Why Putting The Gay Into Gaming Is Important For 'Gaymers'

Ever since arcade games appeared in people’s homes, gaming has exploded into a multi-million pound industry. In fact, most new games create more revenue for their developers in their first few months on sale than many blockbuster movies do in their entire cinema and DVD run.

Whilst the gaming industry has slowly expanded to include many different types of people, there has always been a small section of the public who love the industry as much as the next gamer but have one thing that separates them from the norm; they identify themselves as gay. These people call themselves “gaymers” and are fiercely protective of their love of video games… Read more.

100,000 Rainbow Laces Show Homophobia In Football The Red Card

The beautiful game. So beautiful, it moves grown men to tears. And it’s OK to be all touchy-feely with your fellow supporters, because it’s football. 

But any other expression of emotion or affection – on or off the pitch – is unlikely to be met with quite so much approval. Because to be in touch with your emotions or to be forthcoming with affection – particularly between men – is, well, ‘gay’. And in the football world, there’s still a way to go before gay is okay. 

In a recent report published by British LGBT rights charity Stonewall, 43% of people surveyed believed that football was an ‘anti-gay’ sport, whilst a towering 70% had witnessed active homophobia in the locker room, on the pitch or in front of the big screen telly down the pub. As a result, any declaration of support from anyone even remotely connected to the game is progress – and Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign is nothing short of ground breaking… Read more. 

Are We Turning The Page On LGBT Representation In Comic Books?

LGBT issues in comics are often portrayed as realistically as we come to experience them in real life and comic book writers tend to deal with sexuality and gender identity in their craft carefully and sensitively. With the recent news that Daryl Dixon, a hugely popular character from the hit zombie-filled TV show The Walking Dead (based on the comic of the same name) is actually going to come out soon as gay, we take a look at some LGBT characters from the world of comics who are very much out and proud.

These days there are many LGBT characters in comic books: Hellblazer’s John Constantine was bisexual in his original Vertigo incarnation, X-Men’s Anole, currently in his early teens, is one of the youngest gay characters in the series and X-Factor’s Rictor discovered his bisexuality in recent years due to his relationship with extra dimensional warrior Shatterstar. Similarly, New Mutant’s Karma publically came out in 2003 after declaring her feelings towards fellow mutant Kitty Pryde and Batwoman who, in her self-titled book, has been a lesbian from the get go. These characters really bump up the roster for LGBT representation and go to show just how much things have moved on in the last 10, even 20 years… Read more.

The Internet Just Rallied Round This Disowned Gay Teen With $90,000+ Donations

19 year-old Daniel came out as gay to his family last October. The news didn't go down well with his religious parents and so they gathered, with his extended family, for a 'pray the gay away' intervention to 'turn' him straight. Daniel accepts his sexual orientation and so any such effort would have fallen on deaf ears. And it did.

Anticipating a confrontation and for his own protection, Daniel hit record on his phone and captured five minutes of abuse from his parents. I'll leave you to find the video, but be warned: it is not an easy watch. But the message is important, as the title of the video purveys: 'how not to react when your child tells you that he's gay'. Daniel has since been made homeless by his family.

His story also garnered worldwide attention, all in all giving an astonishing boost to a $2000-target crowd funding campaign to help cover his living expenses. That campaign total now sits at an astonishing $93,765 and has been shared over 15,000 times on Facebook. The explosion of support from perfect strangers has surpassed any and all of Daniel's expectations… Read more.

"God Loves Gays" Billboards Spell Out Message Of Equality To Westboro Baptist Church

Almighty God has spoken - and He has spoken loud. He loves gay people.

So much so, in fact, that 'God' is publicly declaring his love for the gay people of the world (and indeed lesbian, bisexual and transgender folk) - by slapping the pro-equality message on billboards across the American city of Topeka, Kansas.

