Hungary’s parliament approves referendum on LGBT issues
Hungary’s parliament authorized the government Tuesday to call a national referendum on LGBT issues, the latest in a series of steps by the country’s nationalist leaders that critics say are intended to limit minority rights. Lawmakers from the governing Fidesz party approved four referendum questions pertaining to sex education programs in schools and the availability […]
Chile makes history with election of first-ever trans person to its legislature
Chile has made history by electing the first-ever transgender official to its legislature during the 2021 parliamentary elections. Emilia Schneider, a transgender woman and activist, received 26,000 votes on 21 November. She will be sworn into the Chamber of Deputies in March 2022, which is the lower chamber of the country’s National Congress, to represent […]
Rural town elects Bangladesh’s first transgender mayor
A small town in Bangladesh has elected the country’s first transgender mayor after the 45-year-old independent candidate beat her ruling party rival in a landslide, officials said Monday. The South Asian nation is home to an estimated 1.5 million transgender people, who face rampant discrimination and violence and are often forced to live by begging […]
Botswana appeals court upholds ruling that decriminalised gay sex
Botswana’s Court of Appeal on Monday upheld a 2019 ruling that decriminalised gay sex, a decision hailed by gay community as establishing the southern African country as a “true democracy”. Monday’s decision in effect struck off two sections of the penal code that had outlawed homosexuality. Before the 2019 High Court ruling, which was praised […]
China’s LGBTIQ+ movement is under attack. But international support can be a double-edged sword
People often ask me what it’s like to be queer or trans in China. It was the number one question I encountered when I returned to Melbourne after three years in Shanghai, much of it spent reporting on China’s LGBTQI+ community. Often the question is posed with a frown and a heavy tone because Australians […]
One step forward, two steps back
Once again, those waiting on news of marriage equality in Thailand were met with disappointment. Let’s talk about Section 1448 of the Civil and Commercial Code first. It states that only a man and a woman over 17 are allowed to be legally married. This month, this law went to the Constitutional Court, where it […]
How a Seattle man became a lifeline for persecuted LGBTQ people in other countries
Michael Failla doesn’t get much sleep. In the dead of the night, the Seattle resident gets panicked calls and messages from members of the LGBTQ community in the Middle East — mostly gay men, thousands of miles away, terrified for their lives. They reach out to Failla in their darkest moments — sometimes when they’re contemplating […]
Cameroon Says Citizens Abuse LGBTI People
YAOUNDÉ — Cameroon says lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people are increasingly becoming victims of violence and brutality. The central African state’s government made the comment this week after Human Rights Watch reported degrading treatment of LGBTI people and called on Cameroon to hold perpetrators accountable. About 15 people are shouting and beating a person they […]
Elderly gay couple forced from Toowoomba home by abuse
An elderly gay couple will sell up and leave their Toowoomba home following homophobic abuse. Bruce Gardiner told the Toowoomba Chronicle that he and husband Derek suffered eight years of abuse, vile comments, rumour spreading and a serious assault. He said the abuse began immediately following a nearby resident becoming aware of the couple’s sexuality. […]
Dutch government apologizes for discredited transgender law
The Dutch government made a public apology Saturday for a now discredited and scrapped law that required transgender people to undergo surgery and sterilization if they wanted to change their gender on their birth certificate. “Nobody should have experienced what you have experienced. I am truly sorry that it happened,” said Dutch Minister for Education, […]
Brazilian film traces suffering of LGBTQIA community in 1980
The 52nd International Film Festival of India (Iffi) saw the Asian premiere of a film on the LGBTQIA community, ‘The First Fallen’, by Brazilian filmmaker Rodrigo de Oliveira. The film traces the undocumented history of ‘first heroes’ of the LGBTQIA community and their fight against an unknown virus back in the 1980s. “If we ourselves […]
UNM Sociology Professor Takes Part In White House Intersex Awareness Event
Associate Professor Georgiann Davis from the Department of Sociology at The University of New Mexico was an invited speaker at a recent virtual roundtable event with the White House to commemorate Intersex Awareness Day and discuss the treatment of intersex people. The White House Office of Public Engagement’s event panel included Assistant Secretary of Health […]
Jamaican health minister calls for an end to anti-LGBT discrimination
Jamaica’s minister of health and wellness told a recent public forum organized by the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper that LGBT Jamaicans should not face discrimination in accessing mental health services. The newspaper reported. that the health and wellness minister, Christopher Tufton, said: “Mental health services have been experiencing a number of reviews. For the LGBT community, […]
‘Unfit for military service’: How Azerbaijan stigmatizes LGBTQ+ military personnel
Three years ago, Alp Aliyev, received a notification from the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription that he was required to enlist the army. Alp did not think he would fit into the military culture given his fluid gender identity and lifestyle. He also faced pressure from his relatives. He was told that until he […]
Slovak gay sportspeople live among us (but they hide their sexuality)
The Lotus Flowers came up with the idea of establishing the very first LGBTI sports club in Slovakia 10 years ago, and they have been around ever since. “We wanted to create a safe space for LGBTI people to pursue some sports,” said Lotus Flowers member Ľubomír Hanigovský. The Bratislava-based club is open to anybody, […]
Google literally erases bisexuals and pansexuals in woeful LGBT+ glossary
