the week's
news
& pop
culture,
with a
gay
bias.
Left &
Found
Found
On the meaning of Moonlight. "As a black gay boy, I felt crushed by a sadness I couldn’t place, stunned into a silence I couldn’t understand."
Gay bars are under threat but not from the obvious attackers. "The disappearance of gay bars and clubs is an unhappy side-effect of a far more cheering trend."
How statistics lost their power – and why we should fear what comes next. "The ability of statistics to accurately represent the world is declining. In its wake, a new age of big data controlled by private companies is taking over – and putting democracy in peril."
The fake news problem isn't nearly as bad as you might think.
The weakening of the 'alt-right': How infighting and doxxing are taking a toll. "As the far right movement has emerged from obscurity, it has also become a target, facing what Richard Spencer calls ‘a literal and figurative punch in the face’."
A theory of jerks. "Are you surrounded by fools? Are you the only reasonable person around? Then maybe you’re the one with the jerkitude."
How to stop arguing and actually change someone's mind on social media.
News
America
America
The gay cop who turned around one of America's most dangerous cities.
All evidence points to Trump having zero plans to battle HIV.
The fifteen cities with the highest rates of new HIV diagnoses.
Anti-gay litigation group Liberty Counsel claims first responders at the Pulse nightclub massacre were traumatised because they had to “get tested for AIDS-related conditions.”
Hillary Clinton plots her next move. "The Democrat has been studying election presentations, including reports on where she underperformed... Former Pennsylvania governor and DNC chair Ed Rendell, a longtime family friend: 'I’m certain Trump will screw up enough that by the fall of ’18, Hillary’s numbers will be way up again.'"
It took three years for George W. Bush to hit 50% disapproval. Trump is there after 8 days.
The American left will be reborn under President Trump. "Clintonian-centrism was defeated in November, but attempts to repeal Obamacare show the Republicans are weak and divided. Now is the time for the left to craft a populist alternative."
Why white fear of demographic change is a powerful psychological force.
Arkansas state official resigns after tweeting "gay jokes are back on" in Trump’s America.
Surprise! Post-Presidential election youth survey paints a shocking picture of bullying.
What it's like reporting on the inauguration while queer. "Covering gay Republicans, witnessing protesters twerk outside of Mike Pence's house, and interviewing queer women at the Women's March on Washington."
The radical crusade of Mike Pence. "He's trampled on the rights of women, LGBTQ folks and the poor. Then there's the incompetence. Meet, quite possibly, the next president."
The State Department’s entire senior administrative team just resigned.
Trump said that ordinary people would be heard under his administration - but he was shut down the White House comments phone line.
Want to understand what Trump and Bannon are up to? Look to the Russian Revolution of 1917.
Trump and the nuclear codes. Be afraid.
Trump invokes "All Lives Matter" logic to erase Jews from Holocaust.
These “nice guy” Trump supporters were the real story at the inauguration.
Is this a Muslim ban? Trump's executive order explained. "The immediate consequences have been dire for many, including valid visa holders and legal residents, and lawsuits have already begun – but the order’s vagueness leaves much up in the air."
The Muslim ban has brought the US close to constitutional crisis. "A series of troubling events since Friday’s order have pushed the country into uncharted territory – and Stephen Bannon was central to the chaos."
Trump's travel ban: stories of those who were detained this weekend. "Following the president’s executive order, at least 109 people were held at airports en route to seeing family, moving to the US or just coming home."
A brief history of Islam in America.
White supremacist leader Richard Spencer punched in the face during anti-Trump protests...
...But is it okay to punch Nazis in the face? An ethicist says not. "No. You don't get to punch people in the face..."
...On the other hand, Spencer shouldn't be shocked at being punched; instead, he should expect it every time he steps out onto the street.
Trump's Muslim ban is hurting LGBT people, not helping them.
Seeking an escape from Trump’s America. "Why some people are withdrawing from mainstream society into 'intentional communities' — and what the rest of the country can learn from them."
Trump breaks campaign promise, won't overturn LGBT protections - for now.
Why evangelicals are speaking out against Betsy DeVos. "The conservative Christian education secretary nominee would seem like an evangelical favorite. But some from within her own faith say she’s not right for the job."
If you want to see America’s future, look at Turkey. "From attitudes towards women to the media, they’re worryingly similar: Turkey’s spiral into authoritarianism is a warning about what could happen if Trump has his way."
Why is Thiel a citizen of New Zealand? "The gay billionaire and Trump supporter may consider the island nation an escape hatch in case of political or natural disasters."
