New research suggests bisexual men experience body dissatisfaction differently from gay men.
Bi men are reportedly less motivated to be lean and show a lower dissatisfaction rate with their muscularity, while gay men show a higher drive, according to psychologists at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), in the UK.
After interviewing more than 370 gay, bisexual and straight cisgender white men as part of a study on body satisfaction, the study showed that men who identify as bi are more likely to have the same sort of opinions about body satisfaction as straight men.
However, results for other concerns, including height, penis size and capability, remained consistent among all sexual orientations.
The study, “Tackling bisexual erasure: An explorative comparison of bisexual, gay and straight cisgender men’s body image” was published in an effort to tackle the “homogenous” way that gay and bi men are grouped in research.
New research has shown why bisexual men should not be grouped with gay men when it comes to body image. (Getty)
Dr Liam Cahill, the project’s lead researcher and a lecturer in LGBTQ+ psychology at NTU, said the traditional act of grouping bisexual and gay men is outdated.
“Traditionally, bisexual men have been grouped in the same category as gay men when it comes to body image research,” he said. “Our findings show they are unique in how they experience differences in their body image.”
While society generally has a preference for men to be “muscular or lean with low body fat,” bisexual men’s dissatisfaction with their physique is only compounded when integrating with the gay community, he added.
However, the study’s results still suggest that, while bisexual and straight men are less dissatisfied with their muscularity, societal pressures still influence all men – regardless of sexuality.
“When it comes to increased pressure and dissatisfaction related to muscularity, previous studies have found that gay men’s stronger preference for muscular partners may contribute to their higher levels,” Cahill said. “This is a pressure that bisexual men may only experience when they are integrated with the gay community, hence their dissatisfaction is lower.”
This means that bi, straight and gay men all experience the same motivation to gain muscle and lose body fat, but gay men are typically more dissatisfied with the results.
“The experiences of bisexual men are often overlooked in research,” the study concluded. “Bisexual people experience greater stigma, marginalisation and prejudice than other sexual [minority] identities.
“As of the most recent review of this issue, only a small number of studies have explored bisexual and gay men’s body image differences.
“Our findings contradict the view that bisexual and gay men experience similar body-image concerns concerning their drive for leanness and muscularity dissatisfaction.”
LGBTQ+ Ukrainians have stood in defiance at Kharkiv Pride just 18 miles (30km) from the Russian border as the war between the two countries rages on.
The sixth annual Kharkiv Pride parade took place on Sunday (15 September) with scores of queer people taking part in an “auto Pride”, where cars were driven through the town centre, with Ukrainian and LGBTQ+ Pride flags flying from their windows.
A similar event took place in Kharkiv during the pandemic in 2020 as a way to uphold social-distancing regulations.
Organisers estimated that 13 cars filled with about 60 passengers drove across the city’s main avenues, promoting the need to uphold human rights, as onlookers celebrated. Auto Pride was chosen to “ensure maximum safety” of participants considering the challenges faced by Russia’s invasion more than two-and-a-half years ago.
Each car carried messages urging the Ukrainian parliament to pass legislation criminalising hate crimes, including Bill 5488, which recognises different sentences for crimes committed on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Cars drove through the city as part of Kharkiv Pride. (Supplied/KharkivPride)
While LGBTQ+ rights in Ukraine are improving, same-sex marriage is still banned under Article 51 of the constitution, passed in 1996, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Animosity toward homosexuality remains high, with more than 62 per cent of Ukrainians believing it is “not justifiable”, according to a World Values Survey in 2022.
Others in the parade urged European countries to help protect Kharkiv and support Ukraine in the war.
“We remember every day how important Ukraine’s victory is,” Kharkiv Pride co-organiser Anna Sharygina said. “Just as important to us is the fight for equal rights and the protection of the LGBTQ+ community. People who are fighting, risking their lives, cannot be denied their rights. It is both unjust and undignified, and the war has only highlighted these challenges.”
Several LGBTQ+ participants have served in the Ukrainian armed forces, or still are.
One of them, who uses the call sign “Sapsan,” urged the Ukrainian forces to acknowledge the presence of queer people in the army.
“Those who attend the march represent the voices of those on the front lines and, sadly, those who are no longer with us,” he said, before urging the government to pass Bill 5488.
The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear a legal challenge to a Tennessee banon trans healthcare.
The bill, approved by state lawmakers last year, mimics similar laws in other states, with civil penalties for any adult who aids a minor to receive getting out-of-state gender-affirming care without their parent’s consent.
Several families, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued Tennessee to prevent the bill passing into law.
