Latest news with #Lesbian
Barnama
20-07-2025
- Barnama
Kelantan Cites Faith, Community In Curbing Lgbt-linked Activities
KOTA BHARU, July 20 (Bernama) -- Activities linked to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community in Kelantan remain under control due to consistent enforcement, strong religious values and close community vigilance. State Local Government, Housing, Health and Environment Committee chairman Hilmi Abdullah said the community's alertness and willingness to report suspicious behaviour have played a key role. 'In Kelantan, if something seems unusual, people report it quickly to the authorities,' he told Bernama today.
The Citizen
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
LGBTQ+ residents march in Mamelodi
NGO, Walk With Heart (WWH), recently held its fifth annual No Fear Pride March at Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Square. The annual celebration is dedicated to honouring the lives, visibility, and rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer (LGBTIQ) community in Mamelodi. Each year has a different theme during their panel discussion. This year's theme was 'Resisting the Resistance: Repositioning Ourselves as the LGBTQ+ community in Response to New Challenges from Global Superpowers'. The marchers gathered on June 28 at 08:00 at Solomon Mahlangu Square in Mamelodi West for the march, which started at 09:00. After arriving at the Denlyn shopping centre, the festivities included a panel discussion, DJs, and artist performances. The event was founded in 2019 by Andrew Lethole, Kgothatso Sethole, and Sifiso Sithole, also known as 'The Tholes'. They are based in and operate in Mamelodi, and say their mission includes raising awareness about HIV and Aids, facilitating testing and treatment, and addressing the broader challenges faced by the LGBTIQ community. 'The LGBTQ+ community continues to face discrimination and violence, as well as a lack of access to health services. The demise of agencies – like the Usaid – has resulted in many NGOs that used to provide health services to the LGBTQ+ community closing their doors due to lack of funding, which has resulted in the queer community going back to public health facilities, where they often face persecution,' Sethole said. WWH has collaborated with several other NGOs in the past, including the Aurum Institute, Access Chapter 2, and Not In My Name International. This year, they partnered with designers Agrippa Dumisani of House of Agrie Couture and Sello Gene of Gene Hunter Original, who provided the dresses for the drag performances. Thibo Café 2.0 is another collaborator that hosts WWH for their annual fundraising event. 'During our panel discussion on Saturday, there was an overwhelming message for all LGBTQ+ people in Mamelodi and beyond to truly unite and organise ourselves. Our community globally is under attack, and if we are to make it, it has to be together. Not all of us can storm the streets in protest; however, if we can make a difference where we are, wherever we are, it'll go a very, very long way,' Sethole said. The NGO looks forward to working on a smaller event during the South African Pride Month, in October, as well as the Mams Winter Pride event on July 26. 'Our message is clear, we are here, we are queer, we are part of the greater community, and we deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. We want other parents who have children who are queer to know that there is nothing wrong with their children, and they ought to love and protect them and encourage them to be themselves, and hopefully seeing us marching and making a raucous in the street will help them in that,' Sethole said. ALSO READ: Spike in vehicle theft at north shopping centres Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
New York Times
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
In ‘Fight Back,' the Audience Learns to Act Up
On Monday evening at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, anyone entering Room 101 would step directly into March 13, 1989. Thirty-six years ago, the AIDS activist group Act Up New York had the space that night for its weekly meeting — an event that David Wise's immersive theater experiment 'Fight Back' seeks to recreate. Audience members are by definition participants, too. Each has been assigned the persona of someone who was involved with the organization early on. Act Up was in emergency mode then, trying desperately to get the culture to treat the catastrophic epidemic with greater urgency. Just days before the meeting, AIDS had killed Robert Mapplethorpe at 42. Within a year, it would claim Alvin Ailey at 58, Keith Haring at 31 and many thousands more. For the people in the room, death had become a far too frequent part of life. That is the cauldron in which the real meeting took place, and into which 'Fight Back' means to drop its audience, as an exercise in empathy. As Wise, 47, explained by phone, he doesn't expect people in 2025 to be able to access the breadth of emotions the activists felt in 1989. 'But I do think that there's something about inhabiting with your body,' he said, 'and doing the actions that someone was doing, and saying the words that someone might have been saying, that is really effective, and affecting.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Somy Ali on supporting LGBTQIA+: You deserve safety and dignity
