August 2017 | Page 14 of 71

Derry expecting record numbers for Foyle Pride parade.

August 25, 2017 compassq Comments Off

Hundreds of people are expected to attend the annual Foyle Pride parade in Derry on Saturday. The parade is the highlight of the Foyle Pride Festival which involves a range of events in the local area. A number of the events have already taken place but some others will be held in the coming days. Tomorrow, the Football versus Homophobia’ returns to Bishop’s Field, in Creggan, at 2pm. There will also be a family zone in the Peace Garden in Foyle Street.

Gay in America – the best and the worst places to be.

August 25, 2017 compassq Comments Off

All my life I’ve loved Texas: those big skies, big steaks and big attitudes. I’m there several times a year. But Texas doesn’t love me back. Certainly its lawmakers don’t, and lately they’ve been hellbent on showing that. In June the governor signed a bill allowing child welfare groups to refuse adoptions that contradict their “sincerely held religious beliefs.” They can turn away gay men like me.

Calgary Pride kicks off with the first transgender flag crosswalk.

August 25, 2017 compassq Comments Off

Calgary Pride week festivities are kicking off with a milestone — the city has its first transgender flag crosswalk. Calgary Pride organizers didn’t have to advocate for the painted flag at 17th Avenue at Fourth Street S.W., said president Jason Kingsley.

San Jose Police Department actively recruiting from the LGBT community.

August 25, 2017 compassq Comments Off

With Silicon Valley Pride approaching this weekend, the San Jose Police Department is for the first time launching a campaign to recruit members of the LGBT community through a series of public initiatives and an intrepid ad campaign. The campaign will feature identical ads showing the actual families of three officers: a heterosexual couple, a gay male couple and a lesbian couple.

LGBT athletes in college sports more than ever before.

August 25, 2017 compassq Comments Off

On Sept. 2, Kansas State lineman Scott Frantz is likely to become the first out LGBT athlete to compete in a Football Bowl Subdivision game. The Wildcats open the season at home against Central Arkansas at 7 p.m. ET. He will likely beat defensive end My-King Johnson by just a few hours for that distinction. Johnson’s Arizona team kicks off its season against Northern Arizona at 10 p.m. ET that same Saturday. (As of this writing, it’s possible Johnson will redshirt this season.) In the last six months, Frantz and Johnson have received significant attention for coming out publicly, and they are part of a massive increase in publicly out LGBT Division I athletes.

Escaping ISIS – a gay man’s story.

August 25, 2017 compassq Comments Off

Fadi Salim was terrified he wouldn’t make it out of Syria alive. Salim was freezing cold, filled with dread and thought he could be captured and sent back to Syria or shot by Turkish soldiers patrolling the inhospitable terrain on the border. His friend had been hurled off a rooftop in Syria’s ISIS-controlled Raqqa. His chances for survival – after deserting the army and fleeing Syria – were slim.

The Olympics now welcome transgender athletes.

August 25, 2017 compassq Comments Off

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that it would allow transgender athletes to compete in whatever category they wish to participate in during the 2018 Winter Olympics, a report says. IOC officials noted that they will not require athletes to compete in categories that match their birth gender nor will there be any gender or sex testing of competitors ahead of the games, Daily Caller reported.