SOUTHERN WITH A GAY TWIST
Joshuahs holistic fitness
02.12.16 V7-03
Triple Threat We want our Drag TV NOVEL DROPS GUYS ON THE DANCEFLOOR
COVER BY: BEN CORNFORD
PHOTO BY INNERVISIONART
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Contents
FENUXE
02.12.2016
Triple Threat PG 24 PHOTO BY ANTHONY MEADE
06
CALENDAR: 8 GREAT THINGS TO DO
10
OUT & ABOUT PHOTOS
22
NOVEL DROPS GUYS ON THE DANCEFLOOR
24
TRIPLE THREAT: DOMINIC PACIFICO
26
WE WANT OUR DRAG TV!
29
JOSHUAH’S HOLISTICFITNESS
30
THE TAILORED APPROACH
34
HEY GIRL HEY
36
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THE FULL MONTY
PATTY GRIFFIN LIVE
THE HOME SHOW
February 12th – 28th Presents by the Atlanta Lyric Theatre, this musical is based on the naughty crowdpleasing film of the same name about ragtag but lovable out-of-work steel-mill workers who bare all to earn cash. For tickets and info go to www.atlantalyrictheatre.com
February 18th Grammy Award-winner Patty Griffin, Sara Watkins and Anaïs Mitchell join in a celebration of American songwriting and performance at the Fox theatre for one night only. www.foxtheatre,org
February 19th – 21st Over 150 companies display all the latest home improvement, design, products and services at the North Atlanta Home Show at Infinite Energy Center in Duluth.
ANACHROCON February 26-28 Horror, Steampunk, Science Fiction, History, Cosplay, amazing costumes, workshops and more at Atlanta Marriott Century Center. www.anachrocon.org
06: February 12, 2016
COCKTAILS AT THE AQUARIUM February 26th Sips Under the Sea - PreOscar Party. Dress in your Hollywood best for a night of live music, signature cocktails and delicious small plates! Cast your ballot for your 2016 Oscar predictions. 21 and up. www.georgiaaquarium.org
SHOW CHARITY MAR 1 05.03.15
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LGBT NIGHT @ THE SYMPHONY
February 27th @ 12 Noon The parade features marching bands, entertainers, and dignitaries. The parade kicks of at the King Center Park and ends with a ceremony in Woodruff Park. This event is free.
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OUT & ABOUT
10: February 12, 2016
PHOTOS
LGBT NIGHT @ THE ATLANTA SYMPHONY PHOTOS BY: LUCIAN ORILLION
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OUT & ABOUT
12: February 12, 2016
PHOTOS
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OUT & ABOUT
14: February 12, 2016
PHOTOS
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OUT & ABOUT
16: February 12, 2016
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OUT & ABOUT
18: February 12, 2016
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OUT & ABOUT
20: February 12, 2016
PHOTOS
CHILLI COOKOFF FRIENDS ON PONCE PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
FENUXE.COM : 21
INTERVIEW
who can challenge me. “I’mI alikeverya guy strong alpha female and I
don’t want a male puppy dog following me around. I want a real man and so we can be a true power couple. ”
Novel Drops Guys on the Dance floor By Mark Dawson
Novel was performing at the DJ Expo in Atlantic City when she caught the eye of the young Grammy-winning record producer, Jared Gosslin. They discovered they shared a love of big, fun, catchy beats and began working together in the music studio. Their first track together, “Give Me Twenty”, out now, combines Gosslin’s epic electro beats with Novel’s spirited lyrics. It is currently tearing up dancefloors thanks to clubland’s brightest stars, Bimbo Jones (who brings a top 40 vibe to the track) and Tavo and Jose Nunez (with their suped-up house version). I love how you say in the press release for “Give Me Twenty” that desperation is a weakness you have no time for. What do you mean by that? I like a guy who can challenge me. I’m a very strong alpha female and I don’t want a male puppy dog following me around. I want a real man and so we can be a true power couple. Is “Give Me Twenty” a girl power anthem? It’s an anthem for girls and gay guys. I want people to listen to come away feeling sexy, confident and know they deserve the best! Girls and gay guys got it going on and some males need to understand that and drop down, bitch. Ultimately, we all want a guy who’s going to treat us like gold. I also like a guy who takes notes of things I like. Like I love donuts so bring me a dozen and you got my heart. With your career about to pop, do you
Photos By Johnny Cinematic
have the time and energy to give a guy? I’ll always make time for romance. Plus I need something to write about in my songs. Do you have gay best friend? Of course! You know, being from a small farm town, I didn’t experience the gay bf growing up. I had no idea what I was missing! Luckily, since moving to LA, I finally have one of my very own! His name is Phelx and he is such a heart. Phelx really knows how to read me, how I’m feeling, and what I’m trying to say and I love him so much. Who’s your favorite designer? The Blonds. My dream is for them to design my tour one day! That’s pretty gay. Obviously, Phelx has taught you well. Are you a fan of Ab Fab? I love Patsy. RuPaul’s Drag Race? I love Bianca. Who would you most like to accompany you on a walk down the red carpet? G-Eazy or The Weekend. Last question. Why should fans support dance artists? Because who better to get you up in the morning to start your groove? And who better to end your week with? For more info visit Novelofficial.com and be sure to listen to Novel’s latest club single “Give Me Twenty.”
