Category Archives: News

News stories on lesbian rights, violence and discrimination against the lesbian community, and our unwavering response.

Germany: gang of six men attacks 2 lesbian teens

14 June 2021:

As reported by the Berlin police, a14-year-old and her 17-year-old companion were in the park at Gleisdreieck when three strangers approached the two young women, punching and kicking them. Meanwhile, two adolescent men and their accomplice insulted them in an anti-lesbian manner.

The perpetrators were able to flee from the scene undetected. Before that, however, they grabbed and stole the 14-year-old’s handbag and destroyed her cell phone. The two attacked reported the crime and said they were seeking medical treatment themselves.
(Translated)

Wie die Berliner Polizei meldet, hielten sich eine 14-Jährige und ihre 17 Jahre alte Begleiterin im Park am Gleisdreieck auf. Plötzlich kamen drei Unbekannte auf die beiden jungen Frauen zu und schlugen mit ihren Fäusten auf sie ein und traten nach ihnen. Währenddessen wurden sie von zwei heranwachsenden Männern und ihrer Komplizin lesbenfeindlich beleidigt.

Die Täter:innen konnten unerkannt vom Tatort flüchten. Zuvor schnappten sie sich allerdings noch die Handtasche der 14-Jährigen, stahlen ihre Handtasche und zerstörten ihr Handy. Die beiden Angegriffenen erstatteten nach der Tat auf einem Polizeiabschnitt Anzeige und gaben an, sich selbst in ärztliche Behandlung zu begeben.
(Original)

Continue reading at: https://www.ggg.at/2021/06/14/lesbenfeindliche-attacke-in-berlin-kreuzberg/ (Source)

Italy: Driver on trial for threats against lesbian couple

The 56-year-old driver of a private transport company will stand trial on 3 June in Ravenna for threats he allegedly made on 9 October 2019 to two lesbian girls holding hands. “I would burn you” were the words he allegedly said to the couple as they passed a stop. This threat followed insults he said to the couple at the same place the previous September.

… At the end of the month, the young women first received a phone call from a man who claimed to be the driver in question and then, from the same number, the message “Withdraw the complaint”. This message became part of the alleged series of threats for which he was in court.
(Translated)

A processo il 3 giugno davanti al giudice di pace di Ravenna l’autista 56enne di una compagnia privata di trasporti, imputato di minacce che avrebbe rivolto, il 9 ottobre 2019, a due ragazze lesbiche che si tenevano mano nella mano. «Vi brucerei», queste le parole pronunciate dall’uomo contro la coppia mentre transitava davanti a una fermata. Minaccia, che avrebbe fatto seguito a insulti lanciati dall’autista nel settembre precedente contro le due ragazze nel medesimo posto.

… A fine mese la giovane avrebbe ricevuto prima una telefonata da un uomo che diceva di essere l’autista in questione e poi, dallo stesso numero, il messaggio “Ritira la denuncia“. Messaggio entrato a far parte delle contestate minacce.
(Original)

Continue reading at: https://www.gaynews.it/2021/05/30/ravenna-autista-processo-minacce-coppia-lesbica-vi-brucerei/ (Source)

Australia: Lesbian farmers breaking down barriers

Image courtesy of Sarah Ward

Karyn Cassar and Carissa Wolfe operate one of just seven certified organic dairy farms in New South Wales, on a 190-hectare property at Hannam Vale on the Mid North Coast. That’s not the only thing that makes this female-farming duo unique, they are also openly gay and have been so for 21 years. “We don’t know any other female couples that run a commercial dairy operation in the world,” Carissa said. …

Being different can be difficult
The biggest challenge the couple face as female farmers is people’s confusion surrounding gender roles on the farm, not their same-sex relationship.

“Just as female farmers we are always questioned,” Karyn said.

“[People have said] ‘well how are you going to lift fence posts?'”

The pair say they were once asked if they owned a quad bike, which they didn’t at the time, and felt it implied they were not capable of running the farm without one.

