LGBTQ

Britney Spears' father, Jamie Spears, has agreed to step down from his role as her conservator (Getty) Britney Spears’ father has finally agreed to step down as her conservator, according to court filings from his lawyers. Jamie Spears, 69, had previously resisted calls to stand down from the conservatorship that has dominated the star’s life for the last 13 years, insisting the court-ordered arrangement remained in her best interests. But after Britney’s blistering testimonies and threats to sue him for “conservatorship abuse”, he finally agreed to cede control – though...

Catholic Archbishop Heiner Koch speaks to a congregation in December 2016 (MICHAEL KAPPELER/AFP/Getty) The Archbishop of Berlin is set to appoint a pastoral minister for the LGBT+ community to help those who have been “painfully” sidelined by the Catholic church. Archbishop Heiner Koch made the pledge after a meeting with the Lesbian and Gay Association, the Berlin Archdiocese announced this week. The meeting was held to address the “contradictions” within the Catholic church after the Vatican renewed its decision to deny blessings for same-sex unions while simultaneously professing “solidarity” towards...

Joshua Bassett. (Amy Sussman/WireImage) High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star Joshua Bassett says coming out was “liberating” even though he endured “a lot of homophobia” afterwards. In May, Joshua Bassett, 20, gushed about Harry Styles in an adorable interview which he joked was his “coming out video“. Soon after, the actor clarified that he is a member of the queer community – a decision he came to see as “one of the easiest and most liberating” things he’s ever done. Speaking to Attitude, Bassett said: “I was, like, this...

Forensic expert Jo Millington. (Facebook/ Jo Millington) A gay forensic expert has won a huge payout after her boss made bizarre and offensive comments about her sexuality. Jo Millington is a successful forensic expert and blood pattern specialist who has been called as witness in high-profile court cases, been featured in true crime documentaries and even advised on the BBC drama Silent Witness.  In 2012, she starred working as the lead forensic scientist at ArroGen Forensics in Oxfordshire, and was later promoted to scientific director. But in 2017, she was forced to...

Everybody's Talking About Jamie will premiere on Prime Video this September. (YouTube) Amazon has unveiled a new trailer for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, and it’s filled with pure, unadulterated queer joy. The film, inspired by true events and based on the musical of the same name, will premiere worldwide on Prime Video from 17 September. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie centres on Jamie New, a teenager from Sheffield who dreams of a life on stage and a career as a fierce and proud drag queen. It’s based on the 2011 television documentary...

Fabio Fognini at the National Bank Open tennis tournament first round game on 9 August, 2021 in Toronto. (Icon Sportswire via Getty/ Julian Avram) Italian tennis player Fabio Fognini, who was condemned for his using homophobic slurs during the Olympics, returned to the court in a rainbow outfit. Fognini repeatedly yelled a homophobic slur after being defeated in the Olympics men’s singles tennis tournament. After a three-set loss to Russian Olympic Committee player Daniil Medvedev on 28 July, Fognini proceeded to slam his racket against the court and then throw...

Russell T Davies has called out Disney's "pathetic" attempts to include LGBT+ stories and called Loki's coming out scene a "feeble gesture". (Getty/Keith Mayhew/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Disney/Marvel) Russell T Davies has come out swinging against Disney’s “pathetic” attempts to include LGBT+ stories, calling Loki‘s bisexual coming out scene a “feeble gesture”. The It’s a Sin writer joined a virtual Pride month panel for Swansea University. Davies spoke at large about his career in screenwriting, telling queer stories and how the TV industry has changed over the years to include more LGBT+ characters....

Tierramarie Lewis was just 36 years old when she was shot and killed. (Human Rights Campaign) Tierramarie Lewis, a “kind” woman who was “failed by the system” has become at least the 33rd trans person killed in the US in 2021. According to the Buckeye Flame, on 12 June, police in Cleveland, Ohio, responded to a report of gunshots and found Lewis with just a faint pulse, having been shot in the chest. Although emergency services tried to revive her, the 36-year-old died in hospital. She was misgendered in the...

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. (Take-Two) Take-Two, publisher of the Grand Theft Auto series, has announced three new mystery remasters are on the way. Specifically, in an investor presentation, they mentioned three unannounced “new iterations of previously released titles” are being developed. Take-Two are the parent company of 2K and Rockstar Games, collectively responsible for the likes of Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, Borderlands, Bioshock and more. The company already has three remasters coming this year: the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S version of Grand Theft Auto V;...

Team GB's Tom Daley poses with bronze medal after the ceremony for the men's 10m platform final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on 7 August 2021. (Getty/Clive Rose) Olympian Tom Daley has spoken out about the importance of being an out athlete after being targeted in anti-LGBT+ commentary on Russian state TV. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently criticised Russia’s state-run TV channels for their vile homophobic and transphobic coverage of the Tokyo Olympic Games. One state-owned channel, Rossiya 1, particularly targeted Daley and trailblazing trans weightlifter Laurel Hubbard,...

Police Scotland have arrested and charged three men in connection with an attack against a gay couple in Edinburgh on 30 July 2021. (Getty/Ian MacNicol) Three men have been arrested and charged in connection to a “abhorrent” attack against a gay couple in Edinburgh’s city centre. The two gay men, who are understood to be a couple, brutally attacked and robbed on Edinburgh’s bustling Leith Street, near John Lewis, on 30 July. The incident happened around 9.20pm in front of a group of people. An eye witness told the Edinburgh...

An activist's silhouette is seen through a rainbow flag. (Getty) Six LGBT+ activists have been beaten up and forced to flee the town of Kamituga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Acts of anti-LGBT+ violence and harassment have intensified in the region in recent months, with many members of the local community accusing LGBT+ people of being in conflict with traditional practices. Some traditional chiefs and local community leaders have also claimed that the LGBT+ people are “satanic and diabolical”, according to advocacy site Erasing 76 Crimes. The six...

Amazon Prime Video is adding a number of big series to its platform in August. (YouTube) This August sees much-anticipated TV shows being added to Amazon Prime Video. Highlights include queer storylines in the anthology series Modern Love as well as shows featuring LGBT+ favourites Luke Evans, Nicole Kidman and her wigs and Schitt’s Creek’s Annie Murphy. All together there are five big series making their debut in the UK throughout August that are set to be your next go-to binge watch. The new shows will be available to stream...

Protestor holds 'Trans Lives Matter' placard during protest in Warsaw, 2018. (Getty/Maciej Luczniewski) An investigation is being opened into the brutal murder of Cindy Jones Torres, a trans woman found dead with multiple stab wounds in the Philippines. The 39-year-old was found dead on 28 July in her salon in Guiginto, Bulacan. It is believed she was killed by a man who was allegedly borrowing money from her. A suspect has been arrested, however, according to CNN Philippines, he has claimed that he acted in self-defence. It is believed the suspect will use...