In 2025, 76 Americans fled to The Netherlands to claim asylum based on fears of persecution due to their gender identity, including those who held professional jobs and resided in progressive jurisdictions like San Francisco and Massachusetts. They are detained in a fenced refugee camp alongside other asylum-seekers, mainly from Africa and the Middle East. […]
“Cohabitation” in Poland
Long known as one of the European countries least friendly to gay rights under its previous right-wing government, Poland has seen some progress under the current ruling coalition. While stopping short of sanctioning same-sex marriage, the government has approved a bill allowing for notarized “cohabitation contracts” that can cover housing rights, joint tax filing, and […]
Can Teachers Discuss Gender Identity with Parents?
A federal district judge in San Diego ruled in favor of two teachers who claimed that school district policy forced them to “lie” to parents about their student’s preferred gender identity and thus infringed upon their 1st amendment rights. However, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has stayed the judge’s order […]
Circumcision and FGM
At least 41 young men have died as a result of circumcision procedures performed as part of traditional initiation activities in South Africa. Traditional initiation is a rite of passage into manhood for young men. Every year some of the initiates die of complications of circumcision. This has forced the government to intervene through legislation to […]
Canada Not Turning Its Back on Queer immigrants
LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights and freedoms are in flux around the world, and the United States is leading the charge in turning back the clock where progress and justice are concerned for these intersecting population groups. In a breath of fresh air, Canada has reaffirmed its commitment to respond to the world’s immigration crises with […]
Sex Lives of the Disabled
The new play, (We indulge in ) a bit of roll play, will have an exclusive run at Tramway in Glasgow, Scotland. Produced by Birds of Paradise Theatre Company, the play is designed to provoke frank discussions around sex and disability to counter narratives around disabled people needing charity or pity, and instead show lives that […]
Gay Canadian Hockey Show Snowballs
The pop culture behemoth that is Heated Rivalry continues to make tracks and garner fans. Although the stars of the show – Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie – were ineligible to receive any Golden Globes for season one of the production, their presence at the ceremony was loud, and it included the duo presenting the […]
The Kink Community Responds to BDSM Depiction in Pillion
The new film, Pillion, which Hard Copy reported on last June, is starting to receive positive reviews. The film tells the story of the relationship between Colin, a timid man, who is swept off his feet by Ray, an enigmatic and impossibly handsome biker. Ray, a dom, takes Colin on as his submissive. After opening […]
Two American Anti-Trans Bills Will Move To Senate
The Trump administration and the Republican party at large have ratcheted up their efforts to dismantle gender affirming care for youth. This effort comes in the form of two bills that recently passed through the House of Representatives. The first, a la representative Marjorie Taylor Green, criminalizes parents and healthcare providers who facilitate gender affirming […]
Gay Male Visibility in Pop Culture Varies
The popularity of the queer Canadian sports series, Heated Rivalry is still growing since its debut on November 28th. In contrast, the second season of Boots, the Netflix series about a closeted young gay man and his straight best friend who join the marines, has been cancelled after the Trump administration referred to it as […]