“Vatican: controversy over Jubilee mascot; designer has worked for gay pride

The Vatican has introduced a bold new mascot, Luce, to engage with younger generations in the upcoming Jubilee Year 2025, a special period of pilgrimage and grace within the Catholic Church. The character, designed by renowned Italian artist Simone Legno, was unveiled on October 28. The cheerful pilgrim, Luce, symbolizes a journey through life’s storms, […]

Bangladesh school principal fired for being gay

In August, a principal in the Bangladeshi city of Kurigram was suspended from his job after allegations surfaced that he is gay, part of a growing fundamentalist crackdown on educators they consider to be pro-LGBT. Below is a lightly edited statement from Bangladeshi advocacy group JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France condemning the suspension and calling for […]

‘Western infiltration’ or social progress? LGBT rights caught in US-China crossfire

On 22 October, Chinese host and dancer Jin Xing sparked an online uproar with a lengthy post on Weibo charging that her performance application was rejected, naming the director of the approval department of Guangzhou’s Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau and calling on them to “not misuse public power”. However, the focus of […]

Japan’s ban on same-sex marriage ruled unconstitutional

Japan’s Tokyo High Court ruled that the country’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional during a hearing on Wednesday. The Tokyo court ruled that the section of the Constitution that says that laws pertaining to marriage and family “shall be enacted from the standpoint of individual dignity and the essential equality of the sexes”. The ruling […]

Argentine LGBTQ march targets Milei’s ‘discriminatory’ laws

Members of Argentina’s LGBTQ community hold their annual Pride march Saturday afternoon, with speeches, banners and floats targeting what the group sees as discriminatory policies by President Javier Milei. Under the slogan “There is no freedom without rights,” marchers will be demanding passage of a comprehensive anti-discrimination law. Milei, a far-right libertarian who has been […]

Road to EuroPride Torremolinos 2027

There is only one more day left to find out if Torremolinos will finally host EuroPride 2027, the biggest LGBT event in Europe, which would bring together half a million people on the Costa del Sol for about ten days. The decision will be taken by around 200 representatives of the EPOA assembly (the umbrella […]

Mali Transition Council Passes Anti-gay Law

Mali’s de facto parliament has passed a law criminalising same-sex acts in the junta-led country, the latest in Africa to adopt legislation targeting LGBTQ rights. Until now no criminal sanctions for LGBTQ relationships had been in force in Mali, a largely Muslim Sahel nation where traditional values hold sway. The bill still has to be […]

Botswana election results solidify LGBTQ rights in southern Africa

A landslide election victory has set the stage for LGBTQ rights supporter Duma Boko to become the next president of Botswana, where homosexuality was decriminalized in 2019. The election was decided on economic issues, not on LGBTQ rights. In the past, as an attorney, Boko has represented the Botswanan LGBTQ rights group Legabibo in its […]

Georgian ruling party stands firm against LGBT propaganda law

The ruling “Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia” party has reiterated its commitment to maintaining the law prohibiting LGBT propaganda, despite acknowledging that it may hinder the country’s integration into the European Union for several years. Executive Secretary Mamuka Mdinaradze emphasized that the party will not compromise on this stance, stating, “It is better to be […]

Germany brings in landmark law to cut red tape around changing gender

The Self-Determination Act was passed in the German parliament in April. It allows over-18s to change official records to reflect their preferred names and genders without the need for psychiatric assessments or court hearings. Under the legislation, anyone aged between 14 and 18 can ask for the changes to be made at a registry office […]

Global LGBTQ advocacy group suspends Israeli group

An influential global advocacy group for LGBTQ rights has suspended an Israeli member organization as part of a larger move to boycott Israel, angering queer Jews and their allies around the world. The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, known as ILGA World, announced Wednesday that it was no longer considering Tel Aviv as […]

Russia Stirs Up Anti-LGBTQ Prejudice In Moldova ‘Information War’

When two false bomb alerts targeted an LGBTQ festival in Chisinau this month, organiser Angelica Frolov was left scrambling to find an alternative venue at the last minute. Days ahead of key elections in which Moldova’s pro-EU President Maia Sandu hopes to win a second term, Frolov blamed Russia for the false alerts, accusing Moscow […]

JD Vance Roasted After Unbelievable Claim About “Normal Gay Guy Vote”

JD Vance claimed that he and Donald Trump could likely win the votes of “normal” gay men because they “just want to be left the hell alone.” Vance appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience for a three-hour interview released Thursday, discussing everything from Emily in Paris to him standing at his front door for an hour with […]

Marielle Franco’s killers sentenced to 78 and 59 years in jail

A Brazilian court on Thursday sentenced the two killers of iconic Black LGBTQ activist and councilwoman Marielle Franco to 78 and 59 years in jail, respectively, after a two-day trial over a crime that shocked the country. Ronnie Lessa and Elcio Queiroz, two former military police officers, had confessed to killing the Rio de Janeiro politician and her driver Anderson […]

Brazil Trial Begins Over Murder Of Iconic Activist Franco

Two ex-police officers went on trial in Brazil on Wednesday over the 2018 assassination of charismatic black LGBT activist Marielle Franco, a Rio de Janeiro councilor who was gunned down in an attack that shocked the country. Franco, who grew up in a Rio slum and was an outspoken critic of police brutality and of […]

Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ+ law forces climate activist into exile: ‘I can’t stop now’

Climate activist Nyombi Morris became outspoken about LGBTQ+ rights after his sister was outed as a lesbian and expelled from school. Last year, Uganda passed a new law that imposes up to 20 years in prison for ‘recruitment, promotion and funding’ of same-sex ‘activities’, and life imprisonment or the death penalty for certain same-sex acts. […]

A Brissy LGBT Pub Kicked A Man Out For Wearing A Trump Hat & He Wants An Apology

A man who was kicked out of LGBTQIA+ venue The Wickham because wearing a Donald Trump ‘TRUMP 2024’ hat has asked for an apology. Robert Holt says that there was no “legitimate reason” for them to request he leave the Brisbane pub. Holt was attending an early Halloween event with his family at the beloved […]

A second high court rules that Japan’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional

A second Japanese high court ruled Wednesday that the government’s policy against same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, the latest in a series of decisions upholding plaintiffs’ demands for marriage equality. The Tokyo High Court called the ongoing ban “a groundless legal discrimination based on sexual orientation,” saying it violates the constitutional guarantee of right to equality, […]

England urged to follow Scotland on LGBT education in schools

England has been urged to follow Scotland in introducing an LGBTI action plan, with praise for inclusive education policies. In 2018 the UK Government published a comprehensive LGBT action plan taking in such areas as health, education, safety and the workplace. However, that ended the following year and the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance […]

Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation linked with worse HIV prevention

With more than 500 anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+) bills introduced in the United States in 2024 alone, understanding the public health impact of this legislation is essential. A recent study by researchers from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health found a clear association between discriminatory legislation at the state and […]

2.1M Korean Christians attend joint worship service for repentance, resist LGBT ideology

In the afternoon of Reformation Sunday, some 2.1 million Christians gathered for a joint worship service to “unite for repentance, revival and restoration of holiness in our society.” According to organizers, an estimated 1.1 million joined onsite despite the bad weather with another 1 million joining online (although police estimated a lower figure for the […]