Egypt’s Gays In Post-Arab Spring World, 24 Year Old Male Sex Offender With Twenty Previous Convictions Arrested And Charged With Raping Another Male, 17 Year Old Male In Lincoln England Assaults Gay Couple, Belgium Gay Coming Of Age Film North Sea Texas International Premiere At Montreal World Film Festival, UFC Fighter Antonio Nogueira Spews Homophobic Stupidity, Prince Harry Coming To America

Egypt’s gays, reports the Washington Post, emerged buoyed from the recent uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak in February. Increasingly visible and willing to speak up, they show how upheavals across the Arab world could prove to be social and cultural revolutions, albeit with uncertain outcomes. Could Egyptian gays emerge as the pioneers of social liberalization in a region where a wave of revolts has forced out autocrats and raised the prospect that largely youth-led movements could upend dogmatic mores? Or in the months ahead, might gays and other liberal groups lose out against a rise of fundamental Islamists — another long-oppressed segment of society empowered by revolution? In Egypt, gays and lesbians have turned a handful of public venues into spaces where it’s safe for men to dance with men and where women sit on each other’s laps. And activists are quietly putting together campaigns they hope will enable gays and lesbians to live openly in a country where sexual minorities have long been ostracized.

A judge has banned the media from naming a sex offender with 20 previous convictions, who is accused of raping and imprisoning a man, because it could breach his human rights. The Belfast Telegraph reports that the 24-year-old was arrested in England on Tuesday and appeared before Belfast Magistrates Court yesterday charged with rape, assault, and false imprisonment of a man. The court heard that the alleged offences took place in two Belfast hotels, a hostel and a private address over an eight-month period. The accused has previous convictions of buggery, gross indecency, indecent assault and possessing indecent images of children, the court was told. His solicitor, Seamus Leonard, told the district judge that because of the nature of the alleged offences and his previous convictions, there were fears for the man's safety should he be identified by the media. Leonard said that the man had previously been subject to intimidation and assault and that where he lived had been picketed because of his previous crimes, and added that should the man be identified there was a possibility that the "administration of justice would be prejudiced,” and that "His human rights are engaged and there is a threat to his physical safety." District judge Fiona Bagnall agreed to a temporary publicity ban, but ordered further submissions be prepared on why the ban should remain in place long-term. Applying for bail, Leonard argued that the man and the injured party in the case had been in a relationship and that "there was nothing in any of this that indicated a lack of consent". Ms Bagnall refused the bail application however, after a police officer said there was a real possibility of reoffending. Justice committee member Maurice Morrow said he believed that to grant the defendant anonymity was "ludicrous,” adding "This man has 20 previous convictions for very serious crimes. This is simply a case of political correctness going stark, raving mad."

A 17-year-old assaulted a gay couple in Lincoln in a "homophobic" attack, a court heard. The Lincoln Echo reports that the youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, approached the male couple on separate occasions at Jailhouse Rock bar in Lincoln on July 30. The 17-year-old, who knew one of his victims from school, was caught on CCTV head-butting one of the men and calling him a homophobic name. Lincoln Youth Court heard he then punched the other man in the face causing him bruising around the eyes. Tony Freitas, defending, said the youth "lashed out" after one of the men brought up an "upsetting incident" from his school days. Freitas said he had apologized to both victims on the night of the attack. The youth pleaded guilty to two counts of assault. District Judge John Stobart handed the youth a six-month referral order and imposed a 12-month restraining order against both victims. The youth was also ordered to pay £15 to each of the victims.

The Montreal Gazette reports on the much-anticipated Montreal World Film Festival screening of director Bavo Defurne’s debut feature film North Sea Texas, about two teenage boys who fall in love The Flemish-Belgian production was released earlier this year in Belgium and will have its international premiere at the Montreal World Film Festival (which runs August 18-28) where it is screening in the First Films World Competition. “This film explores many of the same themes as my short films – the discovery that you are not the same as everybody else, that you are different,” says Defurne, the widely-acclaimed (and openly gay) director often described as Belgium’s best kept secret – until now, that is. “But my short films didn’t go far enough; they didn’t explore what happened afterwards.” So Defurne decided to film North Sea Texas, adapted from a novel called This Is Everlasting by André Sollie, a heart-warming coming of age story that follows a teenage boy called Pim (wonderfully played by Jelle Florizoone) who falls in love with Gino, the rugged, motorcycling boy next door (played by Mathias Vergels).

Two-time champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira says he will not grapple with gay students, USA Today reporting that Nogueira has qualms about training with homosexuals, judging by quotes published Friday by UOL Esporte. The winner of heavyweight titles in Pride Fighting Championships and the Ultimate Fighting Championship expressed concerns about the physical contact, saying "I have no prejudice against the gays, but I wouldn't train with someone who's gay. I have no malice; I don't take our physical contact as (something) sexual. But what if the gay person has that malice of having physical contact with me, of staying there grappling? I would have no problems having a gay student in my academy, but I would rather not train with him."

Prince Harry is coming to California and Arizona, the Daily Mail reporting that the red-headed Royal hotness will take part in a series of Apache helicopter course.