THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

Pita Limjaroenrat—the frontrunner for Thailand's next prime minister—joined a Pride parade in Bangkok, promising to pass a law that would allow marriage equality and gender-identity rights if he becomes premier, according to Reuters. Limjaroenrat, leader of the progressive Move Forward party, told reporters, "Once the government is formed we will support Marriage Equality [Act], Gender Identity [Act] and several others, including welfare." Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said that more than 50,000 people joined this year's parade—more than double the number at last year's event.

Approximately 30,000 people marched in the Jerusalem Pride and Tolerance Parade, which marked the beginning of Pride month in Israel, according to The Washington Blade. The parade—organized by the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance, and which had many politicians attending—began with the traditional gathering at Gan Hapaamon; at the end of the gathering, the marchers began marching toward Independence Park. However, several serious incidents of anti-LGBTQ+ violence took place after the parade ended and marchers dispersed.

The right-wing government of Italy's Lazio region around Rome plans to withdraw its support from the capital's annual Pride parade—generating an angry response from rights activists and opposition politicians, Reuters reported. LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality in Italy have been a particular hot-button issue since right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni came to power around seven months ago vowing to combat what she called the "LGBT lobby."

In the wake of Uganda President Yoweri Museveni signing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law, a member of Parliament (MP) and charities working with LGBTQ+ refugees urged the government to open safe routes for LGBTQ+ Ugandans to seek refuge in Britain, PinkNews reported. Labour MP Chi Onwurah has already asked Robert Jennrick, the minister of state for immigration, what safe and legal routes the Home Office has made available "to the UK for asylum seekers from Uganda who identify as LGBT."

The University of Oxford has appointed the UK's first permanently endowed professorship in LGBTQ+ history, PinkNews reported. Mansfield College announced that Matt Cook will become the first Jonathan Cooper Chair of the History of Sexualities at the university. (The role has been named in honor of Jonathan Cooper OBE, the human-rights lawyer who passed away in 2021.) Cook told PinkNews that the new post is a "culmination" of the movement of LGBTQ+ history from activism and community groups into academia.

The Australian Capital Territory government parties joined together to pass legislation introduced by Andrew Barr to protect the human rights of people with innate variations of sex characteristics in medical settings, according to an Intersex Human Rights Australia (IHRA) release. The statement added, "The legislation will implement mechanisms to regulate non-urgent medical care to encourage child participation in medical decisions, establish groundbreaking oversight mechanisms and provide transparency on medical practices and decision making." IHRA Executive Director Morgan Carpenter said, "This is such a wonderful and transformative moment! The only way of maximally respecting the diverse values and preferences of people with intersex variations is to minimize early interventions."

A Japanese court ruled a ban on same-sex marriage is constitutional but raised concerns about the dignity and human rights of same-sex couples, ABC.net .au reported. The ruling by the Fukuoka District Court came a week after another district court said it was unconstitutional to prohibit same-sex marriage, boosting hopes for change among the LGBTQ+ community in Japan—the only G7 nation without legal protection for same-sex unions. Five rulings on same-sex marriage have been handed down in Japan over the past two years— two concluding the ban was unconstitutional, one saying it was not and two, including the latest, upholding the ban but raising other rights concerns.

LGBTQ+-travel association IGLTA announced the global launch of an initiative to support full equality within the travel industry: IGLTA Accredited, a press release noted. IGLTA Accredited has opened applications to hotels and accommodations worldwide, with anticipation of rapidly building momentum as travel organizations globally seek to champion LGBTQ+ inclusivity. See www.iglta.org/iglta-accredited/ .

U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nevada) introduced a bill that would require the U.S. to promote LGBTQI rights abroad through its foreign policy, The Washington Blade reported. Titus told the Blade that the bill, among other things, would endorse the selective use of existing sanctions to punish those responsible for murders and other human-rights abuses against LGBTQI people. She added the measure would also require the State Department to allow LGBTQI people to choose their gender markers on passports and other travel documents.

LGBT Youth Scotland, a charity for queer young people, suspended its Twitter account over safety fears due to "increase in extreme views" following Elon Musk's takeover, PinkNews noted. "Since Twitter's takeover in 2022 we have become increasingly concerned by a number of statements and decisions that have had a real impact on the LGBTQ+ community," CEO Dr. Mhairi Crawford told AberdeenLive. Elton John and actors Jim Carrey, Whoopi Goldberg and Jameela Jamil are among those who have also decided to delete their accounts following Musk's takeover.

In Canada, about 200 demonstrators gathered outside the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools (GSCS) board building to protest a directive sent by Superintendent of Education Tom Hickey that asked teachers in May to avoid the Rainbow Tent at a local children's festival, according to CBC. The Nutrien Children's Festival, which ran June 1-4 at Kinsmen Park, featured a Rainbow Tent with programming "from Drag Queen Storytime to inclusive dress up performances filled with color and fun," according to the event's website. According to the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Hickey—who was visibly emotional at times—apologized for the "hurt" he caused, adding that the school division will commit to learning opportunities for staff and school officials.

Also in Canada, Serpent River First Nation held its third annual Pride Parade in Cutler, Ontario, according to Anishinabek News. According to the article, "Chief Brent Bissaillon is a Two-Spirit man who set things in motion for the first Pride Parade in 2021. It took no time at all for the community of about 371 residents to get behind their Chief showing inclusiveness and support for the LGBQT+ community."