But that certainly isn’t the case at Benmar Farm, where the pair manage 130 heifers and produce 7,000 litres of milk each week for their local community.

“We get it done, as women we just have to work smarter, not harder,” Karyn said. …

Being female benefits the business
Carissa and Karyn believe as women they approach farming differently and that they incorporate a range of different skills and experiences they’ve gained from previous jobs.

“I think being a female-only managed farm, we definitely bring a different perspective to the way that we farm and different techniques,” Carissa said.

“In terms of the animal engagement, there’s a different interaction with the cows.

“With my background as a mum, but also a lactation consultant and as a doula, those are all things that come into the way that I interact with the cows knowing that they’re also a lactating mammal that’s gestating and having babies and all part of that cycle.”

Their philosophy is to care for and nurture their animals like individuals, treating their milk like a reciprocal gift.

Continue reading at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-29/lesbian-dairy-farmers-breaking-barriers-in-regional-nsw/100248972?fbclid=IwAR2_NdTRE6icJgJnXd2UQw0c2MwcDBLs-jWr_QQspBeen6CZPq39Pk8YL-s (Source)

Ghana: lesbian DJ kidnapped, drugged and raped

Elladeevah Ellios, is known among her peers on Facebook as a DJ and an advocate for the LGTBQ community.

She came out today to disclose on social media that she has been kidnapped, drugged and raped for 2 days.

From a screenshot of her Facebook post, she added that the assault was filmed. The men who engaged in the act are unknown.

Continue reading at: https://www.pulse.com.gh/entertainment/celebrities/efya-reacts-to-reports-of-unknown-men-gang-raping-popular-ghanaian-lesbian-for-2-days/eljkvr5 (Source)

Cameroon: lesbians jailed for sexuality after rejected man denounced them

Sexual advances from a love-sick man led to 18 months in prison for Roro and Gold, a lesbian couple who had been in a close, untroubled relationship for four years.

Until then, they had a peaceful life. Roro, 22, lived with one of her aunts. Gold, 26, rented a small room in a corner of Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. She lived away from her family, who had rejected her because of her sexual orientation.

Gold ran a small “Call Box” firm — a common type of business in Cameroon at which customers pay to use the company’s mobile phones for calls and money transfers. Roro was a waitress in a dance bar.

A horny patron of the bar spotted Roro while she was working there and told her how he felt. She quickly rejected his advances, telling him she was not at all interested in a relationship with him.

But he didn’t give up. Instead, he became a regular at the dance bar, hoping he could eventually win her heart. As he hung around at the bar, he noticed that Gold often showed up to meet Roro at closing time. Eventually he confronted Roro and insulted Gold. A fight broke out.

Scorned once again, he went to the police and denounced them as lesbians. Police arrested Roro and Gold on homosexuality charges.

Police offered to release them if they paid a bribe, but they didn’t have money to pay it, so they were put on trial. On Dec. 23, 2019, they were sentenced to 18 months in prison plus fines and court costs totaling 400,600 CFA francs (about US $730).

Because they couldn’t pay that amount, when the 18 months was over they would need to remain in prison for an additional four months to work off the fine.

Continue reading at: https://76crimes.com/2021/06/25/imprisoned-for-whom-they-love-lesbian-couple-has-been-set-free/ (Source)

Italy: violent attack on a lesbian in Catanzaro

May 2021: The attacks on people who openly declare their sexual orientation are endless, with reports continuing to show a constantly declining situation with no room for improvement without proper legal protections being introduced. …

Silvana was brutally attacked because she is a lesbian – her attackers yelled “Filthy lesbian whore! They should kill you! I’m talking to you, you shitty lesbian!”

While on the phone to her girlfriend, she heard these insults being shouted by her neighbour. She went out with the intent of settling the matter, but the unthinkable happened.

