The church that banned tight trousers, and 6 other stories you might have missed this week
PinkNews brings you a roundup of news from the past seven days.
Here are some of the most widely read, and notable news stories from the past week which you may have missed.
1. A Jehovah’s Witness boss warned of the dangers of tight trousers
Anthony Morris III, a senior member of the Church’s leadership warned of modern fashion trends: “They are tight all the way down to the ankles. It’s not appropriate. It’s not sound of mind.”
“The homosexuals that are designing these clothes – they’d like you in tight pants.”
2. Retailers apologised for selling a ‘gay accent’ mouth spray
A bizarre novelty mouth spray that surfaced on Amazon and IWOOT was criticized for “pandering to an offensive and ignorant stereotype” about gay people.
A representative from IWOOT did not withdraw the product from sale, but said: “I am truly sorry for any upset this has caused you and I can advise that we do not mean to cause any offence by selling this product.”
3. A video game company created an entire fake game to help a lesbian couple get engaged
Bioware, creators of the Mass Effect series, made the elaborate ruse to help Jackie propose to game-obsessed girlfriend Amy.
They told Amy she was ‘testing’ their new game – but it was peppered with references to the pair’s life – and the boss level was a real life proposal from Jackie.
4. CBBC announced its first film about a transgender boy
Children’s channel CBBC revealed plans to broadcast ‘I Am Leo’, which follows a transgender 13-year-old who transitioned to male aged 5.
Cat Lewis of indie film makers Nine Lives admitted: “There is a risk that the BBC will be criticised for commissioning this film, but it’s important that CBBC has been so supportive of it.”
5. The government unveiled the last pieces of same-sex marriage legislation
Couples will finally be able to convert their civil partnerships to marriages from next month, after the government unveiled the final piece of legislation surrounding same-sex marriage.
Equalities minister Nick Boles joked: “It is probably right for me to declare an interest, because I am in a civil partnership and my other half has been pressing me, somewhat insistently, for the opportunity to do what many of his friends have already done.”
6. The Pope invited the leader of a listed hate group to a ‘traditional marriage’ summit
Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council revealed he would be attending the Pope’s upcoming interfaith conference, bringing together faiths opposed to same-sex marriage.
The FRC is listed as an active anti-gay hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Centre, and has been condemned by Jewish groups for comparing gay rights to the Holocaust.
7. OKCupid introduced a load of new orientation and gender options
The dating site began testing out a raft of new settings, for users who identify as heteroflexible, androgynous, queer or transgender.
Though the changes aren’t available for all users yet, the site says it is part of a drive to become “more inclusive”.
