Congolese Justice Minister Constant Mutamba has ordered his country’s prosecutor general to arrest LGBTQ+ allies, The Washington Blade reported. Although same-sex marriages are constitutionally banned, there is currently no law that criminalizes consensual same-sex sexual relations. The communique has raised a lot of eyebrows from social and LGBTQ activists who are asking on what grounds Mutamba issued it. Despite the words of some cautious individuals, like social commentator Khelver Hermano, many Congolese people have welcomed the communique, arguing same-sex relations are un-African and unorthodox.
A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law in collaboration with Yaaj México revealed that an estimated 38% of the gender non-conforming population of Mexico ages 15 and older—approximately 340,620 people—identify as nonbinary, according to a press release. The majority of them are under the age of 24 and single. Results show most people (86%) knew that they were nonbinary before they were 17. The full report, “Nonbinary People in Mexico,” is at this link.
And almost 184,000 people in Scotland identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual, census data has revealed for the first time, according to the BBC. The census, conducted in 2022, found that 80,100 (1.76% of those aged over 16) identified as gay or lesbian while 80,260 (1.76%) identified as bisexual. The figures showed almost half of trans people were aged 16 to 24. Director of Census Statistics Jon Wroth-Smith said, “These numbers will help charities, local authorities, businesses and government plan services to improve the lives of those living and working in Scotland as well as providing important information for effective equality monitoring.”
French President Emmanuel Macron was accused of transphobia after lashing out at the policy platform of the Nouveau Front Populaire left-wing alliance—in particular, a proposal allowing citizens to change gender at the town hall, according toLe Monde. The creation of the Nouveau Front Populaire has bothered Macron since he called the snap elections in response to his party’s defeat by the far right in European polls; his ruling alliance is predicted to come only third in the parliamentary elections on June 30—followed by a second round on July 7—behind the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) and the left-wing alliance. However, Macron later said, “The RN and its associates offer things which may make people happy but in the end we are talking 100 billion [euros] a year. … And on the other side, with the extreme left, it’s four times worse— there is no more laïcité; they will go back on the immigration law and there are things that are completely grotesque, like changing your gender at the town hall.”
Also in France, two women went on trial over false claims that French First Lady Brigitte Macron was transgender, sparking online rumors from conspiracy theorists and the far right, per Le Monde. In 2022, Macron filed a complaint for libel against two women who posted a YouTube video in December 2021 alleging she had once been a man named “Jean-Michel.” Self-proclaimed spiritual medium Amandine Roy appeared in court in Paris to answer questions about the interview she conducted with Natacha Rey, an independent journalist who did not show up, citing illness.
The IGLTA Foundation—the philanthropic arm of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA)—released a road map for Caribbean destinations to welcome LGBTQ+ travelers and fuel economic growth, per a press release. The report, “Caribbean Kaleidoscope: A Journey into LGBTQ+ Travel,” aims to offer solutions to unlock this potential and foster a thriving LGBTQ+ travel sector in the Caribbean. “Caribbean Kaleidoscope” addresses discriminatory laws, cultural considerations and infrastructure gaps. The report is the result of the 5th IGLTA Foundation Think Tank, which brought together leading figures in the travel industry to discuss key challenges and opportunities.
For the second time, Aruba’s parliament voted on a marriage-equality bill—and, just like in early May, the vote ended in a 10-10 deadlock, resulting in the proposal being automatically rejected, per the Curacao Chronicle. In Aruba, a bill is officially dismissed if it fails to achieve a majority in two consecutive votes. In both votes, Shailiny Tromp-Lee, a member of parliament from the ruling party MEP, abstained from voting.
Steve Letsike—a lesbian activist who founded Access Chapter 2, a South African advocacy group—won a seat in the country’s parliament, per The Washington Blade. Letsike is a member of the African National Congress (ANC) and is part of the ANC’s National Executive Committee that determines the party’s direction. Letsike won a seat in the South African National Assembly in national and provincial elections that took place on May 29. However, The ANC lost its parliamentary majority that it had had since Nelson Mandela won the South African presidency in 1994. “I am not in parliament for myself but the people that trusted the ANC to send individuals that will put people first,” Letsike told The Blade.
The public lauded Keir Starmer—who political pundits believe will be the next UK prime minister—after he criticized Rishi Sunak for an anti-trans joke the prime minister had made in the House of Commons while the mother of murdered transgender teen Brianna Ghey was present., PinkNews reported. On the show Question Time, Starmer added, ““There are some people who don’t identify with the gender that they are born into and they go through a lot of anxiety and distress, and my view in life is to respect and give dignity to everyone, whatever their position. And I will always do that.”
U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman marched in the annual Budapest Pride parade, The Washington Blade noted. Pressman, who is gay, posted photos of him holding a U.S. flag while standing behind a banner that read “United States embassy.” Pressman also referenced a joint statement from 35 countries (including Belgium, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, Ireland and many others) that expressed “serious concern about the targeting of LGBTQI+ people in Hungary, and called for the government to eliminate its discriminatory laws, policies, and practices.”
A teenager has been arrested in connection with an incident in which a knife-wielding gang of six men allegedly “hunted” three gay men in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, per Metro Weekly. The teen, 18-year-old Reece Murphy, has been charged with violent disorder and production of a hammer as a weapon, as well as with dangerous driving at two locations within the park. The men tried to report the incident to An Garda Síochána—Ireland’s national police and security service—but were allegedly told that nothing could be done because there was no surveillance camera footage of the incident.
In an op-ed for the BBC, Sophie McKinna—a six-time British shot-put champion—discussed her sexuality. In part, she wrote, “I wish I had spoken openly about my sexuality years ago—and I’d definitely say to my younger self ‘get a move on.’ I am a completely different person since I first spoke openly [about being gay] on The LGBT Sport Podcast in April 2023. Now I’m no longer worried. There’s no more paranoia. I post openly on social media, something I had never done previously.”
World of Wonder announced that Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs The World is returning this summer with an all new set of international queens, per a press release. The series returns for its second season on Friday, July 19, on WOW Presents Plus in the United States as well as select territories internationally, day and date with its local airing on Crave in Canada. The competitors include Alexis Mateo, Cheryl, Eureka!, Kennedy Davenport, La Kahena, Le Fil, Lemon, Miss Fiercalicious and Tynomi Banks. Brooke Lynn Hytes, Brad Goreski, and Traci Melchor return as resident judges while Canada’s Drag Race alum Sarain Fox also returns for a multi-episode, guest judge run. A video introducing all the queens is here.
Former Doctor Who star David Tennant was praised for wearing a non-binary pin to the opening night of Mean Girls The Musical, following a public confrontation with government ministers, including Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch, over trans rights, PinkNews noted. Tennant also wore pink nail varnish to the musical, which is based on the 2004 film. He jokingly referred to one of the movie’s best-loved lines, saying “I aspire to be fetch.” Badenoch—known for her anti-LGBTQ+ views—has labelled the Good Omens star a “rich, lefty, white male celebrity.”
Focus Features and Universal Pictures International have set a Sept. 12, 2025 theatrical release for Downton Abbey 3, which is currently filming in the UK under filmmaker Simon Curtis, per Deadline. Downton creator and Oscar winner Julian Fellowes wrote the third film. Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, Robert James-Collier, Joanne Froggatt and Allen Leech are among the returning cast members; Paul Giamatti, Joely Richardson and Alessandro Nivola are among the new additions.
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