Aggression in broad daylight, Arcigay appeals to the government
As soon as Silvana went down the street she was attacked by the man, with the complicity of his wife and two other adults, who immobilized her and stole her phone. The man headbutted her, which broke her nose and made her lose consciousness.
(Translated)

Non si arrestano le aggressioni contro persone che dichiarano apertamente il loro orientamento sessuale. Le denunce continuano a far trapelare una situazione in costante declino che sembra non avere margine di miglioramento senza una tutela valida da parte della legge. …

Silvana è stata brutalmente coinvolta in una rissa perché lesbica. Le hanno urlato: “Lesbica schifosa puttana! Ti dovrebbero ammazzare! Sto parlando proprio con te, lesbica schifosa!”.

La donna mentre era al telefono con la fidanzata viene raggiunta da questi epiteti dichiarati a gran voce dal vicino di condominio. Lei scende in strada innervosita e intenta a sistemare la faccenda, ma succede l’impensabile.

Aggressione in pieno giorno, Arcigay lancia l’appello al Governo
Appena Silvana scende in strada è attaccata dall’uomo con la complicità della moglie e di altri due adulti, che la immobilizzano e le sottraggono il telefono. L’uomo le dà una testata che le rompe il setto nasale e le fa perdere coscienza.
(Original)

Continue reading at: https://www.ultimaparola.com/2021/05/27/violenta-aggressione-omofoba-catanzarese-ti-dovrebbero-ammazzare/ (Source)

China: Leaked Messages Show Billionaire’s Son Harassed Lesbian Influencer

An explosive leak of chat records between the son of China’s once-richest men and a woman struggling to get away from him has fueled intense discussions about sexual harassment and entitled wealthy men.

The man, Wang Sicong, is the only son of Wang Jianlin, who founded conglomerate Dalian Wanda and previously owned movie theater chain AMC.

At 33 years old, the younger Wang is known for his lavish lifestyle (he famously bought a pair of gold Apple Watches for his Alaskan malamute), and his dates with models and internet celebrities regularly make gossip page headlines.

Despite his splurges and bluntly sexist comments, he is widely worshipped for his ultra-wealthy background, so much so that he earned the nickname “national husband”—for it should be all Chinese women’s dream to marry him.

But the latest leaks have reminded the public of the dark side of being fancied by a so-called eligible bachelor.

On Tuesday, Sun Yining, a previously little-known livestreaming host in her early 20s, shared screenshots of her private chat with Wang, accusing the man of pursuing her insistently against her will, even after she repeatedly told him she is a lesbian.

The chat records from April to June, posted by Sun on the microblogging site Weibo, included dozens of flirtatious messages allegedly sent by Wang. It showed that he traveled to the city Sun lives without telling her in advance and demanded she have a meal with him.

After Sun explained she was not interested in him and why, Wang told her that being a lesbian would hurt her entertainment career, and insisted he was her Mr. Right.

“Am I not the man destined for you?” says a text he sent after 3:30 a.m. on May 27, according to the screenshots posted on Weibo. “I will make you the happiest woman.”

“Can you let me love you dearly?” he continued. “Can you let me accompany you in your life?”

Every time Sun was seen turning Wang down, but the flirting did not stop. One day he asked Sun to abandon her livestreaming career and said, “I will take care of you, dummy.”

This month, following weeks of pursuit, Wang’s messages turned aggressive. He threatened to expose information about Sun that would ruin her reputation.

Continue reading at: https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvz7mz/wang-sicong-chat-leak-lesbian-woman (Source)

France: Historic first as lesbophobia recognised in rape conviction

May 2021: In a “historic first” according to the victim’s lawyer and lesbian activists, on Friday, the Paris Assize Court sentenced a man to 14 years jail for “rape because of sexual orientation” of a lesbian.

In March 2020, Jeanne’s attacker was sentenced to 15 years by the Seine-Saint-Denis assize court, without the aggravating circumstance of homophobia being recognised. This time, jurors and judges ruled it was lesbophobic rape, not least because the 25-year-old accused “knew from the start of their meeting the sexual orientation” of his victim.

