Man Attacks Chair of Ukrainian LGBT Rights Group
(WB) A man on Thursday attacked the chair of an LGBT rights group in Ukraine with pepper spray. Insight Chair Olena Shevchenko in a Facebook post said the man attacked her in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine that is close to the country’s border with Poland, after she and her colleagues had loaded “humanitarian aid […]
Thousands expected at LGBT vigils for Sligo murder victims
Thousands of people are expected to attend vigils over the coming days to honour the memory of two men, Aidan Moffitt 41, and Michael Snee 58, found murdered earlier this week in Sligo. One man, Yousef Palani, has been charged with the murders. “My personal estimate is that there will be thousands of people,” Oisín O’ Reilly from […]
U.N. Development Program lauds Angola government for progress on LGBTQ rights
The U.N. Development Program has lauded the government of Angola for its efforts to protect LGBTQ rights. Speaking on Monday at the opening ceremony of the See Beyond Your Prejudice photographic exhibition UNDP hosted alongside Associaçao Íris Angola, an LGBTQ rights organization, in Luanda, the Angolan capital, UNDP Angola Deputy Resident Representative Soahangy Mamisoa Rangers […]
A Gay Dad Described How A Stranger Terrified His Kids With Anti-Gay Rhetoric
It was supposed to be a fun family train ride up the California coast, a spring break getaway for Robbie Pierce, his husband, and their two young children. They’d been enjoying watching the coastline speed by through their window until, Pierce said, the family was accosted by a man who accused the couple of stealing […]
LGBTQ Ukrainians, fearing Russian attacks at home and discrimination in shelters, face an uncertain future
When a friend called Andrii Zarytskyi at 5 a.m., his voice shaking, to say the first bombs had dropped on their city of Mykolaiv, Mr. Zarytskyi didn’t believe him: The 32-year-old never thought he would witness a war in his lifetime. But as Russian forces drew closer, Mr. Zarytskyi, a gay man, understood he would have […]
Germany approves rainbow flags on ministry buildings for LGBT events
Germany says it has authorised raising the rainbow flag at federal government buildings to mark Pride marches or global LGBT+ events. The Interior Ministry confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that flying the rainbow flag “must be related to a concrete date”. This could include the June 28 anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall uprisings in New […]
Turkish prosecutor seeks closure of association for organizing LGBTI event.
A Turkish prosecutor has launched legal proceedings against an association, seeking its closure in connection with a LGBTI event it organized, the Kronos news website reported on Tuesday. The community-centered Association for Supporting the Tarlabaşı Community in İstanbul organized an event titled “How to Protect LGBTI Students from the Grip of Family and School,” which […]
The Internet ‘Protection Bill’ will hurt all Iranians, but the queer community will have the most to lose.
International human rights organizations and the United Nations are saying a lot about the repressive “Regulatory System for Cyberspace Services Bill”—widely referred to as the “Protection Bill”—currently under review by the Iranian parliament. However, not much light has been shed on one of the most marginalized groups that will suffer the most: Iran’s LGBTQI community. […]
Interfaith activists rebut Guadeloupe claim that homosexuality is an illness.
A group of Caribbean and international advocates of LGBTQ rights joined forces last week to denounce misleading remarks about homosexuality from the host of an online show that is popular in Guadeloupe. The YouTube video in French and Creole appeared in early March, while most people were focused on the Ukrainian crisis and while the […]
THIS INITIATIVE IS ENCOURAGING TRANS CHILDREN TO ‘UNBOX THEIR LIVES’.
Queer people are commonly disenfranchised. From workplaces. From society. From their families. And beyond. On a daily basis. Hourly even. Every queer people I know of has been disfranchised at some point or stage in their lives. This disenfranchisement, however, is unequal, for different sexualities under the queer umbrella. It is more for someone who […]
ACTIVISTS DEFEAT HUNGARY’S ANTI-LGBTQ REFERENDUM.
Although Hungary’s notorious right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán came away with yet another “crushing victory” in the country’s parliamentary election on 3 April, human and civil rights activists came away with at least one success: thwarting Orbán’s anti-LGBTQ+ referendum. The referendum, which coincided with Hungary’s parliamentary election, sought to curb the scope of sex-education programs […]
Man, woman or…X: US rolls out gender-neutral passports.
It’s just a small box to tick on an application form, but a huge breakthrough for D. Ojeda, a non-binary person who on Monday became one of the first Americans to apply for a gender-neutral passport. “Even with my family, they still don’t get it,” said Ojeda, a 34-year-old activist who goes by D. and […]
Polish LGBT+ library helps queer Ukrainians safely navigate notorious ‘LGBT-free zones’.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, more than 2.4 million refugees have fled across the border to Poland. In order to get to Lublin, the closest major Polish city to the northern border, refugees often have to travel through some of Poland’s so-called “LGBT-free zones”. These zones began popping up across the country in […]
Navajo Nation lawmaker seeks to legalize gay marriage, igniting new debate.
