Continuing our mission to profile the LGBT sports organizations of the world, we meet graphic designer Ricardo Mendi Serrano, communications officer for Elaios LGBT sports club which is based in Spain’s fifth largest city – Zaragoza.

When was the organization established?

Elaios was created after some of us participated at the 2003 edition of Eurogames in Copenhagen.

We wanted to organize something similar in Zaragoza.

Rhea Litré, one of the US’s most famous drag artists was forced to perform out of drag, by Dubai authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Litré was booked to perform her hit song ‘Let’s Have a KaiKai’ at Carnage, one of the few gay friendly events in Dubai, reported Queerty.

When she was due to perform, local security officers approached her and fellow artists telling them they could not go on stage in drag.

Italian schools are the the most anti-gay environment for the young LGBT community of the Mediterranean country, a survey has revealed.

The study, commissioned and conducted by LGBT association Gay Center among 3,900 students from 16 schools, showed that, according to the 49% of the interviewees, Italian high schools are the worst context for growing LGBT people.

Gay Center’s president Fabrizio Marrazzo told Gay Star News: ‘When considering different minorities, the LGBT one is the most troubled, because LGBT students don’t get their parents’ support.

The Warwick Rowers will join guests on 14 June to celebrate the launch of the UK’s first sports training space for the LGBT community at the Birmingham LGBT Centre.

The Vault offers a variety of physical activities; Yoga, Pilates, Table Tennis, Dance and other fitness classes.

On 1 May Jason Collins, the 7’0” center for the Washington Wizards, and a former Boston Celtics, came out. His statement ‘I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay’ made the cover story for Sports Illustrated.

On 2 May, three Morehouse College basketball athletes were accused of raping an 18-year-old Spelman College student. The story didn’t hit the airwaves in the same way as the Collins story.

Many in the African American community were silent on both incidents because they view both as poxes on the community.

The first survey on homophobia in the workplace in China has found that only 6% of gay men and lesbians questioned are fully out at work.

The survey of 2,161 respondents found that 47.62% are fully in the closet at work and around 46% are out to some of their colleagues.

Over 50% had heard offensive words used about LGBT people, over 30% have heard or suffered personal attacks about sexual orientation and over 20% have resigned or considered resigning because of a hostile work environment.

The report, from Aibai LGBT rights group, also found: 

New York’s LGBT Community Center will host a rally in honor of Mark Carson, who was shot dead late Friday night in an anti-gay attack.

32 year-old Carson was shot at point-blank range on the street in Greenwhich Village. His attackers reportedly shouted homophobic slurs at Carson before shooting him in the face and fleeing the scene.

LGBT rights advocates were detained in at least two Chinese cities when celebrating the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHO).

Officers detained about a dozen LGBT advocates who were handing flyers about IDAHO in a busy mall in downtown Guangzhu, yesterday (17 May) afternoon.

John Amaechi, the first former NBA player to ever come out, had some good and bad things to say about being gay in professional sport.

In an interview with UK-based online radio station Gaydio, Amaechi first gave his opinion on the importance of International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO), a global day of awareness of anti-gay hate.

In Burma gay men are asking to be decriminalized, in Thailand transgender women want to be spared military service and in the Philippines LGBT rights activists are pushing for an anti-discrimination law.

Events are being held across Asia today to bring attention to various anti-LGBT aspects of society for IDAHO (International Day of Homophobia and Transphobia).

The culture of the Police Service in Britain is developing into one where you can be as comfortable at work as you are at home – that is the strategic aim. It is worth noting that there are eight local police forces listed in the Stonewall Top 100 Index of gay-friendly employers and LGBT officers are included in the majority of UK police forces. It hasn’t always been this way.

After just 13 months on the job, GLAAD president Herndon Graddick has resigned.

'I'm proud to leave GLAAD with a stronger, more efficient organization and an incredibly talented and experienced Board and staff,' Graddick said in a statement. 'I'm happy the role I was able to play in advancing the need for our community to fully support the rights of our transgender brothers and sisters.'