Recognition of the lesbophobic nature of this assault “was most important to me,” Jeanne said after the trial. The rape was fueled by that – he wanted to deny me as a lesbian, to punish me. At the first trial, the second denial of my identity by the courts and by society was the hardest part. “
(Translated)

C’est une «première historique» selon l’avocat de la victime et les militantes lesbiennes : ce vendredi, la cour d’assises de Paris a condamné un homme à 14 ans de réclusion criminelle pour «viol en raison de l’orientation sexuelle» sur une femme homosexuelle.

En mars 2020, l’agresseur de Jeanne (1) avait été condamné à 15 ans par la cour d’assises de la Seine-Saint-Denis. Sauf que la circonstance aggravante de l’homophobie n’avait pas été retenue. Cette fois, les jurés et les juges ont estimé qu’il s’agissait d’un viol lesbophobe, notamment car l’accusé, âgé de 25 ans, «connaissait dès le début de leur rencontre l’orientation sexuelle» de sa victime.

La reconnaissance du caractère lesbophobe de cette agression «était le plus important pour moi, a réagi Jeanne à l’issue du procès. Le viol était nourri par ça, il voulait me nier en tant que lesbienne, me punir. Au premier procès, j’avais été niée une deuxième fois par la justice, la société, dans mon identité, c’était ça le plus dur.»
(Original)

Continue reading at: https://www.liberation.fr/societe/police-justice/pour-la-premiere-fois-un-viol-reconnu-comme-lesbophobe-aux-assises-20210528_7MQHANKA6JCQVFZ5PKOLADZ5AE/ (Source)

UK: lesbian raped, tells court no consent given because of sexuality

A woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted by a man at a party has said she did not consent to a sex acts with him – as she’s a lesbian.

The woman, who can’t be named for legal reasons, is said to have been abused by Kieran McNally, 23, in front of two of their friends, following the bash in a flat.

McNally denies sexually assaulting her, by engaging in sex acts with her while she was drunk and asleep – and incapable of giving consent.

He is currently on trial at Paisley Sheriff Court, accused of assaulting her at a flat in Linwood, Renfrewshire, on June 24, 2018.

He has lodged a special defence of consent, claiming she was a willing participant in any sexual interaction between them on the day in question.

And on Thursday, when giving evidence about the day in question, she insisted she would not have consented to anything between them due to her sexuality.

When asked by Advocate Joe Barr, defending McNally, about her sexuality, she said she was a lesbian.

Continue reading at: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/crime/woman-tells-court-not-consent-24200666 (Source)

US: Lesbian corrections officer forced to resign after co-worker outed her: lawsuit

Image courtesy of Sarah Ward

A Michigan corrections officer was forced to resign after a fellow prison guard outed her as a lesbian in front of male prisoners — prompting “valid” fears of her being sexually assaulted, a lawsuit claims.

Bridget Cadena, who joined the Michigan Department of Corrections in 2014, claims she was forced to resign three years after the guard outed her while talking to a kitchen worker in front of male inmates at Parnall Correctional Facility in Jackson, the Detroit Free Press reported Wednesday.

The same corrections officer also referred to Cadena using a gay slur, leading to sexually threatening remarks from prisoners who were nearby, according to her lawsuit.

The case was scheduled to go to trial in Jackson County in January, but got adjourned due to the pandemic.

However, Cadena’s claims may soon be heard by a jury as trials start to resume throughout Michigan, the Free Press reported.
Cadena’s lawsuit alleges sex discrimination under Michigan’s civil rights law. “These comments … undermined plaintiff’s ability to perform her duties and maintain discipline and respect with the inmates,” the filing claims.

The remarks also led to Cadena having “valid increased fear of being raped” or sexually assaulted by an inmate, according to the lawsuit, which named the guard’s former employer as the lone defendant.

