The British Medical Association (BMA) plans to evaluate the Cass Review, partly because of concerns around the banning of puberty blockers for youngsters, PinkNews reported. The trade union—which represents almost 200,000 physicians—called for a pause in the implementation of the review’s recommendations while it carried out an evaluation of its findings. The report—published in April and headed by Dr. Hilary Cass—made more than 30 recommendations to restructure the way in which trans youngsters receive care in England. The fully published report was criticized for some of its recommendations, such as calling for “extreme caution” in prescribing puberty blockers to those under 18.
Approximately 60,000 marchers—a record number—took to the streets of central London recently in solidarity with trans and non-binary people around the world, PinkNews reported. Participants, including Heartstopper star Yasmin Finney, marched peacefully along the parade route, celebrating the lives of trans people and urging the government to do more for the community. London Trans+ Pride co-founder Lewis G. Burton said they were immeasurably proud of the turnout, calling it “powerful and poignant” at a time when celebrating trans joy is more important than ever. The march began at Langham Place and ended at the Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner.
After winning a silver medal in the men’s 10-meter synchronized platform diving final at the Paris Olympics, out British athlete Tom Daley and diving partner Noah Williams gave an emotional interview reflecting on people they’ve lost—including former diving coach David Jenkins, who passed away in 2021, per PinkNews. Daley spoke about his father, who passed away in 2011, and Williams was almost unable to speak when trying to discuss the death of his coach three years ago. Daley also discussed how happy he was that his sons, Phoenix and Robert, and husband Dustin Lance Black were in the crowd to watch him win his fifth Olympic medal.
An organizer of the Paris Olympics said that the controversial drag performance during the opening ceremony was a nod to Greek mythology, not the Last Supper, The Hill noted. Artistic Director Thomas Jolly told French news channel BFM TV that the inspiration for that scene was the Greek god Dionysus, according to NBC’s Today. U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) was among those who criticized the performance, saying it was a “mockery of the Last Supper.” (Conservative Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker posted a 20-second clip of the moment via X, sharing a snippet of the Bible verse he was quoting: “God is not mocked,” per Us.) Olympics spokesperson Anne Descamps apologized at a press conference if people were offended by it but emphasized that that was not the intention.
Two shots a year of lenacapavir—a drug currently used to treat HIV infections—were dramatically effective at preventing infections in a study among young women and adolescent girls in Africa, CNN reported. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the drug demonstrated 100% efficacy in Phase 3 trial data released by drugmaker Gilead. For years, most people have taken prevention items known as PrEP, such as a daily pill called Truvada, to prevent HIV-related infections. More recently, some people have received regular injections of the drug Apretude—two shots administered one month apart and then every two months thereafter—to reduce their risk of HIV infection.
Before the Paris Olympics started, Grindr seemingly disabled global visibility to protect competitors, according to PinkNews. Posts on social media show users trying to explore the village find no profiles at all—which seemed odd, given that the app has more than 13 million monthly users worldwide. Similar efforts were taken in Beijing in 2008, when Grindr confirmed that the Olympic village in China was specifically limited to prevent users from finding athletes’ profiles.
Also, the decision by Chinese state television to broadcast LGBTQ+-related content during the Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony quickly became a hot topic on social media, The South China Morning Post noted. The scene in question, which sparked the most heated discussions on Chinese social media, involved three dancers with a clear romantic relationship. “This is the only time in life when you can see drag queens and pride-themed performances on China Central Television,” someone wrote on Instagram-like platform Xiaohongshu. The official Olympic Games’ X account shared an image of the trio with a quote from author Victor Hugo: “The freedom to love is no less sacred than the freedom to think.”
Keeping his Olympic dreams afloat, gay rower Robbie Manson set himself up on the adults-only OnlyFans website, per NBC News. Manson—who admitted to nerves before making his first post—told Reuters that the revenue from the subscription-based service used for publishing adult-themed content had vastly increased his income. Manson spoke the day before his Olympic men’s double sculls final together with Jordan Parry, and said he had been inspired to create a profile on the website by Australian diver Matthew Mitchum, whose Olympic gold in the Beijing Games was the first won by an openly gay athlete. Manson added that he would encourage other athletes who need training funds to explore the opportunities offered by paywalled content—especially of the more revealing variety.
Out gay sports commentator Bob Ballard made what is being called a sexist slip-up—and was sent home from the Olympics, per Outsports. After the Australian women’s swimming team won the 4×100-meter freestyle, Ballard said, “Well, the women are just finishing up. You know what women are like … hanging around, doing their makeup.” “During a segment of Eurosport’s coverage last night, commentator Bob Ballard made an inappropriate comment,” Eurosport said in a statement, according to The Independent. “To that end, he has been removed from our commentary roster with immediate effect.” Ballard later “apologized” on X, stating, “The comments I made during the Australian freestyle relay victory ceremony on Saturday have caused some offense. It was never my intention to upset or belittle anyone and, if I did, I apologize. I am a massive advocate of women’s sport.”
