Baja marriage, a Disney hoax and the gay bull returns

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


Animal rights group raises funds to save Benjy the gay bull (Ireland)

After Benjy the gay bull failed to impregnate his herd, he was destined for the slaughterhouse. But now an Irish animal rights group is trying to raise funds to rescue Benjy and retire him to an animal sanctuary. “As a gay man myself, I know only too well what it is like to be treated indifferently,” one member of the Animal Rights Action Network said. “That’s why I hope we can give Benjy a second chance in life whilst helping to bring attention to the problems facing all gay people everywhere around the world, and of course the many other Benjys that are brought to slaughter on a daily basis who are not so lucky.

Read more at The Independent.

First gay marriage allowed in Baja California (Mexico)

The Mexican Supreme Court has ordered that the state of Baja California allow two gay men to marry. The judges wrote that denying the couple “goes against the right of persons to self-determination and for every individual’s personality to develop freely.” The court’s decision applies only to one particular couple and does not overturn the state ban on gay marriage but clears the way for future appeals.

Read more at U-T San Diego.

South Carolina joins gay-marriage club (United States)

A federal judge in South Carolina has struck down the state ban on gay marriage, adding to a snowballing list of decisions in favour of gay marriage. The decision will go into effect Nov 20, leaving time for the attorney general to appeal to the Supreme Court. At the same time, the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from Kansas officials, who were trying to maintain their gay-marriage ban. Kansas is now the 33rd state to allow gay marriage.

Read more from Reuters.

 

Report: Bisexuals face more discrimination than gay people

According to a report from a group of bisexual activist groups, bisexuals in the United States face more discrimination than gay people, partly because some of that discrimination comes from within the LGBT community. “Despite comprising the largest population within the LGBT community, bisexual people are among the most invisible,” one of the authors writes. “The failure to account for bisexual lives and experiences compounds a lack of social support and keeps bisexual people in the closet.” The report cites poorer outcomes in health, employment and safety among American bisexuals.

Read more at the Windy City Times.

Qatar sports minister vague about gays at 2022 World Cup

In an interview with the Associated Press, Qatar’s sports minister failed to clear up whether gay fans would be welcome at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. “We are studying all these issues. We can adapt, we can be creative to have people coming and enjoying the games without losing the essence of our culture and respecting the preference of the people coming here. I think there is a lot we can do,” he said. Under Qatar’s law, homosexual conduct is illegal and punishable with imprisonment.

Read more from the AP.

No, Disney is not making a gay princes movie

An article claiming that Disney will make a movie featuring gay princes has been making the rounds on the internet and collecting thousands of likes on Facebook. Tragically, it is a hoax, though the imagined story is based on a real book. Here’s hoping, though.

A case for PrEP

At The Stranger, Evan J Peterson writes about his love affair with Truvada, a preexposure prophylaxis drug for HIV. Peterson talks through the dangers, benefits, costs and stigmas of the drug, the unusual community of gay men who have gathered under the Truvada banner, and why he finally decided it was right for him. “After three months, I’m completely satisfied with my PrEP experience,” he concludes. “I encourage my friends to get on it. We’re so close to the end of HIV. Why wouldn’t I participate in that?”

Read more at The Stranger.

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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