Somy Ali Actor-turned-activist Somy Ali has long supported those facing abuse and displacement. Through her non-profit NGO, she has worked closely with survivors from diverse backgrounds, including many from the LGBTQAI+ community, offering legal assistance, shelter, and long-term support. She shares, 'Some of the stories I've come across have been deeply distressing. Many LGBTQAI+ individuals come to us after being forced out of their homes or facing situations where their safety is at risk. There's nothing wrong with being who you are — but unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way.' Somy recalls helping an individual who faced serious threats due to his identity. She says, 'We were able to support him through relocation, provide shelter, and connect him with legal resources. He's now in a safer environment and working towards rebuilding his life.' Even after finding safety, survivors often carry emotional wounds that take time to heal. 'One of the most common concerns I hear is, 'Will you still help me if I tell you everything?' My answer is always — yes. We see you, and we are here to support you,' she says. Pride Month, for Somy, is a time to reaffirm this commitment. 'Back when I was a student at Nova Southeastern University, I helped start the first Gay and Lesbian student group there. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Launch Offer – SPR Gurgaon Homes Signature Global Book Now Undo That experience shaped how I view advocacy — it's about creating safe spaces where people can share, heal, and be seen,' she says. Each year, her NGO hosts quiet gatherings during Pride Month to support survivors, but the work, she stresses, is year-round. She asserts, 'For us, Pride is about creating room for every story — not just visibility, but belonging.' She notes that challenges still persist, especially for those navigating economic hardship. She says, 'Many of the LGBTQAI+ individuals we work with face multiple vulnerabilities — housing instability, lack of employment, and limited family support. While conversations around inclusion have grown, many still struggle with safety and acceptance.' Somy believes lasting change happens through empathy. She says, 'People respond to stories. When they hear what someone has experienced, it opens a door to understanding. You build bridges through listening, compassion, and respect. That's the only way forward — for all of us.'
Wales Online
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Cynthia Erivo and The Vivienne among ‘LGBT+ changemakers' in 2025 Pride List
Cynthia Erivo and The Vivienne among 'LGBT+ changemakers' in 2025 Pride List The Independent's Pride List for 2025 also includes retired Olympic diver Tom Daley, actor Bella Ramsey, artist David Hockney, comedian Joe Lycett and author Juno Dawson Cynthia Erivo (Image: 2025 Getty Images ) Wicked actress Cynthia Erivo and drag queen The Vivienne are among the stars who feature on a list "celebrating the most influential LGBT+ changemakers of the past year". The Independent's Pride List for 2025 also includes retired Olympic diver Tom Daley, actor Bella Ramsey, artist David Hockney, comedian Joe Lycett and author Juno Dawson. Erivo, 38, who won a Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (Glaad) Award earlier in the year, was placed at number four on the top 10 list while The Vivienne, the drag alter-ego of the late James Lee Williams, is seventh. The Vivienne, who won the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK and spoke publicly about prejudices faced by LGBT+ people and by the drag community, died in January at the age of 32 and is a posthumous inclusion on the list. Topping the 2025 Pride List is Victoria McCloud, a lawyer, former judge and transgender woman who announced she would take the Government to the European Court of Human Rights over the Supreme Court's ruling on the definition of a woman. Dr McCloud said: "I'm delighted and honoured that The Independent has included me in its Pride List this year. Article continues below "In 2025, more than ever before, amidst increasing oppression and segregation at home, with court and state against us, people from the trans community yearn to be bathed in rainbow light. "These are uniquely dark times but we will challenge those who wish to marginalise us, be they Government or activists with money and the odd mega-yacht to spare. "We have been here for centuries; we will be here for centuries to come. The quiet majority walk with us." In April the UK's highest court unanimously ruled that the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act "refer to a biological woman and biological sex". Chloe Hubbard, UK editor of The Independent, said: "We are proud to champion our most influential LGBT+ changemakers once again on our annual Pride List in a year where the community has been further marginalised on both sides of the Atlantic. "Visibility and pride within the queer community feels more vital than ever and we are dedicated to continuing to occupy our unique place in the media on LGBT+ issues." In 2023, The Independent relaunched its Rainbow List as the Pride List, to recognise 50 extraordinary "LGBT+ changemakers". The 2024 list included Doctor Who and Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa, commentator and former England footballer Alex Scott, Wicked and Bridgerton actor Jonathan Bailey and screenwriter Russell T Davies. To mark the publication of its Pride List, The Independent will host an event at Queer Britain on June 11. This year's top 10: 1. Victoria McCloud, former judge of the King's Bench 2. Juno Dawson, author 3. Bella Ramsey, actor 4. Cynthia Erivo, actor and singer 5. Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care 6. David Hockney, artist 7. The Vivienne, drag artist, singer and television personality 8. Joe Lycett, comedian, television presenter and artist Article continues below 9. Tom Daley, Olympic gold medallist and television personality 10. Yasmin Benoit, model and activist
