Thailand became the 44th member state of the Equal Rights Coalition—an intergovernmental agency tasked with advancing the rights of LGBTQI+ people across the world, The Washington Blade noted. Thailand is the first Asian country to join the international body, which also includes countries from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East. The coalition was founded in 2016 under the leadership of Uruguay and the Netherlands to promote LGBTQI+ human rights.
In Scotland, councils have handed over more than 800,000 pounds sterling (more than $1M U.S.) to LGBT Youth Scotland, which is campaigning for a ban on puberty blockers to be lifted, MSN noted. The charity has come under scrutiny following the Cass Review into gender identity healthcare for children in England, which led to a ban on puberty blockers because of safety fears and raised doubts over the “affirmative” care model the charity promotes. LGBT Youth Scotland criticized the review, endorsing “bodily autonomy” for people who identify as trans, including children. Senior Scottish Tory MSP Stephen Kerr, who obtained the numbers, called on councils to review the “out-of-control” spending.
Human-rights activists are urging the European Union to clamp down on Bulgaria after the country’s parliament overwhelmingly voted through an amendment to ban the promotion of LGBTQ+ “propaganda” in schools, according to euronews. The amendment to Bulgaria’s education law bars the “propaganda, promotion, or incitement in any way, directly or indirectly, in the education system of ideas and views related to non-traditional sexual orientation and/or gender identity other than the biological one.” Said amendment—suggested by the country’s pro-Russian far-right Vazrazhdane party—also introduced a definition of “non-traditional sexual orientation” that is being explained as contrary to Bulgaria’s legal concept of “emotional, romantic, sexual or sensual attraction between persons of opposite sexes.”
The 2024 Summer Olympics did not deter Lady Gaga from stealing the show early in the four-hour opening ceremonies—because of a time switch, Billboard noted. While Gaga’s take on Zizi Jeanmaire’s “Mon Truc en Plumes” (“My Thing With Feathers”) appeared to dodge the raindrops, that was because it was pre-taped to avoid any potential weather-related issues according to choreographer and head of dance for the Olympics and Paralympics Maud le Pladec. Apparently, Gaga, who sang live, filmed her performance hours before the athletes’ elaborate boat trip down Paris’ iconic river because of safety reasons, as the performance surface—including that giant set of stairs—would have been too slippery for the musician to navigate.
Lesbian boxer Cindy Ngamba made history by becoming the first athlete competing as a refugee to clinch an Olympic medal, NBC News noted. Ngamba’s victory at the Paris Games came after an intense bout with French boxer Davina Michel in the women’s 75-kilogram quarterfinals. She was a flag bearer for the 37 athletes making up the biggest Refugee Olympic Team since the idea was born ahead of the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. Ngamba moved to the United Kingdom at age 11 and said she was granted refugee status in 2021 because she could have been imprisoned for being lesbian in Cameroon.
In a related development, J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk were among the high-profile names condemning the Olympics for allowing Algerian boxer Imane Khelif to compete in the women’s boxing competition at the Paris 2024 games, Variety noted. Musk—whose adult transgender child is estranged from him—shared a post from swimmer Riley Gaines that claimed “men don’t belong in women’s sports.” The X owner then co-signed the message by writing, “Absolutely.”
And Lin Yu‑ting clinched her first Olympic medal in front of a crowd that chanted her name on Aug. 4—one day after Khelif secured one following days of online abuse, MSN reported. Lin defeated Svetlana Kamenova Staneva of Bulgaria 5:0 in a women’s 57-kilogram quarterfinal, advancing to the semifinals and ensuring she will win at least a bronze medal.
French drag performer and RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Nicky Doll is suing conservative British politician/former actor Laurence Fox after he lashed out at drag queens involved in the Paris Olympics opening ceremony and called them “deviant little pedos” on social media, per Variety. The July 26 ceremony—featuring a group of drag artists portraying Greek gods in a tableau that some incorrectly thought parodied Leonardo va Vinci’s religious painting “The Last Supper”—prompted Fox to post, “No point in getting wound up when the child f**kers want to wind you up. Just laugh at the deviant little pedos. Eternity is a b***h.” In a statement, Doll (real name: Karl Sanchez) said, “These messages go far beyond artistic criticism and for some convey odious and defamatory amalgams, equating drag performance to pedophilia. These comparisons are serious and unacceptable. It is in this sense that justice has been seized, and that any publication or message equating Nicky Doll’s performance with the encouragement of pedophilia practices will be reported.”
Australian climber Campbell Harrison kissed his boyfriend, Justin, in open defiance of homophobic trolls after failing to qualify for the final of the men’s boulder and lead competition, PinkNews noted. It was an especially significant kiss, given that Harrison has faced intense homophobic abuse online since he qualified to compete in the Olympic Games back in November. The negative comments led to the official Olympics Instagram account issuing a statement asking people to keep the “community positive.”
