Arts Lilly Wachowski confirms The Matrix is a trans allegory Director of iconic 1999 film The Matrix and its sequels- alongside sister Lana- Lilly Wachowski has recently confirmed that the films were always meant to be an allegory for the trans experience By Rachel Badham • 1 min read
Arts CBBC faces backlash for same-sex kiss in teen drama CBBC UK is thought to have received more than 100 complaints about its airing in July of a show that featured a kiss between two teenage girls. By Rachel Badham • 2 min read
Community EU denies funding for ‘LGBTQ+ free’ Polish towns Six towns in Poland have been denied European Union funding as they have declared themselves ‘LGBTQ+ free zones’. The towns have signed pledges which oppose acts of tolerance towards the LGBTQ+ community. By Rachel Badham • 1 min read
Community Polish LGBTQ+ activists arrested The conflict surrounding LGBTQ+ rights in Poland continues as three activists protesting the anti-LGBTQ+ regime of recently re-elected president Andrzej Duda have been arrested in the country’s capital Warsaw. By Rachel Badham • 1 min read
Community The life and death of LGBTQ+ activist Sara Hegazy Egyptian LGBTQ+ activist Sara Hegazy was found dead in July after taking her own life, following a traumatic period in prison. By Rachel Badham • 2 min read
Community Sussex Survivors Network releases statement of support for trans community n a recent statement sent to prime minister Boris Johnson, Sussex Survivors’ Network said it was ‘deeply concerned by the proposed rollback to safeguards for trans dignity and safety’. By Rachel Badham • 2 min read
Community Study shows community support benefits young LGBTQ+ mental health A new 2020 study from the UBC School of Nursing has demonstrated that having access to a supportive community and living in a progressive political climate helps decrease suicidal tendencies in young LGBTQ+ people. By Rachel Badham • 1 min read
General News Mexico City bans gay conversion therapy Mexico City has made history by becoming the first jurisdiction in Mexico to criminalise gay conversion therapy, with 49 votes in favour of the new legislation compared to nine against securing a ban on the procedure. By Rachel Badham • 1 min read
General News Black trans woman murdered in New York City Those who knew the victim described her as a ‘beautiful soul’, and she is now one of at least 23 transgender people who have, according to the Human Right Campaign, been killed this year in violent attacks. The majority of these victims were black women, and many of the crimes were not widely report By Rachel Badham • 1 min read
Arts Gay character row leads to cancellation of Turkish Netflix drama Netflix cancels Turkish drama ‘If Only’ after the country’s government refused to grant it a licence on the grounds that the show featured an openly gay character. By Rachel Badham • 1 min read
Community Israel passes bill to start to ban conversion therapy On Wednesday July 22 a bill to ban gay conversion therapy in Israel passed its first stage in the country’s parliament, making it the first country in the Middle East region to take steps towards banning the controversial practice. By Rachel Badham • 1 min read
Community Non-binary option on birth certificates in Maine US state of Maine has officially introduced a non-binary option to state residents’ birth certificates. By Rachel Badham • 2 min read
