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May 15, 2013
Gay actors are still good but not masculine, scientists find

New US research asked 'Can a gay man play it straight?' and looked at perceptions of an actor's performance and masculinity

People think gay actors are less masculine – but they are still just as good at acting, scientists have proved.

The US research asked 'Can a gay man play it straight?' and looked at perceptions of an actor’s masculinity and performance.

College students were given biographical information on a male actor, including sexual orientation, and shown a video of the actor’s performance.

They were then asked to rate the actor’s performance and the likelihood of casting the actor in their own productions.

April 21, 2013
Transgender man gives birth in Chile

Described as the first known case of trans birth in the country, a registered male with female reproductive organs gave birth to a baby

A transgender male has given birth to a child in Chile, in what is believed to be the first such publicly known case for the Latin American country.

Originally born a woman, the individual who goes by the fictitious name of ‘Matthew’ for news interviews, was allowed by a judge to keep female reproductive organs while re-registering as a male.

According to Matthew, the pregnancy was not planned.

April 11, 2013
Montana passes bill to finally repeal law that made gay sex illegal

Anti-sodomy law had not been enforced since 1997 but remained on the books

The Montana House of Representatives on Wednesday (10 April) passed a bill that officially decriminalizes gay sex under state law.

Even though the law had been struck down by the Montana Supreme Court in 1997 and was not being enforced, it remained on the books.

Senate Bill 107 passed the House with a vote of 65-34, according to Rep. Bryce Bennett, the only openly gay member of The House.

April 5, 2013
Anti-gay researcher: Gays more likely to have sex with children, animals

Discredited psychologist and chairman of the Family Research Institute goes on a rant about the sex lives of gay people

An anti-gay US leader has claimed gay people want to have sex with children and animals as part of their ‘sexual repertoire.’

The discredited ‘researcher’ Paul Cameron, chairman of the anti-gay Family Research Institute, spoke to the National Press Club today that around one in four gay men have sex with children.

March 18, 2013
Garbage bin survey asks people if they’re gay

In Birmingham, England, people said they were 'baffled' when they were asked about their sexuality in a survey about their wheelie bins

The biggest local authority in Europe must be feeling rubbish after a question about sexuality on a survey about garbage cans backfired.

Birmingham City Council, in England, asked the usual questions about the size of wheelie bins and recycling, but then asked people to identify as either gay, bisexual or straight.

The council says it is one of the standard monitoring questions to ensure responses represent a cross-section of the city’s population.

March 14, 2013
Leading ‘ex-gay’ therapists group loses tax free status

The National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality which claims that homosexuals can turn straight through therapy has lost its tax exempt status after it failed to file the correct paperwork for three years in a row

The leading group representing psychologists and therapists who believe that homosexuality is a treatable condition has lost its tax exempt status after it failed to file the correct paperwork with the US Inland Revenue Service (IRS) for three years running.

March 12, 2013
Facebook 'likes' can out you as gay

What you 'like' on Facebook can reveal more about you than you might like, including your race, religion, and sexuality

Your sexuality can be revealed by what you choose to ‘like’ on Facebook, a new study suggests.

Researchers at Cambridge University have used algorithms to predict religion, politics, race and sexual orientation.

Using the algorithms, published in the journal PNAS, proved 88% accurate for determining if a man was gay or not.

It was also 95% accurate in distinguishing African-American from Caucasian-American and 85% for differentiating Republican from Democrat.

March 12, 2013
Hong Kong LGBT group tells UN about government's human rights failures

Report to UN Human Rights Committee show Hong Kong government has ignored LGBT rights

An LGBT rights group has submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) saying that the government has consistently ignored the rights of sexual orientation and gender identity minorities in the region.

The government of Hong Kong is submitting its own report to the UNHRC this week, and the UN invites non-governmental organizations to write parallel reports.

March 12, 2013
Hundreds stage 'kiss in' at mall where gay couple was kicked out for holding hands, kissing

Mall officials cooperate and say they are taking a look at their sensitivity training

About 250 people showed up at a shopping mall in California over the weekend to publicly show some same-sex affection - and to make a point.

