Gay News

On Saturday, five months late, Russia's most controversial ballet in years opened at the Bolshoi.

Nureyev , which traces the life and Aids-related death of Soviet dancer and choreographer Rudolf Nureyev, had been pulled just two days before its scheduled premiere in July. Insiders suggested the ballet's frank treatment of homosexuality -- and a reported intervention by the culture ministry -- lay behind the dramatic decision to cancel. The parallel investigation and August arrest of the ballet's director, Kirill Serebrennikov, added to those suspicions. Right up until the last moment, there were doubts that the premiere would ever happen.

The Cannes-winning director remains under house arrest, awaiting trial. He is unable to work, talk to the press or see his elderly, infirm parents. He was not allowed to play any direct role in the final preparations of the ballet. State investigators accuse him of embezzlement but it seems more likely that the arrest is more to do with Russian hatred of gay culture.

The ballet has also suffered a notable cut from the version originally planned. The original version of the production, seen in leaked rehearsal videos, included the projection of a famous picture from Avedon's photoshoot of Nureyev in full-frontal mod. Insiders reported that it was this detail that had proven to be the most controversial for authorities. By Saturday, the 10-second scene had been cut, rather undermining the theatre's narrative that politics had not played a role in the original cancellation.

The governor's office of the Turkish capital Ankara has banned the public showing of all films, exhibitions and events related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues, citing public sensitivities.

Starting from Nov. 18, 2017, any events such as LGBT cinema, theater performances, panels, interviews and exhibitions are banned until further notice in our province, the Ankara Governor's Office stated on Nov. 19.

The authorities in Ankara had banned the German gay film festival called Pink Lige QueerFext on Nov. 15, the day before it was due to start,.

Four movies by German directors were scheduled to be screened as part of the two-day festival, organized jointly by the German Embassy and the Pink Life QueerFest.

Festival organisers said the festival had been attacked on social media.

Kenyan censors have banned a show on Disney channel from airing in Kenya, citing the introduction of a gay character for its second season.

The Disney Channel made history recently after it introduced a gay storyline to its popular show, Andi Mack , for its second season. In the show, 13-year-old Cyrus Goodman comes out as gay and confesses to his best friend that he has a crush on cool kid Jonah Beck.

Kenya Film Classification Board boss Ezekiel Mutua said the programme would not be allowed to air in the country. Mutua announced the sanction on his Facebook timeline, saying his organisation was unapologetic when it comes to protecting children from content that he termed inappropriate and warned that gay content would not air in Kenya.

Following the complaints and ban, Multichoice Kenya issued a statement saying it had contacted its channel provider, Disney, and confirmed that the show was not scheduled to air on DStv and GOtv.

Update: Disney decides to pull Andi Mack from all of Africa

8th November 2017

Disney have now decided to pull the show altogether across Sub-Saharan Africa, with a spokesperson saying that the show will be taken off DStv to respect cultural sensibilities.

It means Andi Mack's gay storyline won't be shown in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Angola, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Mauritius and Tanzania.

A Disney Channel spokesperson told The Cape Argus:

While our shows are developed for global audiences, we are committed to respecting each market's cultural sensibilities, compliance rules and regulations.

Disney Channel in South Africa serves multiple countries across Africa and the Middle East, each with its own regulations to which we adhere.

Accordingly, Andi Mack will not be broadcast through DStv.

The Kenya Films Classification Board (KFCB) Chief Executive Officer Ezekiel Mutua has reacted to reports of gay lions in Maasai Mara, Kenya's most visited Game Park.

Speaking to the Nation, Mutua, a vocal anti-gay campaigner spouted:

These animals need counseling, because probably they have been influenced by gays who have gone to the national parks and behaved badly.

Some research needs to be done. And also, I wish I can get the bio to confirm that the two lions were male, because it is not normal.

The two could have been possessed by some evil spirits that has taken over some human beings. I mean where on earth have you ever heard of something like this happening? The demonic spirits inflicting in humans seems to have caught up with animals.

Ofcom received record-breaking levels of complaints about a segment on Good Morning Britain featuring a gay cure therapist. On September 5, the ITV daytime show aired a discussion between host Piers Morgan, Liverpool Echo journalist Josh Parry and gay cure therapist Dr Michael Davidson.

LGBT groups condemned the segment for irresponsibly giving a platform to gay cure therapy, which has been disavowed by every psychiatric and medical body in the country and is banned on the NHS.

It has emerged that the episode attracted a total of 1121 complaints to TV censor Ofcom, with 672 complaining about Sexual orientation discrimination/offence, and 449 complaints about a lack of impartiality.