August 2017 | Page 29 of 71

Madonna sued in Russia for being offensive.

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Some Russian activists have sued Madonna for millions of dollars, claiming they were offended by her support for gay rights during a recent concert in St. Petersburg. Anti-gay sentiment is strong in Russia. In St. Petersburg, a law passed in February makes it illegal to depict homosexuality in a positive way to minors, and the author of that law has pointed to the presence of children as young as 12 at Madonna’s concert on Aug. 9.

Richard Simmons holding National Enquirer accountable.

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Richard Simmons says he is not transgender and gives a pointed list of reasons why in an ongoing explosive lawsuit with a magazine company who printed otherwise. The fitness guru, 68, who has been living as a recluse for years, is in the middle of a contentious legal battle with National Enquirer magazine’s parent company- American Media. Simmons is suing the company for defamation after they reported he was transitioning into a woman.

After the yearbooks were printed, the Missouri school district apologizes.

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A Missouri school district said administrators censored lighthearted yearbook quotes by a pair of gay students celebrating their sexual orientation because they could have “offended” other students. The students, Joey Slivinski and Thomas Swartz, each selected quotes expressing their sexual orientation to appear beneath their senior portraits. The quote Slivinski submitted read: “Of course I dress well, I didn’t spend all that time in the closet for nothing.”

Finally, a national standard for gay & bisexual men health.

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When it comes to the health of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, the absence of a national standard of care leaves a critical gap for a population already at risk for sexually transmitted diseases and related health disparities. A blue-ribbon panel of national public health professionals, co-chaired by a University of Mississippi Medical Center professor, is changing that scenario.

Pakistan transgender community heading towards equal rights.

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Pakistan’s Parliament is poised to pass the nation’s first law recognizing transgender people as equal citizens and laying out penalties for discrimination and violence against them, a surprising victory for activists in a country with deeply conservative social views. The Transgender Persons Protection of Rights bill, which community members and activists say has the support of all the major political parties, is expected to pass easily in Parliament in the coming weeks.

Internet dads are the first LGBT family to rep a high-fashion clothing line.

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You may find many parents playing in the park or taking a dunk in the pool with their kids. But one Atlanta couple has a slightly different agenda. They’re modeling with their little ones, and they’ve just made history as the first black LGBT family to represent a high-fashion European clothing line. Kordale Lewis and Kaleb Anthony first entered the spotlight in 2014 when they posted a photo on Instagram of themselves and their daughters getting ready for school. The pic went viral, garnering more than 50,000 likes.

Some hope for an LGBT friendly Florida governor.

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The three Democratic candidates for Florida governor all pledged to support protections for the gay community during a conference of the Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus on Saturday. Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, former state Rep. Gwen Graham and Orlando area businessman Chris King spoke individually during breakfast, lunch and dinner gatherings of the caucus Saturday at the Hotel Duval.