The BBC shared interviews with people, including a former seminarian, who experienced the discredited practice of conversion therapy, according to New Ways Ministry. Unlike other European countries, conversion therapy remains legal in Italy and takes place in both public and private forums, the BBC explained. For example, Rosario Lonegro said that when he was 20, he entered the seminary and fell in love with a man. Longer then said he was forced by his superiors to “take part in spiritual gatherings outside the seminary, some over several days, where he was subjected to a series of distressing activities intended to change his sexual orientation.” He was reportedly locked in a closet, stripped naked in front of others and even had to enact his own funeral. “I thought I was evil,” he said. Unfortunately, Italy’s conservative laws currently fail to protect LGBTQ+ people such as Lonegro, New Ways Ministry added.
In South Africa, Xolani Xaka, a 32-year-old member of the LGBTIQ+ community in the Eastern Cape, was stabbed to death outside his home in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), per Mamba Online. Xaka was allegedly attacked by three men who repeatedly stabbed him; when his uncle went to help him, the assailants reportedly threatened to stab him as well. Ayanda Mgwadleka, the site coordinator of OUT’s Engage Men’s Health project in Nelson Mandela Bay, condemned the attack on Xaka, who was a client of the organization: “We are devastated by the news of Xolani’s horrific murder. He was a valued client and a well-liked member of the LGBTIQ+ community in the area.” This follows the death of Clement Hadebe, a 29-year-old gay crossdresser who was shot nine times at a Johannesburg B&B on Aug. 10, per The Washington Blade.
The AIDS 2024 International Conference was held in Munich, Germany on July 20-26, Adelante Magazine reported. It included more than 40 oral abstract sessions, 50 invited-speaker sessions, 20 workshops, 30 symposium sessions, 100 satellite sessions and 2,200 poster presentations. There was a Global AIDS Village and a vendor section with pharmaceutical companies booths. More than 11,000 attended the conference in person from countries around the world while several thousand more attended online. Among the speakers was German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who talked about Germany’s leadership in the HIV response; he said that Germany will meet the AIDS 2030 goal of having 95% of persons living with HIV know their status.
Malcolm Leslie Bishop KC—a member of the LGBTQ+ community—was sworn in for a four-year term as Tonga’s new chief justice, Kaniva Tonga reported. The appointment of Bishop, who hails from Wales, has faced strong criticism because he is openly gay. Senior Tongan lawyer Clive Edwards expressed concerns about Bishop’s ability to remain impartial in court cases involving sodomy over which he would preside. Bishop KC has many years of experience in litigation and legal consulting over a wide range of issues, Matangi Tonga noted. Bishop was a founder member in 1972, of 30 Park Place chambers in Cardiff, Wales; in addition, he has appeared in courts all over England and Wales as well as the Caribbean, from magistrate’s courts to the Supreme Court and the Privy Council.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the 2026 Australian census questions on sexuality and gender “weren’t appropriate,” according to PinkNews. Recently, the federal government announced that Australia’s 2026 Census wouldn’t ask people about gender, sexual orientation or diverse sex characteristics, prompting backlash. Now, the upcoming census will include one question that is inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community, on sexuality. On Sept. 1, the prime minister refused to commit to reinstating all the draft questions but added that the government would work through issues with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the LGBTQ+ community.
The Australian embassy celebrated the annual LGBTIQA+ awareness day in Iran—a country where homosexuality is strictly banned and members of the community face the threat of execution, according to Iran International. A post on the Australian embassy’s Instagram page shows Ambassador Ian McConville and his colleagues celebrating the “Wear it Purple Day with a splash of purple in every corner, and some delicious cupcakes made with love.” The caption also stated, “Today, and every day, we’re dedicated to creating a supportive environment, where everyone, especially LGBTQIA+ youth, can feel proud to be themselves. Let’s keep championing diversity and inclusion for a brighter, more inclusive future.” (The German embassy in Tehran has also joined the Australian embassy’s celebration.) In Iran, homosexuality is punishable by death for men and by 100 lashes for women. Iran summoned McConville in Iran over the publication of the photos, ABC News noted.
