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Man on night out with boyfriend left with broken eye socket after homophobic ‘hate crime’ attack

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Police in Bristol, UK are hunting for two men in connection with an alleged homophobic hate crime.

On January 30, at 2am, a man in his 20s was violently assaulted outside an LGBTQ+ friendly Irish bar in Bristol.

The BBC reports that he suffered a broken nose, eye socket and cheekbone, as well as a split eyebrow, and had to be dragged to safety by his friends.

The victim was enjoying a night out with his partner in Bristol when he was assaulted.

Last month, he told the BBC that the incident had made him feel that “homophobia is still an issue in this country”. 

“I have been out since but even walking from the bar to the taxi I was really on edge. You always think ‘it won’t happen to me’,” he added.

The exterior of the Irish Bar, Seamus O'Donnells - the alleged attack took place outside
The exterior of the Irish Bar, Seamus O’Donnells – the alleged attack took place outside (Google)

“It was just a regular night, the pub had a drag event on and they were handing out paper pride flags.

“My boyfriend was given one and we went outside when we were approached by someone who ripped the flag out of his hand and started stamping on it.

“They were trying to get a reaction out of us, calling us homophobic slurs.”

He told the BBC that his boyfriend was also attacked during the violent incident, which he said “blindsided” him and left him with “horrific” bruising.

One man has already come forward in connection with the attack, however police are still trying to identify the other two men. A CCTV image of the pair was re-shared on X/Twitter on March 29 in an attempt to move the investigation forward.

Chief Inspector Vicks Hayward-Melen said: “Our investigation into this concerning incident is progressing and we now want to identify the three men in the CCTV image released, as we believe they can help us with our enquiries. If this is you, or if you know who any of the men are, please call us.

“We will be keeping the victim, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and the owners of the Seamus O’Donnell’s bar updated on the latest developments.”

Speaking to the BBC in February about the alleged hate crime, the man said he was “worried” that those responsible had not been found.

He said: “I do worry that I’d be recognised if I’m out in Bristol and it is hard to enjoy yourself when that’s on your mind. I am Bristolian, I have lived here all my life, and I have always felt safe here and accepted.

“For me to experience something like this in my home city is really upsetting.”

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Jeff Bezos’ ex MacKenzie Scott donates millions to ‘vital’ LGBTQ+ nonprofits, infuriating bigots

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Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has recently donated millions of dollars to charities, including multiple LGBTQ+ nonprofits, across the US: a move that has angered right-wing bigots.

The billionaire philanthropist and author announced on Tuesday (19 March) that she plans to give $640 million to more than 360 organisations.

The 53-year-old novelist – who was married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (one of the richest people in the world) for 26 years – is reportedly giving most of thoe $640 million in new charitable donations to “leftist” non-profits pushing what the right-wing press are angrily describing as “extreme left-wing causes.”

15 of these organisations directly support the LGBTQ+ community. An additional 82 nonprofits each received an unrestricted $1 million from Scott.

Scott decided which organisations to donate to based on an online database documenting her donations, Yield Giving.

In announcing the distribution of funds, Scott’s statement describes these charities as “vital agents of change.” 

Scott added that she wanted to highlight the nonprofits’ “outstanding work advancing the voices and opportunities of individuals and families of meagre or modest means, and groups who have met with discrimination and other systemic obstacles.”

Some of the organisations Scott’s donations will benefit from include EdgeNJ(supporting services to those living with HIV and those at risk), Gender Justice(working to dismantle legal, structural, and cultural barriers that contribute to gender inequity), and LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland (one of the nation’s oldest LGBTQ+ community centres).

She’s also giving to groups promoting clean energy, as well as prisoner advocacy groups, and groups supporting migrant rights, prompting the New York Post to label her donations as “woke philanthropy”.

“Bezos’ wife is using the profits he made through capitalism to [fund] the rope that will hang capitalism,” complained one furious right-winger, Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation.

“These things that she’s donating money to – whether it’s transgender ideas, helping illegals, prisoner rights, climate change – they’re all trying to transform our system away from capitalism,” he added.

Did Mackenzie Scott start Amazon?

