5 THINGS TO KNOW

Australia’s oldest gay couple plan to wed following historic vote to legalize same-sex marriage.

A couple believed to be Australia’s oldest same-sex partners  – two men aged 89 and 85 – say they plan to marry in January after a half-century together but “not with any fuss” following the country’s emphatic vote to legalize same-sex marriage… Read the full article HERE. #lgbt #gay #lesbian #bisexual #transgender #homophobia #equality

5 THINGS TO KNOW

The number of HIV diagnoses in gay and bisexual men has fallen in the UK for the first time since the epidemic.

The Public Health England report shows a decline in new HIV diagnoses among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. Since the epidemic was first detected over 30 years ago, there has bee a 21% decline of cases of the virus from 3,570 in 2015 to 2,810 in 2016… Read the full article HERE. #lgbt #gay #lesbian #bisexual #transgender #homophobia #equality

HEROES

Lesbian Democrat pulls off election victory in conservative Oklahoma.

Deeply red Oklahoma elected a state senator this week who breaks the mold of the typical Sooner State politician. Democrat Allison Ikley-Freeman, a 26-year-old lesbian, bested Republican Brian O’Hara in Tuesday’s special election to win a seat in west Tulsa’s conservative Senate District 37. Read the full article HERE. #lgbt #gay #lesbian #bisexual #transgender #homophobia #equality

POLICIES

Bill to shield LGBTQ students from early outing passes in Alberta legislature.

Bill 24, which prevents teachers from outing students who join a gay straight alliance in school, passed in the Alberta legislature Wednesday. The bill, an Act to Support Gay-Straight Alliances, passed easily with 42 MLAs voting in favor. The only MLAs who voted… Read the full article HERE. #lgbt #gay #lesbian #bisexual #transgender #homophobia #equality

5 THINGS TO KNOW

Chinese gay conversion “treatment” includes forced medication and electroshock therapy.

When Chen Shuoli was sent to a mainland clinic last year to undergo “therapy” to convert him from gay to straight, he was forced to swallow unknown medicine, ­according to an account he gave ­Human Rights Watch. “The nurses always… Read the full article HERE. #lgbt #gay #lesbian #bisexual #transgender #homophobia #equality

5 THINGS TO KNOW

Gay Times sacks editor after antisemitic and offensive tweets emerge.

The editor of Gay Times has been sacked for tweeting a series of antisemitic and misogynistic comments as well as using Twitter to attack gay people, homeless people and disabled children. Josh Rivers, the first BME editor of a gay men’s magazine… Read the full article HERE. #lgbt #gay #lesbian #bisexual #transgender #homophobia #equality

5 THINGS TO KNOW

According to the Feds, the rainbow-painted crosswalk in Lexington is a safety hazard.

A rainbow-colored crosswalk honoring the LGBT community in Lexington, Kentucky, is a distracting safety hazard and should be removed, a federal official says. Officials painted the crosswalk at a busy intersection across from the county courthouse earlier this year to… Read the full article HERE. #lgbt #gay #lesbian #bisexual #transgender #homophobia #equality