Interview: ‘Zim still not a safe place for LGBTQ community’
Last year, South African celebrity Somizi Mhlongo was scheduled to travel to Zimbabwe as a guest of honour at the reopening of a top restaurant in Harare. But the trip never happened because there was strong criticism over his sexual orientation as a gay activist. While other countries accept the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and […]
Fan fury in China after ‘Friends’ LGBT plot line censored
BEIJING (AFP) – The highly anticipated return of “Friends” to Chinese streaming platforms soured quickly after fans noticed an LGBT plot line was cut from the American sitcom – and their complaints were censored too. China’s top platforms started streaming the series on Friday (Feb 11), but the back story of a lesbian character was absent […]
‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is just the beginning of Florida GOP’s cruelty to LGBTQ kids
Florida Republican lawmakers have declared war on LGBTQ children — all in the name of freedom and “parental rights.” Aka, the rights of parents whose views of sex and sexuality are stuck with the GOP in the 1950s. Lawmakers don’t want to look bigoted and discriminatory, so they will attempt to put lipstick on this […]
Queer Africa has always been an other
Religious studies scholar David Tonghou Ngong recently made the argument on the Africa is a Country website that the roots of African homophobia might be found in African indigenous religions rather than in the religions that followed later. I don’t necessarily want to offer a counter argument, but I do want to think alongside, and […]
LGBTQI+ community calls for more action from Cyril Ramaphosa
The Iranti-organisation says it is disappointed at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s silence on issues facing the LGBTQI+ community during his State of The Nation Address (Sona). Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Thursday where he highlighted challenges faced by the country and announced some measures to improve the lives of South Africans. He also touched on gender-based […]
Russia makes failed attempt to shut down prominent LGBTQ rights group
The Russian government made an unsuccessful attempt to shut down one of the country’s largest and most prominent LGBTQ rights groups, but human rights advocates say there are likely more attempts on the horizon. A court in St. Petersburg sidelined a lawsuit that had been filed by Russia’s Justice Ministry on Tuesday. The suit accused […]
Isle of Man to pardon men convicted for homosexual acts
Men who have been convicted for homosexual acts on the Isle of Man will be automatically pardoned later this year in what campaigners said was a long overdue and necessary change in law. Homosexuality was decriminalised on the Isle of Man in 1992 and its first Gay Pride event took place last summer. Jane Poole-Wilson, […]
LGBT organisations ask UN to revoke status of British rights watchdog
A group of 20 LGBT organisations have asked the UN to revoke the status of Britain’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). A 19-page submission to the UN – which the groups said was prompted by the EHRC’s stance on trans rights – asks for the independent status of the EHRC to be reviewed. “Their […]
Only 19% of Australians agree religious schools should be able to ban LGBT+ teachers
This week, the religious discrimination bill is finally being debated on the floor of federal parliament. The bill has prompted disagreements within political parties, within religions and across a wide variety of other stakeholders. But what do voters actually think? A new survey, soon to be published in the Journal of Sociology, shows a majority […]
LGBT rights in eastern Europe: explaining financial benefits makes a big difference to people’s views – new findings
Across eastern Europe, it’s still very difficult to pass laws and policies designed to advance LGBT inclusion. With LGBT+ History Month underway, some Ukrainians are worried that their country’s fragile progress in LGBT rights will be set back by a Russian invasion. A top court in Hungary has just ruled that it was acceptable for […]
Arab film directors tackle gender taboos on big screen
A Lebanese director who has just scooped up an award at Sundance Film Festival says she wants her short to “break the norms” on sexuality and gender in the Middle East. “Warsha” is part of a new wave of Arabic-language films – some screened abroad, others showing on streaming platforms – to confront long-standing taboos […]
Lawmaker delivers heartfelt appeal on LGBTQ rights as Australia shelves religious discrimination bill
“He has more courage than any boy I have met,” Stephen Jones said of his son in a speech to the Australian parliament earlier this week. “He swims against the tide.” Jones, an opposition lawmaker, delivered an impassioned appeal for LGBTQ rights that cited his fears as a parent and family tragedy. It drew praise […]
Out in the World: Passage of Global Respect Act signals US stands with LGBTQ people globally
Signaling the importance of global LGBTQ issues, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Global Respect Act. The bill, introduced by gay Congressmember David Cicilline (D-Rhode Island), passed on a vote of 227-206 February 9. It has now been referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has bipartisan support in the upper chamber […]
‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill would limit discussion of sexuality and gender in Florida schools
Proposed legislation in Florida would restrict how teachers can discuss sexuality and gender in the classroom, the latest effort by Republican lawmakers to remove the teaching of LGBTQ issues from schools. Supporters say the measure empowers parents who deserve to have a say in what their children learn, but critics — who’ve dubbed the proposal […]
Russian Government Seeks Closure of LGBT Rights Group
This week, Russia’s Justice Ministry filed a lawsuit seeking to “liquidate” Sphere Foundation, the legal entity under which the Russian LGBT Network operates, arguing the group’s activities run contrary to “traditional values.” The network works to promote and protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in Russia. During Chechnya’s horrific anti-gay purge […]
Kerala LGBT Couple Move Court To Get Their Marriage Registered Under Transgender Identities
On February 14 when the world marks Valentine’s Day, Manu Karthika and Syama S Prabha will start their new journey in life as a couple. The duo is set to tie the knot on Monday, in a traditional Hindu ceremony with the blessings of their family. Manu is a transman from Thrissur and Syama is […]
Young trans people around Australia are seeing the news and hearing that they are not worthy of protection
I grew up in Sydney’s western suburbs during the 80s, a knockabout kid who was always a bit worried and generally a bit of a worry. My worry – to the point of fear – was that I could not see myself, let alone express myself, in a way that I knew to be real, […]
Gay kiss on live TV evades Singapore’s ban on LGBT content.
