In India, the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) reaffirmed its opposition to same-sex relationships after a film the Council previously criticized won a major award, New Ways Ministry noted. The KCBC previously criticized homosexuality in December 2023 after an Indian LGBTQ+ movie, Kaathal (The Core)—which features a gay Catholic priest—was released. In a statement, the KCBC said that campaigns promoting same-gender relationships are “misleading propaganda by vested interests”—although it affirmed the church does not isolate people based on their sexuality and treats them with compassion. However, there is apparently a contrast in Kerala, where the population is nearly 20% Christian, between the bishops’ and other Catholic ministers who have taken steps toward real compassion toward the LGBTQ+ community.
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that member states must recognize legal documents from other countries that reflect a person’s changed name and gender identity, regardless of the member state’s own laws on changing one’s name and identity, LGBTQ Nation reported. This decision came regarding a Romanian transgender man, Arian Mirzarafie-Ahi, who moved to the United Kingdom when the island country was still a member of the European Union (EU). The UK did not recognize his altered name and identity, leading him to sue Romania in the CJEU.
Also, the EU’s highest court ruled that Meta cannot target a user’s sexual orientation in its personalized ads—even if they are openly queer and make public statements about the subject, Mashable noted, citing Wired. The case was brought from longtime Meta antagonist and Austrian activist Max Schrems, whose separate privacy case recently led to a $1.3 billion fine against the company. Schrems claimed, in this case, that Meta violated EU privacy laws by pulling data on his sexual orientation via website visits, app logins and other sources outside of Facebook. The Court of Justice of the European Union disagreed with the Austrian court, which had stated that Meta could target Schrems with ads related to his sexual orientation since he previously discussed being gay. Meta denies it engages in this practice.
October is Black History Month 2024 in the UK, so PinkNews ran an article celebrating nine queer Black British heroes, past and present. They include the late artist/activist Pearl Alcock; UK Black Pride co-founder Phyll Opoku Gyimah (aka Lady Phyll); Gay Liberation Front member Ted Brown; trans activist/model Munroe Bergdorf; Justin Fashanu, the first professional soccer player to come out as gay—although he died in 1998 by suicide after being hounded by the British tabloid press; rock icon Skin; Marc Thompson, the co-founder of Prepster.info and the former co-founder of Blackout UK; singer-songwriter MNEK (real name: Uzoechi Osisioma “Uzo” Emenikek); and veteran drag performer Jide Salami (drag name: Son of A TuTu).
GSK-backed ViiV Healthcare said it plans to triple the amount of its HIV prevention therapy it will make available in Africa at a not-for-profit price in low- and middle-income countries next year and in 2026, BioPharmaDive noted. The company—which is majority owned by GSK and counts Pfizer and Shionogi as stockholders—is committing to supply at least 2 million doses of its long-acting drug cabotegravir for pre-exposure prophylaxis. An injectable drug, long-acting cabotegravir got approved in the U.S. as Apretude after testing found it effective at preventing HIV.
A Taiwanese-mainland Chinese gay couple officially registered their marriage in Taiwan—becoming the island’s first-ever legally married cross-strait same-sex couple, per Kyodo News. The couple—Ryan, a 38-year-old Kaohsiung resident and Righ, a 48-year-old from Beijing—received the paperwork that recognizes their union from a household registration office in the southern port city. Taiwan became the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriages in 2019; last year, the island changed its previous interpretation to recognize same-sex marriages between its citizens and their foreign partners even if the partners’ countries do not allow such unions. However, most cross-strait couples were deemed to be exceptions due to national security concerns and the complex ties between Taipei and Beijing.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in at a joint session of the country’s Congress, becoming North America’s first elected female head of state, The Hill reported. Sheinbaum won the general election with nearly 60 percent of the vote, more than double the 27 percent received by opposition candidate Xóchitl Gálvez. Among other things, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador reforms add to questions about her early presidency, as the country moves to rebuild its judiciary under the new constitutional regulations. Two years into her term, Sheinbaum—who campaigned on a liberal platform, per PinkNews—will also face talks to ratify, modify or tank the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which will be shaped by the results of the U.S. presidential election in November.
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, was arrested on Sept. 4 in Quebec, not far from the U.S. border, The Toronto Sun reported. According to the FBI, the Pakistani, in Canada on a study permit, told undercover operatives he was plotting to “slaughter” as many Jews as possible in a massacre slated to take place around the first anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack on Israel. Khan was reportedly in the process of claiming refugee status on the basis of his sexual orientation; same-sex interactions are forbidden in Pakistan.
Cambodia’s first-ever queer community space, Cocoon, opened in the capital of Phnom Penh last month, with an event featuring art, dance and drag performances, per The Washington Blade. “To queer Phnom Penh people who do not have a safe space, this is your Cocoon,” says Cocoon founder Ian Goh. “To queer people visiting Phnom Penh, you now have a place to love and be loved unconditionally.”
