The first out gay Lord Mayor of Belfast, Micky Murray, has been sworn into office in a historic first for Northern Ireland’s capital city.
Murray was installed at the annual general meeting of council at Belfast City Hall on Monday (3 June).
The Alliance councillor, who represents the Balmoral area, wrote on X/Twitter post, that he felt “honoured to have been given this opportunity to represent our great city”.
He went on to say: “As the city’s first openly gay Lord Mayor, I want Belfast to be a place where everyone feels welcomed and included. A more inclusive, diverse and kinder city makes it better for everyone.
“I’m looking forward to meeting with groups and organisations city-wide who are working to achieve these goals and to using my time as Lord Mayor to highlight their work and showcase all that is good within our city.”
‘I promise to represent Belfast to the best of my ability’
Among his priorities is helping those affected by long-term homelessness because he is “passionate about helping those with addiction and other challenges to break the cycle”.
He added: “I promise to represent Belfast to the best of my ability, with passion, enthusiasm and commitment and represent everyone right across the community.”
Murray’s appointment comes shortly after two three-year-old twin girls were involved in a suspected “transphobic-motivated hate crime” that was directed at their transgender father in Northern Ireland’s capital.
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.”
A surfing competition has been told to let transgender women compete or risk a violation of a local law.
A two-day surf contest is set to take place in Huntington Beach, California, this weekend (11 May), but, in a decision that has divided opinion, contest organisers informed Australian trans surfer Sasha Jane Lowerson that she could not take part.
The California Coastal Commission has said local events that ban trans women from participating in the women’s division could face being shut down.
Lowerson said she applied for the competition as she fitted within criteria set by the International Surfing Association with regard to testosterone levels, adding that she could prove they are below the required threshold.
“I was really disappointed and surprised [at being excluded],” she told the BBC. “You can’t cherry-pick the rulebook. If you’re going to use the rulebook, you use all of it.”
Lowerson believes trans women have no unfair advantage in the sport. “It’s not a race, it’s about style, flow, grace,” she explained. “As a long-boarder, it’s more like ballet on a wave.”
Last month, Todd Messick, whose American Longboard Association organises the competition, announced that trans women wouldn’t be allowed to compete in the women’s division.
Messick said the decision aimed to “offer an equal playing field for all athletes,” but he told the BBC he was “surprised by the amount of anger” the move generated.
In a letter to Messick, the California Coastal Commission said: “Prohibiting, or unfairly limiting, transgender athletes from competing in this or any surf competition that takes place in the coastal waters of California does not meet the requirements of the public access policies of the Coastal Act.”
Pro surfer Bethany Hamilton joined in a backlash against a Rip Curl campaign. (Pink News)
At the start of the year, Lowerson was featured as part of a Rip Curl campaign, which resulting in a backlash on social media. Professional surfer Bethany Hamilton joined in the criticism alongside former college swimmer Riley Gaines, and Lowerson’s photos were removed from the surfing sportswear manufacturer’s social media platforms.
Trans athletes’ participation in sport continues to divide opinion. Last year, the World Surf League announced its new policy on trans athletes. The guidelines require transgender participants to maintain a testosterone level of less than five nanomoles per litre for at least 12 months in order to compete in the women’s division.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted a priority review for a trans-inclusive cervical screening at-home test to become approved in the US, and we think it’s high time for a change.
For women, trans and non-binary people with uteruses, undergoing a regular cervical smear to prevent and detect cervical cancer can be an unpleasant experience due to the cold and down-right uncomfortable speculum used. Some gender-diverse people also experience gender-based discrimination in such appointments.
The outdated device used in pelvic appointments to separate the vaginal walls can be cold and uncomfortable. The clamp-like instrument was invented in the mid-19th century and hasn’t adapted much since its bleak origins.
But the wait for a trans-inclusive and women’s-forward cervical screening at-home test might not be much longer, as the Teal Wand has been granted Breakthrough Device Designation status from the FDA. This means once the women-owned brand Teal Health submits its final study, it will be fast-tracked for a review.
This status is reserved for devices which the FDA believes could provide more effective diagnosis or treatment of life-threatening diseases, as well as their potential to benefit populations impacted by healthcare disparities.
The new device allows people at risk of cervical cancer (all those with a cervix who are or have been sexually active) to perform their pap smear in the comfort of their own home with less discomfort, nerves and pain, compared to in-clinic collection methods, according to clinical trial results.
The tool combines a wand designed to fit all bodies”, a dial which “moves up and down to extend and retract the sponge”, and a soft sponge which collects the cervical cells for testing.
Similar self-collection screenings for cervical cancer are already available in other countries. In Australia, the government introduced such tests in July 2022.
Western Carolina University in North Carolina is investigating after a student confronted and filmed a trans woman in toilets on the campus grounds.
