> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.stonewallnews.net/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Weekly Update on National & International LGBTQ+ Equality – Wed, September 2, 2026 - URL: https://www.stonewallnews.net/weekly-update-on-national-international-lgbtq-equality-wed-august-26-2026-2/ - Published: 2026-09-02T19:55:40.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-02T19:55:40.000Z - Author: Fabrice Houdart - Tags: National, International, #table-of-content This week: Transgender Americans migration, Grindr’s price point, The Disappearers, La Bola Negra, John Galliano, Milo Yiannopoulos, Burning Man, UNGA and much more… > *This update is provided by* [Fabrice Houdart](https://fabricehoudart.substack.com/?utm%5Fsource=substack&utm%5Fmedium=email)*, consider supporting his important work.* Well, my friends. This is it. C’est *la rentrée*—except, of course, for you fancy gays lingering at Burning Man or the US Open. September may simply mark the return to school for some, but for our movement, it also means getting back to work. And there is plenty waiting for us: renewed dissensions within our own community, new conservative assaults on our families, the spread of anti-LGBTQ+ laws across Africa, and homophobic and transphobic violence that, as this week’s news makes painfully clear, is very much with us. All of this against the backdrop of a rapidly changing world order. There is no time to waste. À vos cartables. Still, because I have no intention of sending you into September completely depressed by this rather daunting to-do list, I have supercharged this week’s newsletter with cultural distractions like *The Disappearers* or *La Bola Negra.* ### **Global News** #### **Uganda: Museveni Pardons Anita Among** President Yoweri Museveni has pardoned former Parliament Speaker [Anita Among](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita%5FAmong?ref=stonewallnews.net), who spearheaded Uganda’s 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act, dropping corruption, money-laundering and illicit-enrichment charges that had placed her under house arrest for 100 days. Sexual Minorities Uganda director Frank Mugisha called on Among to “*apologize to the Ugandan LGBTQ+ community,*“ while a legal advocate objected that *“criminal suspects should be tried by courts, not shielded by executive pardon.”* Read more in [*Erasing 76 Crimes*](https://76crimes.com/2026/09/01/uganda-president-pardons-homophobe/?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **Indonesia: On Defense Policy Naming *“LGBTQ+ Culture”* a Threat** ILGA Asia is pressing Jakarta to scrap language in Indonesia’s 2025–2029 National Defense Policy that lists the *“spread of LGBTQ+ culture”* among the country’s non-military security threats. ILGA Asia executive director Henry Koh said *“when a state places \[this\] within its national defense doctrine, it crosses a dangerous line,”* while local group Arus Pelangi says the classification has fueled “*surveillance, monitoring, and control*“ of LGBTQ+ people. Details in [*MambaOnline*](https://www.mambaonline.com/2026/08/28/indonesia-urged-to-reverse-defence-policy-that-labels-lgbtq-culture-a-national-threat/?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **France: Court Declines to Recognize Homophobic Motive** A Saint-Étienne tribunal convicted two men — ages 19 and 29 — of group assault after they attacked patrons outside the LGBT-friendly ZanzyBar on July 11, leaving three people with serious injuries, but ruled that homophobic slurs shouted during the attack “*did not constitute the motivation”* for the violence. The men received suspended sentences of six and eighteen months and were ordered to pay victims a combined €1,400\. The Bar owner called the ruling *“purely scandalous”*. Read more in [*Têtu*](https://tetu.com/2026/08/24/agression-bar-gay-lgbt-saint-etienne-homophobie-proces-zanzybar-tribunal/?