Meet the 23 Gay Women Competing in the 2022 Winter Olympics
The 2022 Winter Olympics kicked off its razzlin’, dazzlin’, flipplin’, slidin’ 16-day event with a fireworks-heavy opening ceremony this morning in Beijing, and if you’re anything like us, you’re cheering for Team Gay, just like we did in this year’s Summmer Olympics! There are fewer participants overall in the Winter Olympics — because there’s only […]
Abhorrent and Inhumane. So why has a ban on gay conversion therapy in Scotland still not happened?
Is this a good time to bring up the subject of whether Conservative governments can be relied on, whether they stick to their word, whether they keep their promises? It is years now since the UK Government said it wanted to ban an abhorrent practice some call therapy and others call torture. And yet several […]
Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia: NGO reports that LGBT+ Roma face discrimination from their own families as well as majority societies in these EU Member States
In the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, counsellors are helping LGBT+ Roma deal with multiple discrimination, according to research recently published by ARA ART, an NGO that has long focused on LGBT+ Roma in the Czech Republic and works for that community in particular; the study also highlights what it calls a legal vacuum that […]
South Dakota signs 1st anti-transgender sports law of 2022
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signed an anti-transgender sports bill into law Thursday, restricting transgender women and girls from playing on school sports teams that match their gender identity in public schools and post-secondary institutions. “Thankful to see this bill get support from the legislators and make it to my desk, and that now we […]
New highly virulent and damaging HIV variant discovered in the Netherlands
As the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated, new mutations in viral genetic sequences can have significant impacts on the virus’s transmissibility and the damage it causes. For many years, there have been concerns that this could arise in the HIV-1 virus, which already affects 38 million people worldwide, and has caused 33 million deaths to […]
Staff Are Quitting Britain’s Equality Watchdog the EHRC Due to ‘Transphobia’
Employees are quitting Britain’s equalities and human rights watchdog because they say it has become “transphobic” and “the enemy of human rights”, VICE World News has learned. Some staff members have left the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) without having new jobs lined up, and morale among many employees still there is described as […]
Beyond Boundaries: Drag Queen of Tokyo
Madame Bonjour JohnJ is a drag queen/performer/activist who desires “a world of glitter beyond boundaries.” Most of the week, JohnJ manages Community Centre Akta, a HIV/AIDS information centre and event space located in Shinjuku Ni-chome, one of Asia’s largest gay villages. JohnJ also organizes different events for the LGBTIQ+ community and is an active member […]
Putin Meets Chechen Leader Amid Outcry Over Threats Against Activist’s Family
Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with Ramzan Kadyrov, the authoritarian, Kremlin-backed leader of the North Caucasus region of Chechnya, amid a public outcry over open threats made by the volatile region’s leadership to kill the family of a human rights lawyer. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on February 3 that among other issues, Putin […]
Gay and lesbian adults had higher COVID-19 vaccination rates than heterosexual adults: CDC
Gay and lesbian adults are more likely to have been vaccinated against COVID-19 than heterosexual adults, federal officials said Thursday. A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 85.4% of gay and lesbian Americans above age 18 had received at least one vaccine dose as of October 2021. By comparison, 76.3% of heterosexuals reported receiving […]
Amanda Stoker walks back on Morrison pledge to protect LGBTQ+ students in religious discrimination bill
The assistant attorney general, Amanda Stoker, has muddied the waters about whether LGBTQ+ students will be protected at the same time as the religious discrimination bill potentially passes federal parliament. Stoker said on Friday the Sex Discrimination Act “shouldn’t be changed unless we know the final form of the religious discrimination bill”, prompting the prime minister, Scott […]
Bishops in Ghana condemn harrowing anti-LGBT+ bill for being too severe: ‘We must show love’
The House of Bishops of the Anglican Church in Ghana said Friday (28 January) that the draft Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill is too “severe”. Ghanaian archbishop Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith pleaded for lawmakers to “review” the legislation that the church fears will be used as a warrant to “assault” queer […]