The case will now be heard by the country’s top court in October.
The ACLU’s deputy director for trans justice, Chase Strangio, said: “The future of countless transgender youth in this and future generations rests on this court adhering to the facts, the constitution and its own modern precedent.
“These bans represent a dangerous and discriminatory affront to the well-being of transgender youth across the country and their constitutional right to equal protection under the law. They are the result of an openly political effort to wage war on a marginalised group and our most fundamental freedoms.”
Following the Supreme Court’s decision to take the case, 64 trans adults, including actor Elliot Page, filed a brief sharing their own experiences.
What is the Supreme Court case US v Skrmetti?
Following the passing of the bill in the state house of representatives and senate, the ACLU, and Lambda Legal, aided by lawyers from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, sued Tennessee.
The pushback was, to a large degree, over the bill’s aim to outlaw medical care for trans youngsters up to the age of 18, while those currently receiving gender-affirming care would have been forced to end it by July 2023.
Samantha Williams, from Nashville, who brought the case on behalf of her trans 15-year-old daughter, said it was “incredibly painful” to watch her child suffer as a consequence of the proposed legislation.
“We have a confident, happy daughter now, who is free to be herself and she is thriving,” Williams said. “I am so afraid of what this law will mean for her.”
In June 2023, a federal judge blocked the bill from going forward. But a federal appeal court overturned that decision last September, allowing the bill to go into effect, a decision the ACLU described as “beyond disappointing.”
In June this year, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. While the outcome will specifically affect the Tennessee bill, it is likely to set a legal precedent for similar laws in other states.
Data collected and shared by the ACLU found that at least 530 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been proposed in the US since the beginning of the year, with 112 of those being healthcare restrictions.
Lambda Legal senior lawyer Tara Borelli said: “This court has historically rejected efforts to uphold discriminatory laws. Without similar action here, these punitive, categorical bans on the provision of gender-affirming care will continue to wreak havoc on the lives of transgender youth and their families.”
LGBTQ+ asylum seekers have shared their gruelling experiences as detainees in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, as part of a new report.
An analysis into the mistreatment of LGBTQ+ and HIV-positive individuals while in US federal immigration jails revealed that almost one in three of those interviewed were sexually assaulted, and almost all were harassed because of their sexuality.
Not-for-profit organisation Immigration Equality, which published the report, added that roughly half the participants (20 of 41) were subjected to solitary confinement.
Bridget Crawford, Immigration Equality’s director of law and policy, told independent publication The 19th that ICE detention centres were a “critical lifeline” for LGBTQ+ refugees fleeing “unimaginable violence and torture”, adding: “Their experience in detention compounds the trauma that many of these queer and trans asylum seekers faced in their home country.”
One of those participants, Nikolai, described his time in custody as “completely disgusting” and he felt treated as “second class”. Diagnosed with depression prior to his detainment, he claimed that he was denied antidepressant medication by jail staff despite his mental health deteriorating.
“Imagine sitting in jail and not getting your medication,” he told the researchers. “You’re feeling worse and worse and worse.”
Upon entering the detainment centre in San Diego, California, Nikolai noted that certain cells had the words “HIV”, “gay,” and “transgender” written on the doors. Conditions were “like a zoo” and little was done to hide the identities of queer or HIV-positive detainees, leaving them open to abuse.
Another detainee, a trans woman called Tara, claimed that the guards “beat us like dogs” and that, after being outed, “the other detainees also beat me”.
She was reportedly laughed at and mocked when she asked to speak to a lawyer and was told the only way she could leave was through a deportation order.
Four of the 41 participants reported “outright hostility” from ICE staff when asserting their right to legal representation, and seven said they did not even know they were allowed to contact a lawyer.
Sexual harassment and abuse have also been found to be prevalent within ICE custody centres. A study for the research and advocacy group the Center for American Progress in 2018 revealed that, while LGBTQ+ people make up just 0.14 per cent of detainees, they are the victims of 12 per cent of the sexual abuse cases.
Eighteen participants in the latest research reported being sexual abused or physically assaulted, including Karina, who alleged that she was attacked be a male inmate in the shower after being incarcerated in a men’s detention unit.
After reporting the sexual assault, she was taken to hospital to prove she had “really [been] raped” and was forced to undress in front of a male immigration officer.
After experiencing a mental-health crisis following the ordeal, she was put in solitary confinement, she claimed.
Democrat politician and LGBTQ+ rights activist Kim Coco Iwamoto has made history by becoming Hawaii’s first transgender House representative.
Iwamoto ousted fellow Democrat Scott Saiki – who has been speaker of the house since 2017 – from the 25th district seat, in the primary elections on Sunday (11 August).
