The Daily Sting, Friday: Trump Extends HIV Funding, Asia’s First Trans Bodybuilding Contest
Heading into the weekend, here are the day’s big gay headlines. Donald Trump has shocked many by signing the PEPFAR Extension Act of 2018, which renews HIV funding through 2023. And India has launched Asia’s first trans bodybuilding competition.
In other news, Bermuda is still trying to ban marriage equality from its shores, a Queer Eye star has made headlines for calling the hit film Call Me By Your Name “predatory” and the Boy Scouts are reportedly in danger of bankruptcy due to child abuse charges.
From renewed HIV funding to a trans bodybuilding contest, here’s the day’s big gay news:
1. Donald Trump Renews Worldwide HIV Funding Through 2023 (Politics, Health)
Well, color us shocked. Despite his previous budget proposals suggesting cuts in the hundreds of millions to worldwide HIV funding, Donald Trump has signed the PEPFAR Extension Act of 2018, which will continue HIV funding and prevention work through 2023. PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) is one of the world’s largest global health programs, and it was previously renewed by America’s two previous presidents, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
2. Bermuda Government Continues to Attempt to Ban Gay Marriage (News)
The Bermuda government just won’t give up. The Caribbean nation has had an interesting path to marriage equality, having granted same-sex marriage, then seeing it taken away by the courts. Then that decision was overruled, bringing marriage equality back to the island. Now the Bermudan government is seeking to appeal the latest, pro-gay marriage decision to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, the highest court for British territories.
3. The First Trans Bodybuilding Competition in Asia Is Coming to India (Culture, World)
Come March 2019, the International Bodybuilding Fitness and Federation India will be including a trans male category. It’s a first for all of Asia. The competition’s organizer has said, “Any step which will help the [trans] community gain more acceptance is a welcome step.” The category for trans bodybuilding competitors was reportedly introduced after earlier this month trans bodybuilder Aryan Pasha made history by scoring second place in a male category.
4. Queer Eye‘s Karamo Brown Calls Call Me By Your Name ‘Predatory’ (Film)
Many queer people were excited to hear the news about a Call Me By Your Name sequel being written by the original novel’s writer, but not Karamo Brown, a star of the Netflix series Queer Eye. He said about the first film, “I’ve worked with many survivors of sexual assault, especially in the LGBTQ community, which often times goes unreported. And so the minute I saw that movie, I thought, ‘Here we are glorifying this sort of relationship.’” He also says, “There is predatory behavior there that I see, especially in the movie, where Armie Hammer looks dramatically older than this young man [Timothée Chalamet].”
5. Boy Scouts of America Is Considering Bankruptcy Due to Sex Abuse Lawsuits (News)
The Boy Scouts of America have reportedly hired a law firm to look into filing for bankruptcy. The consideration has arisen due to legal costs associated with multiple sex abuse lawsuits within the nonprofit organization. “We have a social and moral responsibility to fairly compensate victims who suffered abuse during their time in Scouting,” says BSA’s chief executive. There are quite literally thousands of cases alleging child sex abuse within the Boy Scouts.