Okay, okay. It isn't the Big Man himself. It is, rather, his social media doppelgänger, the product of a mystery creator who doesn't discriminate against Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs or anyone of any spiritual persuasion. In fact, everyone's welcome (Atheists and Agnostics included - it really is quite the party). 'God' is simply out to share a bit of lighthearted humour and now - it seems - he's on a mission to spread the kind of unconditional love likely to hit homophobia – and the Westboro Baptist Church – right where it hurts… Read more.

Pro-Gay Group’s Fundraising Counters Westboro’s Plans To Picket Robin Williams’ Funeral

A pro-gay organisation has raised over $80,000 for Robin Williams’ favourite charity in response to the Westboro Baptist Church plan to picket his funeral.

Westboro announced that they would picket the funeral and any memorial services for the actor, who famously starred as cross-dressing nanny Mrs. Doubtfire and as a gay man in cult classic The Birdcage. They have since labelled Williams a ‘fag enabler’ in another shameless attempt to use the death of prominent figure to promote their message of hate.

However, the organisation Planting Peace who last year set up the pride themed Equality House have so far crowd raised $80,000 in donations for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a cause supported by Williams… Read more.

Gay Teacher Who Came Out To His Students Tells A Surprising Story Of Acceptance

“If we want to make people comfortable with us, we need to tell them”.

David Weston, a former teacher, openly came out as gay to a full school assembly four years ago in 2010. However, at the time, he admits he wasn’t sure what effect, if any, this had had on the pupils. He only knew that he had received no negative reactions, but hoped that it might raise awareness and help closeted or confused students be more comfortable with themselves.

It’s only now, four years later, that he has received praise from a student for his courageous act.  Richard Miah, a straight man who is strongly against homophobia, emailed Mr. Weston to speak of the ‘positive impact’ his assembly confessional had on the school and how he had ‘challenged the ignorance of so many people that day’… Read more.

Star Trek Writer Schools Homophobic Reader, Backs ‘Rewarding’ Lesbian Romance

A Star Trek writer has hit out at a homophobic reader who has refused to read any more of his books.

David Mack, a freelance writer of licensed Star Trek novels published the email correspondence from an anonymous former fan on his blog in order to promote ‘love, equality and compassion’ – ‘not just for humanity but for all sentient beings’.

The sender told Mack how s/he had ‘deleted the book from my e-reader’ after learning of a lesbian affair between Vulcan character T-Prynn and a Klingon spy called Lurqal in the Harbinger novel… Read more.

Ugandan LGBT Community Celebrate Pride In The Wake Of Anti-Gay Law

The LGBT community in Uganda have celebrated their third Pride event – days after the country’s anti-gay legislation was declared null and void.

On Saturday, a small group of LGBT Ugandans and their allies gathered in Entebbe, a town on the shore of Lake Victoria and 25 miles from the capital, Kampala… Read more.

‘Gay’ Playstation 4 Sells For Ten Times Its Price In LGBT Charity Auction

A rainbow-striped games console has sold for over ten times its retail price at a charity auction to benefit LGBT refugees.

Dubbed ‘the Gaystation’, the multi-coloured Playstation 4 console received 180 bids when bidding reached its climax at 28,000 Swedish Krona – approximately $4000US… Read more.

‘Strictly’ Dancers Back Same-Sex Couples On BBC Show

Today, several stars of the hit BBC dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing have come out in support of same-sex couples taking to the stage to quick-step, shimmy and shake together as the nation watches at home. If this ever happens, we will applaud the move, but others will undoubtedly tut in disapproval and spew their predictably exclusionary opinions left, right and centre.

Openly-gay professional Strictly dancer Robin Windsor told the Daily Star: “I spoke to producers about having a same-sex couple competing. I’m not sure if the British public are ready for it on the main show, but I think it would be a good idea to do it on a Children In Need special or the Christmas show.”

“It would be a good way to test the waters. Then, if the public love it, why not go all out and do it for a full series? I’m up for anything…” Read more.

Stunning Photography Project Finds The Beauty In 10,000 LGBTQ People Across America

“Because we are all the same – completely different.”

“We are you.”

These are the words of Self Evident Truths, a project that aims to photograph 10,000 Americans who don’t identify as being 100% straight. Or, rather, they identify as being somewhere on the LGBT spectrum.

