News

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Cop Who Slammed a Gay Man against a Windshield and Mocked Him Collects $100k a Year

A Californian police officer smashed a gay man against a car’s windshield – hurling homophobic insults at him and mocking his voice – is now retired and collecting around $100,ooo per year from his pension pot. The former Palo Alto police sergeant was swamped with criticism when video footage capturing the incident went viral in April, The Mercury News reported. Wayne Benitez was placed on administrative leave earlier this year after the video surfaced, state officials said, and retired on 30 September. Scrutiny bubbled again, however, when it emerged that the former officer is collecting a monthly pension of $9,866 — earning him […]

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Protesters Tell UK’s First Chick-fil-A to ‘Sashay Away’

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Sum Ting Wong opted for a more muted look today as she and more than “150 people” protested today against the first UK Chick-fil-A store. In the southern town of Reading, England, locals were filled with unease when they awoke to the news that the American fast-food chain – known for its donations to anti-LGBT+ organisations – was set to open up shop in their town. Sending ripples through the queer community, campaigners rallied together to stand against the chain by spilling outside The Oracle shopping centre in the Berkshire town today telling the corporation to […]

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Hong Kong Court Upholds Ban on Same-sex Marriage

A Hong Kong court upheld a ban on same-sex marriage and civil union partnerships on Friday after a lesbian identified as “MK” launched the city’s first judicial challenge on the issue, stating it violated her constitutional rights. Rights group Amnesty International described the judgment as a “bitter blow” for LGBTQ people in Hong Kong. “Sadly, the discriminatory treatment of same-sex couples will continue for the time being,” Amnesty said in a statement. Related NBC OUT Olympian Adam Rippon sends message to bullied youth on #SpiritDay The Court of First Instance ruled that the government was not obliged to provide an […]

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Matthew Shepard’s Parents Deliver Scathing Put-down of Trump for Pretending to Honor their Son

The parents of murdered gay man Matthew Shepard snubbed a Trump administration ceremony in his honour, accusing the GOP-led Department of Justice of exploiting his memory. A ceremony was held at the Department of Justice on Thursday to mark ten years since the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a law signed by president Obama that extended federal hate crime laws to cover LGBT+ people. The law is partly named in memory of Matthew Shepard, who was murdered in Wyoming in 1998 in a homophobic attack that saw his killers escape hate crime charges. Shepard’s […]

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Spirit Day: Celebs, Presidential Candidates Send Messages to LGBTQ Youth

Shortly after Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi died by suicide in 2010, Canadian teen Brittany McMillan decided to do something about it: She created a Facebook event calling on people to wear purple — the “spirit” color of the rainbow pride flag — on the third Thursday of October to show that they stand against anti-LGBTQ bullying. By the time the first Spirit Day took place on Oct. 20, 2010, it was already a worldwide phenomenon. “Since then, it has evolved into more than just wearing purple, but ‘going purple,’ which is really quite amazing,” McMillan told NBC News in 2016. Sarah Kate […]

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Uganda Backs Off “Kill The Gays” Bill Under Pressure

Reuters reports: Uganda will not impose the death penalty for gay sex, a presidential spokesman said today, after major aid donors said they were monitoring a plan by the African nation to reintroduce a bill colloquially known as “Kill the Gays”. Uganda’s Ethics and Integrity Minister Simon Lokodo last Thursday said the government planned to re-introduce an anti-homosexuality bill in parliament within weeks to curb the spread of homosexuality in the east African nation. Lokodo’s statement was widely reported across the world and international donors such as the European Union, World Bank, the United States and the Global Fund said they […]

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Free Training for Professionals that serve Spanish-speaking Youth Happens Oct 29

Many local organizations have worked with us over the years to improve their understanding of LGBTQ identities and their commitment to competently serve LGBTQ people. Have you thought about how to do that in Spanish? Of course, many concepts apply across languages, but if we don’t consider the unique context of language and culture, we’re missing out. LGBTQ Connection is proud to offer this unique, free, upcoming, LGBTQ training for professionals that serve Latino and Spanish-speaking youth and families (other interested community members are welcome, too) on the morning of October 29 in Napa. Space is limited, so please register […]

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1 in 5 LGBTQ Adults isn’t Registered to Vote, Despite High 2020 Stakes

Some 21% of LGBTQ adults aren’t registered to vote, according to a study released this week by the University of California, Los Angeles’ Williams Institute. That’s compared to an estimated 17% of non-LGBTQ adults. The finding, part of a larger poll of 2,237 people that measured LGBTQ voters’ demographic characteristics and political attitudes, came as LGBTQ rights have taken center stage in the national conversation. Meanwhile, Friday marked National Coming Out Day. Some LGBTQ voters already face an uphill battle making their voices heard at the ballot box. “Voter suppression has primarily targeted voters of color, who also happen to include LGBTQ Americans, […]

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The Queer Branch of Extinction Rebellion have an Important Message

Rainbow Rebellion, the LGBT+ branch of Extinction Rebellion, is trying to show that during an ecological crisis, it’s marginalised communities who will be hit first. Extinction Rebellion has organised a fortnight of international action, which began on October 7, in cities around the world, calling for governments to take immediate action to address climate change. A spokesperson for Rainbow Rebellion gave a speech in London’s Parliament Square during protests on October 9. He said: “We are a diverse network hailing from all walks of life, united in the belief that climate breakdown and ecological crisis is not only a crisis of […]

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LGBTQ Syrian Refugees Forced to Choose Between their Families and Identity

A Syrian father of a gay man says he hopes his son will burn in hell. A woman says her once-loving father now wants her dead. And the day one young Syrian told his parents he was gay was the last time he spoke to anyone in his family. Like countless fellow countrymen and women fleeing the civil war, many LGBTQ Syrians have lost their homeland, livelihoods and often hope itself. But many of them have also lost the little they had left over — their families and communities, who are unable to accept them. The mentality they’re up against is […]

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