Judge slams treatment of lesbian couple in a New Zealand prison
A district court judge in New Zealand has said Auckland Women’s Prison treated inmates in a “degrading,” “cruel,” and “inhumane” manner in a “concerted effort to break their spirit.” The two inmates at the centre of the matter were in a relationship and accused prison officers of using tactics that humiliated them and use large amounts of pepper spray to subdue them in their cells. Justice McNaughton found Department of Corrections staff broke the department’s own rules around the treatment of prisoners.
German professional footballers offer support to LGBTQ players
More than 800 professional soccer players have endorsed a campaign to support queer players. The campaign was launched by the German magazine 11Freunde (11 Friends) and includes statements from several star players. Several soccer clubs have also come out in favour of the campaign.
Rita Ora to headline Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade
This year’s Mardi Gras Parade on the 6th March in Sydney will be a different affair. Instead of the usual street parade, it will take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Headlining the event is singer Rita Ora who will be joined by other artists including Electric Fields, Montaigne, and G Flip. Australian TV channel SBS will televise the event.
News Headlines
*Ricky Martin will be the national spokesperson for a foundation seeking to build a memorial honouring the 49 victims of the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando.
*Green MP Ricardo Mendez March sought emergency room in quarantine for a second time recently and claimed he needed it for ‘national interest’ reasons. Mendez-March stated he used the category because the definition of the emergency requirements were ‘vague.’
*A Chinese doctoral student in Auckland has conducted research into how gay male academics in China manage their sexual identity. He found that many hide their sexual orientation and often marry heterosexual or lesbian woman or even made up a girlfriend to deflect attention.
