Priests ‘forcing LGBTI people to undergo conversion therapy’, MPs hear
Priests force children and adults into hormone and other conversion therapy treatments, which remain legal in Cyprus, with the aim of changing their sexual orientation and gender identity, MPs heard on Friday. The house legal affairs committee discussed the need to criminalise conversion therapies against LGBTI people following a bill proposal by Akel MP Giorgos […]
Bill promotes California as U.S. refuge for transgender youth
California could provide legal refuge to displaced transgender youth and their families under a proposal announced Thursday that joins a growing list of initiatives from the nation’s most populous state aimed at counterbalancing actions in Texas and other conservative places. Democratic state lawmakers said they will introduce legislation to offer California as a safe haven […]
Big majority of Australian parents support LGBTIQ+ education in schools
A national study has found over 80 per cent of Australian parents support the teaching of gender and sexuality diversity in schools, as part of relationships and sexual health education. The study, the first of its kind in Australia, surveyed 2000 parents of public-school children from Kindergarten to Year 12. The research found 94 per cent of […]
Kosovo’s parliament rejects new law recognising same-sex civil unions
Kosovo’s parliament has rejected a new law that would allow same-sex couples to form civil partnerships. Just 28 out of 120 MPs voted in favour of the bill proposed by the government of left-wing Prime Minister Albin Kurti. Kosovo’s government had been hoping to become the first Muslim-majority country to recognise same-sex unions. The proposed bill was also […]
Working Remotely, Some Transgender People Saw an Opportunity to Change
For years, Deke Wilson, 41, was ambivalent about undergoing a medical transition to male. He felt it was critical for his happiness, but there were plenty of reasons to put it off: the expense, the difficult recovery, the potential medical complications. But while sitting at home during the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, Mr. Wilson […]
LGBTQ refugees fleeing Ukraine draw on European network of allies to find housing, medical care
When Edward Reese, a queer activist who works with Kyiv Pride, decided to flee Ukraine on March 8, he knew it was going to be a long journey. After leaving his home and walking for an hour in the freezing cold to the nearest working subway station, spending “one hell of a night” in a […]
Malaysian government’s ‘gay conversion’ app pulled by Google Play
An app produced by the Malaysian government that promised to help the LGBTI community “return to nature” has been removed from the Google Play store, after it was found to be in breach of the platform’s guidelines. The app was first released in July 2016, but attracted fresh attention after it was shared on Twitter by […]
In 1st for Bay Area, gay Afghan Muslim joins college board
When a Chabot-Las Positas Community College District Board of Trustees member resigned due to relocating, the search was on to find an appointee to fill the vacancy through the end of 2022. The elected leaders of the Alameda County college district found that person in Harris Mojadedi. The Union City resident took his oath of […]
Where Ukraine fits into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ‘culture war’
On February 24, Russia invaded Ukraine. It marks the latest chapter in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s campaign against Ukraine, which began in earnest when Russia annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea in 2014. Putin has pursued an increasingly conservative agenda since returning to power in 2011, promoting a narrative which sees “the West as a corrupt, morally […]
“Life and Family” Bill is a Smokescreen for Corruption in Guatemala.
On International Women’s Day, March 8, the Guatemalan Congress passed an extraordinarily regressive “Life and Family” bill that undermines the rights of women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. President Alejandro Giammattei announced on March 10 that he would veto the law, noting that it violated international treaties. While outrage around the bill […]
Black, Latino queer students say they are on edge in the wake of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.
Miami eighth grader Zen Nelson, who is Afro Latinx and uses gender-neutral pronouns, said they have been subjected to homophobic slurs from their classmates for at least the past four years. Zen said they didn’t bring this up to school administrators because they feared their complaints would not be taken as seriously as those of […]
France to lift blood donation ban for gay men who have had recent sex.
France will end a ban tomorrow (March 16) that rules that gay men cannot give blood if they have had sexual relations in the past four months. The update to the law was voted through last summer, and published in the country’s official journal on January 13 this year. French Health Minister Olivier Véran welcomed […]
Mamelodi school agrees to LGBTI-inclusive uniform policy.
Rights group Access Chapter 2 (AC2) recently assisted a group of LGBTI+ learners who were discriminated against by a Gauteng school’s exclusionary uniform rules. The organisation was approached by an LGBTI+ pupil who claimed they were subjected to stigma and discrimination at the Mamelodi school, including through its code of conduct which outlines the uniform […]
UK court blocks gay marriage for Cayman Islands, Bermuda.
Activists supporting same-sex marriage in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda received a heavy blow Monday following a ruling by a top appeals court in London. The United Kingdom’s Privy Council, which serves as the final court of appeals for several islands in the Caribbean, sided with the government of Bermuda, which had fought a local […]
How Polish & Hungarian Activists Are Helping Queer Ukrainian Refugees.
The scenes of the more than two and a half million Ukrainian refugees fleeing their country have been brutally heart-wrenching. Eastern Europe is being overwhelmed right now, and it’s worrisome. The despairing Ukrainians wait very long hours, sometimes even days to board buses and trains to cross the border. Some who have driven, have been […]
Nepal’s transgender activist Bhumika Shrestha receives international recognition.