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **France: Homophobic Attack in Le Marais** Pierre Picavet, a French police officer and president of FLAG!, the association representing LGBTQ+ employees of France’s interior and justice ministries, was hospitalized after being attacked while leaving a bar in the Marais over the weekend. According to prosecutors, his attacker repeatedly used a homophobic slur before striking Picavet with a bottle, leaving him with multiple injuries, including internal bleeding and a head wound; remarkably, identifying himself as a police officer did not stop the assault. A suspect has been taken into custody. [See here.](https://www.france24.com/en/france/20260830-french-lgbtq-activist-hospitalised-after-despicable-homophobic-attack-in-paris?ref=stonewallnews.net) #### **Bangladesh: Dhaka University Expels Two Students** The University of Dhaka permanently barred two first-year students from their residence hall over unverified allegations of homosexuality, ordering them to leave immediately without collecting belongings; both students deny the charges, and one alleges regional bias motivated the action. A three-member disciplinary committee is investigating further. See in [*Erasing 76 Crimes*](https://76crimes.com/2026/08/21/bangladesh-students-expelled-homosexuality/?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **Netherlands: The New American Exiles** The *Washington Blade*[ spoke with four trans and nonbinary Americans](https://www.washingtonblade.com/2026/08/28/trans-nonbinary-americans-find-refuge-in-the-netherlands/?ref=stonewallnews.net) who have relocated to the Netherlands, several of whom used the surprisingly accessible Dutch American Friendship Treaty. Their stories complicate the familiar image of the Netherlands as an LGBTQ+ promised land: Dutch bureaucracy and an often rigid medical system can make accessing gender-affirming care maddeningly difficult. Still, the calculation is stark. One trans father who moved there with his trans daughter described studying his family’s Holocaust history and concluding that targeted minorities sometimes need to *“get out early”;* another couple attended a grandmother’s funeral virtually rather than risk returning to America. One interviewee explained why even a political change in Washington might not bring him home: *“The poison’s in the water.”* --- ### **US News** #### **Two Killed Outside a Tucson Gay Bar** Police in Tucson have opened a hate-crime investigation after Vincent Anthony Siqueiros, 42, and Cameron Davis Capara, 33, were shot and killed outside Venture-N, a longtime gay bar, early Monday morning. The alleged shooter, 44-year-old Ousman Ceesay, who also died after being wounded, was reportedly carrying a note listing several LGBTQ-associated businesses. Community members have gathered outside Venture-N with flowers and candles, while Tucson Mayor Regina Romero called the killings *“another painful reminder that homophobia is still rampant in our country.”* [See here.](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/us/tucson-gay-bar-shooting.html?ref=stonewallnews.net) #### **Pentagon Asks Supreme Court About Transgender Troops** The administration asked the Supreme Court to let the Pentagon begin discharging 29 currently serving transgender service members before their case goes to trial, seeking to bypass a lower court order that had paused removals. The emergency application argues the military’s ban should take effect immediately rather than wait for the case, brought by plaintiffs including Nicolas Talbott, to run its course. A decision could come within weeks. Read more in [*The Washington Post*](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/28/trump-asks-supreme-court-allow-military-discharge-transgender-troops/?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **Federal Judge Strikes Down Texas Drag Show Ban for a Second Time** U.S. District Judge David Hittner ruled Texas’s drag performance restrictions unconstitutional, telling the state that people offended by drag shows should *“just don’t go”* rather than seek a statewide ban. It’s the second time a federal court has struck down the law, which Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office is expected to appeal again. The ruling keeps drag performances legal across Texas venues for now. See [*NBC News*](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/judge-strikes-texas-ban-drag-shows-tells-people-offended-just-dont-go-rcna594448?