Blog Posts | OK 2B GAY

April 4, 2022

Tory government claims trans conversion therapy ban ‘too complex’ amid searing backlash

Boris Johnson’s government has confirmed it’s moving ahead with a ban on conversion therapy that does not protect the trans community. LGBT+ activists, campaigners and MPs denounced the government for excluding the trans community from vital protections against conversion therapy. A government statement confirmed on...

April 4, 2022

Tom Daley’s stunning knitting kit collections, ‘Made With Love’ are available from John Lewis

April 4, 2022

Stonewall and 80 groups pull out of government LGBT+ conference over conversion therapy failure

The government’s flagship LGBT+ rights conference, Safe To Be Me, is as good as dead after Stonewall and more than 80 LGBT+ groups cut any remaining ties. Safe To Be Me has been billed by the government as the UK’s first ever global LGBT+ conference, and is set to coincide with the 50th anniversary of …...

April 4, 2022

Florida’s LGBT+ teachers share furious, fearful responses to Don’t Say Gay: ‘Let them come for me’

Since Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill was signed into law, LGBT+ teachers have been scrambling to figure out what it means for their students, for their classrooms and for their own livelihoods. The ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, officially titled the Parental Rights in Education Bill, bans the discussion of...

April 4, 2022

Mean Girls’ Jonathan Bennett and new husband are vision of queer love in red carpet debut

Jonathan Bennett and his husband Jaymes Vaughan were a picture of newlywed bliss as they arrived at the 33rd GLAAD Media Awards. The happy couple joined other LGBT+ stars and allies for the event on Saturday (2 April), just weeks after they said “I Do” during a romantic beachside ceremony in Mexico. Speaking to...

April 4, 2022

Disgraced UK equalities watchdog escapes review over anti-trans stance – for now

The Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), Britain’s equalities watchdog, will not face a special review after a complaint by Stonewall and other LGBT+ organisations. Stonewall and more than 20 other groups had asked the UN-affiliated Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) to review...

April 4, 2022

Comedian Jerrod Carmichael comes out as gay – then nails SNL debut with ‘homophobic cousin’ joke

Jerrod Carmichael came out publicly as gay in a candid HBO special ahead of his SNL hosting debut over the weekend. The comedian recalled moments from his family history which influenced his coming out journey in his new special Rothaniel, which aired on Friday (1 April) but was taped earlier this year. At one point in...

April 4, 2022

Equalities watchdog publishes ‘appalling’ guidance on excluding trans people from single-sex spaces

Britain’s so-called equalities watchdog has published guidance on single-sex spaces that essentially includes a how-to guide on excluding trans people. On Monday morning (4 April), the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published its long-promised guidance for separate and single-sex service providers,...

April 4, 2022

LGBT+ Music Festival in Porto: the full lineup, ticket prices and where to stay in Portugal

A new queer festival, LGBT+ Music Festival, is launching in Porto, Portugal this summer. The three-day music event will take place between 1-3 July across four stages in the city. Porto will host 35,000 festival goers, with music, DJs, drag and more on the lineup of the inclusive festival. The lineup features Iggy Azalea,...

April 4, 2022

Beloved EastEnders legend June Brown dies aged 95

June Brown, who played Dot Cotton on EastEnders, has died age 95. The beloved actor passed away “very peacefully” at home on Sunday (3 April), her family confirmed. June Brown was best-known her her role as Dot Cotton, who she began playing in 1985, shortly after EastEnders began. An EastEnders spokesperson...