INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Entertainment ‘BLOOM’ ABOUT BOTTOMING? The prince of gay pop Troye Sivan just keeps growing in his artistic expression on generally sensitive gay content. His phenomenal success globally has not been slowed down by the fact that he is openly gay, sings about his gay love affairs, casts porn stars in his music videos and now, not even by the fact that his new single Bloom (the second release from his upcoming album) is about the experience of bottoming. Sivan hinted at the true meaning of the lyrics in an interview and when asked by Dazed about this he shyly replied “It’s 100 percent about flowers! Call it whatever you wanna call it. I wanna play that song at every Pride. There’s almost a radicalism in just truth, you know?” The lyrics in question include: “It’s true, babe / I’ve been saving this for you / Promise me you’ll hold my hand if I get scared now / Might tell you to take a second baby slow it down / You should know I bloom, I bloom just for you.”

Alan Joyce, Qantas CEO, with uniform models

Vatican City, Italy POPE FRANCIS TELLS A MAN THAT GOD MADE HIM GAY

Juan Carlos Cruz, a Chilean who was sexually abused by a Catholic priest, met with the Pope. He said that his sexual orientation came up in the conversation because some bishops in Chile had said he was a pervert who was lying about the abuse. “He told me, ‘Juan Carlos, that you are gay does not matter,’” Cruz said. “‘God made you like this and loves you like this and I don’t care. The Pope loves you like this. You have to be happy with who you are.’” The Catholic Church has no official stance on the origin of homosexuality, so the comments don’t represent a change in doctrine. The remarks show, though, that the Pope doesn’t believe that people choose to be gay. On the other hand, the Catholic Church does not consider homosexuality sinful as long as it’s not acted upon. However, active homosexuality is considered to be “an intrinsic moral evil”. Christopher Lamb, Vatican correspondent for The Tablet the said that the Pope’s remarks to Cruz go “beyond ‘who am I to judge?’ to ‘you are loved by God.’” A spokesperson for the Vatican did not comment on the conversation Cruz had with the Pope.

Australia QANTAS ISSUES GUIDANCE TO STAFF FOR USING GENDER-NEUTRAL LANGUAGE The airline’s People and Culture Group reportedly sent employees an information pack regarding appropriate use of gendered language. It advised staff to drop terms such as husband and wife in favour of partner and spouse. ‘Parents’ will be used instead of ‘mother’ and ‘father’ to ensure inclusivity on flights. The language is not only to create a safe space for fliers but also for employees who may identify as LGBTQ+. A spokesperson for the company said that they have a “long and proud history of promoting inclusion among our people, our customers and society. We want Qantas to be an inclusive workplace,” the spokesperson said. The same information pack was reportedly distributed to 150 companies in the country.

Brazil TRANS STUDY REVEALS NEW TRUTHS Researchers at the University of São Paolo’s Medical School have compared the brains of trans and cisgender adults and discovered that they are significantly different. In the study, it was found that the insula – a region in the brain – had a distinct volume depending on whether it was in the brain of a trans or cis subject. The insula plays an important role in people’s body image, self-awareness and empathy. Giancarlo Spizzirri, first author of the study – which was published in Scientific Reports – said that the result led them to believe that people are already trans in the womb. “We found that trans people have characteristics that bring them closer to the gender with which they identify, and their brains have particularities, suggesting that the differences begin to occur during gestation,” he said in a statement. Carmita Abdo emphasised that the study showed being trans was not a product of society. “The evidence is building that it’s not a matter of ideology. Our own research based on MRI scans points to a detectable structural basis.”

USA LAUNCH OF THE “FIRST GENDER-FREE STORE IN THE WORLD” The new store in Noho is stocked full of apparel, accessories, shoes, cosmetics, beauty products and gifts. However, there’s one thing it doesn’t have: gender distinctions. The Phluid Project calls itself “the first gender-free store in the world” and is part retail, part community space and part Instagram-friendly immersive experience. Its own label accounts for about half of the offerings, with the rest rounded out by a curated selection of brands with gender-free products. “The Phluid Project exists to empower individuals to be themselves. To express themselves openly, without judgement or fear. We aspire to challenge ideas of the past, so that we can clear the path for a bright, beautiful future,” their website states proudly. The store, located at 684 Broadway, sells items ranging from $35 to $500 and has a coffee and juice bar for community events and socialising. www.thephluidproject.com

France GAY GAMES TO BE HELD IN PARIS

Since 1982, the Gay Games have brought together people from all over the world, with diversity, respect, equality, solidarity and sharing. With sport a common theme for inclusion, the Gay Games are open to all, young or old, athlete or artist, experienced or novice, gay or straight. This year, will see the games take place in Paris in August and nearly 7 500 participants have already signed up. More than 80 countries will be represented, celebrating diversity around sport, cultural exchange, and having plenty of fun! The organisation was created in 2012 by the gay and lesbian sports federation and thirty sports associations. It is also recognised by the local sports department (DDCS). www.paris2018.com