Created by iO Tillett Wright, a New York artist, born and raised in a utopian bubble of free thinkers, artists and drag queens, Self-Evident Truths aims to humanise LGBT people and to show that, just like everybody else, we come in all different shapes, sizes, colours and religions. “We,” as the strapline says. “Are you…” Read more.

Heavy Metal Magazine Editor Challenges Homophobia In Awesome Blog Post

The editor of an online heavy metal magazine has spoken out against homophobia in the music genre.

Tom Dare, commissioning editor of Terrorizer magazine, said in a blog post that homophobia is ‘horrible in all its forms’ and that it is frequently the first stone to be thrown at any metal band that sing about love – and even girls.

“We, the metalhead community, have been throughout our history, even to this day, [being] ****ing rubbish at challenging [homophobia],” he writes.  ”At saying “you like metal? You’re in. Who you fancy doesn’t matter.” We need to fix this. For our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer family…” Read more.

An Act Of Kindness (And Cookies) Just Touched The Heart Of This LGBT Group

Shopping around for a competitively-priced specialist service can be a drag, so when staff at the rainbow-striped Equality House in Topeka, Kansas, were quoted $3000 to fix a broken air-conditioning unit, their hearts sank as temperatures soared to 90 degrees.

You may know the Equality House. It sits next door to the Westboro Baptist Church and was painted in the seven colours of the rainbow after being purchased by pro-social organisation Planting Peace last year. Ever since, the House has stood in the middle of a quiet town as a beacon of hope for the LGBT community in the face of adversity.

So when staff contacted A-Way Heating about the job they were pleased when the firm had the job fixed in but a few hours. The price? A simple donation of ‘Julia’s best cookies’. You see, the Equality House has its supporters as much as the Westboro folk have their haters… Read more.

Here’s The Gay Romantic Comedy About Scottish Independence You’ve All Been Waiting For

The controversy over Scotland’s independence from the rest of the United Kingdom has been satirised in a new web series starring a bickering gay couple.

The clever sketch sees Scott, the Scottish owner of a bath oils company, and Adrian, his spend-all English boyfriend, humorously on the verge of splitting up over their differences.

“We’ve been together now for… Centuries,” tells Adrian.

“It feels that way,” grumbles Scott in reply… Read more.

‘Breaking Bad’, ‘The Bridge’ Actress Comes Out As Gay

Emily Rios, star of TV’s Breaking Bad and The Bridge has come out as gay.

In an interview at TCA’s FX day, the actress spoke of her love for her The Bridge character Adriana and how it is directly linked to her experiences as a gay woman.

“I’m gay, personally,” she said. “So being Mexican and a lesbian — this is why I love the character because I deal with the same type of things with my own family…” Read more.

John Barrowman’s Commonwealth Games Gay Kiss Shown In Over 40 Homophobic Countries Around The World

A gay kiss at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games is making headlines around the world.

In an early part of the event in Glasgow, Scotland, Torchwood star and master of ceremonies John Barrowman ran from a parade float into the arms of a man, during a segment celebrating marriage in the city. He proceeded to kiss the man directly on the lips in a scripted move intended to promote equality… Read more.

Virtual Pride Parade Celebrates Marriage Equality In Online Final Fantasy Game

A community of gamers have held a virtual Pride parade to celebrate same-sex unions coming to a hit gaming franchise.

Last month, it was announced that the fourteenth edition in the Final Fantasy series would include the option for characters to ‘marry’ others of the same sex. Now, members of the Rough Trade Gaming Community, a group of LGBT and LGBT-friendly gamers, have held their own virtual Pride parade – called the Pixel Pride March – to thank developers and as a tribute to a member who tragically died last month… Read more.

Susan Sarandon Supports Marriage Equality In New PSA Video Message

Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon has leant her support to a marriage equality drive in America.

The star, 67, recorded a video message to support the Human Rights Campaign‘s efforts to bring same-sex marriage to the millions of gay and lesbian Americans in states that do not currently have such legislation… Read more.