In a new LGBT+ glossary, aiming to educate the public and media on LGBT+ language and community, Google has literally erased bisexuality. Last week, the Google News Initiative announced the project in partnership with VideoOut, titled the “LGBTQ+ language and media literacy program”. The tool, essentially a glossary of 100 words that uses Google Trends […]
Australia: LGBTQ advocates blast religious discrimination bill
Australia has introduced a new controversial bill aimed at protecting religious people from “cancel culture”. Among other things, it would allow Catholic schools the right to fire teachers or expel gay students in the name of “religious ethos”. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Religious Discrimination Bill, if passed, would ensure protection for religious people […]
Russia investigates complaint against Netflix over LGBT content
MOSCOW, Nov 25 (Reuters) – Russia is investigating a complaint against Netflix (NFLX.O) after the public commissioner for protecting families accused the streaming company of violating Russian law on “gay propaganda”, the Vedomosti daily reported. The commissioner, Olga Baranets, complained to the Interior Ministry that Netflix was in breach of a 2013 law that bans […]
Qtalk has advice for gay man who is attracted to a straight friend
LGBTQ+ Nigerians benefit from the support provided by volunteer counsellors via the Qtalk app, which is supported by this site and by the St. Paul’s Foundation for International Reconciliation. Anderson, a 20-year old Nigerian gay man, is struggling to hide his romantic affection towards his heterosexual friend. In his support request he wrote: “Tim is a […]
France backs Poland over Belarus but warns EU row not over
PARIS/WARSAW, Nov 24 (Reuters) – France assured Poland on Wednesday of European Union support in its stand-off with Belarus, but reminded Warsaw it needed to resolve a row with the bloc over its values and the rule of law. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki met French President Emmanuel Macron as part of a diplomatic effort […]
Gay Australian Footballer ‘Scared’ to Play at World Cup in Qatar
Australian footballer Josh Cavallo, who came out as gay last month, has revealed he would be scared to play at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar because of the country’s criminalization of homosexuality. The 21-year-old, who plays for Adelaide United in Australia’s A-League, is the only known gay footballer playing in a top-flight men’s league. His announcement last […]
South Africa: Broken Promises to Aid Gender-Based Violence Survivors
(Johannesburg) The South African government has taken important steps but did not provide adequate funding for shelters and other services for gender-based violence survivors during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many survivors have been made more vulnerable in the context of Covid-19. The South African government has acknowledged high rates of gender-based violence both during and before the pandemic. But South African […]
Kenya: Gay rights will destroy family values, Supreme Court told
The Supreme Court on Tuesday was asked to reject registration of an organisation for gay rights on grounds it would erode family values and harm society. The Non-Governmental Organisations Coordination Board told the Supreme Court that organisations can be registered to protect the rights of persons but not to promote activities that violate any laws […]
Russia mulls ban on films with gay love scenes
The Russian parliament is discussing banning films which include LGBTI love scenes from general release. “Whoever wants can have special access to such videos, as well as with pornography,” Russian MP Vitaly Milonov said Monday. Its Human Rights Council is also in talks to add pro-LGBTI material to a new list of “toxic content” on […]
Hungarian media to publish LGBTI campaign despite risk of fines
Three television channels and several magazines will publish an awareness campaign to educate on LGBTI families, despite the Hungarian media regulator having earlier initiated proceedings against networks on the same grounds, EURACTIV’s media partner Telex reported. Comedy Central, the Paramount Network, and MTV will broadcast the Foundation for Rainbow Families’ (Szivárványcsaládokért Alapítvány) social campaign despite […]
Texas mother organizes transgender story time after library faced threats over ‘Rainbow Storytime’
A mother in Texas last week organized a children’s book reading featuring transgender characters after her local public library canceled their Rainbow Storytime on Transgender Day of Remembrance over threats of violence. Amber Briggle, who has a young trans child, coordinated the new event, held on Saturday, with the help of a local church and […]
PM SCOTT MORRISON TO PERSONALLY INTRODUCE RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION BILL IN PARLIAMENT
Prime Minister Scott Morrison will personally introduce the controversial Religious Discrimination Bill in Parliament on Thursday. The bill was promised by Morrison before the last elections in the wake of the 2017 marriage equality national vote to placate the losing side comprising the right wing and conservative Christian organisations. The draft of the bill was […]
Chile’s lower house approves same-sex marriage, bill sent back to Senate
Chile’s lower house approved on Tuesday a bill that would permit same-sex marriage in the South American country of 19 million, sending the measure back to the Senate where it appears to have the support needed to become law. The measure, which originated in the upper house, was approved in the nation’s Chamber of Deputies […]
#TheSame: Hungarian media defy ban on publishing LGBT+ content for children
Several media organisations in Hungary have defied a ban on publishing LGBT+ content geared towards children. Three television channels and several magazines have said they will feature videos educating people about LGBT+ families. MTV Hungary, Comedy Central Hungary, and Paramount Network Hungary will all take part in the #ugyanaz (#thesame) social media campaign. In June, […]
Brazilian gymnast Arthur Nory says he has a boyfriend
Arthur Nory, an Olympic medalist and world champion gymnast from Brazil, has announced on Instagram that he has a boyfriend. In an Instagram post in late October, Nory wished marketing analyst João Otávio Tasso a happy birthday while expressing his love: “Happy Birthday to the person who “arthura” and freaks out with me. The phrase […]