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **DOJ Lawsuit Over California’s Transgender Athlete Policies** A federal judge tossed the Justice Department’s lawsuit against California over its refusal to bar transgender girls from girls’ school sports, rejecting the administration’s bid to force the state to adopt a ban. The ruling lets California’s existing policy, which allows transgender student-athletes to compete consistent with their gender identity, remain in place for now. The DOJ sued the state earlier this year after Attorney General Rob Bonta refused to comply with federal demands to change its rules. From [*LGBTQ Nation*](https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/09/federal-judge-strikes-down-trumps-attempt-to-force-a-state-to-ban-its-trans-athletes/?ref=stonewallnews.net). #### **Ninth Circuit On Transgender Housing in Oregon Prisons** A federal appeals court heard arguments over whether transgender women can continue to be housed according to gender identity in Oregon’s state prison system, after a panel earlier this month blocked a lower court order requiring it. The case, brought by incarcerated transgender women, is now positioned as a broader test of constitutional protections for trans people in custody. A ruling could reshape housing policy well beyond Oregon. According to [*OPB*](https://www.opb.org/article/2026/08/27/oregon-transgender-trans-prison-law-lawsuit/?ref=stonewallnews.net). --- ### **Queering the Boardroom** #### **Deloitte Settlement Will Fund Edward Blum’s Campaign** Remember Edward Blum? I [wrote about him four years ago](https://fhoudart.medium.com/who-is-edward-jay-blum-the-plaintiff-against-the-nasdaq-board-diversity-listing-rule-c0307abeb90c?ref=stonewallnews.net), when his network was challenging California and Nasdaq’s efforts to encourage greater diversity on corporate boards—a battle his side ultimately won when both board-diversity rules were struck down. Now Blum’s campaign against DEI has produced another significant result: Deloitte has agreed to pay $21.5 million to resolve a Justice Department False Claims Act investigation into diversity practices that reportedly included demographic promotion goals monitored monthly and linked to partner compensation. Deloitte denies discrimination and admits no liability, but here is the number boardrooms should pay attention to: $4.3 million will reportedly go to Blum’s American Alliance for Equal Rights, whose whistleblower complaint triggered the investigation. See on [*Fox Business*](https://us.list-manage.com/k7CFgdA7wtb?e=4886a9c46f&c2id=71b161e5e71e4d3a3c607d9d98ef0e99&ref=stonewallnews.net) #### **October 26: In Person** PRISM’s **4th Annual LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors’ Summit** will take place in New York on October 26\. What began four years ago has grown into a gathering of roughly 150 corporate directors, CEOs, investors, governance leaders, board recruiters and senior executives—and, at a moment when both corporate LGBTQ+ engagement and board diversity are being tested, bringing these people into the same room feels particularly important. This year’s theme is “Sharper Perspective. Stronger Boards”. --- ### **The Gay Business** #### **Grindr Would Like More of Your Gay Disposable Income** CEO George Arison [told the ](https://www.ft.com/content/952920f9-429d-451a-9913-a360880ead41?ref=stonewallnews.net)[*Financial Times*](https://www.ft.com/content/952920f9-429d-451a-9913-a360880ead41?ref=stonewallnews.net) that the company is developing premium services aimed at affluent gay men, including offerings costing up to **$350 a month** and an even more expensive *“luxury lifestyle and experiences”* product, as part of his ambition to *“capture more of people’s wallets.”* Grindr has 15 million monthly active users but only 1.4 million paying customers, so the business logic is clear, even if the sociology is more questionable. One gay *FT* reader responded with perhaps the week’s best question: is Grindr expecting that $350 a month will produce [“a better class of Queer”](https://www.ft.com/content/f730f1c2-c176-46d1-b46d-c71b47935653?ref=stonewallnews.net)? #### **New Hospitality Brand Bets on Premium Gay Travel Market** Royal Grand Resorts launched with a stated focus on gay men’s travel, citing research identifying the segment as one of hospitality’s fastest-growing and highest-spending segments. The company has signaled plans to expand into Costa Rica as it builds out its resort portfolio. According to [*Morningstar/PR Newswire*](https://www.morningstar.com/news/pr-newswire/20260707fl98838/royal-grand-resorts-launches-with-a-clear-mission-serving-gay-mens-premium-travel-one-of-the-worlds-fastest-growing-and-highest-spending-hospitality-segments?ref=stonewallnews.net)*.