In Israel, men with young children will soon be able to obtain welfare payments without having to look for work, under a bill approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, Haaretz.com reported. People on welfare are usually required to visit the government's Employment Service every week to see if any jobs are available, and must take any offered job. However, the existing law exempts women from this requirement if they have a child under 2.
A Brazilian transgender woman was brutally attacked by a group of about 20 men, NewNowNext.com reported. Melissa Hudson, 22, was walking home with friends when the group attacked. Her friends were able to escape, but Hudson was not, resulting in an attack that tore apart her recent facial feminization surgery.
Following the success of its inaugural Hong Kong LGBT Inclusion Awards in 2015, and Asia LGBT Inclusion Index, non-profit workplace advocacy group Community Business is asking for nominations for its 2016 awards—and have included the current Mr. Gay World, Mass Luciano, to help promote the event, Gay Star News noted. Last year's Index was headed by Goldman Sachs, with the remainder of the top-10ranking dominated by financial institutions; Community Business is appealing for nominations from all industries this year.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has reignited criticism of his government's same-sex marriage policy after posting on social media to celebrate Valentine's Day, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Turnbull, who supports the reform of marriage, posted a photo of himself and wife Lucy, a former lord mayor of Sydney, on Facebook with a caption. In response to Turnbull's post regarding togetherness, Tomas Allan Leaumont, of Sunbury, Victoria, wrote: "Well, because of you and your party I will never know what it will be like to marry partner of nearly 10 years. So happy for you both." However, other commenters urged that politics should be left aside and the Turnbulls' relationship appreciated.
Justin Trudeau will become the first sitting Canadian prime minister to march in the Toronto Pride parade, Gay Star News reported. Trudeau, 44, is a passionate advocate for LGBTI rights who had already marched in the pride parade before being elected to office last October. The parade is slated to take place July 3.
The prime minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat, has denounced a church paper that indicated support for so-called gay conversion therapies in some instances, according to Gay Star News. In December it was announced that Malta may become the first country in Europe to officially ban conversion therapy. The paper had been put together by a team that includes former European Human Rights Court judge Giovanni Bonello and law-school dean Kevin Aquilina.
Boxer Manny Pacquiao issued what some are calling a weak apology after causing a storm by claiming gay people are "worse than animals," The Daily Mail reported. The pugilist world champion made the comments in a television interview in the Philippines, where he is running for a senate seat in the May elections. At one point, he asked, "It's common sense. Do you see animals mating with the same sex?" In his apology, he posted on Facebook, "Please forgive me for those I've hurt. I still stand on my belief that I'm against same sex marriage because of what The Bible says, but I'm not condemning LGBT."
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key blamed protestors for hijacking the Big Gay Out by glitter-bombing him and ruining the experience for others., according to Stuff.co.nz. Key was booed by protesters throughout his delivery of a short speech on stage at the Auckland event for the LGBTIQA community. The vocal protests against Key focused on Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement issues.
Colombia's national police chief has resigned a day after for allegedly operating a gay-prostitution ring that served lawmakers and police officials, Gay Star News noted. General Rodolfo Palomino is also being investigated for alleged illicit enrichment and tapping journalists' phones. The prostitution ring—referred to in the media as the "Fellowship of the Ring"—was operated between 2004 and 2008, and allegedly involved members of the country's congress.
A transgender escort has been arrested in Sydney after allegedly infecting a man with HIV, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. The 38-year-old, who police said identified as a woman, was arrested at a Surry Hills hotel this week after allegedly infecting a West Australian client with the virus last year. Police said the woman was working as a prostitute in Redfern before her arrest, and detectives will investigate whether any of her Sydney clients are infected.
A 16-year-old refugee who brutally murdered a gay man in Sweden was sentenced to four years in a youth detention center, Gay Star News noted. The unaccompanied refugee was also ordered to pay damages to the relatives of the victim; he will be deported back to Morocco after serving his time. After he and an older teen beat the man to death, they wrapped a dead snake around his neck and dressed his body in women's clothes. The 16-year-old was charged with hate-crime murder, and the 19-year-old with aiding and abetting a criminal.
Public Health England has commissioned a health-service research team from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry ( PUPSMD ) to model the size of the LGB population in England, EurekAlert! reported. The project, led by Dr. Kerryn Husk, Research Fellow in Health Services Research at PUPSMD, will carry out an analysis of current work in this area.
The LGBTI Pride movement is going fully online for the first time with a new global event: Digital Pride, Gay Star News noted. Created by the publication, the Digital Pride festival will start April 25 with the main Pride day on April 30. People will be invited to join live-streamed video discussions on topics ranging from identity and isolation to international LGBTI rights. See DigitalPride.com .
David Hockney will celebrate his 80th birthday with the "world's most extensive retrospective" of his work, The UK Telegraph noted. Tate Britain is to honor Hockney with his first major British retrospective in 30 years with an exhibit that will open in February 2017, aiming to renew the artist's popular reputation and bring new focus to his intelligent side. The openly gay Hockney has painted works such as We Two Boys Together Clinging ( 1961 ).
The lead singer of Sydney-based comedy-rock band The Axis of Awesome has announced she's transitioned to a woman, The Daily Mail reported. Jordan Raskopoulos came out as transgender what's been described as a funny and emotional video blog posted to the group's Facebook page. The 34-year-old—who formed the band in 2006 with Lee Naimo and Benny Davis—told fans: "A lot ( has ) changed physically and emotionally in the last year but I have to say I am so much happier."
Louisiana's Daily Advertiser has a profile of Wren Thomas, who spent 18 days as the prisoner of crack-smoking, Dolly Parton-loving Nigerian pirates, Newser noted. While Wren was working an offshore oil job in Nigeria in 2013, his company was threatened by people angry that local villagers hadn't been given jobs. Thomas and his chief engineer spent the next 18 days as the pirates' prisoners. "They played six or seven cell phones at once, blasting Dolly Parton and 50 Cent, while they smoked crack, smoked pot, and drank," Thomas recalled.
