Hong Kong, conversion therapy and Jean-Claude Van Damme

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

UK to ban conversion therapy

After a massive nationwide survey showed that two percent of LGBT people had received therapy to try to correct their sexual orientation, the UK government has announced a plan to ban the practice. [News 18]

Ecuador rules for same-sex marriage

In continued fallout from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruling earlier this year, an Ecuadorian court has ruled that same-sex couples must be immediately allowed to marry. [Gay Star News]

Hong Kong to recognize same-sex spouses for immigration

A British woman has won a three-year legal battle to grant her wife immigration status in Hong Kong, where spousal visas were previously restricted to heterosexual couples. Meanwhile, research shows support for same-sex marriage in the territory has risen to 50 percent.

Activists: Homophobia makes HIV harder to treat in Indonesia

HIV activists in Indonesia say the country’s anti-gay attitudes are making the HIV epidemic worse as gay men are harder to find and treat, as prevalence of the virus has shot up among gay men in the past decade. [Reuters]

Jean-Claude Van Damme draws fire for talk show appearance

A French media watchdog organization has received a wave of complaints after action star Jean-Claude Van Damme made anti-gay comments on a popular talk show. [NME]

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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