Red Cross Lifts Gay/Bi Blood Donation Restrictions

France has lifted its ban on blood donations by gay and/or bisexual men which has been in place since the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Beginning today, more gay and bisexual men will be able to donate blood as the Red Cross will now use a more inclusive, individual risk-based assessment to determine if someone is eligible to give blood. This replaces the decades-old policy which prohibited men who have sex with men from donating. Continue reading “Red Cross Lifts Gay/Bi Blood Donation Restrictions”

GOP Takes Aim At HIV/AIDS Relief + More News

HIV
(image via Depositphotos)
Some news items you might have missed: • The Advocate: After demonizing abortion services and marriage rights, Republicans now take aim at PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief), which has saved millions of lives from HIV/AIDS. Continue reading “GOP Takes Aim At HIV/AIDS Relief + More News”

O’Shea Sibley Suspect Charged With Murder As A Hate Crime + More News

O’Shea Sibley (photo via Philadanco)
Some news items you might have missed: • CNN: The 17-year-old suspect accused of fatally stabbing 28-year-old dancer O’Shae Sibley has been charged with murder as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon. Sibley was attacked at a Brooklyn gas station last weekend for the high crime of dancing to Beyoncé song. Continue reading “O’Shea Sibley Suspect Charged With Murder As A Hate Crime + More News”

Lauv Updates Fans On Life, Music & More

Lauv (screen capture)
Uber-popular recording artist Lauv (“I Like Me Better”) has been sharing some of his personal journey over the past few weeks ever since he made headlines in Pride Month when he posted on social media, “When ur dating a girl but ur also a little bit into men.” Continue reading “Lauv Updates Fans On Life, Music & More”

Ricky Martin Breaks Silence On Divorce + More News

Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin (screen capture via Telemundo)
Some news items you might have missed: • Billboard: Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef were married for six years, but Martin has now disclosed the decision to split had been in consideration since before the pandemic. https://twitter.com/billboard/status/1687491874343268352 • New York Times: Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-DL) says the 2020 election wasn’t “stolen,” contradicting a central argument of  Donald Trump. “All those theories that were put out did not prove to be true.” • The Advocate: A British gay couple and their young child fleeing a fire while on vacation in Greece were denied shelter in a local house after the homeowner saw they were gay. https://twitter.com/TheAdvocateMag/status/1687466169609998336 • AZ Central: Frederick Francis Goltz, a Trump supporter, was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for threatening Arizona election officials and their families. “Someone needs to get these people AND their children,” he wrote on several occasions. “Dead children burn into the memories of people.” • New Music:  In May, Loreen made history as the first woman to win the Eurovision Song Contest for a second time with the song “Tattoo.” The song has surpassed over 210 million streams to date. Spice up your weekend with the new remix by Topic available now. https://youtu.be/UWKbrLXt2zU

Suspect In O’Shea Sibley Stabbing Taken Into Custody

O’Shea Sibley (photo: Kemar Jewel)
A suspect has been arrested in connection with the stabbing death of 28-year-old dancer O’Shae Sibley at a gas station over the weekend. The suspect reportedly turned himself in to police at a Brooklyn station house. Continue reading “Suspect In O’Shea Sibley Stabbing Taken Into Custody”