ISIS threatens to throw gays off the Leaning Tower of ‘Pizza’

Islamic State militants have threatened an attack on Rome – and promised to throw homosexuals off the Leaning Tower of “Pizza”. If they didn’t have so much blood on their hands, would anyone take them seriously again?

A militant-run IS Twitter account made the threat on 21 February, writing: “#We_Are_Coming_O_Rome, we will conquer and establish the justice of #shariah. We will use your leaning tower of pizza to throw off homosexual
“#We_Are_Coming_O_Rome, we are coming with slaughter.”
The group were seemingly unaware both that they had misspelled “Leaning Tower of Pisa”, and that the tower is actually located in the town of Pisa, nearly 200 miles from Rome.
Undaunted by the threats, a number of Rome residents are instead giving the group travel advice, given the city’s notoriously poor transport network, posting replies like, “Don’t come by train – it is always late”, and pictures of gridlock on the autostrada.

Is there really a gay consumer?

A gay man running a successful marketing consultancy is busy with his Phd in marketing and he decided to ask the question, is there really a gay consumer and if so how can companies reach them?
He has done extensive research, talking to marketing experts around the world as well as surveying over 1000 businesses and more than 3000 gay consumers. One of the big success stories in marketing to the LGBT community internationally has to be Absolut Vodka. Absolut have a simple marketing strategy which they have kept to for more than 25 years.

Much of Absolut's fame is due to its long-running advertising campaign, created by advertising agency TBWA and conceived by South African art director Geoff Hayes, based on this distinctive bottle shape. Having started around 1980 with more than 1,500 ads, the ad campaign is reportedly the longest running ever.

Same-sex prison wedding for homophobic murderers

Adding fuel to the argument that homophobes are often latent homosexuals themselves is news from Britain that two men convicted of homophobic assaults and murders have applied for permission to get married. Apparently they became acquainted in the prison library where they also used to have sex.

It was revealed recently week that Mikhail Gallatinov, 40, and Marc Goodwin, 31,are hoping to tie the knot at the maximum-security HM Prison Full Sutton, in Yorkshire, England, where they are both serving life sentences.
Goodwin was jailed in 2007, for the homophobic murder of Malcolm Benfold, 57, while Gallatinov was jailed in 1997 for murdering 28-year-old Adrian Kaminsky and sex offences.
Mr Benfold’s brother Peter Benfold – who is also gay – spoke to the Mirror ahead of the wedding.
He said: “Hopefully they will strangle each other.”

Anova Health Institute heralds new era in HIV prevention

The Anova Health Institute, the lead organisation addressing HIV among gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in South Africa, welcomes the announcement of exciting developments regarding HIV prevention at the 2015 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. The conference is currently taking place in Seattle, Washington.

Researchers have confirmed the results of an earlier randomised trial and presented unequivocal evidence that the use of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) can be used as a reliable biomedical HIV prevention strategy by MSM when taken in advance of potential exposure to the virus. Referred to as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), such use of specific ARVs allows men to use chronic medication to prevent becoming HIV positive.

The findings relate specifically to MSM following the early completion of two studies, in France and England respectively, that provide dramatic proof of the efficacy of PrEP among the key population. In both of these studies, men were protected against HIV infection while taking the drugs, with a reduction in risk of over 80%. Significantly, the studies also demonstrated that men, who requested access to PrEP, were able to manage the treatment successfully, including necessary adherence.

CAPE TOWN PRIDE FESTIVAL: RETURN TO THE RAINBOW

The theme for the twelfth Cape Town Pride Festival has been announced. Festival director Matthew Van As says 'Return To the rainbow' was chosen to remind all Capetonians of their very special role in, and the contribution they can make towards, the Rainbow Nation and the promotion of human equality."

The annual ten-day festival starts Friday, 20 February and includes the Cape Town Pride Parade on Saturday, 28 February. Van As says Capetonians can look forward to a variety of events that LGBTI community members, their friends, family and loved-ones can look forward to. "Like all seven colours that make a rainbow, all of us, irrespective of gender, race, beliefs or orientation, are needed to make up this beautiful city," says Van As.