United Kingdom SIR ELTON JOHN MET WITH SENIOR RUSSIAN OFFICIALS TO PRESS THEM ON LGBT RIGHTS The singer made the revelation to the New York Daily News spoke on the phone with Putin, after a hoax incident in which at a gala for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The veteran pranksters called him pretending to be the Russian leader. singer opened up about his engagement with the Kremlin Of the call with the real Putin, Sir Elton said: “[Putin] phoned to speak about HIV/AIDS and raise concerns about the me up and I know they want dialogue, but it is one foot country’s anti-LGBT ‘gay propaganda’ law. at a time.” Russia has taken a distinct turn against LGBT He said: “We met with the Russian health minister in Moscow rights in the past decade, with Vladimir Putin, the Russian in December, and it is all about taking just a little step at a Orthodox Church and nationalist vigilantes forming an time.” Sir Elton added he still hoped for a meeting with Putin ‘unholy trinity’ of oppression for gay people. Putin signed a himself, saying: “I am just a pop star, but I have a foundation ‘gay propaganda’ law in 2013 outlawing “propaganda of and he is a president.” The Rocket Man singer previously non-traditional sexual relationships”.

United Kingdom & Australia CANNES FILM FEST GAYER THAN EVER BEFORE

If you know movies at all you will know that the Cannes Film Festival is legendary and that it debuts the most anticipated films each year. But in a gay (as in happy) turn of events this year it has gone heavy on the homo themes. A record-smashing fourteen gay themed films, twice last year’s tally, showed at this year’s festival, just one year after the AIDS drama BPM won the Palm d’Or, the festival’s highest honour. Cannes has long welcomed queer cinema among its official selections, but in recent years, the festival has taken steps to court more films featuring gay themes. 2010 saw the festival introduce the so-called “Queer Palm,” a special prize awarded to movies of the gay genre. This year’s selections represent the growth of gay cinema on a worldwide scale, with the movies coming from nations as varied as Argentina, Kenya, Sweden and South Africa.

Australia FIRST GAY MARRIAGE CUT SHORT DUE TO TERMINAL ILLNESS Unbeknownst to a series of couples who were married at midnight when Australia’s same-sex marriage bill was passed, Jill Kindt and Jo Grant were granted a special license to get married just six days after marital registrations came into effect. This was due to the fact that Grant was suffering from a rare form of terminal cancer. “I am honoured to reveal today that on December the 15th last year, despite what you may have seen reported in the media, Australia’s first same-sex marriage was in fact actually held in Queensland.” said Queensland’s state Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath. Married among friends in their own back garden in Queensland, the pair celebrated 48 days together before Grant sadly passed away on 30 January, 2018.

USA GAY ADULT FILM STAR JAILED FOR MARIJUANA TRADE Chris Bines has been sentenced for just under five years in prison for selling $3,5million worth of marijuana in Florida. As Bines, he was an exclusive model for Falcon Studios and appeared in several scenes with Randy Blue and Men.com. Legal name Steven Sholly, he was one of several that was part of the felony conspiracy. The courts found Sholly shipped packages from California to Florida. Sholly then sold the marijuana in Florida with the assistance of others. The cash was then laundered through bank accounts, and later mailed to addresses in California. Sholly was ordered to self-surrender by 21 May and begin his near five-year sentence. On his release in 2023, he will be on supervised release for another three years.

Brazil NETFLIX SHUTS DOWN HOMOPHOBE POLITICIAN

If you stream your entertainment content from the internet you no doubt have Netflix, and no doubt know that Netflix is very progressive with their gay representation in both originals and licenced programs. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the streaming giant told a homophobic politician off on Twitter in the most hilarious way. Flavio Bolsonaro is a businessman and conservative politician from Rio de Janeiro. He tweeted that Netflix was interested in producing a movie about his father, Jair Bolsonaro. Jair Bolsonaro is currently running for president on an uberconservative platform and is a major homophobe. So his 36-year-old son, also a major homophobe, tweeted: “If the left is terrified by the ‘mechanism’ series, imagine if they knew that @NetflixBrasil might be interested in doing a series on Bolsonaro.” Netflix Brasil replied to the tweet saying, “Você está louca, querida”. This roughly translates to “You’re crazy, hun!” The word “querida” was used specifically in the feminine form to enhance the insult, as gay men address each other in this sarcastic/funny way.

Internet EROTICA WITH AUTHENTIC EMOTION Prominent gay YouTuber Davey Wavey says the erotica we have been watching all our lives isn’t good enough, and seeing as it is one of the only places gay men learn about sex with other men, it misses the mark by a long shot. He has recently started up a project that portrays more authentic emotion and communication into sex scenes for gay men to watch. The response has been overwhelming with most of his research pointing towards audiences wanting more of this kind of content. It talks about consent, self-expression, exploration and really knowing your partner. “The mission of Himeros.tv is to enhance gay men’s experience of sex and sexuality through sexual exploration, connection, and ecstasy,” he said. www.himeros.tv