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

Human-rights organizations and activists have condemned the continued victimization of LGBTQI people in Zambia, according to The Washington Blade. Anti-LGBTQI sentiments have been gaining momentum in recent weeks, including Dr. Brian Sampa's #banbeardtobeard campaign regarding same-sex couples. The Global Interface Network—a global NGO that promotes safety and inclusion for all people of faith and especially for people who suffer discrimination because of their sexual orientation—is among those criticizing the discriminatory comments.

Spice Girl singer Melanie Brown (Mel B, or Scary Spice) criticized Tory MP Conor Burns, who was fired after he was accused of "sexual misconduct," PinkNews noted. According to The Telegraph, Burns (who has denied any wrongdoing) was let go after being accused of making "inappropriate remarks and actions" toward a younger man at the Conservative Party conference. Mel B—who gave a speech about domestic abuse reform at the conference—quoted Burns' tweet, adding: "Really?? Your [sic] shocked about this complaint??? Let me remind you what you said me [sic] in lift…." The singer did not reveal what Burns allegedly said to her in the elevator.

Argentina tennis player Nadia Podoroska has come out as queer in a post revealing her partner as fellow tennis player Guillermina Naya, according to PinkNews. Her caption read, "Today I celebrate you from afar, but I feel you by my side every day of my life." Podoroska revealed that the two athletes have been a couple for several months already, with their relationship starting when Podoroska took an almost year-long break to recover from injuries after the 2021 U.S. Open.

Professional handball player Lucas Krzikalla recently came out as gay, making him "the only [out] team athlete in Germany's professional leagues," according to an EDGE Media Network that cited the German website MDR. Krzikalla came out as gay in an interview with the German newspaper Welt Am Sonntag, and was profiled in a short film broadcast by Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk. A new autograph card of Krzikalla was issued that included his name and number in Pride colors.

Popular British YouTuber and Twitch streamer Charlie McDonnell came out as transgender, updating her pronouns to she/they and unveiling a new photo of their face, Out noted. McDonnell had previously erased her YouTube account and hadn't posted on Instagram in two years before updating her gender in an Instagram story and in a post. She posted a picture with the caption "Gender reveal! Still going by Charlie but the new pronouns are she/they!"

Scottish LGBTQ+-rights activists welcomed a "game-changer" report that backs a ban on conversion practices and ruled out any religious loopholes, The National reported. The Scottish government's expert advisory group published findings on conversion practices, sometimes referred to as "therapy," on Oct. 4. Advocates say that the practices cause a severe impact on mental health and that 7% of LGB people, 13% of trans people and 10% of asexual people had been subjected to or offered such practices in the United Kingdom.

The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA) announced that Arcigay—a national non-profit organization focused on promoting and protecting equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community in Italy—is the recipient of the 2022 Pathfinder Award, a press release noted. This award is given to an individual or organization that has made a significant positive impact on its destination, demonstrating the highest standard of warmth and hospitality to the LGBTQ+ community. Arcigay will receive the award, part of this year's IGLTA Honors presented with support from American Express Travel, on Friday, Oct. 28, during IGLTA's Global Convention in Milan.

IGLTA also announced that Peter Jordan—founder of Gen C Traveller and head strategist at Toposophy—is the recipient of the 2022 Hanns Ebensten Hall of Fame Award. This honor is awarded to a longtime IGLTA member who is a thought leader in LGBTQ+ tourism and has tirelessly contributed to the association/IGLTA Foundation in its mission to advance LGBTQ+ travel globally. The award takes its name from the man widely considered the father of LGBTQ+ travel; the recipient is selected by the IGLTA board of directors from the association's members in 80 countries.

Outright International introduced its new name and logo as well as a redesign of its website, per a press release. As part of its brand refresh efforts, Outright has also taken the decision to simplify its name, dropping "Action" from the name and the capitalization of "Right." Since 1990, Outright has worked alongside LGBTIQ activists and organizations, diplomats and policymakers to advance community-focused solutions to create legal and social transformation. The launch video is at www.youtube.com/watch.

Buckingham Palace unveiled a new portrait of King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles, Prince William and Kate Middleton taken by Getty photographer Chris Jackson, according to Page Six. The two couples posed for the photo on Sept. 18, the night before Queen Elizabeth ll's funeral. Although not pictured, a few world leaders, including President Biden, were also present at Buckingham Palace for the pre-funeral reception where the photo was taken. Notably absent from the family photo, however, were Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who reunited with the royal family after the queen died on Sept. 8 at age 96.

Legendary performers including original Bond recording artists Dame Shirley Bassey, Lulu and Garbage recently celebrated 007's 60th anniversary with a concert at London's Royal Albert Hall ("The Sound of 007 in Concert"), a press release noted. The concert was produced by frequent Bond composer David Arnold, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra (conducted by Nicholas Dodd).

Out British actor Sir Ian McKellen announced that he will appear in a pantomime production of Mother Goose by emerging from a giant gold egg alongside comedian John Bishop in London, Variety noted. McKellen will play the title role ("Ma") while Bishop will play Mother Goose's husband Vic ("Pa"). Mother Goose will launch at the Theatre Royal Brighton at the beginning of December before moving to the West End and then embarking on a four-month tour around the United Kingdom.

RuPaul's Drag Race UK season-one winner and RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7 star The Vivienne is coming back to TV for another reality-competition series, Out noted. On Oct. 7, The Vivienne announced that she'll compete on season 15 of Dancing on Ice on ITV. Her show partner has not yet been revealed.

British journalist Caroline Farrow—an anti-LGBTQ+ activist and campaign director for CitizenGO, a conservative advocacy group—was recently arrested after doxxing and misgendering a trans activist whom she had been harassing for years, Paper Magazine noted. Farrow is also tied to transphobic Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. Rowling previously voiced her support for Farrow on Twitter.

The Tom of Finland Art & Culture Festival took place in London and Los Angeles on Oct. 8-9, per a press release. The festival was Tom of Finland Foundation's yearly programming effort to bring together artists, galleries and patrons from all over the globe in a socially friendly setting so that they can network as well as buy and sell works. Some of the events included panel discussions, drawing sessions and awards ceremonies.

Semantic Error—a South Korean Boys Love series in 2022 that was adapted from the web novel-turned-webtoon written by author Jeo Suri, and that is distributed by Watcha—has become a hit, Instinct Magazine noted. Former YG Entertainment creative director and producer SJ "Sinxity" Shin told Forbes that the success of Semantic Error changed the environment of actors worrying about portraying a queer character. Error tells the story of a computer-science major named Chu Sangwoo who meets the graphic-design major Jang Jaeyoung.

Netflix's Elite is getting an Indian adaptation entitled Class—and fans are already swooning over the cast members (such as Chintan Rachh, Cyaawal Singh and Gurfateh Pirzada), Out Magazine noted. This new show is a direct adaptation of Elite, but certain characters and storylines may differ from the original series due to cultural differences. However, the trailer has already made it clear that Class will be queer-inclusive, just like Elite.

A "secret" catwalk event by Kanye West (or Ye) at Paris Fashion week for his YZYSZN9 collection included a T-shirt with the slogan "White Lives Matter," The Guardian reported. The shirt, which featured a photo of Pope John Paul II on the front, was worn by models on the catwalk and West, along with the right-wing commentator Candace Owens, a guest at the show. Naomi Campbell modeled in the show but she did not wear the controversial T-shirt. While many insiders condemned the T-shirt, West singled out stylist and Vogue contributing editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson—who accused him of "indefensible [behavior]" and an "incredibly irresponsible and dangerous act"—for retribution, ridiculing her appearance in now-deleted posts, Business of Fashion noted.