Copyright infringement, gay spas and an Iraqi love story

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

Trans filmmaker accuses David France of stealing material

Trans activist and filmmaker Reina Gossett said in a social media post this weekend that journalist David France stole material and ideas from her for his film The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson. France replied on his own page that he supports Gossett’s work, but did not steal any material.

51 men arrested in Indonesia in anti-gay raid

Police in Indonesia have arrested 51 men in a raid on what they call a “gay spa.” Homosexuality is not specifically criminalized in the country, but the men will be charged under pornography and prostitution laws under an ongoing crackdown on LGBT citizens. [Reuters]

Indonesia moves towards broad LGBT-rights bill

Indonesia’s parliament has passed a bill including broad LGBT protections, including the right to use washrooms for trans people. The senate must still confirm the bill. [The Washington Blade]

A gay Iraqi love story

Btoo Allami was a sergeant in the Iraqi military; Nayyef Hrebid was a translator for the US Marines. CNN tells their story of love, trial and escape.

UK trans charity denies Times story

After the Sunday Times published a story saying a UK trans charity had advised a mother to “force” her son to live as a girl and had been served with a court order to stop, the charity says the story is a fiction.

Editor’s note, Oct 11, 2017: A previous version of this story misspelled the film title, The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson.

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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