Fahad bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah, Qatar's ambassador to the UK, said LGBTQ+ couples visiting the country for the World Cup can "hold hands" but should be mindful of "public displays of affection," according to PinkNews. He told Times Radio that soccer fans should be "mindful of the norms and cultures of Qatari society" during the World Cup, which starts Nov. 20. The interview followed months of debate over the World Cup being held in Qatar, a country where it is illegal to be gay and where abuse against LGBTQ+ people has been reported as recently as October.
On a related note, Human Rights Watch noted that security forces in Qatar arbitrarily arrested and abused LGBT Qataris as recently as last month, according to Reuters. Homosexuality is illegal in the conservative Muslim country, and some soccer stars have raised concerns over the rights of fans traveling for the World Cup there, especially LGBT+ individuals and women, whom rights groups say Qatari laws discriminate against. The organization said it had interviewed six LGBTQ+ Qataris—including four transgender women, one bisexual woman and one gay man—who reported being detained between 2019 and 2022 and subjected to verbal and physical abuse, including kicking and punching.
As Ukrainians unite to defend their nation, things are changing rapidly. According to The Advocate, one recent petition calling on President Volodymyr Zelensky to legalize same-sex marriage received 28,000 signatures. He's moved to consider more rights for LGBTQ+ Ukrainians—many of whom have been enlisted in the battle to defend the country. Zelensky said he supports a civil partnership law to get rights rolling.
Survivors of Canada's so-called LGBTQ2S+ purge called for the federal government to make progress on recommendations they've made for improving inclusivity within federal workplaces, including the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) and Canadian military, CTV News reported. Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the lawsuit to end the discriminatory federal policy, survivors held meetings with government officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The purge saw thousands of LGBTQ+ Canadians actively discriminated against, interrogated, and fired or demoted from their jobs in the Canadian Armed Forces, RCMP and the federal public service between the 1950s and 1990s.
Tory MP Lee Anderson won't be investigated by police for his transphobic comments about entertainer/Labour candidate Eddie Izzard, PinkNews noted. On TalkTV, Anderson repeatedly misgendered Izzard and said he would "not follow [her] into the toilets," sparking widespread condemnation. Amid the anti-trans backlash, Izzard—who is campaigning to be Labour MP for Sheffield—has addressed misinformation about her campaign.
Germany introduced the parameters of a measure that would make it easier for transgender people to change their name and gender, upending the expensive and time-consuming procedure that has been on the books for the last four decades, Human Rights Watch noted. The eventual bill would be an important development for transgender rights, setting a standard for self-determination for name and gender in Germany, as anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and laws multiply across the world.
South Africa has become the first country on the continent to install Pride crosswalks in its major cities, per The Washington Blade. Pretoria and Cape Town now both boast the LGBTQ+ additions. "Church Square is where most of the Apartheid buildings are situated and in the shadow is the father of the Afrikaans nation, Paul Kruger. This is the heartland of Apartheid, by having this, the first in such a conservative city is groundbreaking," said Pretoria Pride's Bruce Walker. Cape Town Councillor Roberto Quintas said that the crosswalk is meant to make everyone feel welcome.
Activists have criticized Ireland's law criminalizing hate and violence against trans people, saying it's ultimately "too little too late," PinkNews noted. The bill will add gender—including gender identity and expression—as well as disability to a list of protected characteristics covered and was reportedly based on best international practices. Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin told PinkNews that the bill is ultimately welcome, as the community needs "hate-crime legislation that is fit for purpose," but it's ultimately "too little too late."
Poland's education minister, Przemysław Czarnek, criticized principals who were "irresponsible" enough to allow an annual event in support of LGBTQ+ people to be held in their schools, according to Notes from Poland. He claimed that "gender revolutionists" are trying to implant dangerous ideas in the minds of children. Since 2016, Campaign Against Homophobia, an NGO, has organized a nationwide "Rainbow Friday" (Tęczowy Piątek) in October during which school pupils can show solidarity with their LGBTQ+ peers by wearing rainbow-colored clothes as well as organizing events such as workshops and film screenings.
The organized opposition to gender-inclusive education in Ontario failed on Oct. 24 to make significant gains in province-wide school board elections, CBC News noted. An investigation had identified more than 50 candidates for trustee positions who were running on a variety of promises that alarmed advocates for transgender students. Many of these candidates also stated their opposition to anti-racism education, grouping both positions as being "anti-woke." Of the dozens of candidates running against gender inclusivity, only about 10 appeared set to win their campaigns—and most were incumbents whose views were already well-known to voters.
Hulu announced that it will be the exclusive U.S. streaming destination for the biggest Hindi film of the year, Brahmastra Part One: Shiva, per a press release. The visual spectacle, the first in a planned trilogy, will be available on Friday, Nov. 4, in both its theatrical Hindi and an English dubbed version for the very first time. According to the release, "It is a new original cinematic universe inspired by deeply rooted concepts and tales from Indian history but set in the modern world, with epic storytelling of fantasy, adventure, good vs evil, love and hope; all told using cutting edge technology and never-seen-before visual spectacles."
Formula One champion racer and LGBTQ+ ally Lewis Hamilton is launching film and TV production company Dawn Apollo Films, according to Deadline. Already on the slate are two anticipated projects with Apple TV+—an untitled Formula One racing film from Top Gun: Maverick director Joe Kosinski, starring Brad Pitt; and a feature documentary on Hamilton's own journey.
The long-running BBC America show Doctor Who has lots of new faces this season—including onetime Doctor David Tennant, Us Magazine noted. (This time, the Scottish actor will reunite with Catherine Tate, who played companion Donna Noble in the fourth season, for the three-episode arc.) Sex Education actor Ncuti Gatwa has been announced as the next incarnation of the Doctor. Russell T Davies, who led the 2005 relaunch of the sci-fi show and departed alongside Tennant in 2010, will return as showrunner.
The Great British Bake Off's resident gay hunk Sandro seemingly joked about debuting an OnlyFans account—while John Whaite, a gay ex-contestant, deleted his, Out noted. Ever since his debut on the 13th season of the popular UK-based reality baking competition earlier this fall, Sandro has captivated the internet. Whaite—who won the third season of The Great British Bake Off and finished as runner-up in season 19 of Strictly Come Dancing—announced he would close his account after a U.S. investigator told BBC News that child abuse images are still "slipping through" on OnlyFans on occasion.