* #### **ArcHaus: What if your career had an agent?** ArcHaus, a new queer-founded membership community, wants to change that by giving leaders something closer to the representation long enjoyed by athletes and entertainers: help with executive opportunities, board placements, professional positioning, speaking engagements, and a network that follows you from one chapter of your career to the next. An interesting experiment in what professional infrastructure could look like when it belongs to the talent rather than the employer. [Visit ArcHaus](https://archausglobal.com/?ref=stonewallnews.net) or[ join the waitlist](https://tally.so/r/pbZagJ?ref=stonewallnews.net). --- ### **The Semi-cultural Desk** #### ***The Disappearers*** The[ ](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/30/books/review/the-disappearers-marlon-james.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&ref=stonewallnews.net)[*New York Times*](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/30/books/review/the-disappearers-marlon-james.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&ref=stonewallnews.net)[ has already called](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/30/books/review/the-disappearers-marlon-james.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&ref=stonewallnews.net) Marlon James’s *The Disappearers* “*the novel of the decade, if not the century,*” so expectations are reasonably high. This[ Literary Hub profile](https://lithub.com/?ref=stonewallnews.net) reveals just how personal the book is. Set among gay men in 1980s and ’90s Jamaica, it draws on James’s memories of growing up queer in Kingston, alongside interviews with dozens of queer Jamaicans, to explore violence, secrecy, rage, friendship and the complicated joy of being gay in a society determined to make that difficult. James insists it is not autofiction, though he acknowledges that, six novels in, he is drawing more deeply than ever from his own life. My hard copy won’t arrive until September 10, so naturally I bought the Kindle edition too—which is perhaps as good an allegory as any for my lifelong approach to personal finance and the reason I rely on your paid subscriptions. #### *La Bola Negra* One to put on the fall calendar: *La Bola Negra*, the ambitious new film from Spanish directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi—Los Javis. Inspired by Federico García Lorca’s unfinished work, the film connects the lives of three gay men across 1932, 1937 and 2017, moving through civil war, repression, desire and the secrets one generation leaves for the next. The cast alone is reason to pay attention: Julio Torres, Miguel Bernardeau, Guitarricadelafuente, Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close. After reportedly earning Los Javis Best Director and a 20-minute standing ovation at Cannes, Netflix won the U.S. distribution rights. It arrives in theaters October 16 and on Netflix December 2\. See below. #### **More On Bathhouses** Even though [I am not entirely convinced](https://fabricehoudart.substack.com/p/on-the-complex-topic-of-sex) that bathhouses are the missing piece our community needs right now, I couldn’t resist this[ West Side Rag piece](https://www.westsiderag.com/2026/08/29/bring-back-the-spectacular-when-the-upper-west-side-had-the-most-fabulous-basement-in-the-city?ref=stonewallnews.net) revisiting the Continental Baths, the legendary gay bathhouse that once occupied the basement of the Ansonia at Broadway and 74th Street. After all, it is hard to resist a story featuring Bette Midler launching her career, Frankie Knuckles behind the decks, Mick Jagger and Warhol drifting through, and Alfred Hitchcock quietly swimming in a towel. With lawmakers Erik Bottcher and Tony Simone now pushing to lift rules dating back to the AIDS-era crackdown on bathhouses, the piece raises an interesting question: are we reclaiming an important part of queer communal life—or simply getting a little carried away with nostalgia? #### **A 20-Year-Old Murder Case, and an Unpaid Settlement** The still-unsolved 2006 murder of DC attorney Robert Wone is back in the news for a decidedly less mysterious reason: money. Wone was found stabbed to death while staying overnight at the Dupont Circle home of three gay friends—Joe Price, Victor