March 6, 2013
'Kiss In' protest planned at California mall where gay couple says they were singled out

Mall officials maintain couple was involved in 'sexually explicit conduct' when reprimanded by a security guard

A California shopping mall where a gay couple says they were singled out for kissing and holding hands will be the site of a 'Kiss In' protest on Saturday (9 March).

There has been growing public support for Daniel Chesmore and Jose Guzman who were shopping at Westfield Galleria in Roseville last week when they were reprimanded by a security guard.

Organizers say the 'gay peace protest' will take place at 11 am PST.

March 1, 2013
Harvey Nichols defends 'lesbian kiss' advert

Department store Harvey Nichols run an advert which some thought was a lesbian kiss, but is really someone kissing their mirror image

British department store Harvey Nichols has had an 'offensive' advert cleared for use, which featured a woman kissing her reflection.

The advertizing campaign, with the slogan 'Love Thyself', for the new beauty section of the department store in Liverpool.

There were 17 complaints sent to the Advertising Standard Authority (ASA), listing reasons such as adverts were unsuitable for children, sexually explicit or that 'Love Thyself' is offensive to people of faith.

Nichols responded the kiss was not legitimately lesbian, because it was the same person.

February 28, 2013
NFL investigating Nick Kasa's claims that pro recruiters wanted to know if he was gay

College star was asked ‘Do you have a girlfriend?’ 'Do you like girls?’

Could it be the Manti Te'o factor?

National Football League prospect Nick Kasa, a senior a at the University of Colorado, said this week that pro scouts asked about his sexuality during last weekend's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

February 27, 2013
Morrissey: If more men were gay, there would be no wars

English singer-songwriter says heterosexual men have a passion for killing other men

English singer-songwriter Morrissey has said if more men were gay, then there would be no wars.

The 53-year-old former frontman of The Smiths said heterosexual men have a ‘passion’ for killing other males.

February 19, 2013
World's oldest porn is 'bisexual'

In rock carvings dating back at least 3,000 years, it shows men, women and bisexuals in the first recorded images of human sexuality

One of the world’s earliest carvings conveying human sexuality shows bisexuality was normal, even over 3,000 years ago

The Kangjiashimenji Petroglyphs, rock carvings found in a remote region in northwest China, show a fertility ritual.

Archaeologist Wang Binghua discovered the symbols in the late 1980s, but little has been written about them.

In a new report from Mary Mycio, the carvings show 100 figures which abstractly depicts different ways of expressing sexuality.

February 10, 2013
Turkey to expel out gay soldiers

Turkish military is set to adopt a ‘Don’t as Don’t tell’ policy

The Turkish Armed Forces is set to introduce a new regulation that essentially states to gay soldiers: ‘If you come out – you’ll be expelled, if you stay in the closet – we’ll do nothing’.

The old articles of ‘unnatural intercourse’ and ‘psychosexual disorders’ as reasons to dismiss a soldier from the army, are to be replaced with a new criteria: ‘sexual identity and behavioral patterns should be dominant and apparent in every part of life’.

February 5, 2013
English political pundits claim same-sex marriage is anti-gay

Roger Scruton and Philip Blond posted an anti-same-sex marriage message asof UK parliament debates gay marriage

Two English political commentators have claimed same-sex marriage is homophobic.

The philosopher and lecturer Roger Scruton, writing with fellow political commentator Philip Blond, made the claim on The Spectator's website, a UK political magazine known for its right-wing political leanings.

The article spoke of their 'profound reservations' about same-sex marriage because it would mean gay people conforming to 'heterosexual norms'.

January 31, 2013
UK parliament opens its doors for gay cure debates

Core Issues, an organization advocating discredited and dangerous ‘gay cures’, was given space in Britain’s parliament for an informal debate to push its views

A Christian group was given a committee room in Britain’s Houses of Parliament yesterday (31 January) to debate therapy to ‘cure’ gay people.

The event, which took place in Committee Room 11 of the Houses of Parliament yesterday was set up and promoted by Core Issues, a Christian group that has previously written disparagingly on LGBT issues.

