LGBTQ

Rory Harbinson was "shocked and humiliated" following the incident. (Equality Commission of Northern Ireland) A gay man has said he felt “shocked and humiliated” after his manager tore down Pride posters in the workplace. Rory Harbinson, who works for the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, filed a complaint of harassment based on sexual orientation following the incident. Harbinson was assisted by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland in his case. The commission said in a statement issued on Thursday (8 July) that the trust had settled the case without admission...

Mina the Square Enix Pride mascot. (Square Enix) Square Enix have named their non-binary Pride mascot – say hello to Mina! For Pride Month, the Final Fantasy developer and publisher asked fans to name their Pride mascot. The mascot was specially designed by Final Fantasy artist Toshiyuki Itahana to represent diversity and freedom. Our #Pride Mascot designed by Toshiyuki Itahana represents diversity and freedom, and we want you to help name them! Reply to this tweet with a name idea and it might become part of Square Enix history.https://t.co/Mrs0HolY9g #loveislove...

A prisoner has applied for a judicial review over a ban on gay sex and condoms in Northern Irish prisons. (Envato Elements) A gay prisoner has launched a legal challenge against an archaic policy that prohibits sex between inmates in Northern Ireland’s prisons. The inmate, who is currently incarcerated in Maghaberry prison near Lisburn, is pursuing an application for a judicial review after the Northern Ireland Prison Service told him that condoms, lube, dental dams and disinfectant tablets aren’t allowed in the region’s prisons. In his application, the unnamed prisoner...

Katie Salmon attends the House of Mea show during London Fashion Week Spring/Summer collections 2017 on 18 September 2016. (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images) Love Island star Katie Salmon has rebuked recent allegations that her kiss with the late Sophie Gratton was “manipulated” by producers. Salmon appeared in the 2016 season of the British reality show after being voted in and coupled up with Gradon, who was previously partnered with Tom Powell. The pair went on a date, shared a kiss in the iconic villa and were Love Island‘s...

Stephen Knott (L) and Alastair Bruce (R) married in Edinburgh. (Twitter) An army general has shared details of his poignant wedding to his partner of 20 years on social media, telling his followers that “love is constant”. Army Major General Alastair Bruce married Stephen Knott at St John’s Episcopal Church in Edinburgh on Saturday (3 July) in a heartfelt ceremony. Alastair Bruce, who also serves as governor of Edinburgh Castle, shared a photo of himself and Knott standing outside the church following their wedding ceremony on Twitter on Sunday (4 July)....

Nintendo Switch OLED model. (Nintendo) Nintendo has surprise announced a brand new Switch model: the catchily named Nintendo Switch OLED. As you’d expect, it features a brand new 7 inch OLED screen that will offer brighter, sharper vivid colours. The current Switch has a 6.2 inch screen. There’s a new stand too that still flips out the back of the console but is much wider and more stable. It’s also adjustable to multiple heights. The other major new feature is the inclusion of a wired LAN port. This means the...

Darren Kennedy was called a "f****t" on Camden Street in Dublin. (Instagram) Gay television presenter Darren Kennedy has called out “everyday homophobia” after he was called a “f****t” on Camden Street in Dublin. Kennedy opened up about the shocking incident in a video posted to Instagram on Sunday (4 July) in which he told his followers that having the homophobic slur thrown at him “stung”. “I was on Camden Street minding my own business of a Saturday night when a group of guys walked by and one of them pointed...

Dyllón Burnside as Ricky in Pose. (FX) After taking his final bow as Ricky in Pose, Dyllón Burnside wants to talk about sex. Before he was an actor, Burnside toured with Rihanna and Stevie Wonder as part of 3D, the band he started with two cousins aged 12. Music is the way he processes the world, Burnside told PinkNews. But the industry didn’t give him the space he needed to explore who he is, and to come into his sexuality. So he quit, making his way to Pose – and worldwide...

After an Arkansas mother put up a Progress Pride flag on her home, she received an adorable note from a queer youth. (Stephanie Robertson/Instagram) A mother has received an adorable handwritten note from an LGBT+ youth all for hanging a Progress Pride flag outside her home in Paris, Arkansas all Pride Month-long. At a time when state lawmakers are cruelly curtailing the rights of trans youth, 52-year-old Stephanie Robertson hoisted up a rainbow flag bought by her son, Levi, to celebrate LGBT+ Pride Month. But Stephanie, a retired lieutenant colonel...

For the most part, we may not be able to visit actual music festivals this summer: but pop music is currently thriving virtually in video games. The Sims 4 is just the latest in a long line of games to offer a digital music experience, and it’ll be a world away from Glastonbury. From 29 June until 7 July, an in-game music festival called Sims Sessions will run with headline act Bebe Rexha who’ll be singing in Simlish.  She’ll be joined by Glass Animals lead singer Dave Bayley and singer,...

Britney Spears. (James Devaney/WireImage) Britney Spears reportedly dialled 911 to “report herself as a victim of conservatorship abuse”, according to an explosive The New Yorker investigation. In the latest dizzying twist in the saga of Britney’s conservatorship, the 39-year-old singer is understood to have phoned the police the day before her bombshell court testimony. Since 2008 following a mental health crisis, Britney has lived under a complex legal arrangement that has seen her personal and financial affairs controlled largely by her father, Jamie Spears. Living under this “abusive” arrangement for more...

Prime minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán has claimed that his cruel law banning the “promotion” of LGBT+ lives to minors is “not about homosexuality”. In June, Orbán and his ruling party passed legislation restricting the portrayal of LGBT+ people on media, school materials and advertisements aimed at minors. It was quickly compared to Russia’s “gay propaganda bill” and Britain’s Section 28. But faced with backlash from EU leaders, Orbán simply sidestepped their concerns with an astonishing claim at a European Council...

Minecraft. (Microsoft) Popular Minecraft streamer Dream has raised $140,000 this Pride Month for The Trevor Project, but has nevertheless been hit by a backlash for a perceived lack of streams. The Twitch streamer is known for courting controversy; accused of both racism and queerbaiting in the past, so this fundraising came as welcome news – initially at least. The money was raised between just two streams and three podcasts, with $20,000 in subscriptions, $60,000 in donations and $10,000 in ad revenue all donated to the cause. To this $90,000, $50,000...

Sha'Carri Richardson celebrates winning the Women's 100-metre final on day two of the 2020 US Olympic track and field team trials. (Getty/ Patrick Smith) US sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson could be out of the Olympics 100m dash after reportedly testing positive for cannabis. On Friday (2 July), sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Richardson tested positive for cannabis during the US Olympic trials last month. The sprinter, 21, won the 100-metre women’s sprint event at the track and field trials in Oregon, crossing the finish line in just 10.86 seconds and paving...