Jeff Bezos (L) and MacKenzie Scott. (Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
Jeff Bezos (L) and MacKenzie Scott. (Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)

Scott married Bezos in 1993. The following year, Bezos founded Amazon. 

Scott was integral to Amazon from day one: she was one of the company’s key contributors, heavily involved in working on the company’s name, business plan, accounts, and shipping early orders. She worked closely at Amazon until 1996 – including negotiating the company’s first freight contract – when she stepped back from the company to focus on her writing career. She’s the author of two novels.

What is Mackenzie Scott’s foundation called?

In May 2019, Scott signed the Giving Pledge, a charitable-giving campaign founded by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. 

Scott has signed on to give away most of her wealth to charity over her lifetime or in her will.

In a continuation of her philanthropy, Scott established her foundation Yield Giving. 

Yield Giving says that it conducts research to identify organisations that advance the opportunities of people in underserved communities and then the organisation helps fund the charities and their missions.

To date, Yield Giving has donated funds to “2,300+ non-profit teams to use as they see fit for the benefit of others.”

Even before this latest round of funding, Scott had already given away $16.5B of the fortune she came into after divorcing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019.

How much money did MacKenzie Scott take from Jeff Bezos?

Jeff Bezos (L) and MacKenzie Scott. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Jeff Bezos (L) and MacKenzie Scott. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Following her divorce from Bezos in 2019, Scott was left with $35.6 billion in Amazon stock. 

In September 2020, Scott was named the world’s richest woman and in December of the same year, her net worth was estimated to have risen to $62 billion.

However, since her divorce, according to her website Scott has donated billions of dollars worth of her divorce settlements to over 2,300 organisations.

As of January 2024, Scott has a 4% stake in Amazon and her net worth is estimated at $40.6 billion.

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‘Abducted’ 21-year-old trans man Alex Franco found shot dead in Utah desert

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The body of a 21-year-old transgender man, Alex Franco, has been found in a “remote desert area in Utah County,” close to the city of Lehi. 

It’s believed that Franco died from a single gunshot, however police say they are waiting on a coroner’s report.

Taylorsville Police, who are investigating, said that two teenagers aged 15 and 17 have been arrested and charged with “multiple felony charges” in relation to what they are treating as a possible homicide. 

Alex Franco had previously been reported as missing, possibly abducted, on Monday (18 March), after bring seen getting into a 2000s Jeep Liberty. Just after Franco got into the vehicle, witnesses heard a gunshot and the jeep sped away. Franco’s body was found on Tuesday 19 March.

Police said video footage from the scene “clearly identified the sound reported by witnesses as a gunshot.” The alleged abduction is currently part of the investigation.

A Facebook post written by police officers with a picture of a white jeep, the text is requesting witnesses come forward to shed light on the fact that Alex Franco was allegedly abducted by two people in a jeep
Alex Franco’s body was discovered in a remote desert some 50 miles from the area where he was last seen stepping into a Jeep on Sunday afternoon, according to the Taylorsville Police Department, who had previously appealed for witnesses. (Facebook)

Police say that they are continuing to search for a third occupant of the vehicle. They also believe that Franco knew at least one of the people in the car and got into the vehicle willingly. 

Franco’s girlfriend, Alyssa Henry, told KUTV that “friends of friends” had picked Franco up on Sunday afternoon, seemingly with a plan to drive to a park.

“The investigation so far has not revealed that this was a hate crime,” Lt. Aaron Cheshire of Taylorsville Police reportedly told the press at a conference on Tuesday (19 March).

Another photo of Alex, this time looking to his right, he's wearing a black t-shirt and has short brown curly hair.
Alex Franco (everloved.com)

“It was confirmed by the State Medical Examiner’s Office on Tuesday that the body found was the person who was reported as abducted,” Taylorsville PD also confirmed in the press release.

Alex Franco’s loved ones have created a crowdfunding campaign to accept donations for Alex’s funeral expenses, writing: “Alex’s death was unexpected, and we don’t have the funds we need to pay for his funeral… We love you so much Alex, we miss you. Fly high with the angels. Rest in paradise until we meet again.”

