Protesters Demand Longer Prison Sentences for LGBTQ in Senegal.
A group of men gathered around a burning gay flag in Dakar Sunday and chanted: “Senegal will never accept homosexuality.” Others held signs that read: “Senegal says no to homosexuality” and “We demand an end to the LGBT agenda.” They were among the thousands that flocked to Place de l’Obélisque to call for harsher penalties […]
First Person : I don’t want to die in the body of a man.
A transgender woman in Haiti has said she does not want to die in a man’s body, and hopes to leave her native country to fulfill her dream of transitioning from being a man to a woman. Semi Alisha Fermond works with transgender people at Kay Trans Ayiti (the Creole name for Trans House Haiti) […]
Education Minister tries to ban gay kids from boarding schools
Kenyan Education Minister George Mahoga has caused controversy with a proposal to ban gay school kids from boarding schools. At the same time as Australia grappled with Citipointe College attempting to institute a no-LGBTIQ+ contract, Mahoga attempted to institute nationwide discrimination. Magoha said that students ‘moving from one bed to another’ should attend day schools instead […]
From book bans to ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, LGBTQ kids feel ‘erased’ in the classroom
Students have repeatedly vandalized Pride posters at Spencer Lyst’s high school in Williamson County, Tennessee. Teachers have skipped over LGBTQ issues in class textbooks. Trans kids in his state have been legally barred from competing on school sports teams that align with their gender identity. Parents have called on school officials to remove books about […]
JFNA release document adding gun reform, LGBTQ advocacy back to policy priority
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Less than a week after the Jewish Federations of North America removed hot button items such as addressing gun violence and defending LGBTQ rights from their annual priorities list, the umbrella group added them back into a subsequent and more detailed policy document. The JFNA’s Working Public Policy Agenda, released late Friday, includes more […]
Dykehardt: The lesbian history of Leichhardt
Queer communities have a long history of carving out private spaces for social and sexual interaction, utilising urban geographies to resist oppression and build a sense of belonging. In Sydney, these gay neighbourhoods can be found around Oxford St and Newtown, and remain integral to many queer identities. However, Sydney was also home to a third, […]
Saudi activist speaks on LGBTQ status in Kuwait
Days after Kuwait’s constitutional court struck down a law that criminalizes “imitation of the opposite sex” – considered a breakthrough for the regional transgender community – journalist and international rights activist Wajeeh Lion spoke with i24NEWS about the implications such a move has on the LGBTQ community in the Arab world. “It might be a […]
Mexico issues first birth certificate recognising non-binary gender
An LGBT+ activist has become the first person in Mexico to be issued a birth certificate recognising his gender as non-binary. Fausto Martinez received the historic birth certificate from the Civil Registry of Guanajuato, a central Mexican state, on 11 February. The 26-year-old took to Twitter to share the process of obtaining the document, which […]
It’s not just Florida. 15 other ‘Don’t Say Gay’-style bills are cropping up nationwide
Since Florida’s House committee passed the Parental Rights in Education bill – known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill – in January, a national spotlight has turned on the state as it proposes banning school instruction on LGBTQ+ people and issues. President Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband Chasten condemned the bill […]
Freestyle skiing-Kenworthy urges IOC to consider host’s human rights stance
Freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy, an advocate for LGBT+ rights, said on Saturday the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should take a host nation’s stance on human rights issues into consideration when awarding the Games. Rights groups have long criticised the IOC’s choice of Beijing as 2022 host, and several countries including the United States and Britain […]
First transgender senator in Trinidad
Activist Jowelle De Souza made history on Tuesday as the first transgender person to be appointed a senator.De Souza was appointed a temporary Opposition senator in place of Jayanti Lutchmedial, who was ill.Shortly after De Souza took the oath, there was a tit-for-tat exchange between Tourism Minister Randall Mitchell and United National Congress (UNC) senators […]
JOURNALIST UNCOVERS ‘WORLD’S ONLY GAY PRISON’ IN AUSTRALIA
For over half a century the shameful and scandalous history behind “world’s only gay prison” located in a small regional town in New South Wales, Australia, had remained buried and forgotten. Now, a new true crime audio podcast series, The Greatest Menace, from queer Australian journalist Patrick Abboud, uncovers the dark chapter and a secretive […]
One UN human rights expert’s fight to eliminate ‘conversion therapies’
Some 69 States around the world currently criminalise homosexual relations between consenting adults. This means that in just this one area of human rights violations, two billion people are being discriminated against on a daily basis – a third of the world’s population. This criminalisation has measurable consequences in terms of public health and access […]
Pink Pistols aims to arm the LGBTQ community against hate crimes
“Pick on someone your own caliber” is the motto of the Pink Pistols, an LGBTQ gun rights organization in the United States and Canada that advocates for the use of lawfully-owned and concealed firearms for the self-defense of the sexual minority community. In the public eye, gun rights are often affiliated with a conservative ideology […]
Egypt: Rights Defender’s Imprisoned Father At Risk
(Beirut) – Egyptian authorities should urgently provide health care to Salah Soltan, the detained father of a prominent Egyptian rights defender living in the US, or immediately release him to receive medical attention and investigate claims of torture, 19 human rights organizations said today. On January 26, 2022, Salah Soltan, 63, an official in the government of former […]
Percentage of LGBTQ adults in U.S. has doubled over past decade, Gallup finds
The percent of U.S. adults who identify as something other than heterosexual has doubled over the last 10 years, from 3.5 percent in 2012 to 7.1 percent, according to a Gallup poll released Thursday. Gallup found that the increase is due to ”high LGBT self-identification, particularly as bisexual, among Generation Z adults,” who are 18 to 25. It […]
Kuwait court overturns law criminalising imitation of opposite sex
DUBAI – Kuwait’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday overturned an article of the penal code criminalising the imitation of the opposite sex, in a move welcomed by Amnesty International as a “major breakthrough” for transgender rights in the Gulf Arab region. The court said in a statement on its website that article 198 was unconstitutional because it […]
Gay students to be banned from boarding schools in Kenya?
