Gaydar etiquette, boxer boycotts and room for gays

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


The other boycottable boxer

There was much talk this week about the “fight of the century” matchup between boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, including grumblings about Mayweather’s prolific history of domestic violence. A few journalists pointed out, however, that Pacquiao is no saint either: as a Filipino politician, he has argued against gay rights, and opposed women’s access to contraceptives.

When is it OK to ask if someone’s gay?

At the New York Times, manners writer Henry Alford considers the etiquette of asking about an acquaintances sexuality. Should you ask outright, or drop hints? Is gaydar a thing of the past? And, even trickier, are there times when it’s rude to admit you’re not gay?

Gay by numbers

For the statistically minded, LGBT research centre the Williams Institute has launched a blog to publish their findings. Look up the latest on LGBT people and employment, gender, poverty, opinion and more.

Thai trans lecturer fired

A trans Thai lecturer has been fired from Thailand’s Thammasat University for unspecified “inappropriate language” in the media. Kath Khangpiboon taught in the school of social administration, and is a leading LGBT activist in the country. The university didn’t say what exactly they were firing Kath for, and she says she suspects it has more to do with her gender than her speech.

Read more at Prachatai.

Kenya deputy president: “No room” for gays

Kenya’s deputy president told churchgoers May 3 that Kenyan society has “no room” for homosexuality. The remarks seemed directed at US Secretary of State John Kerry, who arrived in the country for talks on the same day. A spokesman later confirmed to reporters that deputy president William Ruto thinks gay relations are “unnatural and un-African.”

Read more from Reuters.

Imaged credit: Youtube.com

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOXbYeeQMfA

Niko Bell

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

Read More About:
Power, News, Blog, The Daily Package, History

Keep Reading

Job discrimination against trans and non-binary people is alive and well

OPINION: A study reveals that we have a long way to go to reach workplace equality for trans and non-binary people

The new generation of gay Conservative sellouts

OPINION: Melissa Lantsman’s and Eric Duncan’s refusals to call out their party’s transphobia is a betrayal of the LGBTQ2S+ community

Over 300 anti-LGBTQ2S+ bills have been introduced this year. This doesn’t mean we should panic

OPINION: While it’s important to watch out for threats, not all threats are created equally. Some of these bills will die a natural death

Xtra’s top LGBTQ2S+ stories of the year

The best and brightest—even most bewildering—stories from a back catalogue brimming with insight