A gay rugby team in France gets recognized at the world cup, a woman sprays "holy water" on a gay couple in Mexico, and a court dismisses challenge to LGBTQ group registration in Kenya.
Gay Rugby Team in France Gets Recognized at World Cup
The founder of France’s first gay rugby team, Les Galliards, was recognized before the first game of the Rugby World Cup in Paris.
According to the Advocate, Cyril Leroy founded the team in 2003 since Rugby was his favorite sport.
“I really wanted to play, but there was no gay team for that, so I decided to create one from scratch.”
Since the founding of the team, other gay rugby teams have started in France.
“I never thought 20 years ago when I started Les Gaillards that I would be at the stadium on a night like this. And it’s important that people know we exist ... When I grew up, I didn’t have any openly gay role models.”
Woman Sprays 'Holy Water' On Gay Couple in Mexico
Leonardo Hernandez and his partner, Thomas. Courtesy of Hernandez.
A woman is accused of spraying holy water on gay couple Leonardo Hernandez and his partner, Thomas, outside a church in Mexico while accusing them of spreading immorality to the country’s youth.
The ordeal was caught on camera and posted on TikTok. It has since gone viral.
According to NBC, Hernandez has since spoken out saying that he and his partner believe the true meaning of a religion should be about doing good, being respectful, loving your neighbor unconditionally and being able to love freely.
However, Hernandez continued, that religion can turn that message into “hate and rejection of a group for the simple fact of loving and being who you are.”
Court Dismisses Challenge To LGBTQ Group Registration in Kenya
Art via nglhrc.squarespace.com.
The highest court in Kenya dismissed a challenge to its ruling that allowed the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) to register as a non-governmental organization.
According to the Washington Blade, Kenya’s NGO Coordinating Board had refused to register the organization for over a decade, claiming that it promotes same-sex behavior, which the country’s penal code criminalizes.
The ruling, made in February, sparked criticism from Kenyans who demanded it be reversed.
MP Peter Kaluma, who is against the bill, challenged it on the basis that the court’s ruling “usurped the sovereign power of the people” and was “obtained through fraud, deceit and misrepresentation of facts” by the NGLHRC defendants.