January 30, 2013
Tennessee ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is back and now requires teachers to out students

A Tennessee bill that would ban teachers from discussing sexuality has been resurrected and now would require outing students

A bill nicknamed ‘Don't Say Gay’ that aims to prohibit teachers from discussing any sexuality except heterosexuality until students have completed grade eight has been resurrected in Tennessee.

The bill proposed by Republican State Senator Stacey Campfield, entitled officially ‘Classroom Protection Act’, prohibits elementary and middle school teachers from discussing sexual activity that is not related to ‘natural human reproduction’. It even bans the acknowledgment that homosexuality exists.

January 26, 2013
Bisexual women twice as likely to be abused as straight or lesbian women

A new US study finds that bisexual women have a higher prevalence rate of rape and sexual violence when compared to lesbian and straight women

Bisexual women in the US experience more violence than their gay and straight counterparts, a new study finds.

The Center for Disease and Control (CDC) released findings this week from a study that gauges the prevalence of sexual violence among LGBT men and women in the US.

The data, gathered in 2010 through first-person interviews consiting of questions that separate cases of physical violence, rape and stalking, reveals that:

January 26, 2013
Religious groups defend their right to discriminate

Lobby groups and academics tell Senate hearing that freedom of religion should not mean freedom to discriminate

Religious leaders spoke to a Senate hearing on Thursday to defend their exemptions in Australia's new Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill.

The Bill controversially includes exceptions for religious organizations, effectively allowing them to discriminate against sexual orientation and gender identity minorities.

January 24, 2013
Russian military to check recruits’ tattoos for signs of ‘gay’

As part of the Kremlin cracking down on homosexuality, commanders are being advised to look for tattoos on genitals and buttocks

Russian military recruits’ tattoos are going to be checked, as the Kremlin believes they could reveal signs of homosexuality.

According to the Defence Ministry’s central administration, soldiers will be given a thorough physical examination to look for tattoos in places such as the sexual organs and buttocks.

Based on a 2005 military psychology textbook, it reads: ‘The reason for getting tattoos could indicate a low culture or educational level.

January 15, 2013
Pro-life group urges UK schools to oppose gay marriage

Society for the Protection of Unborn Children writes to UK secondary schools warning that same-sex marriage bill will lead to 'promotion' of gay sex to children

A pro-life group is urging secondary schools in England and Wales to oppose the government's gay marriage bill, saying it will lead to the 'sexualisation' of children.

In a letter sent to headteachers, the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) warns that the legalization of equal marriage would 'undermine the true nature of marriage' which is to procreate.

January 9, 2013
The secret language of love

Wondering how to make your relationship better? GSN gets on the couch with psychologist Justin Duwe to try and learn some of the secrets.

I met Justin Duwe at a Starbucks near London’s Farringdon station - he was in regulation black (which seems to be the uniform for psychologists and counsellors), I was wearing a fluorescent yellow hoodie that I’d stolen from my ex-housemate. We must have looked a bit of a mismatch.

Duwe sipped on a green tea, I surreptitiously wolfed down some sushi that I’d bought from the shop next door.

December 27, 2012
Mexico begins accepting gay blood donations

Mexico this week began accepting blood donations from gay and bisexual men – becoming the first North American nation to do so. From now on sexual behavior not sexual orientation will determine who can donate

New blood donation regulations screening donors based on sexual history rather than sexual orientation have been implemented in Mexico, making it the first country in North America to end its ban on men who have sex with men donating blood.

The new regulations came into effect December 25 and now means any HIV and Hepatitis negative gay or bisexual man who has a history of safe sex and is not a sex worker or injecting drug user may donate blood.

The rule was approved in August and then published in the Official Journal of the Mexican Federation on October 26.

December 19, 2012
Paloma Faith: Gay weddings are better than straight ones

British singer says although she hates the idea of being married, gay weddings are 'exciting'

British singer-songwriter Paloma Faith has said gay weddings are better than straight ones. 

Speaking to Gaydar Radio, she said although she felt strongly about the right to making your decisions about sexuality and marriage, she personally hated the idea of getting married.

'As a heterosexual female, I hate the idea of getting married,' Faith said. 'But I've been to a few gay weddings and I think they're much more exciting than normal ones.'