LGBTI: Last News

A suspect wanted in the stabbing death at a California gay bar, has been arrested.On September 9, Christopher Finley, 28, and Jacob Touchstone went out for a date night and nightcap at Mineshaft bar in Long Beach.An altercation happened between the couple and an unnamed man with a taser and, soon after, an altercation with Smalls, resulting in the couple being stabbed. Finely would pass away eight hours later at the hospital.Smalls is being charged with one count of murder, one count of attempted murder.In a statement, police said there is “no evidence this is a hate or bias-motivated incident.”The couple’s GoFund Me page reveals that the couple has been together since 2016.“From then on, there was never a Jake without a Chris,” the page states. “They had ups and they had downs and they even tried the whole time apart thing, without ever really leaving each others’ lives.

The Bookshop Darlinghurst, Australia’s oldest LGBTQI bookstore, turns 40 this month.In recent years, The Bookshop has weathered the impacts of COVID, economic and political uncertainty and inclement weather, and for a while its future was precarious.

By Karl JohnsonHistory has taught us how to effectively respond to an infectious disease outbreak – but we must work together and act fast.  For many of us, this feels familiar.  We are watching the exponential growth of an infectious outbreak overseas while having more mild impacts here at home, yet that might likely change. Much like the early days of the COVID-19 and HIV pandemics, our local situation lags behind what we see in places like the United States and Europe.

A teacher from a UK primary school has been fired and prohibited from teaching indefinitely after posting photos of himself in underwear online and trying to sell sexual services.St Columb Minor Academy teacher Thomas Heayel, 31, was found guilty by a Teaching Regulation Agency disciplinary hearing on June 24, 2022.According to the Teaching Regulation Agency, the accusations against Heayel state that between February and July 2020 “he posted or allowed to be displayed one or more inappropriate images of himself on the internet.”Image: CornwallLiveHeayel admitted to, both, posting inappropriate images and offering to sell sexual services. He also agreed that his conduct was unprofessional.According to the official report, the panel explained their decision, writing, “Whilst the panel had regard to the fact that there was no evidence presented that any pupils had seen or accessed the images online, the panel did consider that as a teacher Mr Heayel was likely to be viewed as a role model by pupils.“The panel noted that whilst the website where Mr Heayel posted the images was restricted, the images could also be accessed via a generic internet search and one image contained Mr Heayel’s name. “Consequently the images were in the public domain enabling any member of the public, or pupil, to have sight of them.The ruling means that Heayel is indefinitely no longer eligible to teach at “any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.”Heayel started teaching in September 2019 and he was dismissed on July 23, 2021, after his online photos were reported on July 7.From July 5 2024, or two years after ban was imposed, Heayel is eligible to apply to have the teaching ban removed.

A gay sexual assault survivor was allegedly seduced by a police officer with the Sussex Police’s Sexual Offences Investigation Team, who asked him to share explicit photographs.The officer investigating the case “did a caring, empathetic interview,” with the man.“In the weeks that followed, he was just amazing,” the man said. “He got me.” Later on when the man logged onto Grindr, he noticed a blank profile, named “BiCurious39”,  and started a conversation.  As the conversation progressed he realised it was the officer investigating his rape case. The officer encouraged the man to send explicit photographs and the officer even told the man that sex with him would “help him heal and regain his sex drive.”Officer ChargedThe man became distressed and reported the officer to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).At the review hearing, the officer was charged with “gross misconduct” with the penalty being instant dismissal.According to the report, “As the officer had already been dismissed from the force for another, unrelated case, no further action was taken.

Following an uproar by staff, Disney Pixar has restored a same-sex kiss in the upcoming animated film, Lightyear. Lightyear is the origin story of Buzz Lightyear of the Toy Story Disney film franchise.According to Variety, a scene involving a kiss between two female characters was removed by Disney executives. Following an open letter by Disney Pixar staff, the kiss, which will be the studio’s first, was restored.The uproar follows Disney’s mishandling and silence during the debate over Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill which is also discussed in the letter.“We are writing because we are disappointed, hurt, afraid, and angry,” the letter said.

Slate advice podcast How to Do It signed ‘Coming Up Short’. A thirty-year-old heterosexual (don’t know if that is a determining factor) complained that after he got out of hospital after contracting COVID in July last year he suffered some erectile dysfunction, which got better with medical attention.Unfortunately, he was left with a lasting problem.“My penis has shrunk. Before I got sick, I was above average.