BY: BY MARK DAWSON
Triple Threat
DOMINIC PACIFICO PLAYS HARD ON SCREEN, IN CLUBS, AND IN THE STUDIO
Dominic Pacifico is more than just a pretty face and body. The adult film star is an in-demand spinner. His DJ name? DJ Pornstar, of course. And now, with the release of his first original dance track, he’s a record producer, too, under a new name: PACIFICO. “Whether I’m Dominic Pacifico, DJ Pornstar, or now, PACIFICO, my artistry stems from a love of play,” he says. “I live to play and I will play for life.” Why so many names? Dominic Pacifico: (Laughing) Good Question! Dominic Pacifico came first but when I started spinning, friends called me DJ Pornstar. It was a meant as a joke but, somehow, the name stuck. Has your work in porn made it harder to be taken seriously in music? Yes, a lot of promoters refuse to work with me because they don’t believe that I’m a professional DJ. They think it’s all just some big gimmick. Tell us about your new single, “Earth From Here”. It’s is a collaboration with Jeb Havens. It has a Calvin Harris style to it. Who is Jeb Havens? He is a songwriter and vocalist that I’ve known for about eight years. I came to Jeb on this project because I wanted a fun pop vibe to go with the beats. I love his sound. He has a sexy country twang to his voice. Is this your first track with Pump Records? It’s my second track with Pump. Once they heard what I could do, they offered me a contract. Does this mean you’re leaving film? No. I’m actually in the process of launching my own adult studio at DominicPacifico.com. I just signed Casey Everett as an exclusive! How did that happen? I met Casey when I was on tour in California. I thought he was the most adorable boy: so sweet, sexy and charming. I would say he’s more than a friend but I can’t really define the relationship. He calls me “Daddy”. I call him “son”. When he said he was having trouble getting adult industry work, I was shocked so I offered him an exclusive contract. I’ve directed him in a few shoots over the past couple months. We shot a scene together last week for the first time. Sounds exciting! As a director, I finally get to have 100% creative control over what I produce. My new production style is a cross between artsy and raunch. I love fetish porn but I wanted to make it more cinematic. If you had to choose between music and porn, which would you pick? I would choose music over porn. A guy can’t stay in porn forever, but if he’s good, a life long career in music is possible. Visit DominicPacifico.com.
INTERVIEW HEALTH
26: February 12, 2016
BY MATTHEW BLANCO
We want our
DRAG Sherry Vine Launches Queer Network, gaySVTVworld
TV
is getting a whole lot gayer! International ThedragInternet darling Sherry Vine and former Here-TV
executive Josh Rosenzweig are combining their style, humor and sensibility into a one-stop, digital destination for all of the world’ s LGBTQ entertainment needs. gaySVTVworldpremieres February 14 with original shows, specials, music videos, short films and more: all free at YouTube.com/MissSherryVine.