Continue reading at: https://nypost.com/2021/06/24/lesbian-corrections-officer-outed-by-coworker-led-to-rape-fear-suit/ (Source)

UK: Vulnerable teen lesbian raped by her pastor to ‘heal’ her of being gay

Angela Paterson is now 49 years old and living openly as a lesbian, but told the i that she’ll “never forget” her horrific experiences of conversion therapy as a vulnerable teenager.

Paterson joined Lancing Tabernacle Church in West Sussex, which at the time was led by reverend Max Donald, when she was 14.

When she was 19, in 1990, she became homeless. Donald was aware that the teenager was vulnerable, with a history of sexual abuse, and asked her to move in with him and his wife.

Paterson said knew she was a lesbian, and believed what her evangelical church taught her – that being gay meant going straight to hell. Donald initially sent her to a counsellor for conversion therapy, but when that was ineffective, he embarked on four years of abuse in his mission to “heal” her.

The abuse began gradually, Paterson explained: “I’d be in bed and he would come into my room with a cup of coffee, sit on the bed and on the odd occasion touch my hair and say, ‘We really want to look after you.’ Then we would be in the lounge and he would just grab my hand.

“I was confused but I also thought, ‘This is a pastor, someone I can trust.’ Then I was at the fridge one night and he grabbed me and kissed me on the lips. I was really taken aback but he was trying to reassure me, [saying], ‘It’s OK, I just care about you.’”

Donald would tell her that the rape was “OK by God”, and she added: “As far as I was concerned, he was closer to God than anybody else… I thought it might work. I was a broken person when I moved there. So I stayed.”

Continue reading at: https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/vulnerable-teen-lesbian-raped-her-115900011.html (Source)

South Africa: brutal murder of lesbian Anele Bhengu

DURBAN – THE MEC for Social Development in KwaZulu-Natal is calling on residents to rally around the LGBTI+ community following the gruesome murder of a 22-year-old woman.

MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza said KwaMakhutha resident Anele Bhengu’s body was found dumped in the Durban south township.

She was raped and stabbed repeatedly. Her throat and abdomen was also slit.

“The brutal murder of this child is symptomatic of the challenges we have in the society. We are left in shock and fear by the killing of our children in this province,” she said.

Khoza said communities had a responsibility to end these violent crimes in the province.

“We need to get to the bottom of this as to why people have so much hatred towards the LGBTQIA+ community. We call on all citizens to work with the law enforcement agencies, government and different bodies to end such cruelty,” Khoza said.

She said although the government and different activities continue to fight the scourge of these murders, some communities continue to discriminate against some people based on their sexual orientation.

Continue reading at: https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/kzn-lesbian-found-murdered-throat-and-abdomen-slit-ece6043c-920b-4dd1-9e5f-b9ac21afbdfa (Source)

South Africa: Lulama Mvandaba – murdered for being lesbian

Cape Town – A black lesbian, living in Khayelitsha, was killed in a suspected homophobic attack after her body was discovered on Friday inside her home at a newly-established informal settlement.

The family of Lulama Mvandaba said they believed she was targeted because of her sexuality. Mvelisi Mvandaba said their elder sister’s death came five months to the day after their mother’s death.

“We ask for privacy at this point and will issue a statement about her death once we have had time to grieve, as, unfortunately, she was murdered due to her sexuality and as a member of the LGBTQI+ community.

“To those who knew her vivacious energy and warmth, we extend our heartfelt condolences to you all.

“We are extremely shocked and traumatised as a family and can only imagine how all the kids she touched during her career will be feeling,” he said.

Mvandaba’s death comes after the murder of several gay and lesbian people across the Western Cape.

Continue reading at: https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/news/lulama-mvandaba-murdered-in-khayelitsha-because-she-was-a-lesbian-says-family-d035b459-54ed-4173-877b-3320950be664 (Source)

South Africa: promising lesbian chef Phelokazi Mqathana murdered

May 2021: An aspiring young chef is the latest LGBTIQ+ South African murdered in the heartbreaking wave of hate crime violence gripping the country.