Also at the Olympics, French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati became an instant viral phenomenon after an incident involving his crotch, per Variety. Ammirati missed his target height and knocked down the pole with his bulge, causing him to fail his qualifying track for the final. (However, media reports stated that Ammirati’s shins and knees actually caused him to fail the jump before his crotch touched the crossbar.) The situation quickly sparked memes and jokes all over social media. The vaulter later posted on TikTok, “POV: You create more buzz for your package than your performances.”
Out gay Spanish director Pedro Almodovar’s The Room Next Door (his first English-language feature film) has been selected as the Centerpiece selection for the 62nd New York Film Festival, Variety noted. The comedic drama, starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, will make its U.S. premiere at Alice Tully Hall on Oct. 4. The director has described the New York-set movie as a story “about a very imperfect mother and her resentful daughter, who live separate lives because of a profound misunderstanding.”
Organizers of the Malaysia-based Good Vibes Festival are suing the British rock band The 1975, saying the group violated prohibitions by sharing a same-sex kiss while performing in Kuala Lumpur last year, per NBC News. Band members Matty Healy and Ross MacDonald shared a kiss onstage during their set in protest of Malaysia’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws, as Outright International has said that the country bans same-sex relations. The remainder of the festival was canceled after the band’s demonstration.
A letter claimed that the Norwegian princess Martha Louise was more deeply involved with a gin launched to mark her forthcoming wedding to U.S. businessman Durek Verrett than previously stated, amid growing questions over the use of her name on the bottle, The Guardian noted. Carina Scheele Carlsen,, a spokesperson for the princess, previously described the inclusion of her title as a “mistake” and said it would be removed from future batches—although that claim is being questioned. The wedding celebrations are due to begin Aug. 29 in Ålesund, where the bride and groom will travel by sea with their guests to Geiranger; the wedding, slated for Aug. 31, will be a private event at the 197-room Hotel Union.The Daily Mail has added that Verrett calls himself a shaman, and is bisexual.
Billy Porter shared a new remix for his new single, “Leap,” a press release noted. About the song, Porter said, “I always want to make sure I use my art to heal. Music is the universal language. We are in trying times right now and I wrote ‘Leap’ alongside the late genius Andrea Martin to inspire love across all races, creeds, identities, and value structures. Welcome to the cookout!” Porter’s Black Mona Lisa UK Tour will kick off on Oct. 18 in Swansea, Wales at Swansea Arena, and conclude Oct. 28 in Brighton, England at Brighton Dome.
Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham talked with Vogue Australia about the fashion industry, admitting she was naïve when she first launched her brand, according to The News. Beckham stated, “It was always my passion to be in fashion and beauty. I’d obviously been in the Spice Girls. I took the plunge, and there was an innocence and naivete.” She added that she wouldn’t enter the same industry “knowing what she knows now.” Her once-floundering brand has become a huge success, with significant conversions, 17 years after its launch.
Out gay French musician Woodkid (real name: Yoann Leomoine) called out Donald Trump’s presidential campaign for continuing to use one of his songs in a recently re-released video without permission, according to LGBTQ Nation, citing Le Monde and euronews. The Trump campaign first released the video last December. The almost two-minute video reportedly features images of soldiers and anti-vaccine demonstrators alongside clips from Trump’s speeches, set to the tune of Woodkid’s 2012 single “Run Boy Run.” Woodkid previously spoke out against the campaign’s use of his song, which he describes as an “LGBT+ anthem.”
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) announced its full documentary lineup and among the standouts is The Last Republican, about ex-GOP Congressman Adam Kinzinger’s vigorous repudiation of former President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 insurrection, Deadline noted. Another film is Temporary Shelter, which is directed by Anastasiia Bortuali—who, like millions of her fellow Ukrainians, had to flee her country after the full-scale Russian invasion; some of the other movies include world premieres of Elton John: Never Too Late, Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe, and Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. The TIFF lineup boasts documentaries set in Sudan, the West Bank, Mexico, South Korea, Canada, the U.S. and other locations around the world.
Three of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shows were canceled in Vienna, Austria after two men were arrested in an ISIS-connected terrorist plot against her upcoming concerts, Variety noted. According to international reports, the suspects arrested included a 19-year-old who pledged his allegiance to ISIS and was living with his parents in the town of Ternitz, as well as another man. (TMZ stated that the other arrested suspect was 17, although it was a 15-year-old who claimed to authorities that the 19-year-old asked him to secure an ignition device.) News of the suspected terrorist attack comes just days after a “terroristic threat” delayed country-music singer Morgan Wallen’s concert in Kansas City.
The BBC removed from iPlayer an episode of Doctor Who featuring disgraced news anchor Huw Edwards, who pled guilty to indecent child image charges, Deadline noted. No longer available to stream is “Fear Her,” an episode from season two that starred David Tennant and Billie Piper. The BBC also appears to have removed an episode of The Great British Menu featuring Edwards as a guest judge, as episode 28 of the 17th season is not currently available on iPlayer. Interestingly, Edwards won’t be stripped of honors received from BAFTA, the Royal Television Society, and the Television and Radio Industries Club.