It was a Singaporean news report on the Winter Olympics opening ceremony, live from a Beijing bar filled with eager fans. Yet it was two men – who burst into the view of the camera, sharing a dramatic kiss – who stole the show. The clip has since gone viral in Singapore, where broadcasting codes […]
Ugandan court to rule on shutdown of LGBT ally organisation Chapter Four.
Uganda’s High Court in Kampala has set March 18 as the date to rule on an application seeking to quash the government’s decision to indefinitely suspend the activities of LGBT ally and human rights organisation Chapter Four Uganda. The ruling is to be delivered by email due to Covid-19 restrictions on gatherings, according to Chapter […]
Three found guilty of gang raping gay man in landmark verdict for South Africa.
Three men have been found guilty of the gang rape of a gay man in South Africa – the first time the country has issued a guilty verdict in a male rape case. Austin Fritz, Rodney Beukes and Peter John Adams were due to be sentenced Monday (7 February) but the hearing has been postponed […]
Lawmakers introduce Arizona LGBT anti-discrimination bill.
A bipartisan group of Arizona lawmakers that includes the Republican House speaker announced Monday they were introducing legislation that would for the first time protect gay and transgender people from discrimination by businesses, landlords and employers. The proposal is backed by many business and faith leaders, but opposed by a powerful social conservative group. Many […]
Religious discrimination bill will not protect trans students from expulsion, Simon Birmingham confirms
The Morrison government will seek to protect gay students from expulsion without protecting trans students at the same time, a senior minister has revealed. On Monday Scott Morrison recommitted to bringing an amendment to prevent children being expelled “because of their sexuality”, but the latest government amendments fall short of protecting students on gender identity. […]
Met Police chief says ‘nasty’ homophobia, racism and misogyny ‘risks force losing public consent’
A damning report by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) revealed that there was “pervasive evidence” of bullying and harassment within the Met Police involving officers “predominantly working in teams based at Charing Cross Police Station”. It also detailed how homophobic, racist, misogynist and violent comments made by officers were dismissed as “laddish banter”. […]
Gay Man Becomes Commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection, Faces Big Challenges
Sworn-in to lead one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the United States, Chris Magnus also joined a small group of gay national security officials. At a formal ceremony on Feb. 4 in Washington, D.C. with his husband looking on, Magnus took the oath of office to serve as the commissioner of the U.S. […]
More Gay and Lesbian People are Vaccinated than Straight People, CDC Finds
Gay and lesbian adults in the U.S. have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine at a higher rate than their straight counterparts, according to data released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the report, which collected data from more than 150,000 respondents, gay men and lesbians over the age of 18 were […]
Queer Square Mile – two centuries of diverse Welsh storytelling
Queer Square Mile is a ground-breaking anthology of queer Welsh writing edited by Mihangel Morgan, Kirsti Bohata and Huw Osborne and published by Parthian. The volume makes visible a long and diverse tradition of queer writing from Wales, dating back to the 19th Century and spanning genres from ghost stories and science fiction to industrial […]
Israel to open first LGBT shelter for Arab youth
Israel is set to open its first shelter designated for LGBT Arab Israeli youth, in a move hailed as “historic” by one of the lawmakers who led the initiative. The Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry, which recently announced the decision, also said that it would open two additional housing centers for LGBT Arab adults in […]
30% of Japan areas with LGBT partnership system have mutual accords
Over 30 percent of the 146 local governments in Japan that have introduced a same-sex partnership system as of Jan. 1 have also signed reciprocal agreements with other municipalities to simplify reapplication procedures when LGBT couples move, according to a Kyodo News survey. The move comes amid criticism that the need for a lesbian, gay, […]
Jamaica: Tiny victory in 7-year quest to make a kiss legal
An 1864 British colonially imposed law makes acts of intimacy between men illegal, and my partner and I could be imprisoned for up to ten years at hard labour. Even worse, since 2012, those convicted would also have to register as sex offenders and always carry a “Scarlet Letter” pass or face a further 12 […]
Three queer people violently killed in Honduras on the same day
Three LGBT+ people have been murdered on the same day in Honduras in a spate of violence indicative of the horrific circumstances for queer folk in the country. On Wednesday, 2 February, Jonathan Gabriel Martínez and his partner César Gustavo Zúñiga were shot dead in the liquor store owned by Martínez in San Pedro Sula’s […]