Homosexual students in boarding schools in Kenya would have to ensure they don’t infringe on the rights of other learners in order to retain their space in the boarding school. Kenya’s education minister, George Magoha said those “moving from one bed to another” should be admitted to “day schools”. The minister explained that though he […]
Nepal census preliminary report didn’t mention LGBTQIA+, but the community hasn’t lost its hope yet
The constitution of Nepal promulgated in 2015 ensures and protects the fundamental rights of every Nepali citizen regardless of their sex, gender, religion, caste, creed and economic or social status. The constitution, for the first time, also accepted sexual minorities and guarded their fundamental rights the same as others. However, the lack of framework, rules and regulations, […]
‘Nuns quivered at the naughty bits!’ The story of trailblazing gay pop song Kay, Why?
For LGBTQ+ people, and especially for gay men, the summer of 1967 offered much promise. The Sexual Offences Act had just been passed, meaning that homosexuality – at least, homosexual acts in private between two consenting adult males aged over 21 – was no longer a criminal offence, and the atmosphere was filled with a […]
For two gay men, a narrow escape on Valentine’s Day in Cameroon
Strolling hand in hand on Valentine’s Day in Cameroon nearly led to the death of two gay men at the hands of a homophobic mob. Max and Dex (pseudonyms) are a gay couple living in Mfou, a town near Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital. Ages 24 and 28, respectively, they both are natives of Mfou and both […]
First out lesbian, LGBTQ person of color confirmed to ambassador-level post
Last week, the U.S. Senate confirmed Chantale Wong as the U.S. Director to the Asian Development Bank, making her the first out lesbian and LGBTQ person of color to be appointed to an ambassador-level position. The Senate voted 66-31 to confirm Wong to her new position, with all of the upper chamber’s Democrats and 16 […]
LGBTI Asylum Seekers Suffer Double Discrimination in Europe
Members of the LGBTI community which are looking for asylum in different countries of Europe are facing some difficulties, including double discrimination even in countries that rank high for positive LGBT legislative change, according to the annual review released by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA). According to the report, Denmark, […]
LGBT Rights Under Renewed Pressure in Hungary
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights and the groups who work to protect them are under fresh pressure in Hungary. On February 1, an appeals court in Hungary ruled against Labrisz Lesbian Association, saying that an article in a pro-government newspaper likening them to pedophiles did not injure the group’s reputation. The same week, […]
LGBT activists rally on Valentine’s Day in Bangkok to demand same-sex marriage rights
A demonstration, led by political activist, Brahmasara “Fah” Viradhammajari and his partner Titat “Peter” Kuantrakul, was held at the CAT Telecom building in Bangkok today (Monday), when they intended to request a marriage license, which were being issued on Valentine’s Day. The couple also displayed a rejection letter, issued by Bang Rak district office, which […]
Health Ministry formally bans LGBTQ+ conversion therapy
The Health Ministry issued a circular on Monday morning banning medical professionals in Israel from providing conversion therapy. The circular stresses the risks to mental health posed by conversion therapy and prohibits all professionals from the offering, publicizing, or providing such “therapies.” Licensed professionals who do so will face sanctions, including severe disciplinary proceedings and […]
Taiwan LGBTQ activists hold Valentine’s Day marriage law protest
LGBTQ activists in Taiwan braved a Valentine’s Day downpour Monday to protest against the island’s same-sex marriage law, which critics say falls short of full recognition for many international couples. Under the law, Taiwanese people may legally wed foreigners but only from countries that also recognise marriage equality. Taiwan’s courts have been open to considering […]
Black gay priest in NYC challenges Catholicism from within
Parishioners worshipping at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Harlem are greeted by a framed portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. — a Baptist minister named after a rebellious 16th century German priest excommunicated from the Catholic Church. The Rev. Bryan Massingale, who sometimes preaches at St. Charles, pursues his ministry in ways that echo […]
Cuba’s first gay hotel reopens as human rights deteriorate
As members of the press arrived for a government-organised tour of a luxury hotel on the Cuban beach resort of Cayo Guillermo, they were greeted by a dance troupe in fishnet tights and high heels. Above the entrance, the rainbow flag, the international symbol of gay pride, fluttered in the warm Caribbean breeze. The Rainbow Hotel, described […]
Defensor defends LGBT Pinoys’ right to adopt a child
Anakalusugan Party-list Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor has taken up the cudgels for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Filipinos who want to adopt a child, saying that it’s perfectly legal for them to do so. “We must stress that under the law, the right to adopt a child is granted to individuals, and not to […]