The bestselling lesbian novelist who inspired CSI
Secret lesbian affairs, murder plots, million-dollar mansions and car crashes are not just common elements in lesbian crime writer Patricia Cornwell’s books; they are part of her life story. Cornwell rose from an abusive, damaging childhood to build a $75-million fortune through her crime novels, which also defined the genre of forensic crime fiction.
Read her profile in The Daily Mail.
Gay couple will have three children with three surrogates (UK)
A British gay couple is expecting three children with three different mothers, all to be born the same year. The two men dreamed of having a family for years, then met a three-time surrogate mother who was willing to carry a baby for them. Unfortunately, she was already carrying another baby, so she recommended the couple to her sister-in-law. The sister-in-law, after becoming pregnant, also recommended the couple to a friend, who joined in. Finally, the original surrogate mother delivered her baby and started in on a third.
France’s well-dressed, rule-breaking, gay ambassador
French ambassador to the United States Gérard Araud does not fit the stolid, conservative ambassadorial image: he speaks his mind on Twitter, discusses men’s fashion in the hallways of the United Nations, and compliments other ambassadors on their good looks. And after 30 years in the diplomatic service, he apparently gets away with it.
Read Vogue’s profile of France’s first gay ambassador.
The love story of two war poets
Two of the great war poems of the First World War might not exist were it not for the bond between two gay men, Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, writes Liam Hoare at Slate. Owen, who had both a literary and personal infatuation with Sassoon, met him in a war hospital in Scotland. There, Sassoon mentored him through writing “Anthem for Doomed Youth” and “Dulce et Decorum Est.”
Elton John lays into anti-gay laws during St Petersburg concert (Russia)
Elton John had a lot to say about Russia’s anti-gay propaganda laws during a concert in St Petersburg, the city where the laws were born. John touched on Tchaikovsky’s homosexuality, the city’s recent removal of an iPhone statue, how much he loves his iPad and artistic freedom. “If I’m not honest about who I am, I couldn’t write this music,” he said. “It’s not gay propaganda. It’s how I express life. If we start punishing people for that, the world will lose its humanity.”
Gay man jailed in Saudi Arabia
A Saudi court has sentenced a man to three years in jail and ordered him to pay a $30,000 fine for posting naked pictures online and offering to have sex with other men. He was convicted of “immoral acts.” According to Gulf News, politicians in Saudi Arabia have been pushing for a crackdown on homosexuality, especially among foreign workers.
Photo credit: patriciacornwell.com
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