The Daily Sting, Thursday: Taiwan Will Still Get Gay Marriage, Starbucks to Block Pornography
The weekend is nearly here, but before you start dreaming of your big plans, get caught up on today’s top gay headlines. A Starbucks porn block is planned for the new year, meaning you officially have one less place to watch naked dudes in the United States. And Australia has approved self-test HIV kits in its fight against the virus.
Marriage equality will still be making its way to Taiwan, according to the nation’s Judicial Yuan Secretary-General, the U.S. midterms have officially — finally! — been wrapped up and why is American actor John Krasinski sending nude pics to Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson? We’ll tell you why!
From a Starbucks porn block to Aussie self-test HIV kits, here are the day’s big gay headlines:
1. Starbucks Porn Block Planned for 2019, Says Company Spokesperson (Sex)
A spokesperson for Starbucks, the world’s gigantic coffee shop chain, says that starting in 2019, customers will no longer be able to access porn while logged into its WiFi service: “To ensure [Starbucks coffee shops] remain safe and welcoming to all, we have identified a solution to prevent [porn and other explicit content] from being viewed within our stores, and we will begin introducing it to our U.S. locations in 2019.” This follows nearly 30,000 people having signed a petition asking for a Starbucks porn block. Read more here.
2. Marriage Equality Will Still Be Making Its Way to Taiwan (News, World)
According to Taiwan’s Judicial Yuan Secretary-General, last weekend’s referendum that saw a majority of voters reject marriage equality will not prevent gay marriage from coming to the island nation. Back in 2017, Taiwan’s high court demanded the legislature enact a law allowing for gay marriage, declaring that if it did not within two years, marriage equality would automatically become the law of the land. According to Secretary-General Lu Tai-lang, that path to gay marriage is unchanged by the referendum results, which is great news for Taiwan’s LGBTQ population.
3. U.S. Midterms Are Officially a Wrap, With Big Wins for Democrats (Politics)
Well, it’s a wrap. The U.S. midterm elections, though they took place earlier this month on Nov. 6, have only just been finalized, with all votes counted. Hey, it takes a while. The results are promising for the country’s Democrats, who officially gained 40 seats in the House of Representatives. The last few straggling elections included a New Mexico race wherein Xochitl Torres Small flipped her House district for the Dems, a Mississippi race that (unfortunately) saw noted racist and Confederacy-apologist win a Senate seat in Mississippi and — last but not least — a California race wherein TJ Cox defeated his Republican opponent for a House seat.
4. Australia Approves Self-Test HIV Kits in Its Fight for Prevention (Health)
Days before World HIV Day on Dec. 1, yesterday Australia approved at-home self-test HIV kits for sale to its citizens. The kits, which require users to prick a finger, will cost around $20 USD and deliver results in only 15 minutes. The CEO of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations says, “Sadly, stigma and embarrassment still prevent many people testing for HIV. The arrival of this self testing device is a critical step in removing a barrier to people knowing their status.”
5. Why Is John Krasinski Sending Nude Pics to Dwayne Johnson? (Celebrities)
Did you hear @JohnKrasinski sent a naked photo to @TheRock? You heard me. pic.twitter.com/lUdthBxmig
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) November 29, 2018
Yes, you read that right. So why is this star of The Office and director of A Quiet Place sending nudes to one of the world’s biggest action film stars? Well, as he recently told Ellen DeGeneres on her show, he’s been using Johnson’s private gym, and occasionally snaps and sends Johnson pics of him feeling verrrry comfortable … as in, no clothes. Just watch the segment above to see him explain.
