Fabrice Houdart | A weekly newsletter on LGBTQ+ Equality

Tatchell on Bobi Wine, a hate crime in Argentina, RainbowMap 2024, entrapment in Florida, give Target a break, Sikkema’s murder, Okporo runs for office, and much more…

Greetings from Manila, where men are uber cute and gender identity was challenged before you could even pronounce “nonbinary.” Given the excruciating jetlag, this week's newsletter is a tour de force (if I may say myself), exploring critical developments such as the assessment after 20 years of same-sex marriage and bizarre ones like the FBI and ISIS threat to Pride 2024 or Sikkema’s murder.

This week: Tatchell on Bobi Wine, a hate crime in Argentina, RainbowMap 2024, entrapment in Florida, give Target a break, Sikkema’s murder, Okporo runs for office, and much more…

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Global News

Uganda: Peter Tatchell on Bobi Wine

Peter Tatchell responded to my post “Explaining the Bobi Wine Controversy.” Tatchell argues that genuine apologies and public commitments mark Wine’s transformation on LGBTQ+ rights. He also underscores that supporting Bobi Wine is crucial, not just for advancing LGBTQ+ rights but for the broader fight against oppressive regimes, and that real progress often requires pragmatic decisions. I wish he would give our community a masterclass on that last point. See his complete response here.

The number one human rights priority is to end the Museveni dictatorship. Bobi Wine is the best hope to achieve that.

Ghana: anti-homosexuality bills and economic development

In 2014, I found myself amid the discussion on Uganda. Kim’s office asked me to coordinate a response to The Economist’s “Right Cause, Wrong Battle” article, which I did. When The Economist made the statement, I highlighted it below. It meant girls, climate change, and infrastructure had priority, and LGBTQ+ issues would have to wait. In 2024, there is a consensus among development practitioners that Ghana’s abhorrent bill jeopardizes its developmental progress, inhibits the country’s efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, and marginalizes LGBTQ+ individuals, potentially destabilizing the nation. Ghana's anti-homosexuality bill is a self-inflicted development wound motivated by animus (see comments by UNAIDS and Amnesty International). It is progress and vindication for the professionals who took risks over the years. Hearts and minds can change, even neo-liberal ones. See this post.

“Of the many forms of bigotry the bank could battle, it is not clear that anti-gay laws are the most harmful to the poor.” 

Argentina: A Tragic Hate Crime in Buenos Aires

Milei’s Argentina woke up with a hangover after three lesbians tragically lost their lives in Buenos Aires following a deliberate arson attack. The incident involved a 62-year-old man who threw a Molotov cocktail into their residence. On Monday, a demonstration asked for President Javier Milei to stop his divisive discourse.

India: tapping into the “Hidden” LGBTQ+ Workforce

The US movement is gradually becoming secondary to emerging movements like India.  Harish Iyer wrote this week about the potential LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion in his gigantic country. This issue spans both professional settings and educational institutions, where data from the Naz Foundation and studies by BCG highlight issues. Knowing that leaders like Harrish, Srini Ramaswamy, and Parmesh Shahan are innovating in this sector is comforting to those witnessing a full-on assault on diversity in some US settings. The future is in the East.

France: Les Républicains self-immolated on societal issues

I read that Les Républicains, once France’s leading party, is only credited with 7% to 8% of voting intentions in the upcoming European elections (it needs 5% to retain its delegation). There is an explanation: their 2013 anti-LGBTQ+ obsession, a poor electoral calculation. Indeed, the French were opposed to the PaCS (civil union); they became favorable to it; they were opposed to marriage; they became favorable to it; they were opposed to surrogacy and became favorable to it (59%). While France has a gay Government, Les Républicains chose a hardliner Catholic, François-Xavier Bellamy, fervently anti-abortion, to lead them in the elections. Marechal Pétain must have been unavailable. Bellamy co-created Sens Commun, the political arm of the Manif Pour Tous anti-gay-marriage rallies. In doing so, he lost his place in modernity. LR, nicknamed "la Droite la plus bete au monde," let its blind hatred of homosexuals cost him its political relevance. Bon debarras. 

Europe: RainbowMap 2024

ILGA’s 2024 Rainbow Map is live, which ranks European countries based on their legal and policy landscapes for LGBTI individuals. The UK‘s rank is still plummeting, moving from 23rd to 24th place, particularly in transgender rights—a significant shift from its previous top position, and Monaco is ranked… 44th.

South Korea: Conservative Backlash Threatens LGBTQ+ Progress

The NYTimes points out that radical Christian lobbyists have escalated their anti-LGBTQ+ rights efforts following a liberal landslide in the recent elections, fearing the adoption of inclusive policies. They have successfully influenced public policy to block anti-discrimination legislation and ban LGBTQ+ topics from educational content.

