Swedish singer overcomes homophobic past to win Eurovision
Swedish singer Mans Zelmerlow has won the Eurovision song competition, despite alienating the show’s gay fan base. Zelmerlow called gay sex unnatural on a celebrity cooking show in 2014, but went on to apologize repeatedly and work with Swedish LGBT groups before winning the singing competition.
Scruff adds illegal hookup alert
Gay hookup app Scruff has added a feature that will alert users if gay sex is illegal in their location. The company says the alert might prevent local authorities in countries such as Saudi Arabia from using the app to hunt down and deport gay people.
Read more at the New York Times.
Ireland votes for gay marriage
Ireland has voted by a 2-to-1 margin to legalize same-sex marriage, becoming the first country in the world to do so by referendum. The vote still must be ratified by parliament, a formality that will delay the first marriages until Christmas.
Ireland vote emboldens Europe
Ireland’s historic vote for same-sex marriage could lead to more gay dominoes falling across Europe. If a Catholic country such as Ireland could pass the referendum, say some Italian politicians, there’s no reason why Italy couldn’t follow suit. The German justice ministry has also responded to the Irish vote by proposing new rights for same-sex couples to bring them in line with straight marriages.
The Russian gay parents club
In St Petersberg, a club for the parents of gay people is trying to undo what a culture of violence and homophobia has done to their families. At the Guardian, Ilnur Sharafiyev tells the stories of Russian gay children trying to convince their parents to accept them, even if they live in a country that does not.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A5ns_Zelmerl%C3%B6w#/media/File:20150516_ESC_2015_M%C3%A5ns_Zelmerl%C3%B6w_9989.jpg
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