Two nights on Milo Yiannopoulos's campus tour: As offensive as you'd imagine.
Don't abandon us in the red states! "Telling an LGBT person to 'just move' is making this bad situation worse."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has canceled a LGBT youth summit.
The Boy Scouts of America is to allow transgender boys to participate in its boys-only programs.
The meaning of Melania. "If you’re waiting for the first lady to blink twice for help, don’t hold your breath..."
...And yet, Trump’s treatment of Melania on Inauguration Day was abhorrent. (Fortunately, the Obamas were on hand.)
Lock him up! "Crooked FBI director James Comey almost makes you long for the days of J. Edgar Hoover."
Burst your bubble: Five conservative articles to read during Trump's first week. "Rightwing commentators on the foreign policy implications of the president’s inaugural address, his likely line on the culture wars and even his mental health."
Trump biographer: "He's an actor who's been playing himself for his entire life."
Trump’s new culture war has left liberals reeling. They thought they’d won that battle. "The American coastal elites are living in a different country than they thought and it has a powerful voice in the new president."
The Believers: Cult murders in Mexico. "They thought their rituals of human sacrifice would make them invincible. In the end, a much stronger force prevailed." (June 1989)
News
UK
UK
Posthumous pardons issued for thousands of gay men. "Justice minister hails ‘momentous day’ as so-called Turing’s law receives royal assent, but critics say move does not go far enough."
The Church of England won't change its doctrine regarding marriage equality.
A gay man in Guernsey has refused to pay his Parish Rates, which contribute to the upkeep of churches, because the church is “homophobic”.
The Government is backing plans to tackle the UK’s "last anti-gay law".
Prisoner caught with two mobile phones, charger cable, herbal medicine and SIM card in his anus.
Poisonous rightwing tabloids crucify LGBT ally Lily Allen for quoting the word "fags".
Former intern Benjamin Myers claims Piers Morgan tabloid News of the World paid him to spy on gay youth group.
Veteran human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell vows to keep on campaigning until he’s 95.
UK protests over US Muslim ban. "Four people give their reasons for getting involved with protests over Trump’s executive order on US immigration."
Parliament to debate keeping Trump out of the United Kingdom after nearly two million sign a petition to bar the demagogue.
Prime Minister Theresa May didn’t mention equality once in her big speech to US Republican leaders.
The big white men of Brexit are a throwback to Britain’s imperial past.
How Ed Miliband's opposition to Trump reignited the #Milifandom. "The US president’s travel ban forced the Labour politician to stand up against it in the Commons. And his fervour has won him some fans in the States..."
Smog in the cities: the truth about Britain’s dirty air.
My 30 years as prisoner of a London cult. "Three years after escaping the abusive Maoist ‘collective’ who had held her captive since birth, Katy Morgan-Davies tells her story."
News
World
World
NORWAY The Lutheran Church is to permit same-sex marriages for the first time.
SWEDEN Transgender people will no longer be classified as “mentally ill”.
ESTONIA Nearly there with marriage equality after court recognises marriage of two gay men.
GERMANY 83% support marriage equality.
GERMANY A killer who idolised Hannibal Lecter has been jailed for life for murdering his homophobic flatmate.
GERMANY On surviving the Holocaust as a gay man.
GERMANY New evidence reveals gay men were castrated decades after Nazi rule ended.
RUSSIA Airbnb rival launches tool to warn customers about high numbers of gay people
BRAZIL One person is murdered every 25 hours in Brazil.
COLOMBIA How Islam took root in one of South America’s most violent cities. "The Colombian port of Buenaventura is home to a small Muslim community who have successively embraced the Nation of Islam, Sunni and Shia interpretations."
LEBANON Judge concedes that homosexuality should not be illegal in landmark case.
ISRAEL Hundreds of new settlement homes approved for East Jerusalem. Meir Turgeman, chair of the municipality's Planning and Building committee: "I was told to wait until Trump takes office because he has no problem with building in Jerusalem."
SOUTH AFRICA A tale of the Boer war. "An English officer speaks about how he tried to track down the mother of a Boer soldier killed at Spion Kop in 1900." (January 1905)
ZIMBABWE Following its declaration of independence, Rhodesia says it will take drastic action to resist UK attempts to retake the southern African state. (January 1966)
THAILAND Government considering opening world’s first prison exclusively for LGBT inmates.
AUSTRALIA Police are investigating claims gangs killed gay men for sport.
AUSTRALIA In a global trend towards crimmigration, Australia has led the world. "Trump’s plans to detain and deport non-citizens follows the lead of Australian policies that inflate executive powers and criminalise immigration."