Police are urging anyone with information about the incident to call the non-emergency dispatch number for Taylorsville PD at 801-840-4000.

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Trans woman Tiffany Scott dies in custody at high-security Scottish prison

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Trans prisoner Tiffany Scott has died in prison in Scotland at the age of 32.

Scotland Prison Service (SPS) officials confirmed she died on Thursday (29 February), at HMP Grampian, in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.

An SPS spokesperson added: “With each death in custody, Police Scotland are advised and the matter reported to the Procurator Fiscal.” An inquiry will be held in “due course.”

Scott, who was initially jailed while classed as a juvenile, was serving an indefinite sentence under an order for lifelong restriction for a number of offences, including stalking a 13-year-old girl by sending letters while serving a prison sentence. 

She was also convicted of attacking a nurse in Cheshire in 2010. Charges relating to an alleged attack on a nurse and a prison officer in 2017, were dropped. But later that year, Falkirk Sheriff Court was locked down after Scott was brought in for sentencing for a string of offences, including a series of violent incidents at Glenochil Prison, in Tullibody, Clackmannanshire.

Scott became the subject of controversy last year after she asked to be confined in an all-women’s prison. The request was denied by justice secretary MSP Keith Brown, who also announced an urgent review into the government’s handling of transgender prisoners, including rapist Isla Bryson.

Nicola Sturgeon, who was Scotland’s first minister at the time, reversed a decision to hold Bryson in a female prison in early 2023. “I can confirm to parliament that this prisoner will not be incarcerated at Cornton Vale women’s prison,” she said.

“I hope that provides assurance to the public presiding officer, not least to the victims, in this particular case.”

Updated guidance from the SPS, which came into effect on Monday (26 February), requires prisons to recall trans women who have a history of crime against other women to be housed in an all-male prison.

A clause in the policy allows an exemption if “compelling evidence” suggests they do not present an “unacceptable risk of harm to those in the women’s prison”.

HMP Grampian was opened in March 2014 and is the first purpose-built community facing prison within Scotland, capable of housing over 500 individuals: both male and female adults.

Ministry of Justice data from last year shows there are at least 230 transgender prisoners out of a UK prison population of 78,058, with 168 identifying as trans women and 42 as trans men. Thirteen are non-binary.

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The first trans voting centre in the US is set to open in Los Angeles

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The facility will be held at The Connie Norman Transgender Empowerment Center on North Martel Street for the nominating contest in California on 5 March. The centre is open to all voters, but organisers have stressed that it especially serves as a safe and empowering place for trans, non-binary and the LGBTQ+ community to vote. 

The centre is open between 2-5 March and will also serve as a voting centre in the general election, which will take place on 5 November . 

Aside from opening to voters, the centre provides resources, training, support and access to medical services for trans people in the community.

Across the weekend of 24 February, 119 voting centres opened across Los Angeles to allow residents to cast their votes. On 2 March, 525 further centres in LA will open for people to have their say and cast their vote before election day. 

And it’s more important than ever for the LGBTQ+ community to have their say this year on the presidential vote. Whoopi Goldberg has expressed concerns about the potential of Donald Trump being elected for a second time. 

During 9 January’s episode of The View, some of Goldberg’s co-hosts commented that young voters might not vote for Biden – or possibly not vote at all – as an act of protest against America’s support of Israel in its ongoing conflict with Palestine.

The Ghost actress seized the opportunity to plead with viewers at home to get out and vote not matter what, in order to keep Donald Trump from being re-elected.

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“I’m here to say, it is ours to lose. This is what it’s all about. Either you want it to work forward-thinking, you want everybody to have the ability to say how they feel, what they want, to move forward, or you don’t,” she warned.

“Or do you want somebody who says, ‘I’m going to be, on day one, I’m going to be a dictator’? Who says it to you, tells you, ‘I’m going to put you people away. I’m going to take all the journalists, I’m going to take all the gay folks, and I’ll move you all around and disappear you.’

“If that’s the country you want, you know who to vote for. If that’s not the country you want, you have to make a decision.”