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US News

Florida: the handjob’s aftermath, a symbol of 2024 America

this is my “coups de gueule”. The cruel US habit of disclosing the names, mugshots, and addresses of people arrested (including for misdemeanors) infuriates me: it is odd, barbaric, and gross. It is also the symptom of an obsessively punitive society, which calls the cops on each other. In the words of Professor Eumi Lee: "[it] permanently stigmatizes millions of Americans with the mark of criminality and undermines two basic principles of [the US] criminal justice system-presumed innocence and redemption." I have never observed a similar vile custom anywhere else. In a recent sting operation in a Park, undercover deputies used the hookup app Sniffies to entrap Harold Mills, the vice chairman of the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees, a Democratic Donor, and philanthropist, along with others, including a cop. Of course, it turned into a media frenzy. The ethics of Florida police tactics and the political motivations behind them are already being questioned. To me, the real scandal is the digital scarlet letter that America perversely enjoys. We must grow up. Also, Florida has more significant issues than handjobs in Parks; think climate change (+3.5°F since 1950), mass shootings (31 last year), obesity (31%), or clownish politicians (innumerable).

What were they thinking? 20 Years of Same-Sex Marriage

They said we would marry our pets and that brothers and sisters would not be able to discern sibling hugs from sexual overtures - imagine the awkwardness of Christmas family gatherings could be y. They predicted Armageddon, society's collapse, and the Empire's end (well, they were right, but it is not our fault). Grown-up men and women came up with the weirdest predictions. Grasping with both hands to the sweet feeling that at least their lives were better than that of homosexuals. It wasn’t climate change, guns, a rotten healthcare system, or populism that would do them in; it was gay love. If it weren’t for cognitive dissonance, Clarence Thomas would be crying on his knees in his f**ing RV. Today, his opposition to our love is joining the long annals of 'what were they thinking?' from the burning of witches to the boats of slavery. The landmark 20-year Rand report just confirmed that the legalization of same-sex marriage in America has been overwhelmingly positive. It is a day to thank Evan Wolfson and his posse. The journey from controversy to commonplace was arduous. For those like me who witnessed, for example, the gigantic 2013 French anti-same-sex marriage demonstrations, it was traumatic, but we were right all along, and they were just… wrong, horribly wrong.  

More than one million same-sex couples have now been married, and the Rand researchers found that they have reaped the benefits of marriage that have long been well-documented for different-sex couples.

Potential Threats to Pride Month Events

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have issued a warning regarding possible threats from foreign terrorist organizations targeting LGBTQ+-related gatherings, including the upcoming 2024 Pride Month celebrations in June. These threats could manifest online, in person, via mail, or telepathy, we are told, so we won’t feel safe anywhere this June. Heritage Pride responded that “No cops at Pride” was just a big misunderstanding: I am kidding, or am I?

Being gay in America this week is exhausting: you are on the sh*t lists of ISIS, radical Christians, and a corrupt political system, and if you get a petit bj in the Park in Florida, they put your mug in the papers. I am going to bed (no, no, really, it’s midnight here).

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Queering the boardroom

Rainbow Glass Ceiling: An Academic View of Adaptive Behavior

Check out this study by Ryan Federo, "The Rainbow Glass Ceiling: Breaking Barriers for LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Board Diversity." His conclusion calls for policies that protect and actively promote LGBTQ+ individuals in leadership roles so they can access the boardroom. Good luck with that in the current context.

Spotlight on "Breaking the Rainbow Ceiling" by Layla McCay

Layla McCay's upcoming release (May 21st), Breaking the Rainbow Ceiling: How LGBTQ+ People Can Thrive and Succeed at Work (see the full interview here) is a must-read as Pride month approaches, McCay—Director of Policy at the NHS Confederation— interviewed over forty LGBTQ+ executives. Pre-order now for a 30% discount with code ALCD30 at Bloomsbury ahead of its May 21st release in the US and May 23rd worldwide.

Appointments

Congrats to Daryl Lee ( Global CEO of McCann Worldgroup) for his appointment as a Board Member of the Ad Council.

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The Gay Business

Target Takes a Step Back on Pride, and I approve 

Target has decided to curtail LGBTQ+ Pride products in several stores based on "guest insights and consumer research" (see USA Today). Kelley Robinson claimed it is disappointing and alienates LGBTQ+ individuals and allies. I disagree: it does not matter. Going back to the famous “Embassy” or “Advocate” versus the “When In Rome” model of Kenji Yoshino, it always made sense for Target to calibrate its engagement. I don’t want Total to organize Pride in Yemen, and HRC should see why “tuck-friendly” swimsuits for adults in red states’s Targets are a source of problems—no offense to Yemen, Missouri. What we need more than Pride merchandise in Teneesee is to craft the narrative. 

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The semi-cultural desk

Brazil: Art Dealer Brent Sikkema's Murder 

That’s all people with too much money talk about. Brent Sikkema, the New York art dealer who discovered Louis Fratinoi and Kara Walker, met a tragic demise in Rio de Janeiro, where he sought respite from a difficult divorce. He was stabbed 18 times in his vacation home by a former caretaker allegedly hired by his husband, Daniel, with whom he had a child. A friend told me, “I’m unsure how he believed his husband was committed to him.” If you are like me and never got married or own a piece by Kara, rejoice in the fact that nobody cares enough to have you murdered.

