Chris Salvatore cuteness, French police alleged rape of young man, Amanda Knox’s prison fling & more: the biggest international LGBT stories in today’s Cuppán Gay

• French riots over police rape of young man. A 22-year-old black man claims to have been raped by a police officer’s baton. French President François Hollande called for “justice” over the alleged rape. An investigation is under way into the case, as is another investigation into the alleged assault on a black man in Aulnay-sous-Bois in January. (The Journal)

• Out actor Colton Haynes announces his boyfriend to the world on Valentine’s Day. The Arrow actor posted on Instagram a gorgeous, rooftop sunset photo with his new boyfriend, Jeff Leatham. “The most special day of my life. Thank you @jeffleatham . We were actually in the clouds…speechless,” Haynes posted on Instagram. (Attitude)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQhVcxdgH04/

• Hepatitis A, which is preventable with a vaccine, is on the rise in Hong Kong’s gay men. An outbreak of Hep A diagnoses has led officials to offer the vaccine for free to men who have sex with men (MSM). There were 24 diagnoses of the disease in 2016, ten times higher than diagnoses in the years from 2006-2015. (GSN)

• Church of England reject an anti-gay marriage report from its bishops. The report from the House of Bishops rejected the idea of blessing same-sex marriages, which angered critics who noted that inanimate objects like warships and pubs are eligible for blessings. A group of dissenting, retired bishops wrote: “Our perception is tat while the pain of LGBT people is spoken about in your report, we do not hear its authentic voice.” (Reuters)

• Chris Salvatore invited his elderly neighbour, Norma, to live with him so she wouldn’t die alone. The 88-year-old’s health was suffering, so Salvatore set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for her care and moved her into his apartment. Norma passed away today at the age of 89 after struggling with leukaemia and pneumonia. “It’s with a heavy heart that I share the news that earlier this morning the world lost a truly inspiring, beautiful woman,” Salvatore posted. (Pink News)

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A post shared by Chris Salvatore (@chrissalvatore)

• Wrongly convicted of murder Amanda Knox opens up about her lesbian relationship in prison. A then 22 year old Knox was jailed for murdering British student Meredith Kercher whom she shared an apartment with. Now she speaks about her brief fling with another female inmate called “Leny”. Knox wrote that heterosexual women would identify as “Gay for the stay” while in prison. (Mirror)

• Beijing’s LGBT couples hold Valentine’s Day protest for marriage equality. Couples held signs with slogans like “let us taste the bitterness of marriage”. LGBT issues are still taboo in China, despite the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1997. (GSN)