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Groundbreaking map shows which US states are the least safe for LGBTQ+ people

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An independent non-profit think tank based in the US has created an interactive map to show which states in the US are safest for LGBTQ+ people to live and work – and which are not.

The Movement Advancement Project (MAP) has tracked LGBTQ+ laws and policies across the country, including relationship and parental recognition, nondiscrimination, religious exemptions, LGBTQ+ youth, health care, criminal justice, and accessing identity documents.

It has then scored each state based on those laws and policies – the higher the score, the more protective its laws are towards LGBTQ+ people while the lower the score a state receives, the more harmful its policies are towards LGBTQ+ people. The states are then put into five categories: High, Medium, Fair, Low, and Negative.

States must score between 75 to 100% of possible points to end up in the High category, between 50 to 74.9% for the Medium category, between 25 to 49.9% for the Fair category, 0 to 24.9% for the Low category, and less than zero to be placed in the Negative category.

The interactive map is colour-coded, with states highlighted in red being places where LGBTQ+ people have barely any protection under the law or are actively stopped from living freely as an LGBTQ person and thus have scored negatively on MAP’s criteria. This includes Texas, Arkansa, Oklahoma, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Montana, South Dakota, Missouri, Indiana, Tennessee, South Caroline, and Louisiana.

LGBTQ+ safe states

By comparison, states who score in the highest category are highlighted in green on the map are considered places where LGBTQ+ people are safest and offered the most amount of protection under the law. 

colour-coded map showing which states are safest for LGBTQ people
The map only reflects current laws and policies. (MAP)

This includes states like California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, New York, Vermont, Illinois, Minnesota, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington D.C. 

MAP is keen to stress that their map only reflects existing laws and policies that are already in place and not does include bills currently under consideration by the state legislature nor does it look at how each state enforces these laws.

“These scores are an excellent measure of the current LGBTQ policy landscape across a wide range of issues, but the scores do not necessarily reflect the entire political or social landscape for LGBTQ people,” it writes.

According to the organisation’s research, 27% of the overall LGBTQ+ population in the US currently live in states with low scores while 44% of the overall LGBTQ+ population live in states with high scores.

The think tank was founded in 2006 with the mission to “create a thriving, inclusive, and equitable America where all people have a fair chance to pursue health and happiness, earn a living, take care of the ones they love, be safe in their communities, and participate in civic life”.

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The first at-home cervical screening device is under clinical trial, and it’s about time

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The first at-home cervical screening device is currently under clinical trial to become FDA-approved in the USA, and we think it’s about time for a change. 

For women and those with uteruses, undergoing a regular pap smear to prevent cervical cancer can be an unpleasant experience thanks to the speculum used. 

The outdated device used in pelvic appointments to separate the vaginal walls can be cold and uncomfortable. The clamp-like instrument was invented in the mid-19th century and hasn’t adapted much since its origins. 

The new device called Teal Wand, designed by women-led company Teal Health, is an at-home cervical cancer screening device. The brand explained in an Instagram post that the at-home screening device “follows the American Cancer Society’s cervical cancer guidelines and runs the samples on approved primary HPV assays”. 

The brand also cites that one in four women are not up-to-date on their cervical screening, while 75% of women have more than one barrier to getting to a screening.

Teal Health’s initial study of the device revealed that 97% of women said the at-home cervical cancer screening device was easy or very easy to use. Meanwhile, 92% of participants said they would choose self-collect over the current standard of care with a clinician collecting, while 87% said they would be more likely to get screened if the Teal Wand was an option.

In the US, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that around 4,000 women and people with uteruses die of cervical cancer a year. Self-collected cervical screening tests are already an option in other countries and actively reduce the barrier for women and LGBTQ+ people facing healthcare-based discrimination.

The Australian Government introduced such tests in July 2022. The home kit tests “allow privacy and help break down barriers for thousands of people who have never screened – including women who have experienced sexual violence, LGBTQIA+ people and culturally and linguistically diverse and First Nations communities”, the Department of Health and Aged Care website reads.

