‘They had been together for 21 years. They’re telling Margot, Gordon’s mum, that they’re about to appear in a Valentine’s Day issue of the local newspaper’

I took this shot in 1987, when I was living in Boston, Massachusetts. It was the middle of the Aids crisis, and there was an atmosphere of fear as more people fell victim to the virus. The year before I had decided to create At Home With Themselves, a series in which I captured the lives of same-sex couples in photographs and interviews. That’s how I met Gordon and Jim, the couple shown here next to Gordon’s mother Margot in their home in San Diego.

By the mid-1980s, and with the advent of Aids, there was a backlash against the growing openness towards homosexuality. There were all sorts of misconceptions about how you could contract the disease: from toilet seats, or sharing an ice-cream cone. The press played into stereotypes, particularly the idea that gay men were very sexually promiscuous. But that period got me thinking about the prevalence, variety and longevity of gay and lesbian relationships. My ambition was to make pictures that gave dignity to gay love. I wanted to create images that moved people in a visual and psychological sense.

Republicans are relying on ‘nameless’ donors who want to push a rightwing agenda and gain long-term hegemony

Billionaires are increasingly bankrolling Republican candidates in state legislative races across the US to push a rightwing agenda and gain long-term hegemony.

The concerted effort shows that Donald Trump ally Elon Musk, currently throwing his weight behind a candidate for Wisconsin’s state supreme court, is far from alone in seeking to build influence at the grassroots.

From premium headlamps to budget buys, our expert shines a light on the top head torches for outdoor adventures after dark

• ‘I’d never head out without one’: 10 hiking essentials

‘This is probably a bit unnecessary,” I thought to myself as my 1,100-lumen Petzl Reactive head torch lit up my dog like a comedian on Live at the Apollo. Over the past few months, our evening walks have been illuminated by various forehead-mounted gizmos, each one seemingly more powerful than the last. This particular model was overkill for the task at hand, but it proves an important point: not all head torches are created equal.

Brighter isn’t always better. If you’re a trail runner navigating rocky descents at night, a high-powered beam is a must. But if your biggest challenge is finding the campsite loo in the dark, you can probably save yourself a lot of money.

Best head torch overall:
Petzl Swift RL
_{£76.99 at Decathlon}

Best eco-friendly head torch:
Silva Terra Scout XT
_{£26.59 at Outdoor GB}

Best budget head torch:
Forclaz HL500 USB V3
_{£24.99 at Decathlon}

• Coach Steve Borthwick revamps his back line
• Henry Slade drops out of the squad for Sunday

Marcus Smith and Henry Slade have been dropped for England’s Six Nations game with Italy on Sunday with Steve Borthwick overhauling his backline in an effort to kickstart a spluttering attack.

Elliot Daly is preferred at full-back while Fraser Dingwall comes into the side at inside centre as one of five starting Northampton backs. Jamie George has been recalled at hooker to make his first start since losing the captaincy on what will be his 100th appearance for England.

The PlayStation Portal offers a new way to play PS5 games at home or on the go. But it struggles to match the seamless gaming experience I yearn for

Happy Monster Hunter Wilds week to all who celebrate: Capcom’s thrilling action game has sold 8m units in three days, which means that quite a lot of you are likely to be playing it. I’m a huge fan of this series and am delighted by the latest entry, but after filing the review last week, I’ve barely had a minute to play it since it came out. Regular readers will know that this is a familiar problem for me: I have two kids, so my gaming time is tight, and the living room TV is very often in use.

I anticipated this, so in the run-up to Monster Hunter Wilds’ release, I spent £200 on a PlayStation Portal – essentially a screen sandwiched between two halves of a PlayStation 5 controller. I can’t decide whether it’s one of the most unwieldy things that Sony has ever come out with, or one of the most elegant. It lets me stream games from my PS5, so the console can be whirring away under the TV and I can be on the sofa with my little screen, swinging a transforming axe at a dreadful octopus.

Officials accuse Mohammad Sharifullah of being a member of the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate

• US politics live – latest updates

A suspected senior planner in the suicide bombing at the Kabul airport that killed 13 US service members during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan has been taken into custody and will appear on Wednesday in federal court in the United States to face charges.

Donald Trump announced the arrest during his Tuesday night address to Congress, with the White House and the justice department subsequently identifying the suspect as Mohammad Sharifullah.