Bhumika Shrestha is an LGBTQ+ activist from Nepal who received the 2022 International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award from the US government. The award is given to women around the world who promote women’s rights and have shown leadership, courage, and willingness to sacrifice for others. For the last fifteen years, Shrestha has been working […]
LGBTQ Representation in Colombia’s Congress Triples.
A historic number of out LGBTQ candidates won their races in yesterday’s Congressional elections in Colombia. Incumbent Angélica Lozano won reelection and candidates Susana Boreal, Andrés Cancimance, Alejandro García, Carolina Giraldo and María del Mar Pizarro won their inaugural elections. With this record result, LGBTQ representation will triple from two to six in the Colombian […]
Transgender children, families rally outside Texas Capitol, Governor’s Mansion
AUSTIN — More than 200 people showed up on Gov. Greg Abbott’s doorstep Sunday with a message: Leave transgender children alone. The rally dubbed “Trans Kids Cry for HELP!” was a colorful, ebullient and at times indignant response to Abbott’s order telling Child Protective Services to investigate the families of transgender minors receiving certain medical treatments. The state has […]
This Mumbai cafe run by transgender community is breaking the internet
We often read about innovation and experimentation in terms of menu and hospitality of restaurants and cafes, with a motive to attract customers. For a change, this café in Mumbai is making the buzz for its unique concept, which aims at bringing change in the mindset of society. Wondering what? Well, Bambai Nazariya is a […]
Anti-gay vs. gay-friendly religion go head-to-head in Ghana
The Presbyterian Church of Ghana has come out in favor of harsh penalties for public displays of same-sex affection and for anyone who supports LGBTQ rights — harsher penalties than those in Ghana’s controversial anti-LGBTQ bill currently awaiting action in Parliament. As soon as the church announced its position, it was promptly disputed by the […]
Some LGBTQ Ukrainians are fleeing Russian occupation. Others are signing up to fight
LVIV OBLAST, Ukraine — A few weeks ago, Vlad Shast was sashaying in a slinky pink gown and thigh-high boots. Shast was working as a stylist, and performing on the drag queen circuit in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv. That was before the Russian invasion. Now, Shast is pushing a grocery cart from shop to shop in Kyiv, filling […]
Ghana is warned: Passing anti-LGBTQ bill would harm the economy
The economic damage that would be caused by passage of Ghana’s extreme anti-LGBTQ bill was highlighted at a Parliamentary hearing this week. For months, Ghanaian legislators have been studying the proposal, which would impose harsh new penalties for same-sex intimacy and make advocacy of the human rights of LGBTQ people a crime. The LGBTQ rights […]
Singapore upholds anti-gay law, but activists hopeful after minister’s speech
Singapore’s gay rights campaigners know full well that their years-long campaign to repeal the country’s colonial-era law that criminalises consensual sex between men is a marathon, not a sprint. That reality came into focus in recent weeks, after a major court decision and a senior government official delved into the future of the law, Section […]
Judge temporarily blocks Texas investigations into families of trans kids
District Judge Amy Clark Meachum said the governor’s directive for the state child welfare agency to investigate parents who provide gender-affirming care to their children was “beyond the scope of his authority and unconstitutional.” The statewide injunction will remain in effect until the case is heard in July. A state judge ruled Friday that providing […]
Georgia legislators introduce a Florida-style ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
Georgia legislators introduced a bill this week that would prohibit discussions about gender identity and sexual orientation in some private school classrooms. The Common Humanity in Private Education Act, which is co-sponsored by 10 Republican state senators, states that “no private or nonpublic school or program … shall promote, compel, or encourage classroom discussion of sexual […]
Sara Duterte identifying herself as LGBT a ‘trapo’ behavior —group
An LGBTQIA+ organization on Friday slammed vice presidential aspirant and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte for saying she is also a member of the LGBT community. In a statement, Bahaghari said being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community is not a “costume” one could wear only during the election period. “It is a lifelong struggle in a world […]
Chile’s first gay couple gets married as equality law finally comes into effect: ‘Long live Chile!’
Holding their two boys in their arms, Javier Silva and Jaime Nazar exchanged vows before sharing a kiss in the Civil Registry of Providencia of Santiago, Chile’s capital city, in a historic moment for the overwhelmingly Catholic country. A couple for six years, the pair have long dreamed of getting hitched not only to celebrate their […]
Guatemala increases abortion penalty, bans same-sex marriage
GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemalan lawmakers have increased prison sentences for women who have abortions, bucking a recent trend in Latin America toward expanding access to the procedures. As some of Latin America’s largest countries — Mexico, Argentina, Colombia — have expanded abortion access in the past two years, there remain countries where conservative religious trends […]
Jakim has developed plan to tackle growing LGBT issues, says Minister
KUALA LUMPUR: A plan has been developed by the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) to address social problems in the Muslim community such as the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) culture, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Idris Ahmad. The Minister in charge of religious affairs said the implementation of the Islamic Social Action […]
“The Magic Has Died”: Disney Employees Are Outraged That Their Company Won’t Speak Out About The “Don’t Say Gay” Bill
Disney employees — ranging from characters in the theme parks to writers on their TV shows — are speaking out against their employer after reports the company donated money to politicians sponsoring the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The Florida Senate passed the legislation on Tuesday by just five votes. It previously contained a provision that would […]