Almost five years after German pastor Olaf Latzel sparked controversy with comments about homosexuality, the legal dispute appears to be over with a settlement of 5,000 euros (about $5,550 USD), according to Christianity Today. During a 2019 marriage seminar, Latzel—pastor of a conservative congregation in the state-privileged Protestant Church—labeled homosexuality as “degenerative” and “demonic.” He was charged with incitement of hate against a people group and found guilty in 2020 in the Bremen District Court, but he appealed the ruling and won in regional court. Later, the Higher Regional Court ruled the case “incomplete” and sent it back to Bremen. Now, the Bremen Regional Court has suspended the proceedings, with one condition: Latzel must give 5,000 euros to the nonprofit Rat & Tat-Zentrum für Queeres Leben (Advice and Action Center for Queer Life) in Bremen.
Hungarian opposition parties DK, MSZP, Momentum and Parbeszad wanted to hold a conference on LGBTQ+-related themes in the Hungarian parliament recently—but House Speaker Laszlo Kover refused to grant them space, citing the need to protect the dignity of the parliament, according to Telex. The meeting was then moved to the building of the Central European University (CEU)t, where U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman was also present, along with a number of other ambassadors. This was not the first time that Kover has refused to allow an LGBTQ+-related event into the Parliament building. Momentum’s group leader, David Bedo, organized a conference on fundamental human rights in June, which Pressman also attended. At the time, Kover sent the exact same reply.
The Israeli government recently announced a gay man’s sister-in-law and five other hostages were killed in the Gaza Strip before they could be rescued, per The Los Angeles Blade. The Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry stated that members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “located” Carmel Gat’s body; the IDF also found the bodies of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ori Danino, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Eden Yerushalmi. Gat’s brother-in-law, Gili Roman—a teacher who is a member of Israel’s Nemos LGBTQ+ Swimming Club—included a broken heart emoji in a brief email exchange with the Washington Blade. The Israeli government says Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people on Oct. 7, including approximately 370 partygoers and others at an all-night music festival in Re’im, a kibbutz that is a few miles southwest of Be’eri; Gat was one of about 250 people who Hamas militants took hostage.
In India, as many as 70 persons were arrested for allegedly trapping people through the gay dating app Grindr and robbing them in four southern districts, DT Next reported. Tirunelveli Range Deputy Inspector General of Police Pa. Moorthy said that special teams were formed based on 22 complaints registered from parts of Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi, and Kanniyakumari to apprehend the suspects.
In a related matter, Toronto 2SLGBTQ+ community center The 519 provided tips on how members of the community can stay safe when navigating online dating after a Grindr user was recently robbed at gunpoint in Hamilton, Now noted. The victim was attacked by three suspects and held at gunpoint after arranging a meeting; afterward, the suspects stole the victim’s phone and used it to make a financial transaction, according to police. The 519 Legal Initiatives/Public Interest Director Johanna Macdonald said, among other things, that people should never share personal information such as a phone number, email address or social-media links until they feel comfortable or after meeting in person. “Anyone that’s sending links to surveys or websites asking you to click through, that is a red flag. Certainly, the big markers are like not sharing your Social Insurance Number or any financial details,” she added.
Openly LGBTQ+ Belgian tennis player Alison Van Uytvanck announced her retirement from the sport at age 30, The Express noted. A five-time winner on the WTA Tour, she bowed out after a 14-year career that featured a quarterfinal appearance at the French Open in 2015 and a fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon in 2018. Van Uytvanck recorded victories at the Tournoi de Quebec, Uzbekistan’s Tashkent Open, the Astana Open in Kazakhstan and at the Hungarian Ladies Open (twice); she also beat fellow players such as Naomi Osaka, Venus Williams, Aryna Sabalenka and current No. 1 Iga Swiatek, according to Outsports. On X, she stated, in part, “Tennis gave me so much and will be in my heart forever.”
Valentina Petrillo—the Italian transgender sprinter whose participation in the Paralympic Games caused controversy—failed to reach the final of the women’s T12 400-meter run, The Guardian noted. Petrillo finished third in her semifinal, with only the top two going through to the final. Petrillo said, in part, “I’m a little down, but I hope my son will be proud of me. This is important to me because he has a trans dad, not the dad that everyone dreams of. But I hope he will be proud of me.” Petrillo competes in the T12 category for visually impaired athletes; she developed Stargardt disease, a degenerative eye condition, as a child.
