Due to coronavirus restrictions, Israel's gay community held limited pride rallies in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Sunday (June 28), a far cry from the usual large-scale marches.

Under health restrictions, Israel's gay community holds limited pride rallies

The Tanzanian government has banned imports and sales of sexual lubricants in its latest move targeting the gay community, officials say. 
 
Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu justified the move on the grounds that the product encourages homosexuality, which is banned in the east African nation. 
 
&quot;It is true that the government has banned the importation and use of the jelly to curb the spread of HIV,&quot; the minister told local media on Tuesday.&nbsp;&quot;It is estimated that 23 per cent of men who have sex with men in Tanzania are living with HIV/AIDS,&quot; he added.&nbsp;&quot;I have instructed stakeholders working with gay people to remove the products from the market.&quot; 
 
Groups working with the gay community were handing out the lube for free, the minister said.&nbsp;&quot;The ministry has agreed to work with stakeholders to give the ministry the money they were using to buy and import the lubricants so we could use it to buy beds for the maternity wards.&quot; 
 
Gay male sex is punishable by life imprisonment under Tanzanian law, but there is no such ban on lesbian relations. In practice, there had been no known arrests over homosexuality in recent years. 
 
But the newly appointed regional commissioner for the port city of Dar es Salaam, Paul Makonda, announced a major crackdown against gay people this month, followed by arrests of suspected gays in clubs. 
 
Some people who have been openly gay on the internet stopped posting after Makonda threatened that police would arrest those who follow them on social media. 
 
(AFP)

In Dar es Salaam this month people suspected of being gay, which is a crime punishable by life imprisonment, were arrested in clubs

The Tanzanian government has banned imports and sales of sexual lubricants in its latest move targeting the gay community, officials say. Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu justified the move on the grounds that the product encourages homosexuality, which is banned in the east African nation. "It is true that the government has banned the importation and use of the jelly to curb the spread of HIV," the minister told local media on Tuesday. "It is estimated that 23 per cent of men who have sex with men in Tanzania are living with HIV/AIDS," he added. "I have instructed stakeholders working with gay people to remove the products from the market." Groups working with the gay community were handing out the lube for free, the minister said. "The ministry has agreed to work with stakeholders to give the ministry the money they were using to buy and import the lubricants so we could use it to buy beds for the maternity wards." Gay male sex is punishable by life imprisonment under Tanzanian law, but there is no such ban on lesbian relations. In practice, there had been no known arrests over homosexuality in recent years. But the newly appointed regional commissioner for the port city of Dar es Salaam, Paul Makonda, announced a major crackdown against gay people this month, followed by arrests of suspected gays in clubs. Some people who have been openly gay on the internet stopped posting after Makonda threatened that police would arrest those who follow them on social media. (AFP)

Tanzania bans lube in crackdown on gays

The Eiffel Tower will be lit up Monday night in the rainbow colours of the gay community in solidarity with the victims of the Orlando shootings, Paris city hall said. 
 
&quot;Paris is with Orlando. Tonight, the Eiffel Tower will be illuminated in LGBT colours in homage to the victims,&quot; Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted. 
 
City hall will also fly the US flag, the Stars and Stripes, as well as the rainbow flag, Hidalgo said, expressing her &quot;compassion, solidarity and affection&quot; for the American people after the massacre. 
 
On Monday morning, Paris councillors observed a minute of silence for the victims of the nightclub attack, in which 50 people were killed. 
 
The French football team also tweeted a message of support, along with a picture of a ribbon combining the colours of the US and rainbow flags. 
 
&quot;Sometimes football counts for little. Thoughts for #Orlando,&quot; said the team which is among 24 competing at the Euro 2016 championships in France, adding in English &quot;Together we stand&quot;. 
 
The planned tribute at the Eiffel Tower recalls the global show of solidarity with the French after the jihadist carnage in Paris in November. 
 
In the aftermath of the attacks, monuments from One World Trade Center in New York to the Sydney Opera House in Australia were lit in the colours of the French flag.

Paris city hall will also fly the US flag and the Stars and Stripes in a show of compassion, affection for America

The Eiffel Tower will be lit up Monday night in the rainbow colours of the gay community in solidarity with the victims of the Orlando shootings, Paris city hall said. "Paris is with Orlando. Tonight, the Eiffel Tower will be illuminated in LGBT colours in homage to the victims," Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted. City hall will also fly the US flag, the Stars and Stripes, as well as the rainbow flag, Hidalgo said, expressing her "compassion, solidarity and affection" for the American people after the massacre. On Monday morning, Paris councillors observed a minute of silence for the victims of the nightclub attack, in which 50 people were killed. The French football team also tweeted a message of support, along with a picture of a ribbon combining the colours of the US and rainbow flags. "Sometimes football counts for little. Thoughts for #Orlando," said the team which is among 24 competing at the Euro 2016 championships in France, adding in English "Together we stand". The planned tribute at the Eiffel Tower recalls the global show of solidarity with the French after the jihadist carnage in Paris in November. In the aftermath of the attacks, monuments from One World Trade Center in New York to the Sydney Opera House in Australia were lit in the colours of the French flag.

Eiffel Tower to don rainbow colours in solidarity with LGBT community after Orlando killings

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