Prevez says one alleged incident particularly enraged him: He says Daniel told him that once, during a trip to Paris, Lucas was left in tears after overhearing Brent with an escort in the hotel room next door.  Daniel confirmed he told this story to Prevez

What’s Queer at Cannes this year?

The 77th edition of the Cannes Festival opened yesterday and will run until 25. This is an opportunity to remind anybody interested that red carpets should never be larger than the audience (like at the Midtown Hilton Awards, where Matthew Lopez was dressed as if Abu was mourning). Riley (not to be confused with Ripley) is what is up: a feature about a high-school American football player struggling to come out:

Andy Cohen and the Bravo Controversy 

Andy Cohen’s claim to fame is that he shaped Bravo's reality TV landscape and is partially responsible for America's great dumbing-down. Anyway, the WSJ told me Andy is embroiled in multiple controversies involving allegations of racism and drug use with cast members. Someone felt it was timely to put Cohen in charge of our “Protect This Kid campaign”: why not Harris Mills and Daniel Sikhema too?

She also claimed Cohen gave favorable treatment to cast members who allegedly used drugs with him.

The impending reinvention of Nicholas Galitzine 

Galitzine wasn’t present at the Midtown Hilton Awards, but Taylor Zakhar was, and he wore a mustard suit. French Première is asking this week if Nicholas Galitzine is merely a trophy boy or a severe actor waiting to own his narrative. I think he has ample room to reinvent himself. I recently met a failed actor turned political operative and a “fashion guru” turned banker.  Everything is possible for gay white boys in 2024 America. While the industry may deem him the quintessential dumb heartthrob, Galitzine's aspirations might be higher.

Olivier Rousteing advocates for inclusion in Fashion

Olivier Rousteing, the visionary behind Balmain, spoke to GQ France about an industry that champions diversity but often falls short in practice.

Gay Jesus? The Controversial Revelation of Morton Smith

In The Atlantic, Morton Smith's discovery of a letter referencing a "Secret Gospel of Mark" sparked a fiery debate over its authenticity and implications. Allegedly found in a 17th-century book at the Mar Saba monastery, this letter suggested a more intimate version of Jesus' teachings - like gay ones.

Petrit Halilaj at The Met

Check out the The Met's Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden, where Kosovar artist Petrit Halilaj unveils his latest spectacle, 'Abetare.' The subject is Halilaj’s turbulent childhood experiences during Kosovo's conflicted past. The artwork is infused with elements that resonate with childhood and innocence, such as drawings from children, which Halilaj collected from various schools across the Balkans, transforming these scribbles into grandiose sculptures that dialogue with the skyline of New York City.

Bilateral Gynandromorphism in the Green Honeycreeper

I learned something valuable this week: a remarkable green honeycreeper exhibiting bilateral gynandromorphism was first spotted in October 2021 on a small farm in Villamaría, Colombia. This rare biological phenomenon results in the bird displaying male characteristics on one side of its body and female on the other (see NYtimes), making it a unique subject of study and fascination. Initially a transient visitor, this honeycreeper has become a regular at the location.

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Coming and going

Edafe for NYC City Council

In an intriguing turn of events in New York City politics, Edafe Okporo, the Nigerian refugee turned migrant advocate, announced his candidacy for City Council in 2025 (see here). Okporo, who fled Nigeria in 2016 due to threats to his life over his sexual orientation, is set to challenge incumbent Councilmember Shaun Abreu in District 7, covering upper Manhattan, including West Harlem and Washington Heights. Abreu is the first Latino to represent the district and a seasoned politician with a solid voter base. In contrast, Okporo’s bid emphasizes his unique perspective and firsthand experience with the challenges facing migrants and asylum seekers.

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The Gay Agenda

Friday: ADB's IDAHOBIT Event – "No One Left Behind"

This Friday, Victor Madrigal-Borloz, Moriaki Kida, Kathy Teo, Aritha Wickramasinghe, and others will delve into vital discussions on legal protections, inclusive policies, and private sector engagement shaping the lives of the LGBTQ+ community in Asia Join us virtually here.

June 4th: World Bank: Gender Strategy goes to the Board with a non-binary lens

I know there are many reminiscences here, but please humor me.  early 2011, I read the first draft of the 2012 World Development Report on Gender Equality and Development (WDR2012) and remember thinking that the document, utterly oblivious to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), was harming LGBTQ+ people by denying their existence. The authors, Anna Revenga and Sudir Shetty were quick to dismiss my comments - albeit very politely - which started my engagement in this area. Well, I was a bit ahead of my time; the proposed WBG Gender Strategy 2024-30 is going to the Board On June 4th, and it moves away from the male-female binary and broader than the more dated heteronormative formulation, thanks to the efforts of activists.

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Well, that’s it for this week. I see some good news, whether it's Edafe Okporo's brave charge into New York politics or our collective advocacy echoing in the halls of the Asian Development Bank. Also, let’s celebrate our 20 years of marriage equality. The road to equality might be long, but as we’ve seen, it’s paved with the unforgettable tales of heroes like Evan Wolfson. See you next week, this time from Paris.