Exactly a year after he shot and killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, South African paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius is speaking out about his sorrow and the shooting, which he called accidental. If you recall, Pistorius claims he mistook Reeva for an intruder when he shot her through the bathroom door on Valentine’s Day 2013. In a statement on his website, he said: “The loss of Reeva and the complete trauma of that day, I will carry with me for the rest of my life.” His trial is to begin in March. Read about it here…[BBC]
Here’s a little positivity. Facebook has made a major upgrade to the popular social media platform by including more than 50 gender pronoun options for users. Aside from the usual “male” and “female” options, users can click boxes for “cisgender,” “transgender” and “intersex.” And get this — not only will this show up on the user’s About page, but it will show up in all other pronouns on the site that refer to that user. Read about Facebook’s LGBTQ-friendly gender identity and pronoun options here…[TechCrunch]
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, a federal judge has ruled that Virginia’s ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen wrote that the constitutional right to equality should apply to all. “Our Constitution declares that ‘all men’ are created equal. Surely this means all of us,” wrote Wright Allen, an Eastern District of Virginia judge in Norfolk. “While ever vigilant for the wisdom that can come from the voices of our voting public, our courts have never long tolerated the perpetuation of laws rooted in unlawful prejudice.” Which means Virginia is definitely for all lovers. Read about it here…[HuffPost]
A horrifying machete attack in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has left 70 dead in an effort by armed groups “to spread terror,” the U.N. peacekeeping mission said on Thursday. The killings are being investigated. Read about it here…[HuffPost]
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
