I can point to coming out as the beginning of a true strength, uniquely mine, as a man and as a human being. I’ve found clarity. I’ve found love. While it’s a continuing process and not always easy at first… it does get better… if you can, no matter how
– US TV series Teen Wolf star Charlie Carver in a social media message to his LGBTI fans.
A “RAINBOW crosswalk” is created outside the now-closed Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, as a tribute to the 49 people who were killed there in June 2016. It’s the first of many initiatives to commemorate those who were murdered in the horrific shooting, including lighted benches, murals, and a public area for reflection.
ONLINE MONEY transfer giant PayPal announces it will match donations from the public to Australia’s Yes campaign for marriage equality. The company says it will donate the same amount as anyone giving up to $250 via https://australiansforequality. nationbuilder.com/matchdonate. It calls for other Australian businesses to get involved, saying everyone has a social responsibility to support same-sex marriage and that it is “not about marriage. It’s actually about equality before the law.”
THE UN condemns the recent arrests of gay people in Azerbaijan, Egypt and Indonesia. They say those countries have violated international law.
ALSO AT THE UN, the US fails to condemn death penalty sentences against gay people. The Trump administration fails to support the motion along with countries where the practice is legal including in Saudi Arabia, where those found guilty can be stoned to death in public.
TWO GERMAN men make history by becoming the first same-sex couple to adopt a child. Michael and Kai Korok are the proud parents of a two-year-old boy named Maximilian. The men married the day after marriage equality was introduced in Germany on 1 October, 2017. THE EAST African country of Burundi announces it is launching an “official hunt” for LGBTI people as the government says that “homosexuality is against Burundi culture”. Reports suggest that several gay and trans people, including teenagers, are being held in prison and forced to pay large amounts of money to be released. Gay activists are condemning the arrests and helping to support anyone detained.
CALIFORNIA reduces the penalty for “knowingly exposing a sexual partner to HIV without first disclosing one’s status” from a felony to a misdemeanour. The move follows the argument from activists that criminalising HIV reduces rates of testing because not knowing removes blame.
BRITISH POLICE call for hook-up apps including Grindr to do more to protect its users after statistics reveal a huge rise in crime resulting from meets. Reports say that between 2011 and 2016, UK police recorded a 382 percent increase in offences related to strangers meeting via such apps. Most incidents go unreported.
AUSTRALIAN researchers announce success in early trials of a new online service aimed at improving mental health for people living with HIV. iAdapt is billed as “a worldfirst treatment of anxiety and depression in HIV”. It’s designed to help users self-diagnose and learn skills to manage issues. As the service can be accessed anywhere, more people living outside of cities can be cared for.
DESPITE a majority vote for marriage equality and a new gay prime minister, a study reveals that only a quarter of Irish people would accept an LGBTI person into their extended family. The survey was conducted to gauge public opinion on various groups of people including asylum seekers, people of faith, and gay, bisexual and trans communities.