Olly Alexander launched the new single "Dizzy", now available on Interscope Records, alongside a video directed by Colin Solal Cardo, a press release announced. According to the release, "Written by Olly and seminal electronic producer Danny L Harle, "Dizzy" is that intoxicating rush you feel with someone new; its heightened-emotions and sense of pop drama as at home on the dancefloor as it is the Eurovision world-stage." Alexander has scored two #1 UK albums and 10 UK Top 40 singles, and he was recently awarded the BRIT Billion Award (with 6.5 billion streams globally).
"Bearlapagos 2024"—a trip associated with Ecuador Pride Travel—will take place May 22-30, per the organization's website. Promoted as "Galapagos & Quito for Bears," the excursion promises "a visit to the most famous turtles in the world and lava tunnels" along with views of Kicker Rock, Rabida Island, San Cristobal Island, churches and monasteries, sea-lion colonies—and the sky, courtesy of a gondola lift. Visit https://www.ecuadorgaytravel.com/bearlapagos.
JK Rowling misgendered trans journalist India Willoughby and accused her of "cosplaying a misogynistic male fantasy of what a woman is" in a social-media post Willoughby described as "grotesque," per PinkNews. A social-media user flagged a video of Willoughby—Britain's first out trans newsreader and first trans co-host of ITV's all-women talk show Loose Women—to Rowling. The individual asked Rowling if she believed Willoughby "should use the men's locker room." Rowling responded, "India didn't become a woman. India is cosplaying a misogynistic male fantasy of what a woman is." The Harry Potter author has faced constant backlash because of her comments on the trans community, even saying she'd "happily do two years" in jail instead of using a trans person's pronouns.
British singer Liam Payne announced his return with the release of his single "Teardrops," via Republic Records, per a press release. "Teardrops," referencing the pop of the late 90s and early '00s, is about the first heartbreak within a relationship; the song was written by Jamie Scott and JC Chasez (*NSYNC). Payne has sold more than 23 million singles and over three million albums as a solo artist since One Direction.