U.S. women’s soccer player Korbin Albert scored for Team USA in its victory over Australia—but her appearance came months after a controversy over anti-LGBTQ+ posts shared on her social-media channels, per PinkNews. Among the posts that Albert created on her TikTok profile was a now-deleted video from 2023’s Fourth of July weekend, showing her family taking turns stating that “their pronouns are U.S.A.,” with Korbin participating; she received scathing criticism from soccer icon Megan Rapinoe for her actions, Windy City Times noted, citing Goal.com. Albert—a midfielder with French Division 1 Feminine club Paris Saint-Germain whose U.S. Soccer profile lists her hometown as Grayslake, Illinois—apologized, according to The Athletic.
Nepal’s highest court ruled that trans woman Rukshana Kapali should be recognized as a woman on her legal documents without having to deal with medical verification, according to PinkNews. Kapali—a law student and human-rights activist who has been named on the BBC’s 100 Women list—has sued the Nepalese government more than 50 times since 2021 in order to bring forth rights-based recognition of gender identity. However, despite the ruling, other transgender people will need to petition the court separately to have their gender recognized without medical intervention.
In a move that surprised some, the Indian Home Ministry sent a note to state and territorial officials and prison administrators that acknowledges queer prisoners regularly face discrimination and violence because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, per The Washington Blade. The government has asked all states and territories to ensure that queer people receive equal rights in their prisons; the government has also instructed state and territorial officials to prevent discrimination in relation to accessing goods and services inside their prisons, especially visitation rights. The ruling government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has, for the first time, explicitly referenced the “queer community” in a directive that seeks to end discrimination against them—marking a significant shift in government policy.
In Liberia, a woman is charged with stabbing her friend to death after accusing her of cheating on her, per Front Page Africa. Alvina Weedor, who is attracted to women, allegedly fatally stabbed Josephine Barwee. Barwee was immediately rushed to the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia but was pronounced dead upon arrival. The Liberia National Police (LNP) has since detained Weedor for questioning. This incident has intensified the debate on same-sex relations in Liberia, as those relationships are illegal in the country.
Ghana’s Supreme Court upheld a six-decade-old law criminalizing gay sex as the African country awaits another court decision on whether to introduce even harsher penalties in a new bill, per NBC News. The seven-member panel dismissed a suit challenging the Ghanaian Criminal Code of 1960, with presiding Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie saying reasons for the decision would be provided later. The sentence will be lengthened if the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill passed in February takes effect, although some have been skeptical of that measure actually being implemented.
In the UK, Bath will host its first-ever Pride on Aug. 18, per the BBC. Bath Pride will include a parade through the city, a picnic and party, and music stalls at the Holburne Museum. Lead organizer Tommy Parker said, “Pride occurs in cities up and down the country, and it is long overdue for Bath to have a pride event to call its own.” Diomede, the winner of Bath Drag Performer of the Year, added, “There are so many talented queer artists in Bath, and giving the opportunity to showcase the vibrant and thriving drag community is both humbling and thrilling.”
A Singapore film with gay elements in a Malay-Muslim context has come under fire, The South China Morning Post noted. Online users have questioned how Salam Gembira (“Happy Greetings”) was allowed to be screened, labelling it forbidden and even “sodomite-influenced.” The film is a comedy about Moe, a Malay-Muslim Singaporean living in the Netherlands with his Dutch girlfriend when his parents make a surprise visit. His girlfriend switches places with her gay brother to hide that the couple lives together, but Moe’s parents then suspect their son is gay. The story is narrated by a gay character, portrayed as Muslim in the film. Speaking to This Week in Asia, film co-producer and writer Remi M. Sali said: “Whenever you talk about being gay and a Muslim, it’s a big no-no. There’s no room for discussion.”
A Doctor Who spinoff starring out British actor Russell Tovey (Looking) has been set, per Deadline. The BBC and Disney+ have ordered The War Between The Land And The Sea, a five-part spinoff series starring Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw alongside existing Doctor Who stars Jemma Redgrave and Alexander Devrient. The War Between The Land And The Sea focuses on military organization UNIT. When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, an international crisis is triggered; with the entire population at risk, UNIT steps into action as the land and sea wage war.
Irish singer Sinead O’Connor’s official cause of death has been revealed—a year after she passed, according to People. The Irish Independent reported—citing the Grammy winner’s death certificate—that her death resulted from “exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma together with low grade lower respiratory tract infection.” On July 24, the “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer’s death was formally registered by her former husband John Reynolds in London.
George Russell was disqualified from the result of the Belgian Grand Prix after his Mercedes was found to be underweight following the race, meaning that teammate and LGBTQ+ ally Lewis Hamilton was named the winner, F1 noted. A technical delegate’s report released after the race stated that, while the car had initially been found to be compliant with the minimum weight of 798 kg, 2.8 liters of fuel were then removed. Also, in other Hamilton-related news, Dior has named him house ambassador, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He has also joined forces with Dior men’s creative director Kim Jones for a guest collaboration; the winter-ready lifestyle capsule collection is centered around skiing and snowboarding.