In the clip, which was filmed on the Western Carolina University (WCU) campus, the person behind the camera can be heard asking the trans woman what she is doing in the female toilets.
“Going to the bathroom,” the trans individual responds.
“Why are you in the girls’ bathroom?” the camera operator probes, continuing to challenge the trans woman’s presence.
In response, the person being questioned replies that she is a trans girl, to which the woman retorts: “But you’re not a girl.”
Remaining cool, the individual being filmed replies “Interesting. Never had this before. I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry you feel that way.”
The person filming claims they “pay a lot of money” to be safe in the female toilets, to which the trans woman agrees and starts to leave.
After the footage, which PinkNews has chosen not to publish, was shared on social media, it was picked up by conservative online platform LibsofTikTok, sparking a barrage of transphobic abuse.
However, a number of people also came to the trans woman’s defence and pointed out how inappropriate it was for the person behind the camera to film a stranger in such a setting without their consent.
In a statement given to The Advocate, a WCU spokesman said: “Western Carolina University is dedicated to fostering a safe and welcoming environment for all students. The university’s primary concern is the safety and wellbeing of all members of its campus community.”
The spokesperson added that the matter was being investigated.
Meanwhile, in the UK all new non-residential buildings could be forced to have separate male and female toilets under proposed legislation from the Conservative-led UK government in an attempt to ban gender-neutral facilities.
A policy proposed by the Department for Levelling Up on Monday (6 May) will prevent all non-domestic new builds, including restaurants, shopping centres, offices, and more, from having gender-neutral toilets.
A transgender high school athlete has told a New Hampshire state legislature that she did not join women’s sports with the goal of “dominating competition” in powerful testimony.
16-year-old trans high jump state champion, Maelle Jacques, told politicians that sports had become a place that allowed her to “be seen as normal,” and that rescinding her right to compete would be devastating.
“If banned from sports teams and locker rooms, joining male teams wouldn’t be a choice for me,” she said.
Her speech came during a Tuesday (23 April) debate on a bill which would have forced New Hampshire trans athletes to compete in male-only competitions.
During the Education Committee vote, Jacques said that she was in opposition to the bill, as it would stop her from enjoying something she has loved “throughout my entire life.”
“Playing soccer since the age of three, when I began my transition in the sixth grade my school welcomed me into the girls’ team,” she said.
“This act of being part of the team allowed me to skip through the phase of social ostracisation. The other girls accepted me as who I was.
“Being part of the team allowed me to be seen as normal, where everywhere else I could be perceived as a pariah.”
She continued that she didn’t join sports “with the goal of dominating competition or being better than anyone else,” but to feel a sense of belonging.
“No one would go through the bullying and self hatred of transition purely to win a sport, especially woman’s sports, which are under-appreciated in our nation.
“I joined because it is something I am passionate about and enjoy.”
New Hampshire votes to kill sports bill
Following Maelle Jacques and testimony from several other people, the bill was killed by the Education Committee in a 19-1 vote.
A similar bill, HB 1205, is still in processing after passing through the House in March, according to local outlet, Seacoast Online. It would explicitly prohibit transgender girls from entering female locker rooms and block them from competition.
Committee chairman and Republican representative, Rick Ladd, said the bill was shot down because the House bill has already passed, and the newly implemented bill extends its remit, which he said the GOP “did not support when we passed our initial bill.”
New Hampshire state capitol. (Getty)
Republican Mike Belcher, said: “I don’t mind the idea of telling colleges and universities what we need to be doing on this, but my hang-up here is that in this bill, there is an exception that allows young women to participate on boys’ teams.
“I believe that is somewhat inconsistent with the goal of preventing injury,” he said, commenting on trans men participating in male competition. “I also think boys’ sports deserve to be protected.“
Democratic House representative David Luneau said the bill, and those like it, should be thrown out of New Hampshire state legislature entirely.
“We think [the bill] doesn’t have any place, doesn’t have any business in New Hampshire,” he said. “And frankly, what we heard from almost 40 people yesterday that, hey, these kids just want to play and be part of the team.”
Recent reports are claiming that several professional footballers plan to come out as gay on 17 May.
German newspaper Preußische Allgemeine Zeitung has reported that numerous national players plan to come out before the end of the Bundesliga, the professional football league in Germany.
The German outlet has quoted Marcus Urban as a source. Urban is a former footballer in Germany who came out after retiring. He was the second player worldwide to come out, only after British player Justin Fashanu in 1990. Fashanu was the only prominent player in pro English football to come out, until Jake Daniels in 2022.
Urban is a co-founder of Diversero, a global community for diversity that is said to be in contact with the relevant players.
“May 17th is an offer,” Urban told the German outlet. “A date that you could use as a guide and get together as a group.
Urban has shared that in a private group chat, there are active conversations surrounding this plan.