A Navajo Nation lawmaker recently introduced legislation to recognize gay and lesbian marriages on the Navajo Nation, potentially legalizing same-sex marriage in one of the nation’s last, biggest holdouts. Navajo Council Delegate Eugene Tso sponsored a bill in late March that would repeal or make gender-neutral sections of the Diné Marriage Act, which passed in […]
Scott Morrison Says He ‘Shares’ Anti-Trans Views Held By Women in His Party
Scott Morrison has publicly confirmed his support for anti-transgender campaigns brought by Liberal politicians, for the second time this year. In a Monday press conference, Morrison said he “shared” the views of transphobic campaigners Katherine Deves and Claire Chandler, commending the “bravery” of the politicians who he said were “outspoken” on the issue. “I welcome Katherine’s selection, pleased […]
Gay men in Andalucia call for acceptance and recognition in Holy Week
A group of gay men in Spain say religious authorities accept their help in traditional religious rites, but refuse to acknowledge their sexuality. The men are members of brotherhoods who create and display ornate floats featuring effigies of the Virgin Mary for Holy Week celebrations in Andalucia. Anthropologist Rafael Cáceres says there has been an […]
Alabama governor signs ‘most anti-transgender legislative package ever’ into law
The Republican governor signed into law two controversial bills, House Bill 322 (HB 322) and Senate Bill 184 (SB 184), just a day after the state legislature approved both measures. SB 184 makes it a felony for anyone to provide gender-affirming care – including puberty blockers, hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgeries – to trans youth. Anyone convicted under the proposed […]
WHO to supply HIV drugs to Ukraine
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday it will supply thousands of doses of life-saving antiretroviral drugs to Ukraine to cover the needs of HIV patients in the country for the next 12 months. WHO, along with the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Ukrainian authorities and other partners, has procured 209,000 […]
Leo Varadkar warns Ireland can’t take LGBT+ progress ‘for granted’ as Britain backslides
Deputy prime minister Leo Varadkar has warned Ireland to not take LGBT+ progress “for granted” as Britain back peddles under Boris Johnson. Tánaiste Varadkar told the national independent radio station Newstalk that Britain and America are textbook examples of queer rights being eroded. “Ireland’s just become so much better a place, so much more welcoming, […]
Republicans are coming after same-sex marriage – and won’t stop there
An adult marrying another adult of the same sex? Outrageous; the Lord will smite thee. An adult marrying a child of the opposite sex, on the other hand? Totally fine with God, apparently. Such is the perverse logic of the always righteous Republicans, a number of whom recently sponsored legislation that would legalize common law […]
Kentucky governor halts bill that would ban transgender students from women’s sports
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed a bill this week that would mandate student athletes to participate in sports based on the sex written on their birth certificate. Senate Bill 83, known as the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” passed the state Senate 26-9 and was sent to Beshear on March 25. Beshear’s veto came on […]
Tough Territory for Transgender People in the Middle East and North Africa
Transgender people, whose assigned gender at birth does not match their gender identity, face a grim reality in much of the Middle East and North Africa region, including daunting obstacles to legal gender recognition. To get a better sense of these obstacles, I reviewed existing legal frameworks and case law, and conducted interviews in Egypt, […]
Global Black Pride will focus on honoring the past, securing the future
The first-ever in-person Global Black Pride is scheduled for July 27-31 in Toronto, Canada, organized by an abundance of international LGBTQ rights activists. Founded in 2020, Global Black Pride brings together Black LGBTQI+ communities from all continents to celebrate their culture and diversity while also providing an opportunity for activists and organizations to engage and […]
LA COUNTY SUSPENDS OFFICIAL TRAVEL TO FLORIDA, TEXAS OVER ANTI-LGBT BILLS
The Los Angeles County government voted unanimously on Tuesday, April 5, to suspend all official travel to Texas and Florida in the wake of the anti-LGBTQI bills passed in both US States. In February, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a directive to the Department of Family and Protective Services “to investigate parents who seek gender-affirming care […]
In southern Spain, gay stylists play key role in Holy Week
Seville (Spain) (AFP) – Working with rich fabrics, fine lace and flowers, gay stylists have long played a key role in dressing the Virgin Mary figures carried through the streets of southern Spain during Holy Week. But their participation in this week of religious processions which marks the peak of the Catholic calendar comes at a price: […]
Historic Supreme Court confirmation comes at a time when some in the GOP are trying to reverse LGBTQ rights
It’s a curious time for equality in the US. On the one hand, Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed as the first Black woman US Supreme Court justice on Thursday. On the other hand, there are legitimate concerns about what the future might hold for the members of certain marginalized groups, including LGBTQ Americans. Take a striking point […]
Singapore’s Slow but Steady Path Toward Decriminalizing Homosexuality
Singapore’s strict legislation is often cited as one the city-state’s defining characteristics. Talks about the country’s most stringent laws, from the infamous ban on chewing gum to the enforcement of death penalty for drug use, frequently drive foreign perceptions of Singapore, fueled by the legacy of Michael Fay in the United States. However, for many other lesbian, […]
Polish county launches legal action to be “free from LGBT ideology” again
A local authority in Poland has launched a legal action to make itself “free from LGBT ideology” again, after a resolution to that effect was invalided earlier this year by a court, which found the measure to be discriminatory. “We do not want a minority telling us how to live,” says the head of the […]
By cancelling its LGBT conference, the government shows its lack of concern for our rights
This week, the government cancelled its first global LGBTQ+ conference which was meant to further equality and help tackle pressing issues like violence and hate. It did this after more than 150 other charities and community organisations from across the LGBTQ+ rights and HIV sector – including Stonewall – withdrew our support for the event. […]
Anti-gay protests at Disney’s Burbank studios turns ugly
Protesters have taken to the streets in the LA suburb of Burbank, demonstrating against a new Disney LGBTQ public service announcement. With tensions between entertainment giant The Walt Disney Company and lawmakers in Florida, Disney – along with three other well-known media companies are gearing up to air a new public service announcement from GLAAD […]