The naked, oiled sportsmen of Greece
Many countries that are less tolerant of homosexuality are actually more tolerant of male physical affection. For example, these half-naked, oiled Greek men with their hands down each others’ shorts. No, really. Go look (at The Advocate.)
Russian man criminally charged for pro-gay statement
The head of a former Russian NGO that supported LGBT people has been criminally charged for a social media post in which he said being gay meant “being brave and confident person, with dignity and self-esteem.” Sergey Alekseenko already had to shut down his NGO after he was declared a “foreign agent” for supporting LGBT rights.
Read more at The Barents Observer.
Carol wins over critics
The reviews are in on lesbian romance film Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, released in November. The Guardian called Carol “a ravishing tour de force”, and the Washington Post praised it as a “heady, exquisitely choreographed dream.” At Time, George Cotkin tells the story behind the story, how novelist Patricia Highsmith stalked a beautiful upper class woman so she could accurately write an imaginary romance between them.
China’s first domestic violence law excludes gay couples
China has passed its first law specifically targeting domestic violence, an important step in a country where half of men admit to having abused a partner. Unfortunately, the new law will not apply to same-sex couples. One lawmaker explained that same-sex partner violence “has not yet been discovered.”
Italian court approves gay adoption
An Italian court of appeal has upheld a ruling allowing a woman to adopt her partner’s biological child. Italy is the last major Western European country to offer no legal protections to gay couples, although a recent campaign has moved the country closer to civil unions.
(Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GrecoRomanWrestling2.jpg#/media/File:GrecoRomanWrestling2.jpg)
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