The district covers Honolulu and Kaka’ako, two areas where recent infrastructure booms have transformed the landscape.
As a civil rights attorney and former school board member, Iwamoto’s campaign hinged on progressive policies for addressing homelessness, exposing government corruption and promoting small businesses.
Kim Coco Iwamoto with two of her supporters. (Facebook)
She said she was “so happy”, but a bit shocked, to have won. She had lost out to Saiki in two previous elections.
“Given the last two [primaries], it feels great to have this experience, especially knowing that so many very powerful people endorsed him. I wasn’t just campaigning against him, I was campaigning against the entire Democratic establishment in some ways.”
Who is Kim Coco Iwamoto?
Born on the Hawaiian island of Kauai on 26 May 1968, Iwamoto’s life has been defined by her connection to America’s 50th state. Initially educated at Hokulani Elementary, she moved schools several times before graduating in 1986.
Shortly after finishing her undergraduate degree, Iwamoto became involved with volunteering and local community groups in New York, where she helped support homeless youngsters, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals, which was part of her motivation for attending law school.
She eventually completed a local government programme at Harvard University in 2011 and went on sit on the Hawaii State Board of Education, representing the island of O’ahu, becoming the highest-ranking out trans person elected to a government position in the US.
The parents of a transgender teenager who took his own life have called for more support for youngsters waiting for care.
15-year-old Jason Pulman was found dead in Hampden Park, Eastbourne, East Sussex, in April 2022. He had been on an NHS gender identity service waiting list for more than two years.
Jason, who was trans masc, had been referred in 2020, but was told several months later that there was a 26-month wait just for a first appointment.
In April, an inquest jury found systemic failures by a range of services supporting Jason could have contributed to his death. Mark Pulman had noted that his stepson became increasingly frustrated over the lack of support and appeared to have “given up,” adding: “I know it broke Jason.”
The teenager’s mother, Emily, urged national services to do more to support trans under-18s on the waiting list. “They need so much more resources and not to have one appointment that’s years away,” she said.
“There needs to be regular input with these kids, so it’s not just about their gender, it’s about their mental health overall.”
Information collected by PA Media and reported by The Guardian suggests that more than 5,700 under-18s are waiting an average of 100 weeks for a first appointment.
Waiting times have only been exacerbated by the closure of what was England’s only youth gender clinic, at The Tavistock Centre in North London.
Jason’s stepfather believes that the numbers are “hugely underestimated” and added that he hopes families are given faster responses and emotional support.
“We want to change the system and we want to change it for the families because it’s a very lonely, isolating place to be when you think you’re the only person whose child is going through this,” he told the BBC.
“I don’t want people to think [being] transgender and suicide are the same thing, because they are not. I don’t want people to automatically be fearful. If your child feels [they are transgender], you’ve got to believe them and support them.”
Families of trans children need to take charge of the system and not to let it “take charge of you,” he added.
“Be on the phone, email them, push for more information,” he urged. “Never take it on face value that this [appointment] is going to be the answer to your problems because there’s going to be more support needed, like counselling for the whole family.”
A 29-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder after a trans teenager’s remains were discovered in Pennsylvania.
14-year-old Pauly Likens’ dismembered body was found near the Golden Run Wildlife Area, next to the Shenango River Reservoir in Sharpsville.
They were last seen on 22 June after leaving a friend’s home at 9.30pm, according to police. Surveillance footage the following day shows Likens getting into a vehicle driven by a man alleged to be DaShawn Watkins.
Police say Watkins then made several trips from his home on 24 June, carrying duffel and rubbish bags.
Likens was reported missing the following day, and their remains were found less than 24 hours later.
The Mercer County coroner identified the remains and gave the cause of death as sharp force trauma to the head.
Watkins has also been charged with aggravated assault, abuse of a corpse and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
A memorial fund for Likens was launched on Go Fund Me.
“Pauly was taken from us far too soon,” it reads. “They were a bright and loving individual, cherished by all who knew them.
“Their life was filled with promise and potential and their untimely passing has left a void that can never be filled.”
It’s no secret that living in the UK as a trans person right now sucks.
Whether it’s politicians not letting up on their attacks against trans people or the Cass Report spelling uncertainty for the future, the transgender community in Britain has had it tough over the past decade.
But never fear, it turns out that there are other countries in the world – many of which are doing far better on trans rights than the land some have colourfully called “TERF Island.”
Several countries have passed Britain when it comes to trans equality, with many offering self-ID laws, a conversion therapy ban and medical waiting times for hormone therapy that don’t range from years to decades.