On Monday, MambaOnline received initial reports that a lesbian woman had been killed in Cape Town. On Tuesday, the Daily Sun confirmed the news and stated that the victim was 24-year-old Phelokazi Mqathana.

She was stabbed to death in Khayelitsha, allegedly after she rejected the advances of a man while she was out socialising near her home.

“We heard that the man was touching her bum. When she told him to stop, he stabbed her,” Lelethu Ngalo, a family member told the Daily Sun.

The young woman had recently finished a chef course and was described by Ngalo as a “go-getter who had plans to take this family to another level…”

Lwethu Kala, Chairperson of Free Gender, told MambaOnline that Phelokazi had previously attended various workshops hosted by the organisation which speaks out for black queer women.

“She had very big plans, she was the best sushi chef at her school. She was going places,” said Kala.

Phelokazi’s murder is the eighth known LGBTIQ+ killing in a period of less than three months; a wave of hate that has shocked and terrified South Africa’s queer community.

Continue reading at: https://www.mambaonline.com/2021/05/04/hate-crime-crisis-phelokazi-mqathana-is-8th-lgbtiq-person-murdered/ (Source)

In Memoriam: Pioneering Lesbian Musician and Activist Alix Dobkin (1940–2021)

Lesbian activist and music legend Alix Dobkin died at her home in Woodstock, New York, after suffering a brain aneurism and stroke. She was 80 years old.

Dobkin, with fellow lesbian activist and musician Kay Gardner (1940–2002), recorded in 1973 what was arguably the first full-length album by, for, and about lesbians: Lavender Jane Loves Women. The songs, with titles such as “Talking Lesbian” and “Fantasy Girl,” were as bold and direct as the album’s title. As reviewer Liza Cowan wrote in DYKE A Quarterly, No. 2, in 1976: ” … I think Lavender Jane Loves Women is a far out, brilliant album. It is so blatant and specific, you never have to guess what Alix is singing about in a song … It’s our history and I want to know all about it.”

Cowan continued, “One thing that I feel is so fantastic about Alix’s music is that she sings so explicitly about Dyke experiences. I love and dearly appreciate that everything she writes about comes directly from her own experiences, and is written about as such.”

Continue reading at: http://sfbaytimes.com/in-memoriam-pioneering-lesbian-musician-and-activist-alix-dobkin-1940-2021/ (Source)

South Africa: Lesbian murdered in Pietermaritzburg

March 2021: It’s been reported that Nonhlanhla Kunene was raped and murdered in Pietermaritzburg last weekend. According to The Witness, the body of the 37-year-old was discovered near the Edendale Primary School on Friday 5 March.

“When police arrived, they found that the woman was lying flat on her face and was naked from the waist down,” a police spokesperson told the newspaper.

“We are waiting on the post-mortem to give us further information as the police did not find any visible wounds on the victim’s body.”

“It is really sad that hate crimes and gender-based violence are still part of our daily struggle,” said the Pietermaritzburg-based Gay & Lesbian Network (GLN) on Facebook. “We continue to fear for our lives every day.”

While The Witness article did not refer to Kunene’s sexuality or gender identity, GLN Project Coordinator Tracey Sibisi confirmed to MambaOnline that she had been a member of the LGBTIQ community.

“Her friend called the organisation and reported the case and they told us that she was a lesbian,” said Sibisi.

Continue reading at: https://www.mambaonline.com/2021/03/12/report-lesbian-woman-murdered-in-pietermaritzburg/ (Source)

US: Lesbian assistant chief files lawsuit against SFFD

Image courtesy of Sarah Ward

A lesbian San Francisco Fire Department assistant chief who alleged discrimination against the department in a claim two months ago is now taking the city to court.

As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported, Assistant Chief Nicol Juratovac filed a claim of whistleblower retaliation and discrimination against the San Francisco Fire Department and the city’s Department of Human Resources on March 5.

The claim was denied by the city April 8 and Juratovac filed her civil lawsuit May 24.