Arena
Despite decades of racist and sexist attacks, Serena Williams keeps winning.
Mexico is appealing FIFA fines for fans chanting gay slurs.
Sexual abuse in football: How a flawed system still places youngsters at risk.
Art +
Design
Design
2017 London toy fair at Olympia, in pictures.
Word!
INTERVIEW Talking to John Edgar Wideman on his new book, Writing To Save A Life, and the isolation of black men in America.
'I was weak, despairing, confused': Did writing a novel make me ill? "It started with a bottomless tiredness, and soon novelist Sarah Perry was unable to function. Had she brought it all on herself?"
Bibliomania: The strange history of compulsive book buying.
WATCH Giles Terrera reads I'll Walk With You, a poem. (October 2013)
Shouting
At Night
At Night
Film
Forever
Forever
Why we need to stop saying 'this is the movie we need right now'. "A devastating election result has led film critics to stress the importance of cinema as a political force but is it an overly optimistic notion?"
"What if Vito Russo ran for President? What if Mapplethorpe got into a Twitter feud with a Kardashian? What would David Wojnarowicz do about the gay executions in the Middle East?" Imagine an alternate gay universe where AIDS never happened.
The hyped films that failed to get any Oscar nominations. "From Ben Affleck’s Live by Night to Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, many stars have seen their awards-hyped films fall at the first hurdle this year."
WATCH Mahershala Ali’s SAG Award acceptance speech, the blackest thing that ever happened this week.
"Filmmaking is terribly colonial. We'll grab you, take what we want from you and then fuck off, and you'll never hear from us again." Danny Boyle discusses Trainspotting 2 and more.
Why a Bollywood memoir has kicked up a storm about being gay in India.
From Sean Connery to Harrison Ford: actors who secretly played roles gay. "The sexual orientation of film characters isn’t always what it first seems – some leading men have reinterpreted their parts as they move from page to screen."
A look back at Star Trek: Nemesis, the film that killed a franchise.
Compare all the different Hill Valleys in Back to the Future.
Please stop remaking The Wizard of Oz.
The movie with a thousand plotlines. "Will interactive films be this century’s defining art form?"
WATCH Here's the trailers for The Wound; and Fair Haven.
The
Box
Box
WATCH Here's the trailer for the four-part series Deep Water, based on the story of a killer using gay dating apps to also explore gay-bashings in the 80s and 90s that the police pretty much ignored.
Forget Joseph Fiennes, read the tragic story of Wylie Draper, the first man who dared to play Michael Jackson on screen.
UK TV star "left suicidal" after rent boy blackmailed him with threats to expose sex sessions.
Riverdale, The CW’s dark and sexy update of Archie Comics, is a surprisingly great teen soap.
What is gaslighting? The 1944 film Gaslight is the best explainer.
On Skins at ten. "Skins is now a period drama about a long-lost breed of hedonistic teens. But a decade on, it’s still funny, still outrageous – and it propelled its stars to greatness, from Game of Thrones to the Oscars."
Peter Capaldi's Doctor Who: Your verdict on the outgoing Time Lord. "It’s a shame his tenure coincided with some truly awful writing."
Mary Tyler Moore, the actress, activist, and entertainment icon, is dead. She was 80.
Mary Tyler Moore, obituary.
Mary Tyler Moore: A true cultural icon who changed the face of television. "Moore ripped up the TV rulebook by bringing feminism to the small screen and with her own company went on to produce some of the best shows ever seen."
Mary Tyler Moore: How she changed television.
WATCH Here's the latest episodes of Real Eyes Realize Real Lies; Fallacies; and Entercourse.
Beats, Rhymes
& Life
& Life
Frank Ocean has written a commentary on Trump’s inauguration day - and Barack Obama's reaction.
In defense of Madonna. "Welcome to the Trump resistance, General Madonna. We need you more now than ever."
WATCH Cyndi Lauper denounces Madonna’s Women’s March speech. And Boy George on George Michael’s later years - and their alleged feud.
INTERVIEW Talking to Parisian DJ, producer, vocalist and fashion provocateur Kiddy Smile.
WATCH Blue's Duncan James pays a visit to Here She Is.
WATCH Blue's Duncan James pays a visit to Here She Is.
George Michael’s "secret ex-lover" claims chemsex drug Liquid G caused the singer’s death...
...And his cousin, Andros Georgiou, claims Michael had become "a recluse" in his final years.
WATCH Dick van Dick - Pony Rider. "I'm the type of bitch who take the dick, don't make me wait, just make it quick;" Kiddy Smile - Let A B!tch Know; Mykki Blanco's Berlin tour diary.
