HEROES

Same-sex marriages performed on Celebrity Cruises now legally recognized because of changes in Malta.

Today, Celebrity Cruises announced that same-sex marriages performed onboard are now legally recognized, marking a historic first for the modern luxury brand. The motion follows a transformative vote in Malta, where a majority of the Celebrity fleet is registered, which passed the country’s parliament 66-1.

5 THINGS TO KNOW

A more inclusive environment is healthier for straight allies.

A leading researcher of vulnerable and marginalized adolescents including LGBTQ students said more inclusive school climates — including Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) — reduced suicides and suicide attempts by 50 per cent for straight males in B.C. last year.

HEALTH

The rules of the game have changed with gay dating apps.

A new PhD project has analysed how the dating app Grindr has affected dating culture among gay men. The study shows that Grindr has led to new ways for gay men to make themselves visible to one another and let each other know that they are available for intimate encounters.

GayARP

The Elder LGBT Long Term Care Bill of Rights to fight against discrimination in Philadelphia.

Gigi Nikpour needs conversations about the city’s LGBTQ community to focus more on its aging population. People’s lives depend on it. Through the Mayor’s Commission on LGBT Affairs’ LGBTQ Elders Committee, the Community Legal Services paralegal is creating an Elder LGBT Long Term Care Bill of Rights to fight against discrimination older queer and trans adults face in the surrounding area.

5 THINGS TO KNOW

Sponsors line up behind this Olympic hopeful.

Coming out as an openly gay Olympic freestyle skier has been great for Gus Kenworthy as a person, since he can be his true self. It’s also been great for Kenworthy in terms of visibility and endorsements, as Sports Business Journal found.

HEROES

Transgender senator a first in Uruguay.

Michelle Suarez became Uruguay’s first transgender senator on Tuesday, October 10. The 34-year-old lawmaker, who was sworn in as a senator for the Communist party, hopes to pass an anti-discrimination law that would expand and protect the rights of transgender people. In 2013, Suarez helped draft a same-sex marriage bill that later legalized gay marriage.