Promiscuous gay men more likely to get prostate cancer (Canada)
According to researchers at the Université de Montréal, gay men with more than 20 sexual partners are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer as straight men. Straight men, on the other hand, saw their chances of developing prostate cancer decrease if they had sex with more than 20 partners. Virgins also fared poorly, being twice as likely to develop cancer as men who had had sex. Researchers don’t know why gay men suffer different effects than straight men but guess it may be due to direct trauma to the prostate or risky behaviour.
Read more at the Montreal Gazette.
Trans women prevent violence by threatening to strip (India)
Fifteen trans women, or hijras, have become local heroes after stopping a religious riot in the East Delhi suburb of Trilokpuri. The area has been plagued by Hindu-Muslim violence during the Hindu festival of Diwali. The hijras intercepted a mob armed with stones and swords and threatened to disrobe if the men didn’t back down — a common weapon of intimidation used by hijras in India. The hijras have become protectors of the area, even organizing street cleanups and guard stations.
Read more at The Times of India.
Apple CEO’s coming out draws praise, criticism, craziness (California)
Apple CEO Tim Cook’s coming out in a Businessweek essay yesterday evoked every kind of response imaginable, naturally. The New York Times documents a heap of praise piled on Cook, from former president Bill Clinton to Google executives to gay activists. Steven Thrasher, at The Guardian, however, writes that Cook will have to do a lot more than come out of the closet to get any approbation from him: “Why do we celebrate these people who have never stood up as one of us until they are rich and famous?” Gay conservative columnist Josh Barro likewise writes, “I’m glad Tim Cook is finally out of his closet. But his announcement wasn’t ‘courageous’ and slobbering over him like this is obnoxious.” In the more ridiculous world, Russian homophobic troll Vitaly Milonov wants Cook banned from Russia so that he doesn’t import gay diseases. American Tea Party Senator Ted Cruz was less direct: “Those are his personal choices. I’ll tell you, I love my iPhone.”
Ikea went gay before it was cool (Sweden)
Andrew McMains at Adweek writes about a groundbreaking Ikea TV ad from 1994 featuring a gay couple. The ad led to calls for a boycott and even a bomb threat.
Read more and see the ad at Adweek.
Jordan bans “Satanic and homosexual” Halloween
The Jordan government has been forced to ban all Halloween celebrations for fear of attacks by conservative Muslim groups who see the holiday as “Satanic and homosexual.” Over the last two years, Halloween in Jordan has been marked by riots and attacks on celebrations. The Muslim Brotherhood published a statement last year declaring, “We watched with disgust and shame last night homosexual and Satanic rituals in an Amman cafe. This presents a challenge to the values of the Jordanian people and their Arab and Muslim identity, as well as a violation of religious laws.”
Read more at the International Business Times.
Pennsylvania political debate devolves to gay stick figures
A Republican county committee member in Pennsylvania summed up the level of political discourse in his district artfully Wednesday by posting a stick figure representation of his political opponent having gay sex to Facebook, Salon reports. State representative Mike Fleck, the Democrat in the race, is openly gay. You can read a rundown of the key LGBT races in the upcoming US midterm elections at the Washington Blade.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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