Red Light
District
District
The most popular gay porn websites in the world, ranked from 60-1.
Brent Corrigan: His life, his story ... in his own words.
Why the Sketchy Sex model info sheet is actually the best part of Sketchy Sex.
Ghetto
Romance
Romance
The empowered bottom: Safer sex in the time of PrEP.
Eleven reasons every straight man should try bottoming.
Why sex and love don’t belong in the same bed. "There’s never anything profound about erotic contact. Sex is purely a hormonal act, whereas love, as expressed in a hug, brings true intimacy."
WATCH Ellen talks to the gay Iraqi soldiers who fell in love, escaped the middle east, and got married.
I'm a gay man who spends hours looking at hook-up ads on my phone. "It is wonderful and awful in equal measure. How should I handle this time-wasting distraction?"
Médecins Sans
Frontières
Frontières
How Trump's gag order will reduce HIV care around the world.
Suicidal behaviour is higher in people seeking HIV tests.
People with mental illness are being ignored by HIV testers.
It’s not you, it’s me: My journey to love in the face of HIV and mental illness, by Guy Anthony.
Is PrEP safe for seniors? (June 2014)
What's an anal pap smear and do I need one?
The new hepatitis C cure drugs may not be as safe as you think.
Was it wrong for boffins to create a pig-human hybrid embryo?
Sickening, gruelling or frightful: how doctors measure pain. "Suffering is difficult to describe and impossible to see. So how can doctors tell how much it hurts?"
Which foods can improve your gut bacteria?
How burnt toast and roast potatoes became linked to cancer. "Advice that overcooked starchy foods can contain acrylamide, a chemical liked to cancer, has caused a furore this week. Is it just another health scare?"
Loneliness actually hurts us on a cellular level.
Parts of you stay alive after you die.
How music affects the brain - a neuroscientist explains.
Hell's
Kitchen
Kitchen
Free range is a con. There’s no such thing as an ethical egg. "Slapping ‘free range’ on a box of eggs simply hides the catalogue of routine horrors that are allowed under this reassuring banner."
Tomato flavor is broken. Can it be fixed?
The rise of the vegan bro.
On the rising popularity of Indian restaurants in Britain. "There must be about a dozen in the Manchester district, at least a hundred in London, and they are spreading over the rest of the country fast." (January 1957)
How chardonnay became chic again. "Yellow, chewy and far too oaky, chardonnay used to be a variety to be avoided. But a new wave of growers are showing what the grape is capable of."
Rag
Trade
Trade
How ‘alt-beauty’ became the hottest trend in men’s fashion. "The new look is pale, thin and unglamorous – and its stars overwhelmingly come from former Soviet states."
Betta
Work!
Work!
The best European countries for LGBT workers.
Why the working class lose out on the career ladder. "Gender and background partly explain the gap in earnings, but the crucial issue is confidence."
I Own 51% Of
This Company!
This Company!
Lush Cosmetics’ Valentine’s Day campaign features gay couples in the bath together.
Starbucks to hire 10,000 refugees over five years in 75 countries.
Planes, Trains
& Automobiles
& Automobiles
San Francisco subway to spray stench from elevators. "Bay Area Rapid Transit authorities plan to use enzyme mists and open underground restrooms in an attempt to reduce odor-causing bacteria in subway."
Tomorrow's
World
World
#DeleteUber: how social media turned on Uber. "After Uber lifted surge pricing during a protest at New York’s John F Kennedy airport against Trump’s travel ban, condemnation online was swift."
Google launches $4 million crisis fund for immigrant rights organisations.
Trump voters set up their own dating site because everyone else calls them racist homophobes.
Why a rising number of criminals are using Facebook Live to film their acts.
Planet
Earth
Earth
Trump is copying the Bush censorship playbook. Scientists aren't standing for it. "The Trump Administration keeps trying to go after scientists, and being forced to retreat."
The Trump administration is an existential threat to every single one of us. "The government's stance on climate change is worse than just doing nothing. It's much, much worse, in fact."
Zoo
Animals can feel pain. A biologist explains how we know.
And Whilst You're Thinking About That, Think About This...
What your first day in prison is like.
And finally, Andrew (this week's delicious cover star) makes up; the Baddie Twinz put themselves about; Rogue "Marbie" Scott on transgender mothers; and Walter on why he loves Trump...
And finally, Andrew (this week's delicious cover star) makes up; the Baddie Twinz put themselves about; Rogue "Marbie" Scott on transgender mothers; and Walter on why he loves Trump...
