K-pop, Xena and two prime ministers

Your Daily Package of newsy and naughty bits from around the world

Pakistan poised to pass trans protections

Pakistan will soon pass a law protecting transgender people from discrimination, a surprising move from a highly conservative country. Trans advocates, however, say that changes in mainstream attitudes are even more important than laws. [The New York Times]

Korean pop star comes out as bisexual

Hansol, a member of Korean pop group Topp Dogg, has come out as asexual in a YouTube video. [Indistinct Magazine]

Australian marriage vote breeds hate speech

As many LGBT advocates predicted, Australia’s upcoming mail ballot on same-sex marriage has led to anti-gay hate speech pamphlets showing up in mailboxes around the country. Activists advocated a simple vote in parliament on equal marriage to avoid giving a platform for hate. [The Guardian]

Gay Irish PM marches with Justin Trudeau

Ireland’s newly elected gay Prime Minister Leo Varadkar marched in Sunday’s Montreal Pride Parade alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Lesbian Xena reboot dead

NBC has announced that a much-anticipated reboot of Xena that would drop the subtext and make the warrior hero explicitly lesbian will not happen. [A.V. Club]

Niko Bell

Niko Bell is a writer, editor and translator from Vancouver. He writes about sexual health, science, food and language.

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