Juratovac claims she wanted to change the culture at the SFFD. Instead, she was retaliated against after exposing cheating on promotion exams, safety violations, and racism in the department, according to the complaint — as well as for blowing the whistle on what her attorney, Mark P. Fickes, of Cannata O’Toole Fickes and Olson, described as a “drunken” party at a fire station in Noe Valley in 2017.

“Rather than welcome the opportunity to address its problems, the department has allowed those who feel threatened by Assistant Chief Juratovac to retaliate against her for taking on the ‘good old boys’ mentality,” the complaint, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, states. “Beginning in 2014, and continuing through the present date, the department has weaponized its disciplinary process to punish Assistant Chief Juratovac by subjecting her to numerous unfounded and meritless disciplinary investigations.

“All of these investigations, save one, were rescinded or abandoned, but only after Assistant Chief Juratovac had already endured the emotional distress and humiliation of being investigated in addition to incurring substantial attorneys’ fees to defend herself against frivolous claims,” the complaint states. “She has also been denied promotional and overtime opportunities in retaliation for her whistleblowing activities, as well as her race, gender, and sexual orientation.”

Fickes, a gay man, said that the one time Juratovac faced discipline she faced disproportionate punishment.

Continue reading at: https://www.ebar.com/news/news//305437 (Source)

UK: Coca-Cola criticised for banning the word ‘lesbian’ on customisable Pride bottles

Drinks giant Coca-Cola has been accused of ‘rainbow-washing’ after cutomers discovered certain words – including ‘lesbian’ – were not allowed on personalised glass bottles.

The online customisation tool lets people create distinctive bottles with their own bespoke labels, including an option with the Pride flag.

But the word ‘lesbian’ was banned, and when customers tried to type it in they were met with an automated message.

‘Oops! Looks like the name you requested is not an approved one,’ it read. ‘Names may not be approved if they’re potentially offensive to other people, trademarked, or celebrity names. We’ve worked hard to get this list right, but sometimes we mess up.’

Continue reading at: https://metro.co.uk/2021/06/23/coca-cola-banned-the-word-lesbian-from-customisable-pride-bottles-14817248/ (Source)

China: Lesbian couple sues safari park

7 June 2021

A lesbian couple sued the Chimelong Safari Park, a zoo in China’s megacity Guangzhou, and online travel giant Ctrip after they were barred from using a discount package offered for couples.

The lawsuit exemplifies the lack of official recognition for LGBT couples, despite a growing acceptance of the community among Chinese society.

The lawsuit was accepted at the Shanghai Changning district court, one of China’s top courts, last week because the two sides could not settle the case. Chimelong did not respond to the South China Morning Post’s interview requests.

“I don’t want my girlfriend to think that being in a relationship with me means tolerating injustice,” the woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said. “I want our love not to be discriminated against and for love in our community not to be overlooked.”

Continue reading at: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/lesbian-couple-sues-safari-park-044906744.html (Source)

US: “Proud Black lesbian” teen killed with girlfriend’s parents in murder-suicide

Image courtesy of Sarah Ward

Lauren “Lela” Leslie, an 18 year-old Black lesbian from Bloomfield, Connecticut, was among three killed at the house of her girlfriend early in the morning of Friday, May 28.

Now her older siblings are saying that her murder is connected to her relationship or her sexual orientation.

Leslie was found dead along with Delores Wisdom and her husband, David Wisdom. David is the alleged perpetrator in what police are considering a domestic murder-suicide.

Police received 911 calls after 1 a.m. to the Wisdom household in Windsor Locks and found three people with “no signs of life.” One woman is currently in the hospital, and another teenager — believed to be Leslie’s girlfriend — was found uninjured.

While police have not publicly stated what they believe is the motive, Leslie’s brothers knew that she didn’t always feel “welcome” at her girlfriend’s home and believe she may have been hurt because of that.

Continue reading at: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2021/06/proud-black-lesbian-teen-killed-girlfriends-parents-murder-suicide/ (Source)