Mubi bought the rights to Luca Guadagnino’s film Queer in multiple territories, Deadline noted. The deal with Fremantle covers the UK, Ireland, Canada, Latin America, Germany, Austria, Benelux, Spain, Turkey and India, and all rights excluding theatrical in Italy. Set in 1950, Queer follows William Lee (played by Daniel Craig), an American expat in Mexico City; he forms a connection with Eugene Allerton (played by Drew Starkey), an expat former soldier new to the city. Queer also stars Lesley Manville, Omar Apollo, Colin Bates and Henry Zaga, among others. The film is getting its U.S. premiere in the Spotlight Gala at the New York Film Festival and a UK screening as a special presentation at the BFI London Film Festival.
A group of queer performance artists—collectively called Duckie—has called people who attended Vauxhall’s gay pubs of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s to take part in a history project looking at the “heyday” of London’s queer scene, the BBC noted. Duckie wants to delve into the history of three south London pubs: the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT), the Market Tavern, and the Elephant & Castle. (The latter two clubs have closed down.) Announcing its project, called Taking Courage, Duckie said it wanted to revisit the period “as the London tradition of the gay pub falls into long-term decline.”
A soccer team in which the members are all transgender men made its debut in a regional league in Spain, NBC News/Reuters reported. The team—named Fenix FC after the mythical bird symbolizing rebirth—played some friendlies and seven-a-side games last season but now competes in the fifth tier in the region of Catalonia after being incorporated into a local club in the Barcelona suburb of Sant Feliu de Llobregat. The Catalan FA said its men’s leagues have been mixed for the past two seasons, meaning players of any gender can participate regardless of their official identity.
World of Wonder announced that Maxie was crowned as the winner of the third season of Drag Race Philippines, following a lip sync for the crown against Khianna, per a press release. Maxie received a grand prize of ₱1,000,000 (about $17,000 U.S.), a year’s supply of products from Anastasia Beverly Hills and the title of the Philippines’ Next Drag Superstar. Maxie was crowned following a final lip-sync for the crown against Khianna to the song “Lipad ng Pangarap,” by Angeline Quinto and Regine Velasquez. Earlier in the episode, the final four queens—Angel, Khianna, Maxie and Tita Baby—had to deliver three looks in a finale ball as well as perform in the T.I.T.E (Totally Impressive Talent show Extravaganza), marking the first time in Drag Race history that biological siblings (Angel and Maxie) competed for the final crown.
Also, the queens of season four of Drag Race Down Under have been announced. Competitors include Brenda Bressed, Freya Armani, Karan Ford, Lazy Susan, Lucina Innocence, Mandy Moobs, Max Drag Queen, Nikita Iman, Olivia Dreams and Vybe. The new season, hosted by Michelle Visage, will premiere Friday, Nov. 1, on WOW Presents Plus in the United States, New Zealand and select territories worldwide.
In an exclusive interview with Variety, French President Emmanuel Macron talked, among other things, about AI, #MeToo and the show Emily in Paris. Of Celine Dion’s performance during the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony, he said, “You could feel the surprise in the audience when she appeared—all the lights, this moment of celebration,” adding that Lady Gaga’s performance (in French) “was very impressive and very generous.” Regarding #MeToo (which is still gaining momentum in France), Macron stated, “First of all, we have to talk about the victims: the women who have suffered sexual and gender-based violence and whose lives have been traumatized—whose careers, in some cases, have been shattered. … You always have to find the right rules to ensure that victims are respected, that their words are taken into account, that justice is done and—above all—that everyone is protected for the future so it doesn’t happen again.”
Nonbinary actor Emma Corrin (The Crown; Deadpool & Wolverine) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog; Maria) will join Cate Blanchett in the new adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull at London’s Barbican Theatre in 2025, per Deadline. Preview performances of The Seagull begin Feb. 26, with an official opening night set for March 6. The limited six-week season continues until April 5. Also, play mother and son in Alfonso Cuarón’s seven-part Apple TV+ drama Disclaimer, which premieres on the streamer on Oct. 11, 2024.
Swiss nonbinary singer/rapper—and Eurovision 2024 winner—Nemo released the new single “Eurostar” via Casablanca Records, per a press release. “Eurostar”—described in the release as “[evoking] the feeling of being intoxicated by the night, high on endorphins and shared happiness”—is the follow-up to international hit “The Code,” which brought Nemo (who now resides in London) victory at this year’s Eurovision.
Out British TV personality Phillip Schofield addressed his “haters” following the final episode of his comeback series Cast Away, according to Yahoo! Life. The disgraced This Morning presenter (who admitted to an extramarital affair with a younger male co-worker) made his return to television on the Channel 5 show Cast Away, which saw him spend 10 days on an island off the coast of Madagascar. Schofield posted a screenshot of him baring his backside as he ran into the ocean to his Instagram story, writing, “Thank you for your incredible support, I’ve been shown hundreds of lovely messages, which are very important to me. I’m so proud of the shows.” As for his critics, he added, “Obvs the haters can … kiss my a** X.” Viewers were surprised by the moment, with many posting their shock on social media.
Heinz apologized for a ketchup campaign that critics said contained imagery that had echoes of blackface and minstrel shows, saying it would pull the ads immediately, according to AdAge. The European campaign, called “Smiles,” was the first work out of Gut’s just-opened New York office. The ads featured people grinning with ketchup smeared around their mouths. “It ha ha has to be Heinz,” said the headline on the ads—evidently a reference to the new Joker: Folie à Deux movie. The “Smiles” ads had been running in Europe, in markets including the UK, Spain, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Italy.