Southern hope, lesbian emojis and driving while trans

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


Ad agency exec creates lesbian emojis

Have you ever wanted to express your desire to move in with your lesbian partner after an inappropriately short courtship but didn’t want to waste any extra characters? Your worries are over. Advertising executive and graphic designer Kimberly Linn has created a whole line of lesbian emojis, from the U-Haul truck to the side-mullet to the plaid shirt.

Have a look at Mashable.

Russia bans trans people from driving

In Russia, driving while trans is now actually a crime. Russia has banned all those with “mental disorders” from holding drivers’ licences, including trans people. The decision is supposed to reduce traffic accidents by getting those with psychological problems off the roads, including problem gamblers, compulsive stealers and people with “sex disorders.”

Read more at the BBC.

Italian court recognizes child of lesbian couple

For the first time, an Italian court has recognized a baby as the child of two mothers. The court said the baby, who was born in Barcelona to a Spanish and Italian lesbian couple, should be given Italian citizenship and transcribed into the records of the Italian mother’s town. Gay unions are not legal in Italy, but recognition has gained inroads recently as some towns have begun to recognize foreign gay marriages.

Read more from Reuters.

More Southern courts consider gay marriage

Friday, Jan 9 is a big day in the judicial march toward gay marriage in the United States. A federal appeals court will meet to consider gay-marriage bans in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, three of the 14 remaining states without gay marriage. The US Supreme Court will also meet to decide if it will take on a federal gay marriage case, perhaps from Michigan. Finally, a federal judge in Georgia has decided that a case against the state’s gay-marriage ban can go forward.

Irish priest comes out during mass

 

A Catholic priest in Dublin received a standing ovation when he came out as gay to his parishioners this week. Father Martin Dolan also urged churchgoers to support an upcoming referendum to legalize gay marriage in Ireland. While 70 percent of Irish people say they will vote yes on the referendum, the Catholic Church has remained firmly opposed.

Read more at Irish Central.

Photo credit: Instagram, lesbianemojis

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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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