South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa praised his country for creating a conducive environment for LGB people to practice same-sex marriages and partnerships, according to Erasing 76 Crimes. Speaking at a Freedom Day celebration in Mpumalanga, Ramaphosa said, "Today in a free South Africa, those that want to practice same-sex marriages can do so. And they are able to adopt children and even inherit children from their partners. That is the freedom we have and celebrate in South Africa today." South Africa is the only African country that has legalized same-sex marriage.
In Greece, a crowd gathered outside a court in Athens displaying banners, signs and rainbow flags as they awaited the verdict in a trial over the death of queer activist Zak Kostopoulos—and later showed their disappointment over the rulings, Al Jazeera reported. Kostopoulos—also known by his drag persona, Zackie Oh—was beaten to death in Athens in September 2018. Two men, Spyridon Dimopoulos and Athanasios Chortarias, were found guilty of fatal bodily harm and sentenced to 10 years in prison; four police officers who had been charged with fatal bodily harm were acquitted on all charges. "This trial signals the ease with which the system denies our lives and their value," said activist Alexandra Panagiotakopoulou.
The British men's soccer team Arsenal's strong response to homophobic abuse was praised by the club's official LGBTQ+ supporters' group, whose co-chair warned it will take "several years of effort" to end such issues in football grounds, Sky Sports noted. Two fans were ejected from the Emirates Stadium during a recent Premier League game against Brighton, with Arsenal promising to take the "strongest action possible." The action of the club has been greeted with a positive response from Gay Gooners co-chair Carl Fearn, who has been working closely with Arsenal on LGBT+ awareness.
LGBTQ+ English soccer star Anita Asante, 37, posted a video on social media announcing she'll be retiring at the end of the season after almost two decades at the top level of the game, Outsports noted. "In this game, we still have barriers to break to ensure that girls like me get to experience the best of this game," Asante said. "I may be leaving the pitch, but my football journey will continue. Because I want to make sure that this game will one day be everyone's game." Her legacy includes four FA Cups, a Champions League title and a UEFA Cup victory with Arsenal in 2007—the only time a British team has ever won the European title in the history of the modern women's game.
South Korean singer Holland (real name: Go Tae-seob) —generally celebrated as the first out, gay K-Pop star—said he was the victim of a homophobic hate crime, according to Out Magazine. According to an Instagram post from Holland, he was out with his manager and a friend when he was called "a dirty gay" and hit twice in the face, leaving him with a bleeding wound across his nose. Holland also said he reported the incident to police and is awaiting their findings.
A British tribunal heard lesbian lawyer Allison Bailey accuse LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall of operating like a "criminal protection racket" by inducing companies to adopt its policies, GBN noted. In 2019, Bailey founded the LGB Alliance group, which argues there is a conflict between the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual folk, and transgender people—and opposes many Stonewall policies. She claims to have lost work and income due to GCC's involvement with Stonewall's Diversity Champions scheme, which she said was "exclusive" and "discriminatory" of her beliefs. According to her website, Bailey has raised the 550,000 pounds she wanted to help her continue her campaign.
A gay man who received a six-year prison sentence for livestreaming an anti-government protest in Cuba has been released, The Washington Blade reported, citing Blade partner Tremenda Nota. Yoan de la Cruz, on July 11, 2021, used Facebook Live to livestream a protest in San Antonio de los Banos—and, in March, a court sentenced him to six years in prison. A source in Cuba told the Blade that authorities sentenced de la Cruz to five years of house arrest after the original sentence was appealed.
British singer-songwriter Emeli Sande—who recently came out as part of the LGBTQ+ community—shared her new album Let's Say For Instance, available to stream and download now via Chrysalis Records, a press release noted. The album, which marks her first release on an independent label, features songs such as "Ready to Love," "Oxygen," "World Go Round" and "September 8th."
Top Hollywood publicists who have been boycotting the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) met with the group recently in an attempt for the embattled group to win over the publicity executives with reform efforts that could restore the Golden Globes, TheWrap reported. Some 75 publicists met with HFPA president Helen Hoehne along with board members and Chief Diversity Officer Neil Phillips, according to several attendees. Publicists who represent Tom Cruise, Scarlett Johansson, Nicole Kidman, Serena Williams, Ben Stiller and many others reportedly attended.
British superstar Sir Elton John has become a part of the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard case, according to PinkNews. A U.S. court heard that Depp sent expletive-filled emails to John about his ex-partner Vanessa Paradis, describing her as a "French extortionist" and an "ex-c**t." Depp is suing ex-wife Heard in a $50-million defamation suit over her claims that he abused her.
Timothee Chalamet's play 4000 Miles has been canceled at London's Old Vic two years after its debut was thwarted by the pandemic, per Variety. A statement from the historic London theater read, in part, "Following its postponement due to the pandemic, and despite an enormous amount of effort from all involved, we have now sadly and reluctantly concluded that we are unable to reschedule the show at a time possible for everyone involved." The production—about a 21-year-old cyclist and his grandmother—played off-Broadway in 2011 and 2012, and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2013.