Here are just a few of the countries way better than the UK.
Spain
Spain’s “trans law” makes it a great place to live. (Getty)
Spain is quite possibly one of the most popular and famously great places for trans people to live. Not only does the country have self-ID laws and anti-discrimination policies, but it has also become a popular destination for private surgery services.
In late 2022, legislative body the Congress of Deputies of Spain passed a “trans law” which, among other details, allows unrestricted gender self-determination of minors from the age of 16. Those aged 14 and 15 are able to change sex on documents against the will of their parents if they win a legal case, with the support of a legal defender provided by the authorities. Children aged 12 and 13 can do the same change if a judge permits it.
Medical transition is also easily accessible through healthcare services.
The law also bans conversion therapies even when the person has asked for them, with anyone continuing the practices facing large fines.
And Spain’s citizens are overwhelmingly accepting of trans people, with 71 per cent of people saying they support gender-affirming care access for everyone, including teenagers.
Iceland
The Icelandic capital Reykjavik holds Pride celebrations in August. (Getty)
Iceland’s acceptance of transgender people has increased greatly over the past few years, making it one of the best countries in Europe – arguably the world – to transition.
Not only does the public overwhelmingly support LGBTQ+ individuals, including trans people, but a set of policies enacted since 2019 has made it one of the safest places for transgender men and women to live.
Equaldex, a community-driven equality index for LGBTQ+ rights, ranks the Nordic country as the best place to live as a queer person.
Transgender Europe, a not-for-profit organisation, which focuses on trans rights in the continent, has listed it as one of the best places to transition, with 30 of 32 indicators met – including non-discrimination laws, healthcare and legal gender recognition.
Canada
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau joined Pride in Toronto. (Getty)
Canada’s reputation as an inclusive country for trans people has become all-the-more-welcome given the rise of transphobia in the neighbouring US.
The country is widely known as a refuge for trans Americans seeking to escape the volatility of politics in their homeland.
It’s reputation is more than justified, with protective laws and recognition of trans people spanning across legislation, including the recognition of non-binary people, housing discrimination prevention laws, and no restrictions on changing gender.
If that’s not enough, 78 per cent of Canadians support protecting trans people, while 58 per cent back trans healthcare for everyone, including those under the age of 18.
Chile
Queer Chileans have protections and support that people in the UK can only dream about. (Getty)
Chile’s long list of pro-trans and pro-LGBTQ+ laws speaks for itself. Not only has the South American country implemented self-ID, it also offers easily accessible trans healthcare, and even officially recognised non-binary people’s right to change gender two years ago.
Interestingly, Chile’s acceptance of LGBTQ+ rights as a whole seems to have lagged behind its protections for trans people, with the country electing its first transgender politician even before same-sex marriage was legalised.
Nonetheless, the overwhelming support for both trans and queer people is abundantly clear, with 80 per cent of people backing trans discrimination protection legislation.
Australia
Laws vary from Australian state to state but there’s always Sydney Mardi Gras. (Getty)
While Australia’s treatment of trans people and LGBTQ+ people at large varies from region to region, overall rights are far more widespread than in the UK.
Although things such as changing legal gender and anti-discrimination laws vary widely depending on which part of the huge county you’re in – some states require a year-long wait for gender recognition – on a federal level, Oz is widely supportive, with gender-affirming care access and discrimination protections.
Australia showed its feelings for trans people during the infamous visit of anti-trans pundit Posie Parker, with politicians and the majority of the public telling her to “get in the bin“.
Norway
Despite some negatives, Norway has laws that are beneficial to LGBTQ+ people. (Getty)
With its representation, anti-discrimination and right to healthcare laws, Norway is one of the best European countries to be in if you’re looking to transition.
While the country is still behind on things such as recognising non-binary people and gender-affirming care for under-18s, it offers housing discrimination bans, no censorship laws, adoption rights and self-ID.
Unfortunately, the country has begun restricting gender-affirming care for minors, citing an “uncertainty” and “lack of comprehensible research”, despite the overwhelming view of the public that it should be accessible.
Uruguay
Pride in Montevideo is a riot of colour. (Getty)
If you are looking for a place to live in South America as a trans person, look no further than Uruguay. The country is widely considered one of the safest places in the continent to be transgender and its laws play a large part in that.
Like many other countries, it is behind on recognising non-binary people on legal documents, but its laws on self-ID, discrimination protections and gender-affirming care access are among some of the best.
Uruguay lifted its requirement for surgery to recognise a trans person’s gender identity in 2018 and has implemented other pro-trans legislation since then.