Zaborsky and Dylan Ward—who were later acquitted of conspiracy, obstruction and evidence-tampering charges; no one has ever been charged with the murder. His widow, Katherine Wone, subsequently settled a $20 million wrongful-death lawsuit against the three men, but the amounts were kept secret. Now, new court filings have revealed that Price agreed to pay $80,000 and Zaborsky $66,000 over 20 years—and[ Katherine Wone alleges they have fallen substantially behind](https://www.washingtonblade.com/2026/09/01/gay-men-linked-to-2006-wone-murder-failing-to-make-lawsuit-settlement-payment/?ref=stonewallnews.net), with more than $88,000 reportedly outstanding between them as of May. #### **September Is Looking Very Gay on Television** For those of us approaching *la rentrée* by returning to the sofa,[ Autostraddle’s September streaming guide](https://www.autostraddle.com/september-2026-whats-new-gay-and-streaming/?ref=stonewallnews.net) suggests an unusually queer month ahead. My personal shortlist includes *Call My Agent! The Movie*, bringing Camille Cottin’s formidable lesbian agent Andréa Martel back on September 10 (Cottin is also in [*Les Misérables* ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o16DusC1ZnQ&ref=stonewallnews.net)coming out in October); Ryan Murphy’s apparently *“women-driven, feminist, lesbian, dirty, unapologetic*” take [on Lizzie Borden in ](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/monster-season-4-lizzie-borden-release-date-cast-news?ref=stonewallnews.net)[*Monster*](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/monster-season-4-lizzie-borden-release-date-cast-news?ref=stonewallnews.net)[ ](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/monster-season-4-lizzie-borden-release-date-cast-news?ref=stonewallnews.net)(Season 4) on September 17; and [*Slo Pitch*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aecr7t8nSfg&ref=stonewallnews.net)[, ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aecr7t8nSfg&ref=stonewallnews.net)a lesbian softball mockumentary produced by Elliot Page arriving September 25\. Add a new all-drag-king season of *King of Drag*, Ali Krieger on *The Amazing Race*, and enough Sarah Paulson in *American Horror Story* to constitute several cast members. #### **Protect the Dolls, Fire Island Edition** Fire Island Pines got a particularly fabulous end-of-summer takeover with the fourth annual[ Doll Invasion](https://www.them.us/culture/doll-invasion-fire-island-photographs?ref=stonewallnews.net), a three-day, trans-led celebration that mixed queer joy with fundraising for Queer|Art and Advocates for Trans Equality. Kim Petras made her Fire Island debut with a sold-out party at the Pavilion, alongside a lineup of trans and queer DJs and performers, while Dylan Mulvaney and Adam Lambert were among those spotted joining the festivities. #### **Dustin Lance Black’s “Rock Out” Traces Queer Rock History** The Oscar-winning “Milk” screenwriter directs this four-part docuseries on LGBTQ+ contributions to rock music, premiering September 20 on queer streamer Revry. Reports ([*Queerty*](https://www.queerty.com/the-best-lgbtq-movies-tv-shows-coming-to-streaming-in-september-2026-20260901/?ref=stonewallnews.net)). --- ### **Coming And Going** #### **Galliano Is Out at the Met** The Metropolitan Museum of Art has[ canceled its planned 2027 Costume Institute exhibition devoted to the designer](https://www.npr.org/sections/culture/?ref=stonewallnews.net) after intense criticism over his past antisemitic and racist remarks. Galliano, who was convicted in France after a series of notorious incidents in 2010 and 2011, said he remains *“fully accountable”* for the pain he caused and agreed that the exhibition should not proceed. The controversy had grown well beyond fashion circles: Pace Gallery founder Arne Glimcher reportedly threatened to withhold gifts, Jewish leaders objected, and Anna Wintour—one of Galliano’s longtime champions—came under renewed scrutiny for backing the show. #### **Milo Yiannopoulos’ misfortune** Milo Yiannopoulos, the British far-right provocateur who once called for *“zero immigration for the next 20 years,”* has [now been deported](https://apnews.com/article/milo-yiannopoulos-immigration-detention-ye-louisiana-890c5661f02bd3dad677f5049790fdc1?ref=stonewallnews.net) from the United States after being detained by immigration authorities