Singer and LGBTQ icon Elton John lashed out verbally at security guards from the stage of his concert in Perth, Australia on Dec. 1, hurling expletives at them over their treatment of a woman in the audience.
The Grammy, Oscar, Tony and Golden Globe winner was in the middle of a performance at HBF Park Stadium when he exploded into a tirade full of four-letter words after spotting two concert security staffers attempting to remove the female fan from the stadium.
Australian fashion brand Bonds has generated buzz and controversy on social media with its Christmas advertising campaign.
The brand specializes in underwear and socks – which means that much of its campaign imagery features people in their skivvies. The current Christmas campaign features different couples sharing romantic and intimate moments. It includes an image of two men – reportedly a couple in real life – sharing a tender kiss over breakfast, with the caption, “It’s the little moments that make the Christmas season so special.”
KENSINGTON, Australia | HIV infection rates for gay men in Australia are down sharply — 30% in five years, HIV Plus Mag reports, citing the Kirby Institute’s 2018 HIV Surveillance Report.
“It’s the lowest number we’ve seen in 18 years,” said Rebecca Guy, head professor of the institute’s Surveillance, Evaluation and Research program, in a report in The Sydney Morning Herald. Guy attributed the drop to the increase of PrEP use, regular testing and treatment efforts. PrEP is highly effective at making HIV transmission nearly impossible.
Andy Brennan is the first male Australian professional soccer player to come out as gay.
The 26-year-old, who plays forward for the club Green Gully, made the announcement in an Instagram post.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) | The leaders of both of Australia’s major political parties agreed on May 14 that gays don’t go to hell because of their sexual orientation, as Christian beliefs rose to extraordinary prominence in the final days of an election campaign.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison opposed same-sex marriage while opposition leader Bill Shorten argued for marriage equality ahead of a national vote in 2017 that led to Australia legally recognizing same-sex unions.
TOKYO (AP) | Thirteen gay couples filed Japan’s first lawsuit challenging the country’s rejection of same-sex marriage Feb. 14, arguing the denial violates their constitutional right to equality.
Six couples holding banners saying “Marriage For All Japan” walked into Tokyo District Court to file their cases against the government, with similar cases filed by three couples in Osaka, one couple in Nagoya and three couples in Sapporo.
LOS ANGELES (AP) | Hannah Gadsby says she knows it’s meant as a compliment to be chosen as one of the year’s Breakthrough Entertainers by The Associated Press. But, as with many things, the Australian stand-up comic and actress sees the honor from a variety of perspectives.
“Like, what happens after ‘breakthrough’?” Gadsby asked. “Like, I could be a one-hit wonder or I go on to being a deserved star?” She notes: “I think I was doing really well before all this craziness around ‘Nanette.'”
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) | Convicted classified document leaker Chelsea Manning will not be allowed to enter Australia for a scheduled speaking tour, her event organizer said on Aug. 30.
Think Inc. said it had received a notice of intention from the government to deny Manning entry Aug. 29. The group is calling on her supporters to lobby new Immigration Minister David Coleman to allow her into Australia. While she can appeal, past precedent suggests the decision has already been made.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Billie Jean King thinks one of the main venues at the Australian Open should be renamed because of Margaret Court’s comments about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
King, a trailblazer for equality and diversity in tennis, said she had initially been a proponent of having Margaret Court Arena named in 2003 in recognition of the 24-time Grand Slam singles winner’s contribution to the sport.
Same-sex couples began to legally marry in Australia on Tuesday.
SBS News reported Diana and Deanne Ribeiro tied the knot shortly after midnight local time in the Melbourne suburb of Balaclava. The Sydney Morning Herald reported Kylie and Lisa Caro — a lesbian couple who began dating in 2014 and are raising a daughter together — are among the other same-sex couples who exchanged vows on Tuesday.
ABOVE: Lauren Price and Amy Laker. Image from Equal Marriage Rights Australia’s Facebook.
SYDNEY (AP) — Two female couples tied the knot in Australia’s first same-sex weddings under new legislation allowing gay marriages.
January 9 had been expected to be the first possible date for same-sex weddings due to a four-week waiting period since the landmark law was passed. But the two couples were married in Sydney and Melbourne on Saturday after being granted permission to waive the notice period.
The Australian House of Representatives on Thursday nearly unanimously approved a bill that would extend marriage rights for same-sex couples.
The vote took place less than a week after the bill passed in the Australian Senate by a 43-12 vote margin.
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Orlando, please Dec 05, 10:27 PM
Orlando Plezzz Dec 05, 8:19 PM
Orlando would be amazing! Dec 05, 5:39 PM
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