Indian actor Abhay Deol gave a controversial interview with The Dirty in which he discussed sexuality, according to Hindustan Times. In part, Deol said, “As a spectrum, I refuse the Western way of identifying sexuality because it’s so black and white. The Eastern approach is so different; it recognizes the whole of us. I don’t define my sexuality, and this might sound controversial but for me it’s not something that I think can be defined.” He added, “I think it’s more for the other person’s comfort, so that they can put you in a box, neatly slot you. Why should I define myself in Western terms? I have embraced all experiences in my life and I continue to do so.” Deol is in the new film Bun Tikki, which is directed by Faraz Arif Ansari, who is nonbinary and openly queer.
In celebration of its 40th anniversary, Tom of Finland Foundation is presenting the Tom of Finland Art & Culture Festival 2024: Art Speaks Through Us, sponsored by Diesel, a press release noted. This year, the festival will take part in Berlin, London and Los Angeles, with the British event having the foundation partner with Nick Knight’s SHOWstudio for the first time. In addition to the artwork on display for purchase, Tom of Finland Foundation will also honor artist, musician and writer Holly Johnson (of the band Frankie Goes to Hollywood) with the Artist Hall of Fame award; previous recipients include photographer Tom Bianchi, artist H.R. Giger, filmmaker Bruce LaBruce and photographer Herb Ritts.
Out British acting icon Sir Ian McKellen revealed that he’s been approached about coming back to his beloved role as J.R.R. Tolkien’s wizard Gandalf in the new Lord of the Rings films, according to Deadline. McKellen told The Big Issue, “Enthusiasm for The Lord of the Rings shows no sign of abating. … I can’t tell you any more than that. I’ve just been told there are going to be more films and Gandalf will be involved and they hope that I’ll be playing him.” In a separate interview with BBC Breakfast, McKellen, 85, said he had no plans to retire from acting.
Twelve queens will vie for the title on the sixth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, coming to WOW Presents Plus this fall, per a press release. The contestants—from Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England, and hand-picked by RuPaul—include Actavia, Chanel O’Conor, Charra Tea, Dita Garbo, Kiki Snatch, Kyran Thrax, La Voix, Lill, Marmalade, Rileasa Slaves, Saki Yew and Zahirah Zapanta.
And World of Wonder has greenlit a third season of Drag Race México, a separate release announced. The announcement marks World of Wonder’s continued global expansion of WOW Presents Plus (WOWPP),, which is home to all international versions of the global Drag Race franchise as well as WOW Original series and films. In other Latin American news, Brazilian drag artists looking to compete for the next title of Brazil’s Drag Superstar on Drag Race Brazil can submit their applications at worldofwonder.com/casting. Applicants must be 18 years old as of Oct. 16 to apply, and be a Brazilian citizen or permanent resident of Brazil.
Former Spice girl and current fashion designer Victoria Beckham is the subject of a new Netflix documentary exploring her journey from pop star to creative director of her own brand, Sky News noted. Beckham’s new docuseries was announced at the Edinburgh TV Festival, and the project will provide further access to the family and those close to them as well as featuring “never-before-seen” archive footage. Husband David Beckham already had a Netflix project in a four-part series about his rise to soccer stardom which came out late last year.
Out British actor Rupert Everett confirmed to Tatler that he secretly married his long-time partner—a Brazilian accountant called Henrique, according to Out. The low-key wedding took place at the Camden Town Hall and was followed by lunch at the actor’s favorite restaurant. “I have always hated weddings, although I do love funerals,” Everett said. “But when you get older… I have seen so many problems that gay couples face, so it’s really more about forward thinking, as we have been together for a long time now.” In a 2012 interview with The Guardian, the My Best Friend’s Wedding actor said, “I loathe heterosexual weddings; I would never go to a wedding in my life. … And in the homosexual world, I find it personally beyond tragic that we want to ape this institution that is so clearly a disaster.”
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