“The world needs gaySVTVworld because they are hungry for original programming from top queer talent,” says Vine, a comedian whose hilarious video parodies have made her a YouTube sensation. “We got ‘ em all: Haus Of Mimosa, Pickles, David Serrano, Chris Semers ... and this is only the beginning.” “gaySVTVworld is created by and for LGBTQ audiences,” adds Josh Rosenzweig. A two-time Emmy Award nominee, Rosenzweig served as SVP of Here TV for ten years where he produced over two hundred hours of television including She’s Living For This, a show that starred Vine. “Nobody is going to tell our stories like we will. While our visibility has increased enormously over the last decade with the launch of several LGBT television networks, it is essential that the community have an online space to call our own. A destination where we can go to find likeminded artists and feel the power of the collective.” While gaySVTVworld draws inspiration from a traditional television model, it also presents a modern digital age spin with all shows under-seven minutes long. “We’ re offering short content so people can view several episodes in the same amount of time as one traditional TV show,”explains Vine. “Maybe you only have five free minutes on your way to work or during a lunch break. That’ s enough time to catch a hilarious episode of Fashion Puhleez on your smart phone!” The network will kick off its first season with a slate of eight programs, releasing daily, beginning with Sunday’ s Sherry and the Greek, anoriginal talk series starring Vine and Chris Semers, discussing a variety of fun topics and performing skits, characters, and musical numbers. On Monday, queer notables share their pop culture picks on EduGAYtion. Then Tuesday, The Rachel Zoe Show meets Project Runwayin Fashion Puhleez,with lead players in the beauty
industry discussing fashion, club couture and styling. House of Mimosa presents The Anita & Gina Marie Show,a comedic show that chronicles the daily antics of two women as they cause mayhem throughout Astoria, Queens (singing out - or rather, airing out - all their dirty laundry) gets viewers over hump day. Then its Throwback Thursdays with Pickles, a look back at a public access show that offers a glimpse into the gay, downtown art and nightlife scene of New York in the nineties. Celebrate the end of the workweek with The Flames of Hell’s Kitchen, a telanovela about the life of Sherry Vine, her manager Gloria, assistant Busted and sexy Latino boyfriend, Diego. In the first season, Sherry wins big, loses
everything, slips back into a life of drugs, and faces an intervention. The show stars David Serrano, Busted, Patty McKeever and Al McKeever. Finally, on Saturday, it’ s movie night as gaySVTVworld presents The SVTV Short Film Fest, an online festival dedicated to spotlighting the very best LGBTQ filmmakers from around the world. Each week is a new short film along with interviews from the filmmakers and special bonus features. In addition, What’s In Your Purse?, a hilarious two-minute segment featuring Vine cornering nightlife celebrities and forcing them to reveal the contents of their bags, will run throughout the week. “We knew launching a network was an
ambitious endeavor but there are so many things we didn’t think of,” admits Vine. “Josh and I and our amazing team have literally been working every day ongaySVTVworld for almost a year now.” “So much of that time has been spent on brainstorming ideas, reaching out to people we wanted to work with and deciding on a slate we felt confident about,” continues Rosenzweig. “We have several shows that are in various stages of development. Our intention is to continue to keep rolling out new programs, music videos and comedy sketches.” gaySVTVworld premieres February 14 at YouTube.com/MissSherryVine.
OP ED BY: JOSHUAH NEAL
Joshuahs holistic fitness
PHOTOS BY: BEN CORNFORD
My name is Joshuah Neal and I am proud to be a 37-year-old African American gay male that has been in the fitness industry for over 18 years. I am here to raise self-awareness through holistic fitness as I have experienced it. I encounter many people everyday that really do not understand what it means to be totally fit. My purpose is to help anyone find his or her highest supreme self through Holistic Fitness. What is Holistic Fitness? Holistic Fitness is the practice of being totally fit through mental, physical and spiritual awareness.
