LGBTQ

Nikki Turietta (L) and Zaniyah Williams. (Facebook) A “free spirit” and a “beautiful butterfly” have become 2021’s latest victims of a gruelling “epidemic of trans violence” in the US. Nikki Turietta, a 31-year-old trans woman, was found shot in the head inside her home in Albuquerque, Nex Mexico on 31 December, according to local broadcaster KOB4. Turietta lived alone on Maggies Avenue. Her friends frantically raised the alarm after finding her unconscious through the window, leaving her loved ones questioning why someone would kill her. Jen Struck, Turietta’s aunt, described...

Indian filmmaker Onir. (Arijit Sen/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) A gay Bollywood’s director has blasted the Indian government’s decision to ban his film about a gay army officer. Onir, born Anirban Dhar, is best known for Mr Brother…Nikhil, one of the first mainstream Hindi films to explore HIV and same-sex relationships. Inspired by the real-life story of gay retired army officer Major J Suresh, who quit the forces over his sexuality, the filmmaker has proposed the film We Are. But India’s Ministry of Defence has allegedly blocked his efforts over...

Cher on the Betty White television special. (NBC) Cher thanked the late Betty White for being a friend as she covered The Golden Girls‘ theme song in a touching television tribute. With a glistening seven-decade-long career, White, who played the sweet but scatterbrained Rose Nylund on the iconic NBC series, captured the hearts of countless viewers with her love of life and pathbreaking attitudes. The Emmy, Grammy and SAG Award winner passed away only weeks before her 100th birthday after suffering a stroke in Los Angeles, California. Cher: ‘Thank you...

Elsa Frost was jailed after a campaign of abuse directed towards trans reality TV star Chelsey Harwood. (Merseyside Police/Liverpool Echo) Elsa Frost, the so-called “Banter Queen” of TikTok, has been jailed over an escalating feud with a trans reality TV star. Frost, of Whitefield Close in Woodchurch, Wirral, threw paint at the door of Chelsey Harwood‘s home and sent her a series of abusive messages, the Liverpool Echo reported. She also posted a series of offensive videos on her TikTok account about the Desperate Scousewives star between 1 January and 23...

Footballers’ Wives The Musical is heading to the stage and fans have been given a first look at one of its songs. As the nation prepares to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of the hit ITV series, a new musical is arriving just in time to help us all relive the fall and rise of femme fatale Tanya Turner. Footballers’ Wives The Musical will follow the captain’s wife as she struggles to keep her marriage to footballer and lothario, Jason Turner, amid groupies, meddling club chairmen, deception, betrayal and murder. The...

London Mayor Sadiq Khan during the parade at Pride in London 2019. (Tristan Fewings/Getty for Pride in London) A reformed Pride in London will return this summer. Pride in London has been twice cancelled due to the pandemic, while complaints of racism and bullying within its highest levels led to its co-chairs stepping down last year. The event, which draws some 1.5 million each year, will make its return this summer, on 2 July, with a promise to do better. “We are excited for the return of Pride in London and...

Jeopardy! star Amy Schneider’s record-breaking streak on the beloved game show has come to an end. Wednesday (26 January) saw Schneider’s 40-game reign ended by Chicago-based librarian Rhone Talsma, after Schneider had racked up nearly $1.4 million (£1 million) in prize money. The California-based software-engineering manager won the hearts of viewers during her incredible run, becoming the first woman to ever surpass $1 million in earnings on the series. In total she won nearly $1.4 million (£1m) Schneider holds the record for the second-longest streak on Jeopardy!, but she is most...

Pope Francis meets with attendees during the weekly general audience at Paul-VI Hall in the Vatican on 26 January 2021. (Filippo Monteforte/AFP via Getty) Pope Francis has urged parents worldwide to unconditionally support, not condemn, their children if they are gay. The leader of the Catholic Church made his latest gesture of outreach to the LGBT+ community in off the cuff statements during his weekly general audience on Wednesday (26 January). He spoke to the crowd about different “sad” situations that parents face in their children’s lives. This included coping...

Adelaide United's Joshua Cavallo warms up during a match against Western United on 17 December 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Getty/Jonathan DiMaggio) Australian football team Melbourne Victory is facing a steep fine over homophobic abuse directed at gay footballer Josh Cavallo. The A-League club has been fined $5,000 AUD (£2,650) by Football Australia after fans hurled hateful abuse at Josh Cavallo when his team Adelaide United played Melbourne Victory on 8 January. James Johnson, CEO of Football Australia, condemned the homophobic abuse and thanked Cavallo for his “courage in calling out...

Lesbian sues US Army and Air Force over boss' pressure to 'appear more feminine' (Screenshot via Fairness West Virginia) A lesbian member of the National Guard is suing the US Army and Air Force after her boss allegedly pressured her to “appear more feminine”. Kristin M Kingrey of the West Virginia Air National Guard (WVNG) said she lost out on two jobs after repeated comments that she should grow her hair and wear make-up, according to a report by the Daily Beast. Technical sergeant Kingrey, 37, filed a lawsuit on...

Ronan Gordon was beaten by queer nightclub bouncers, he claimed. (Instagram) What was meant to be a night of revelry ended in a beating at the hands of nightclub bouncers, a gay man has alleged, prompting police to launch an investigation. In the early hours of Saturday (22 January), Ronan Gordon, a 21-year-old Manchester local, was battered by “five bouncers” at Bloom, a mainstay of the city’s queer nightlife. Gordon said that while visiting the club on Bloom Street, security staffers without warning allegedly set upon him, leaving him with a fractured...

MP Päivi Räsänen arrives at the Helsinki District Court in Helsinki, Finland on 24 January. (AFP via Getty/ Lehtikuva / ANTTI AIMO-KOIVISTO) An MP in Finland went to trial on Monday (24 January), accused of hate speech after she said that gay people have a “developmental disorder”. Päivi Räsänen, a seventh-term member of the Finnish parliament, ex-chair of the Christian Democrats and former interior minister, was charged in April with inciting against a minority group over hateful statements she made about the LGBT+ community. The charges relate to a 2004 article...

JoJo Siwa celebrates coming out anniversary with sweet Instagram post (Amy Sussman/Getty Images) YouTube sensation JoJo Siwa has celebrated her coming out anniversary with an Instagram post, saying during the past year she has “felt more love than ever”. The 18-year-old came out in January 2021 by sharing a photo of herself to Twitter wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words: “Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever”. Celebrating the first anniversary of her coming out, Siwa shared the photo again, along with clips of her achievements since, including becoming the first contestant...

Drew Barrymore attends the Z100 IHeartRadio Jingle Ball Press Room on 10 December 2021 in New York City. (Taylor Hill/FilmMagic) Drew Barrymore has revealed how the cast of Queer Eye helped her reenter the dating scene after her divorce. The Charlie’s Angels star has been married three previous times to Jeremy Thomas, Tom Green and Will Kopelman. Barrymore and Kopelman, who have two children together, separated in 2016 after four years of marriage. After several years out of the dating world, Barrymore admitted in an interview with ET that it’s...