^{22nd July - 28th July}

It's the Commonwealth GAYmes!

^{Earlier this year we saw the Olympic Games hosted in Sochi, where homophobic laws attempted to force athletes and their supporters back into the closet. The world was outraged, and there were talks of boycotting the event to show support for the LGBT+ community. However, the games went ahead as planned, with no alteration to the discriminative laws. Though a little late, last week saw the first peaceful pride event occur in the country, without threat of violence or attack. Worldwide support has encouraged brave LGBT Russians from the get-go, and we are all hoping this is only the beginning.}

^{However, it seems a little one-step-forward-two-steps-back, as discrimination in sports is rearing its ugly head again, this time, a little closer to home.}

^{The Commonwealth Games is a sporting event hosted in Scotland this year. It involves, as the name suggests, athletes from the 53 commonwealth member states. 42 of these countries (equivalent to 80%) enforce harsh homophobia, ranging from prison time to, in the cases of Pakistan and Nigeria, execution.}

^{This year, I awaited the opening ceremony with nervous but excited butterflies. I knew about the homophobia and the excuses people use to permit it under the guise of diplomacy. After all, this is an international event with a focus on sports rather than sexuality. Then again, I also knew that Scotland’s same-sex marriage bill had been passed earlier this year, suggesting their progressive position on the matter. I watched eagerly, hoping for a rainbow flag or at least a sign in the crowd. What happened instead blew me away.}

^{Host John Barrowman stole the show (and the whole event, in my book) right from the beginning. During the opening song, he ran between dancers to kiss a man waiting at a choreographed aisle, before skipping through fellow performers holding hands with him. Whilst they danced off gaily, you can hear fellow host announce ‘equality in Scotland!’}

^{Congratulations to the hosts, and to the Scottish, for standing on the right side of history, and sharing your opinion loudly and proudly.}

Cosmo now does lesbians 

^{So it was big news this week.  Cosmopolitan, the women's magazine, is now offering lesbian sex advice.  I don’t know about you but I for one was asking the question, “Why only now?”} 

^{I obviously had to check out what all the fuss was about.  The images I have to say were quite nice and not too sexualised.  However, I was rather disappointed that the age old “scissoring” myth was in there a la Blue is the Warmest Colour.  This left me wondering who actually created this piece and if it were by a lesbian or a “non-heterosexual”.  I also asked myself if they were perhaps forced to include this supposed lesbian sex move in order to satisfy the lesbian sex stereotyping once again.} 

^{Anyway if you want real lesbian sex tips by real lesbians I would suggest sticking to lesbian run companies and what better place to start than here…}