“Australia has always punched above its weight when it comes to cervical cancer, and now Australia is on track to be the first country in the world to eliminate this deadly disease,” said the assistant minister for the department The Hon Ged Kearney.

Unsurprisingly, the original device has bleak origins. In 1945, Dr James Marion Sims performed surgeries on enslaved women without anaesthesia or pain relief, in a bid to understand the reproductive system. He invented the instrument to allow himself – and largely Cis male doctors – the ability to better look at the vagina and cervix, GE HealthCare explains.

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Grindr’s trans-inclusive filter angers gay rights activist: ‘Delete your service’

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A gay rights activist has criticised Grindr for its trans and nonbinary-inclusive filter.

Currently, the dating app prevents users from searching solely for Cisgender men and women, the site explains. “It was important to us to not further perpetuate discrimination and harm for the trans and nonbinary community.”

Instead, users can filter who they’d like to speak to on the app. The trans-inclusive filter details “three umbrella gender groups”: men, women and non-binary people.

Fred Sargeant took to X (formerly Twitter) on 5 February to question the app’s filter. The app detailed its trans-inclusive filter in a frequently asked questions section of the website.

However, Sergeant criticised the app – which was the most popular among users aged 54+ last year. “So, filtering for gay men is bad but filtering for trans and nonbinary is okay @Grindr? You recognise trans/nonbinary needs to discriminate while invalidating precisely the same need for gay men. 

“Delete your service @Grindr. You’re no longer needed.”

Fred Sargeant questioned the app’s filter. (X/@FredSargeant)

Others took to the comments section, with one social media user branding the app “homophobic” for its trans-inclusive filter. “Gay men, @Grindr is no longer for us,” a different person wrote. 

A representative of Grindr told PinkNews: “Trans men, trans women, and non-binary people have been a part of the Grindr community from the very beginning, and we have always been committed to creating a safe space for trans users. 

“This has included working with the National Center for Transgender Equality on profile fields for gender identity and pronouns, and building a Gender Identity Resource Center so that cis Grindr users can increase their understanding of trans people and issues.

“As part of our commitment to our trans users, we are pursuing a gender filtering system to allow all users, trans and cis, to find who they’re looking for on the app. Users who are only interested in men, for example, can select not to see women and explore a Grindr cascade of men. Of course, trans men are men, so users filtering to see men will see both cis and trans men.”

What is Grindr’s trans-inclusive filter?

The FAQ on the website regarding the trans-inclusive filter reads: “Why can’t I filter for Cis Men or Cis Women?”

“We allow filtering based on gender – you can specify that you want to see men or women – but this will include all men or all women, because trans men are men and trans women are women. 

“You can also filter for trans and nonbinary people, as we know it’s critical for this community to be able to find each other easily.”

Grindr explains its trans-inclusive filter on its website. (Grindr)

The FAQs also explain that the “Cis Man/Woman” gender identities have changed to “Man/Woman” as part of their “ongoing commitment to inclusivity and an effort to reduce discrimination toward trans and nonbinary folks”.

Users can edit their gender and pronouns in the app’s settings “to search (and be found) by gender identity”. 

“We have a list of 50+ gender identities to choose from – and even provide non-gendered pronoun options for languages that don’t have gendered pronouns. To ensure that culturally specific gender identity terms were included in that list, we partnered with experts across 20 languages. 

“We’re still learning every day – and always open to expanding that list. If you have a gender identity or pronoun suggestion for us, please submit it using the Suggest a Gender link on the gender selection screen.”

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Amber Glenn becomes the first out queer woman to win the US Figure Skating Championship

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Amber Glenn has won the U.S. Figure Skating Championship, becoming the first openly LGBTQ+ woman to win. 

Glenn — who identifies as bisexual and pansexual — has competed in the championship eight times prior, and won the silver medal in 2021 and the bronze medal in 2023. 

Despite making mistakes on two major jumps in her free skate routine on 26 January, Glenn won with 210.46 points to silver medalist Josephine Lee’s 204.13 points and bronze medalist  Isabeau Levito’s 200.68 points.