Malta
Malta is widely considered a safe haven for LGBTQ+ people. (Getty)
Widely considered to be one of the best places to live not just as a trans person, but as an LGBTQ+ person in general, Malta is a safe haven for transgender people looking to live their life in peace, free from harmful rhetoric.
The small island, located in the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, features trans rights legislation that is, by the measure of several organisations, considered to be some of the best.
Non-binary gender recognition, housing discrimination protections, self-ID, gender-affirming care and censorship laws are just some of the policies implemented in a country where the public is incredibly tolerant to boot.
Trans non-binary middle-distance runner Nikki Hiltz is on their way to the Paris Olympics after a nail-biting finish at a trial race.
The American track star defended their national championship in a final 1500m race at the US Olympic Track and Field trials, with a record time of 3 minutes, 55.33 seconds.
During the intense final push between Hiltz, Elle Purrier St. Pierre and Emily Mackay, the trans non-binary competitor held off the competition.
Hiltz’s win, the second-fastest by an American in the event, means they will make their Olympic debut in Paris later this year.
Olympian St. Pierre, who had already qualified for Paris, took command in the race’s first 61 seconds, telling reporters after the race that she knew the “field was really deep” and wanted to make it “honest”. But in the final lap, Hiltz and Mackay began to close the gap, culminating in a bolt towards the finish line.
“I told myself: ‘I’m not going to think about all the love and support until 100m to go. Then you can let it all fill you up and push you to the finish line’,” Hiltz said.
Their partner, Emma Gee – the first out LGBTQ+ student athlete to compete for Brigham Young University, in Utah – congratulated them in several Instagram posts.
“Y’all, they are headed to Paris,” she wrote. “Nikki Hiltz is an Olympian. Olympic Trials 1500m champion.”
Speaking to the Paris 2024 Olympics press team, Hiltz said that despite being ready for the event, their competitive prowess was still a shock.
“A month ago I was in 3:59 shape, now 3:55,” they said. “Where I’ll be in a month? I don’t know and I don’t want to put limits on that. I knew I was going to have to [set a personal record] to make this team, but 3:55? I haven’t gotten my head around that. I haven’t wrapped my head around the Olympics… there’s so much catching up to do.”
Hiltz came out publicly as trans non-binary in 2021, writing on Instagram: “Hi I’m Nikki and I’m transgender. That means I don’t identify with the gender I was assigned at birth. The word I use currently to describe my gender is non-binary. The best way I can explain my gender is as fluid.”
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star Bulk “Dirty Bulk” Bronson is celebrating Pride month by coming out publicly as bisexual.
The squared-circle performer, who is one-third of the wrestling tag-team the Iron Savages, came out via a social media post on X/Twitter on Monday (3 June).
As part of a quote-tweet chain in which users post “you and your flag,” Bronson responded to Create a Pro Women’s Champion, Gabby Forza – who he is engaged to – with a selfie and the bisexual flag.
Bronson’s post was met with a wave of support from fans and fellow wrestlers alike, several of whom took Bronson’s courage as a chance to respond with them and their own flags.
“Hell yeah big dog!” one supportive user wrote, while another wrote: “Love you, happy for you!”
The former WWE 24/7 champion, who also features in rival promotion Ring of Honour (RoH), responded to the outpouring of support in a heartwarming statement.
“The last 24 hours have just been so overwhelming every since openly admitting that I am bisexual,” he wrote. “I’ve been left speechless by the endless phone calls, texts, DM’s, replies from faithful fans, my close friends … and so many others I’ve had new interactions with.
“The love of my life has always lifted me up and been proud of me from the second I admitted my sexuality to her when we started dating,” he said, talking about Forza’s support.
“I feel like the luckiest guy in the world today. I love every single one of you for making me feel this way. Thank you. Happy Pride.”
Forza responded to the post saying she was “emotional” over her partner’s announcement, adding in a post: “I love you so, so much.
“Happy Pride month to my sweetie & all our loving friends that have made his day and this experience so loving.”
Who is Bulk Bronson?
Bronson debuted in AEW and RoH in 2020 alongside the tag team partner Boulder, named Bear Boulder at the time.
Originally called the Bear Country, the pair previously won tag team championships in both Extreme Wrestling Alliance and Chaotic Wrestling.
They rebranded to the Iron Savages in 2022 after Boulder sustained an injury that left the team inactive for almost an entire year.
In the process, Boulder and Bronson revealed a third member, Jacked Jameson. The tag-team trio debuted in May 2023 in a match against The Wingmen which the Bleacher Report described as “quick but had some fun moments sprinkled through.”