How does one practice Holistic Fitness? You have to understand there are three components to Holistic Fitness: Mental, Spiritual and Physical. It is a practice and not something that you can get 100% perfect every time all the time. Here’s the break down of each component. Mental Fitness is the way you think and see yourself. Sometimes we have feelings of being mad, lonely, or upset. Sometimes we make mistakes. There are times when others are not going to have anything nice to say about you. When you are practicing mental fitness you are aware when these times occur. One must understand that your feelings, emotions, mistakes and what others say about you do not define who you
Joshuah Neal
are. When you are aware of these feelings it is important that you do not fight the feelings. It’s ok to feel sad or even angry. Just sit still and feel it to the fullest. It’s only a temporary feeling and its not who you are. If you try to suppress or fight that feeling it will only come back to you and maybe twice as hard. These feelings, are just there to wake you up. You must be aware when these moments happen and get something out of them. If you are confused in these moments, ask yourself: “What is the next right move and what is the next right decision?” Many times we are so focus on our good times that we don’t learn from our hard times. As far as what people say about you, please understand for sure that does not define who you are. If someone is focused on you, just take that as a good thing because they clearly don’t want to focus on themselves. If you continue to struggle with mental fitness, it’s ok to seek help from a counselor, therapist or a psychiatrist. Spiritual Fitness is your beliefs and attitude. It is similar to mental fitness, but also knowing that you have a supreme destiny. Spiritual fitness is also practicing to
have a good spirit and reaching your highest truest self. You must have hope and believe in faith in order to strive to have a good attitude and behaviors. Without being spiritually fit it could totally lead you to a dark side and adapting bad behaviors like drugs, alcohol, negative attitude, never smiling or treating others bad. If you are find yourself struggling with spiritual fitness its ok to seek God or someone higher than you to obtain a genuine heart.
Physical fitness is being aware of your health and body. Working our a few times a week and seeing your general physician will definitely help you maintain your physical fitness. If you find yourself struggling in this area try taking joining a gym, taking a group exercise class or even getting a personal trainer.
What is my personal experience with Holistic Fitness? I am proud to say that I practice it everyday. Mental fitness was a struggle for me for a long time. Suffering from PTSD and being a victim of child molestation, abuse played a major role. Also hiding my sexuality from my family and
hometown friends added to the mental frustration. After being diagnosed with a mental disorder and take medication for it I decided to get help for myself a few different ways. First I had to understand that I was my worst enemy, so I had to do a lot of self-studying and really understand selfawareness and the role it plays it my life. I did a lot of research on my own because I knew that there are many people just like me and that I want to help. I have had numerous counselors and seek advise from the great BeBe Winans, Jennifer Holliday and Oprah Winfrey. As far as spiritual fitness I had to seek one person and that was God. Without him I would not be here today. Suffering from PTSD, molestation and abuse led me to being addicted to drugs, sex and alcohol and which eventually led me to almost committing suicide. When I had those thoughts of killing myself and almost going through with it one time that was my queue that I need help. I sat still and had a long conversation with God. To this day I love the conversation that I have with him. God is my savior and I thank my Mom Gloria Neal and my sister Uvanda Neal for always having faith in me and telling me to continue to trust in God. The battle was never mine it was his and Jesus is worth fighting for. Physical fitness is something I have always had under control. I have and still do it all since the age of 19. For most people you probably only see me as a group fitness instructor. I am more. I am a janitor, front desk receptionist, manager, general manger, operations manager, certified personal trainer, certified group exercise instructor of multiple formats and part owner of Anytime Fitness Midtown. My new found love is to help anyone find their highest trust self through holistic fitness as a behavior health coach along with all my other hats. What have I learned and how do I use my craft to help others? I have learned that there is a direct connection with physical, mental and spiritual fitness. In order to be totally fit one must practice on all three components. No, I am not perfect but I thank God every single day that he continues to give me the strength to practice working on myself and inspiring other to be totally fit through the holistic approach. Everyday I wake up and love the fact that I have another chance at helping someone in this industry through my craft by contributing my experience. I feel it, I believe it, I love it and I know that God has a purpose for me and he is using me right now to help others. I am Joshuah holistic Fitness. FENUXE.COM : 33