London, Ontario Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis, the city's first openly gay city councillor, spoke at the start of the meeting about Pride Month—and issued a passionate plea for tolerance, according to the London Free Press. "I personally can be here in this chamber today as a duly elected official because of the work of so many others who came before me, who stood strong in the face of discrimination and oppression, who stood to say, 'Enough is enough,'" Lewis said. In his address, Lewis called for recognition of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and praised the Indigenous community for acknowledging the "two spirit" nature of some—an awareness "criminalized" by the European invasion.

A year after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, Paul Burrell—Princess Diana's former butler and a reality star—wants to help gay men and others with the disease by talking about diagnosis, treatment and sex, PinkNews noted. Burrell was undergoing tests ahead of his stint on I'm a Celebrity: South Africa when he discovered there was something wrong. His prognosis is good—but he's disturbed by just how little most people know about prostate cancer. The advice is that men and other people with prostates should start getting tested when they hit 50, but many aren't aware of that. (Burrell is 65 but had never been tested for prostate cancer before his diagnosis.)

Grindr CEO George Arison said he sees room for the app to be more vocal in advocating for LGBTQ+ rights at a time many corporations—which have supported Pride events in years past—have shied away from defending those rights as their companies come under attack, according to Fortune. Arison, a tech industry veteran and gay father of two who became Grindr's CEO soon after it went public in November, said, "Companies might say a lot of wonderful things about their brand being pro-LGBTQ, but they don't put the dollars where they should." Also, Arison, born in Soviet Georgia, sees a role for Grindr in pushing for LGBTQ+ rights abroad because of the app's community-building aspect, and not just among people seeking sex or dating opportunities. Arison caused controversy last year when he aired conservative views, tweeting, "FYI I am a conservative & agree with some Trump policies," Windy City Times noted.

Never-before-seen draft lyrics of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" suggest that Freddie Mercury considered giving his anthem a different title—"Mongolian Rhapsody," according to CNN. The discovery was made following the emergence of a 15-page folio of lyrics, vocal lines and harmonies handwritten by Mercury as he composed his 1975 hit. The manuscript is among approximately 1,500 of the singer's personal belongings heading to auction at Sotheby's in London in September; the items are expected to garner a total of up to $1.5 million.

British cricket players¯Nat and Katherine Sciver-Brunt will become the first LGBTQ+ couple to feature on CBeebies Bedtime Stories, as part of Pride Month, the BBC noted. The couple, who married last year, will read Emily Coxhead's Find Your Happy, about a sloth learning to navigate its emotions. The Sciver-Brunts, who will read two stories, both played for England and have held the title of women's cricketer of the year.

Outlook India ran a piece on five LGBTQ+ museums around the world that honor and safeguard the rich history of the community. The venues are The Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives (Melbourne, Australia); The GLBT Historical Society & Museum (San Francisco); the IHLIA LGBT Heritage archives (Amsterdam); The ArQuives (Toronto); and Schwules Museum (Berlin). The latter initially opened in 1985 above a gay nightclub but, now, this museum houses artworks and artifacts across four exhibition rooms (including the exhibits "We Have Always Been Everywhere" and "Year of the Women," which end, respectively, on Nov. 30 and Dec. 31), a workshop, a cafe and versatile event spaces.

Newly crowned Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Dee has come out as bisexual, PinkNews noted. Lee—set to represent the Philippines at upcoming Miss Universe 2023 competition in El Salvador—told Mega Magazine that she has been bisexual "for as long as I can remember." She is not the only LGBTQ+ woman in the pageant world; Miss Argentina and Miss Puerto Rico wed in 2022 and trans tycoon Jakapong "Anne" Jakrajutatip bought out the Miss Universe franchise for $20 million in the same year.

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass was booed by baseball fans at his home stadium after the player reposted an anti-LGBTQ+ video on social media, according to PinkNews. The relief pitcher shared a video on his Instagram story on May 29 that urged viewers to boycott Target and Bud Light because they support LGBTQ+ rights. Bass later apologized for the reposting, although that didn't stop some fans from booing him. At the same time, some fans noticed Toronto's iconic CN Tower, which is just outside the stadium, was lit up in rainbow colors.

Taylor Swift announced the first round of international dates to Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour, per a press release. Stops include Mexico City (Aug. 24-26); Buenos Aires (Nov. 9-10); Rio de Janeiro (Nov. 18); and Sao Paulo, Brazil (Nov. 25-26). Latin American shows will be supported by Sabrina Carpenter and produced by Taylor Swift Touring. See taylorswift.com/tour.

Married thespian couple Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker are bringing their relationship comedy Plaza Suite to London following a sold-out Broadway run, Variety noted. The West End transfer of Neil Simon's play is directed by Tony winner John Benjamin Hickey. It will play a strictly limited season at the Savoy Theatre from Jan. 15 to March 31, 2024, with tickets on sale in September 2023. The production marks Broderick's return to the West End stage following 2019's The Starry Messenger.

Prince Harry intensified his war with Piers Morgan by personally attacking the TalkTV and Fox Nation presenter in explosive court testimony, Deadline noted. The Duke of Sussex was in the witness box for the phone-hacking trial he and other British celebrities are bringing against Mirror Group Newspapers, where Morgan was editor of The Daily Mirror for nearly a decade. In a written statement to London's High Court, Prince Harry said the thought of Morgan accessing the private correspondence of his late mother, Princess Diana, made him feel "physically sick."

Queer South Africa-born, Los Angeles-based independent recording artist Kaien Cruz (they/them) released the upbeat summer Afropop anthem "I Lay," per a press release. The track is accompanied by a cinematic video—directed by Hunter So, with production by Anna Dickson—that was shot on location in Costa Rica and features an appearance by Cruz's partner. See www.youtube.com/watch.