in New Orleans for overstaying his visa. Yiannopoulos, who entered the country legally in 2019 but was later ordered removed, told Piers Morgan that he was *“terrified”* by the *“brutality”* of the ICE process—an especially striking complaint from someone who has spent years cheering on hard-line immigration enforcement. The former Breitbart star, who has also worked with Marjorie Taylor Greene and Ye, had also announced in 2021 that he was now “ex-gay.” ([Read more on Ex-Gay Watch](https://exgaywatch.com/2026/08/milo-yiannopoulos-from-gay-provocateur-to-ex-gay-ice-deportee/?ref=stonewallnews.net)). > He promoted abstinence from gay sex, [said his husband had been “demoted” to housemate](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/milo-yiannopoulos-ex-gay-b1815296.html?ref=stonewallnews.net), embraced traditionalist Catholicism and talked about rehabilitating conversion therapy. #### **Hunter Biden Is 48.5% Gay. Apparently.** Hunter Biden, who I think is married to Melissa Cohen Biden, announced on Luke Beasley’s podcast that he is *“48.5 percent gay.”* The exchange was decidedly tongue-in-cheek: after initially settling on 48.6 percent, Biden revised his *“gaydom”* down to 47 percent before ultimately returning to 48.5—and informed Beasley that, hypothetically, he would prefer someone *“a little bit more masculine.”*[ Entertainment Weekly](https://ew.com/hunter-biden-says-he-is-a-little-bit-gay-12075307?ref=stonewallnews.net) dutifully reported the news as Biden coming out as *“a little bit*” gay. --- ### **The Gay Agenda** #### **5 More Days of Burning Man** [Burning Man 2026](https://www.fashiontimes.co.uk/burning-man-2026-ticket-surplus-1763312?ref=stonewallnews.net) has allegedly failed to sell out, with tickets reportedly being dumped on secondary markets well below face value as the gathering gets underway in Nevada. Perhaps it is the $1,000-plus cost of getting through the gate with a vehicle, memories of biblical mud and punishing heat, or simply the fact that what was once counterculture has become a rather expensive pilgrimage for tech bros and influencers, some even bringing their private chefs along. Some veteran Burners see the downturn as a welcome reset and a chance to return the event to its community-building roots. Time to brush up on [Burning Man’s ten principles.](https://burningman.org/about-us/10-principles/?ref=stonewallnews.net) #### **September: UN Week Is Coming** The diplomatic circus of UN Week is about to descend on Manhattan at the end of the month—and there will be plenty happening on the LGBTQ+ front, including growing conversations around global decriminalization. I am hoping to be[ at CGI](https://www.clintonfoundation.org/programs/leadership-public-service/clinton-global-initiative/?ref=stonewallnews.net), the[ UN LGBTI Core Group event](https://unlgbticoregroup.org/?ref=stonewallnews.net), and Open for Business’s annual reception, as usual. #### **September 24: Chicago: Together We Thrive** On September 24,the[ GenderCool Project](https://gendercool.org/events/fall2026/?ref=stonewallnews.net) is bringing families, transgender and nonbinary young people, and their allies together in Chicago for *“Together We Thrive: An Evening with GenderCool.”* At a moment when trans kids and their families could use considerably more allies—and fewer politicians making their lives harder—the evening promises inspiration, community, healing, and, importantly, some joy. It runs 5–8 PM CT and supports GenderCool’s work helping people meet transgender and nonbinary young people through their stories rather than the political caricatures made of them. [Details and tickets here.](https://gendercool.org/events/fall2026/?ref=stonewallnews.net) #### **October 15–25: NewFest, New York** New York’s flagship LGBTQ+ cinema week unveils its 38th edition, with screenings across the city and virtual programming reaching audiences nationwide, typically culminating in an awards ceremony recognizing standout LGBTQ+ storytelling. [See here.](https://newfest.org/?ref=stonewallnews.net) --- That’s it for this week. I hope you had a wonderful summer. Mine was unusually stationary—I didn’t travel much, which after a long year turned out to be exactly what I needed. I am now feeling rested, reenergized, and ready for *la rentrée* and everything the fall will inevitably throw at us. See you next week! ---