Hey Girl Hey! Holler Poodles! I just got back from the most spectacular spa/beauty treatment ever as a treat from Fenuxe Magazine. Located in the heart of midtown at Mansley Mall, the new spa designated for the gay community is called Gay Spa Day Spa: Girl, Get Yo Body Did! Featuring half naked menszezes in scantily clad clothing (i.e., jockstraps, thongs, and/or a smile), your happy ending is both guaranteed and assured. As I entered the building sideways, I was greeted with twinkie Michael who ushered me into a suite complete with every conceivable luxury a drag queen could want. Picture it, Sicily, 19 Aught 2, a beautifully appointed suite with what looked like a water wall feature. Upon closer inspection, the beautiful stone wall with its golden waters splashing down its slate walls seemed oddly familiar--with an acrid aroma and upon inspection, surprisingly warm and welcoming temperature. Michael instructed me it had antiseptic and healing qualities so I quickly dowsed my face in its warmth. Michael then instructed me to disrobe and since I’m not shy, I started removing my moo moo and peeled my white-ish thong out of its cavernous confines. There I stood nude and vulnerable in front of this twinkie whom I wanted to suck his creamy deliciousness from... but I resisted. Admittedly, I had let my grooming schedule relax since the onset of the fall and winter months. While I usually kept my carpet trimmed down to a berber or sometimes even a hardwood floor, I was sporting a full on 70’s sculptured shag resembling afro puffs and errant adornments (i.e, lint, and possibly a troll doll). Michael whipped out an industrial hedge trimmer and quickly pruned my bush and shrubs. Ahhhh, relief!! Next up, he pulled out a belt sander and proceeded to sand my hoofs and nails down to a fine pedicure befitting a queen. Next Michael asked me if I would like any anal bleaching done, and I replied, “Why, what have you heard?” He suggested I might benefit from a thorough Cloroxing so my backdoor can be pink and bright instead of dull and brown. Although it burned like hell, I must admit, I haven’t see it that pink since i was a schoolgirl. My final treatment was a massage that definitely provided a release. Just not the kind I was expecting. I had gotten so relaxed that I accidentally on purpose let a little gas escape. Michael fell to knees gasping for air and my eyes started to burn and I started to heave so I ran out of the spa down the pathway into the adoring eyes of my fans at LA Fitness. All together they cheered “Looking fabulous Mary Edith.” I knew then I had found my new spa. All in a days work. Love and lashes,
Mary Edith Pitts Mary Edith Pitts
PS. If you have any questions, comments or feedback, please email me at maryedith99@gmail.com or on twitter @maryedithpitts
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FENUXE.COM : 35
Gay News At A Glance TEXAS JUDGE’S ‘FAITH IN GOD’ IS WHY HE REFUSES TO PERFORM SAMESEX WEDDINGS Is this guy the new Kim Davis? A Texas judge announced on Facebook Wednesday that he would not perform same-sex marriages due to his “faith in God,” despite the obvious reality that marriage equality is now the law of the land. The Republican justice of the peace, Bill Metzger, is attempting to validate
his refusal to wed same-sex couples through a claim to religious freedom. “As I said back in June of last year, because of my faith in God as a devout Catholic I will be only be conducting traditional marriages. Recently, I have been asked about my beliefs and stance on traditional marriage. I think it is important to point out that this is the law in Texas per Attorney General Ken Paxton’s legal interpretation: “Justices of the peace retain religious freedoms, and may claim that the government cannot force them to conduct same-sex wedding ceremonies over their religious objections.” This came as a result of a request from Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. As such, it is not true for someone to say they are required by law to conduct a non-traditional wedding.
FULTON COUNTY AIMS FOR 0% HIV TRANSMISSION BY OPENING A NO-COST PREP CLINIC The Fulton County Department of Health & Wellness is launching a new no-cost PrEP clinic to combat HIV transmission here in Atlanta. PrEP is the FDA-approved preexposure-prophylaxis drug known as Truvada which you only need to take once a day. This new clinic, launched in partnership with Gilead Sciences (the drug’s manufacturer) makes Fulton County’s health department one of the first in the South to offer the service, according to David Sarnow, interim director of the county’s health department. The medical exams and doctor 36: February 12, 2016
My sincerely held religious belief keeps me from being forced to conduct anything but a traditional wedding as a Judge per our Attorney General.” Metzger’s actions seem eerily reminiscent of Kentucky clerk Kim Davis who refused to issue marriage licenses for same-sex couples. However, the issue he attempted to cite under the umbrella of “religious freedom” has previously been debunked by other Texas officials.
