Assassination, protests and a referendum

Your Daily Package of newsy and naughty bits from around the world

Gay Brazilian city councillor shot dead

Rio city councillor Marielle Franco, a gay Black woman known for standing up for the rights of the poor, was assassinated in her car in a targeted drive-by shooting this week. Protests have erupted around the country in response to her death. [The Guardian]

AIDS groups oppose holding conference in Trump’s US

Over 50 activist groups have signed a letter calling on the AIDS 2020 conference to move its scheduled location from San Francisco because of the Trump administration’s policies.

Gay man elected to Colombian congress

A 36-year-old Colombian business owner from Bogota has been elected as the first gay man in the country’s Congress. During the same election, Colombia’s first bisexual congresswoman was elected to the Senate. [Washington Blade]

Ghanaians call for referendum on gay rights

LGBT groups in Ghana are calling on the government to hold a referendum on gay rights in the country. Advocates say they want an opportunity to prove to Ghanaians that there are more gay people in the country than they realize. [Ghana Web]

Northern Irish marriage case stalled

Judges in a case to legalize same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland say they will not give a ruling yet, but will “as soon as possible.” Northern Ireland remains the only part of the United Kingdom where same-sex marriages are not recognized. [Irish News]

Niko Bell

Niko Bell is a writer, editor and translator from Vancouver. He writes about sexual health, science, food and language.

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