“There is controversy there. Do I still want to wait until the world of football becomes the way I want it to be? Why should I wait?”
“An interesting dynamic has come into play, you can see that people’s minds are starting to move and are thinking about whether it really makes sense to continue to hide and deny themselves.”
“There are also gay Bundesliga couples who are in hiding. That would be so liberating. What’s wrong with it?”
The collective coming out plan is reportedly named Sports Free. There is also said to be a documentary, named Hide and Seek, that will chronicle the stories of the players involved in this collective coming out.
“The footballers will see that they are just a small building block in a big game,” Urban remarked about the project.
Have there ever been any gay Premier League footballers?
To date, there haven’t yet been any out, gay footballers playing in the UK Premier League. Justin Fashanu didn’t play in the Premier League. He did have a trial for Newcastle United in 1991, but they were a second division team at the time.
That hasn’t stopped tabloids speculating, of course. The Sun claimed in November 2022 that two Premier League players in the same team “are in a relationship and open about being a gay couple”.
However, to date, the truth behind these rumours has not seen the light of day.
There is a stark contrast in terms of LGBTQ+ representation when men’s football is compared to women’s football. The latter is full of out LGBTQ+ female players, including Rachel Daly, who is currently dating her Aston Villa teammate Sarah Mayling: a defender.
Both the 2023 Women’s World Cup and Euro 2025 qualifiers are no exception, with a record number of publicly LGBTQ+ female footballers taking to the pitch.
Which professional male football players are out?
Josh Cavallo on the RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under judging panel. (World of Wonder)
The six active out, gay pro footballers include Jake Daniels. Daniels came out at age 17 in 2022 when he was playing for Blackpool.
“I want people to know the real me,” he declared at the time, noting his teammates had been supportive.
In Australia, there’s Josh Cavallo. Cavallo came out publicly as gay in 2021. He has been vocal about being sent death threats and homophobic abuse since his announcement, highlighting the state of LGBTQ+ acceptance in men’s football.
Also in Australia, Andy Brennan, an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a winger or striker for South Melbourne, became the first openly gay Australian male footballer.
As mentioned above, Zander Murray, Scotland’s first out gay professional footballer, has just retired. Murray, who played for Gala Fairydean Rovers FC, made headlines when he came out in 2022.
“I have achieved what I wanted to. I wanted to play in the league and I have done that. And I feel with what is happening off the pitch for me, I don’t really want to go on any further,” Murray stated about his retirement.
Another queer professional footballer using his voice to amplify LGBTQ+ topics in sport is 29-year-old Collin Martin, who plays for San Diego Loyal in the US. Martin, who came out in 2018, was at the time the only active male professional soccer player to be openly gay.
Speaking to PinkNews, Martin shared he was disappointed with FIFA over the Qatar World Cup over “the lack of representations in stadiums” and the “lack of allyship allowed from straight players willing to support the LGBTQ+ community”.
“It’s hard, and as much as there’s a lot of people who are pushing the sport in the right [direction], FIFA and Qatar have shown that they are still not willing to be a part of that conversation.”
Over a dozen Planet Fitness locations have been hit with bomb threats after the fitness chain reaffirmed its commitment to trans inclusion last month.
The gym franchise, which is primarily based in North America, has been the victim of at least 17 bomb hoaxes after it became the subject of right-wing backlash last month.
Planet Fitness found itself in the headlines in early March after the notorious anti-LGBTQ+ social media account, Libs of TikTok, shared a video of a customer complaining that a trans woman was using the women’s bathroom.
The customer then shared an email exchange with Planet Fitness regarding the complaint, which took place at a Wisconsin location, in which the company reaffirmed its commitment to inclusion.
The policy, which was shared with the customer, reads: “All members, including transgender members, may use Planet Fitness locker room facilities and programs based on their self-reported gender identity.
“These facilities include bathrooms, showers, and all other facilities separated by sex,” the policy continues. “Wherever possible, Planet Fitness clubs should maintain private changing areas in each locker room for the comfort of all members.”
The controversy has done little to stifle Planet Fitness’ value. (Getty)
Right-wing pundits called for a boycott against the chain after the Libs of TikTok post went viral, causing the company’s stock value to dip.
Various locations across North America have since received hoax bomb threats: At least four locations in Rhode Island, four in Mississippi, six in Michigan and several in Connecticut have been targeted.
The most recent set of threats occurred in Alabama after a string of chains were evacuated on Saturday (6 April) according to the FBI.
Fairhope Police shared in a statement that a threat was emailed to a news outlettargeting multiple locations, including two locations in Daphne and Mobile, Alabama.
Planet Fitness is still financially stable despite backlash, experts say
In a statement, Planet Fitness reiterated its commitment to an inclusive policy, telling staff to “address discomfort” and “foster a climate of understanding.”
