News

Spanish drag queen and performer Gilda Love has died at the age of 100 in Barcelona. Through her decades-long career, she became one of the most iconic figures in the city’s LGBTQIA+ history.

Gilda Love, born Eduardo Rondón in Cádiz, began her artistic career after a period in France, where she performed in various cabaret clubs. In 1967, she settled in Barcelona, where she became an important figure in the city’s nightlife. She performed at renowned venues such as El Cangrejo and became a recognisable face within the community during and after the Franco era.

In Istanbul, police arrested at least fifty people on 28 June during a banned Pride march. The gathering took place despite an official ban by the Turkish authorities, who have for years restricted or prohibited Pride events in the city. According to local and international reports, police intervened when participants assembled in the city center. Activists and participants were surrounded and taken away. Among those arrested were reportedly organizers and journalists.

A new study by Northwestern University in Chicago has shed fresh light on how voters perceive openly gay politicians. While public acceptance of LGBTQ+ candidates continues to grow, the research suggests that such acceptance is far from unconditional. According to the findings, sexual orientation itself is becoming less of a barrier, while a candidate’s gender expression is increasingly influencing voter perceptions. Candidates whose appearance, voice or mannerisms fall outside traditional gender norms are consistently viewed less favourably.

Ghana’s Parliament has approved the controversial Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, which would make identifying as LGBTQ+ punishable by up to three years in prison. The bill was passed on 29 May 2026, shortly before the start of Pride Month, and now awaits the signature of President John Dramani Mahama. If signed into law, it would become one of the most restrictive anti-LGBTQ+ laws in Africa.

Researchers are one step closer to a possible “functional cure” for HIV. At a conference in Boston, scientists from the University of California, San Francisco presented promising results from a new immune therapy.

Spain has topped ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map for the first time, the annual ranking that assesses laws and policies affecting LGBTI people in 49 European countries. The result ends Malta’s ten-year hold on the top position. In the new ranking, Malta takes second place, followed by Iceland, Belgium and Denmark.

The European Parliament has voted in favour of banning conversion therapy practices across the European Union, marking an important step forward for LGBTQ+ rights in Europe.

The vote follows a European Citizens’ Initiative launched in January 2024 by ACT LGBT. That initiative gathered more than 1.2 million signatures from citizens calling for a ban on these practices.