She’s competed in the competition eight times prior. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

In an interview with NBC Sports, the victor said: “Being the first openly queer women’s champion is incredible. When I came out initially, I was terrified. I was scared it would affect my scores or something.

She continued: “It was worth it to see the amount of young people who felt more comfortable in their environments at the rink, [people] who feel, ‘Oh, I’m represented by her, and she’s one of the top skaters [so] I don’t have to try and hide the sight of me.’ Just because you have this aspect doesn’t mean you can’t be a top athlete.”

Glenn’s win marks the first openly LGBTQ+ woman athlete to reach the top spot at the competition, but there are other out queer U.S. figure skaters, including Adam Rippon, Eliot Halverson, Karina Manta, and Timothy LeDuc.

The figure skater won the championship a decade after winning the junior U.S. championship title in 2014, and navigating a few bumps in the road during her professional career. 

At the start of this season, Glenn suffered from a severe concussion and was previously forced to withdraw from the 2022 Olympic trials after testing positive for Coronavirus.

“This wasn’t exactly how I wanted to win my first national title, but I’m extremely grateful for it,” she said during a press conference following the event. “It means so much to me, after everything I’ve been through in the last 10 years.”

Glenn proudly lifted the Progress Pride flag following her win and came out publicly in 2019. She said to Dallas Voice at the time: “The fear of not being accepted is a huge struggle for me.

“Being perceived as [going through] ‘just a phase’ or ‘[being] indecisive’ is a common thing for bisexual/pansexual women. I don’t want to shove my sexuality in people’s faces, but I also don’t want to hide who I am.”

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Are transgender athletes allowed in the Olympics? The truth behind the myths

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Are transgender athletes allowed in the Olympics? With Paris 2024 soon approaching, many people have been asking that question. 

Unfortunately, recent years have seen transgender athletes competing in sporting events face increasingly extreme restrictions.

While transgender athletes are technically allowed in the Olympics, they’re not exactly given a warm welcome given the increasingly demanding requirements placed on them. 

Ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic games, the topic of trans athletes’ participation is once again being raised. The forthcoming Olympic games are set to introduce further restrictions to previous editions. 

Can trans athletes compete at the Olympics? 

Taking place in Paris this July and August, the 2024 Olympics includes a new requirement that athletes must have completed their transition before the age of 12 to compete. 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has suggested that transitioning after the age of 12 could give an advantage to athletes over their cisgender competitors.

There are examples of transgender athletes at the Olympics. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard made history as the first openly trans athlete to compete at the Olympic Games.

Now, athletes like Hubbard who have previously represented their nation at the Olympics will not be eligible for the Paris 2024 Games. 

Previously, the IOC had guidelines in place that allowed trans women athletes to compete if their testosterone levels were below 10 nanomoles per litre a year before competing. 

However, this rule led to even cisgender women being banned from female sporting events because of naturally high testosterone levels. 

Various further bans have also been enacted against trans athletes recently in a number of sporting groups.

Laurel Hubbard
Laurel Hubbard speaks to media after competing in the Tokyo Olympic Games (Laurence Griffiths/Getty)

Are there restrictions on trans people in professional sports?

Last March, the governing body of athletics (World Athletics Council) banned women from competing in elite female competitions if they have gone through male puberty.

At the time, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said the tightening restrictions to exclude transgender women was due to the “overarching need to protect the female category.”

The decision was enacted on 31 March, Transgender Day of Visibility.

Unfortunately, similar attitudes were then adopted by World Aquatics in its ‘Gender Inclusion Policy’.

The governing body voted to bar trans women from competing in women’s swimming events if they had gone through any part of puberty.

Swimmer Lia Thomas has now filed a legal dispute against World Aquatics’ anti-trans policies, citing a number of decisions from the governing body disqualifying most trans women and intersex athletes from international events. 

The International Cycling Union (UCI) has also introduced bans on trans women participating if they have reached puberty before transitioning. 

Such restrictions are introduced with the attempted justification of ‘safeguarding’ women’s sport. 
These trans bans have reached every corner of the sporting world: professional golfer Hailey Davidson was pushed into testosterone testing to verify her eligibility after she won a women’s pro tournament in Florida.

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