follow-ups required will be offered for free to HIV-negative people. Fulton County Commission Chair John Eaves said launching the clinic is part of Fulton County’s “aggressive approach” to combatting HIV. Unfortunately, metro Atlanta is a leader in new HIV cases, a “very sobering statistic” that prompted county health officials to do something. “We are going to be a leader like San Francisco, we are going to be a leader like New York City in terms of being aggressive,” Eaves said. “We are here because Fulton County cares. We are here because we have one tool in the toolbox to address the issue. By impacting transmission we can make big strides in curbing the epidemic,” Sarnow said. This clinic will help the county move toward its goal of zero HIV infections because it removes the biggest barrier preventing people at risk for HIV - the cost of treatment. Way to go, Fulton! For more information call 404-613-4708 or visit http://www.fultoncountyga.gov/dw-home
MICHIGAN SENATE PASSES BILL MAKING ANAL SEX PUNISHABLE BY 15 YEARS IN PRISON The measure was snuck into a bill banning animal abuse. The Michigan Senate just passed a bill that makes sodomy a felony, despite the U.S. Supreme Court declaring such a law unconstitutional. The state’s law, which makes anal sex punishable by up to 15 years in prison, is not specifically targeted at gay people, as it’s illegal regardless of whether a couple is same-sex or differentsex.
DONALD TRUMP PLEDGES TO ‘MOVE FORWARD’ LGBTI RIGHTS ‘We have to bring all people together’ Donald Trump has pledged to ‘move forward’ LGBTI rights, despite saying he would ‘strongly consider’ reversing gay marriage last month. The Republican frontrunner was interviewed by New England Cable News reporter Sue O’Connell, who is a lesbian, after a rally in New Hampshire on Thursday (4 February). ‘We’ve had some great progress for the gay and
Instead, the sodomy ban is directly linked to a law against bestiality, essentially saying the two are equal. The law states that it is a felony for anyone to commit “the abominable and detestable crime against nature with mankind or with any animal.” It’s the “with mankind” wording that creates the loophole to keep the sodomy ban intact, even though the 2003 ruling in Lawrence v. Texas declared it unconstitutional. Now that the bill has passed through the Senate, it is headed to the House for approval, which means there is still time to change the wording and keep “mankind” out of it entirely. But GOP Senator Rick Jones says an attempt like that could put the entire bill, created to protect animals, in jeopardy.
lesbian community, through politics, through all sorts of judicial actions and elected actions over the past 20 years,’ she said. ‘When President Trump is in office, can we look for more forward motion on equality for gays and lesbians? ’ Trump’s response? ‘Well, you can,’ he replied. ‘We’re going to bring people together,’ the billionaire continued.
“The minute I cross that line and I start talking about the other stuff, I won’t even get another hearing. It’ll be done,” said Jones. “Nobody wants to touch it. I would rather not even bring up the topic, because I know what would happen. You’d get both sides screaming and you end up with a big fight that’s not needed because it’s unconstitutional.” Jones believes that the sodomy ban can only be repealed if a bill is created to strike all unconstitutional laws from the state’s books, but he is not willing to do it at the expense of his dog bill. “If we could put a bill in that said anything that’s unconstitutional be removed from the legal books of Michigan, that’s probably something I could vote for,” he said. “But am I going to mess up this dog bill that everybody wants? No.”
KUWAIT EDUCATION MINISTER SAYS STOP EXPELLING GAY AND LESBIAN STUDENTS
The oil rich emirate of Kuwait is adopting a more tolerant approach towards same-sex attracted students in the ‘That’s your thing and other country’s education system, people have their thing. with the Minister of Education We have to bring all people together. And if we don’t, we’re and Higher Education Dr Bader not gonna have a country Al-Essa saying that no students anymore. It’s gonna be a total have been dismissed over their mess.’ sexual orientation during his time in the job. But just last month, Trump said he would ‘strongly consider’ appointing Supreme Justices who would overturn the court’s June ruling legalizing gay marriage nationwide.
Al-Essa said he had no intention to disrupt a student’s education over their sexuality
and that any school that did so would feel the weight of his office. The Minister said any student expelled over their sexual orientation would be ‘return[ed] by the power of law.’ Al-Essa went as far as saying that a law should be passed to protect such students from dismissal. However Al-Essa said it was possible that some gay students had been expelled or disciplined over their sexual orientation without that news reaching his Ministry. Kuwaiti law punishes ‘debauchery,’ usually interpreted to mean homosexuality, with up to six years in prison and ‘imitating the appearance of a member of the opposite sex’ is punished with fines or up to a year’s prison time.
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