It also clarified that the membership of the customer who shared the video was terminated for “taking photos of individuals in the locker room.”
Financial experts have estimated that the fallout from the controversy has not been enough to significantly affect the company as it continues to grow in value.
Stifel analyst, Chris O’Cull, told Athletech News that the dip was unlikely to disrupt Planet Fitness’ growing value, saying that “social media comments have a short shelf life.”
“Having positive earned media highlighting the brand’s ‘judgement free’ positioning can prevent search results with a shorter shelf life from continuing to impact the brand’s reputation.”
Popular outdoor clothing brand The North Face is the latest brand to face boycott calls – in this case, over its long-established sponsorship LGBTQ+ summer camps.
Brave Trials is a leadership summer camp, located in California and Maryland, for LGBTQ+ youth and allies between the ages of 12-18. Its focus is on helping “LGBTQ+ youth find what they need most to thrive: their people, their place, and their passion,” according to its website.
The California and New York-based Camp Brave Trials – which have caused outrage among conservatives – are designed for for LGBTQ+ teenagers aged 12-17, and aim help teens improve their leadership.
On its website, the organisation shares that the goal of the camps is to “foster a supportive space where LGBTQ youth can connect with like-minded individuals, explore their identities, and pursue their passions.”
Responding to a 2021 tweet by The North Face, which announced the brand had donated more than $70,000 to the non-profit, controversial anti-trans organisation Gays Against Groomers stirred outrage, causing conservatives, once again, to unite in calls for a boycott.
In the tweet, the organisation described the camp as a place where “kids as young as 12” go to “perform in drag”.
The group then called for the brand to be boycotted – much like conservatives did with beer brand Bud Light, after it worked with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney last year in a sponsored Instagram post.
Brave Trials posted an announcement in 2022 that explained that its partnerships with brands such as The North Face, Brooks Sports, TOMS, and others, raised more than $100,000 (£79,063) to aid its summer camps.
A Christian father reposted news of the partnership and wrote: “No more @thenorthface for our family.
“This is wrong. All North Face going to give away today. We need to stand up to this nonsense, not condone it, and not become numb to it’s constant attack on the future of our country.”
Others simply posted calls to “boycott The North Face”.
Backlash to LGBTQ+ inclusivity saw countless brands face boycott calls in 2023, with Target, Bud Light and Build-A-Bear, being just a few that faced the wrath of the far-right.
PinkNews has contacted The North Face and Brave Trials for comment.
Cardiff has been chosen to host the EuroGames in 2027, marking the first time the LGBTQ+-inclusive event has been held in the UK.
LGBTQ+ sports development and inclusion organisation, Pride Sports Cymru, has been successful in ensuring that Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ sporting event would be staged in the Welsh capital.
The first EuroGames, governed by the European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation, was held in The Hague in The Netherlands in 1992 and this year’s event will be staged in the Austrian capital, Vienna, in July.
Up to 10,000 athletes, including transgender sportsmen and women, are expected to descend on Cardiff in 2027.
The chairperson of Cardiff Dragons – Wales’ first mixed gender LGBTQ+ football club – Charlotte Galloway told the BBC: “People are allowed to identify and play in their authentic gender. That means trans women can play in the women’s category and trans men can play in the men’s category.
“I think it’s really important that we’re able to do this because there’s no other competition this big in Europe that allows gender-non-conforming people, trans people and non-binary people to compete this way.”
It shows that sport is for everyone, she added.
Duncan Cameron, the chairperson of gay and inclusive rugby union club Cardiff Lions, said: “One of the greatest things about the EuroGames is that it’s open to anybody, no matter how they identify, no matter who you are.
“A lot of people don’t know that there are inclusive rugby teams or football teams [and lots of other] sports that are going to be highlighted. It’s a great chance for us to show what we can do on a national and global stage.”
And Neil Roberts, from LGBTQ+-inclusive badminton club the Cardiff Red Kites, responded to the news by saying the games could help “embed the culture that sport is something everyone should enjoy, regardless of who they are, who they love, what race or what background they come from”.
Meanwhile, Pride Sports director Lou Englefield said: “We’re delighted to be bringing a EuroGames to Wales. It is a huge privilege. [It’s] an opportunity to highlight Wales’ commitment to become the most LGBTQ+-friendly nation in Europe.”
Pride Sports team member Jess Williams, added: “A EuroGames in Wales will be transformative for LGBTQ+ people in sport, and indeed the whole community. The legacy the games will create, and opportunity for positive change, is enormous.”
The chief executive of the Welsh Sports Association, Andrew Howard, congratulated Pride Sports Cymru on its successful bid. “The event will undoubtedly prove a celebration and awe-inspiring showcase of inclusive sport, in a first for Cardiff and the UK,” he said.
