Record number of gay Olympians at Rio
At least 41 openly gay or lesbian athletes will be at the Olympic Games in Rio this summer, reports the HRC, more than at any previous games. The out athletes include three women on the Canadian soccer team.
Gay Syrian killed in Turkey
Gay Syrian man Muhammad Wisam Sankari was found beheaded in Istanbul July 25, after he was kidnapped by a gang. Sankari’s friends say they are constantly under threat of violence, and that Sankari was trying to escape to another country. Homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey, but homophobia and violence are widespread.
Uganda cracks down on pride, arrests activists
After several years of relatively peaceful pride festivities in Uganda, police raided a pride event Thursday night in a Kampala nightclub, arresting several gay activists. Following the raid, a Ugandan cabinet minister threatened to bring mobs to the street to attack a planned pride parade this Saturday. Organizers say the parade will be cancelled.
Indonesia considers petition to criminalize gay sex
An Indonesian court is considering a judicial review petition from a conservative activist group to make gay sex illegal. At the moment, the law only prohibits sex between adults and minors of the same sex, but the activist group Family Love Alliance wants the law broadened to cover all gay sex. Indonesia has undergone a harsh crackdown on gay communities in the last year.
The LGBT truckers of America
After losing her job in academia and retraining as a truck driver, Anne Balay discovered a secret world of LGBT truckers. She’s now writing a book about sex and gender on the road, and the surprising acceptance for queer people among America’s blue collar workers.
Read more at the Chicago Tribune.
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