‘It gives me joy’: the LGBT Colombians embracing visibility in town with a legacy of abuse
In a mountain town near the north coast of Colombia, three drag queens strike poses in the blazing sun. Wearing extravagant Caribbean carnival costumes, they place each high heeled step carefully to avoid puddles. Neighbours come out to take photos and cheer. This impromptu show has unique significance in the streets of El Carmen de […]
Australian PM to ban faith schools from expelling LGBT+ students – and some Christians are furious
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has vowed to stop students from being expelled for their sexuality or gender identity by religious schools. In an unexpected turnaround, the right-wing leader who has long been upfront about his evangelical Christian faith, promised to stop faith-based schools from discriminating against pupils, parents and guardians. Morrison made the surprise […]
‘Nobody can say anything’: China cracks down on dissent ahead of Olympics
Achill is blowing through Chinese civil society as activists, journalists and academics report receiving police warnings and censorship of their social media platforms in recent weeks as Beijing prepares to host the Winter Olympics beginning on Friday. In mid-January, the Beijing-based human rights activist Hu Jia said in a tweet that China’s state security apparatus […]
One Trans Woman’s Fight Against a Bill That Would Criminalise Ghana’s LGBT+ Community
In a dimly-lit room with racks of women’s clothing, Ghanaian artist and LGBT+ activist Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi flipped through photo self-portraits illustrating her transition to womanhood. Transitioning is not illegal in Ghana, but it will become so if a new law is passed, intended to tighten already strict anti-LGBT+ regulations which render same-sex relations illegal. […]
LGBTQ people in Afghanistan face violence, rape and extortion, say human rights watchdogs.
A recent report by a pair of human rights organizations is warning of the plight of LGBTQ people in Afghanistan, who frequently face threats of violence against them or their families, are targeted for rape, or find themselves being blackmailed ever since the Taliban took over the country last year. According to the report, from […]
A transgender woman’s struggle to be herself in Bangladesh.
Riya Moni is putting her makeup on. She is not afraid of being caught or humiliated anymore – her makeup is her transgression. She is a transgender woman living in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Born intersex, she was named Zia by her parents, who ensured no one ever knew about her gender identity. Cultural stigma and […]
South Florida Students Rally Against “Don’t Say Gay” Bill In Florida Legislature.
A group of about a hundred people gathered outside the Pride Center in Wilton Manors Tuesday, rallying against a proposal in the Florida legislature that would limit discussion about LGBTQ issues at school. Lana Goff, an 11th grader in Broward County, is one of those students. “I first came out when I was in 7th […]
How HIV elimination is within Australia’s reach.
Australian HIV diagnoses have hit an all-time low, with the country in sight of eliminating transmissions. It’s a legacy of Australia’s early, effective response, reports Gary Nunn from Sydney. During the outbreak in the 1980s, a political friend of then Health Minister Neal Blewett had a word in his ear. “Look mate, there are no […]
German Bishops Back the LGBT Campaign.
Several German bishops have praised the extensive LGBT media campaign involving German priests and church workers, accusing the Catholic Church of advocating “defamatory” teachings on “gender and sexuality.” The teaching of the Church must change on the issue of homosexuality and gender identity and the German Synodal Path is the right way to achieve this: […]
Tough times for trans Indonesians, battered by Covid and the label ‘LGBT’.
The adoption of the label “LGBT” for Indonesia’s sexual minorities has increased their visibility but also made them a target of conservatives’ hostility, according to author/researcher Hendri Yulius Wijaya. Covid-19 restrictions have also taken a toll on Indonesian transgender communities, says the spokesperson for the trans advocacy group Perwakos. Because many trans women make their […]
Mental Health of the Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Population in China.
A systematic review found a high prevalence of mental health problems among transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) individuals living in China and that there was limited access or use of gender-affirming or mental health care. These findings were published in The Lancet Public Health. The authors of this review, which comprised 30 studies, sought to […]
He started an LGBTQ magazine during the pandemic. Here’s what he learned.
Ten years have passed since the germ of the idea for a Florida-based LGBTQ publication first came to journalist John Sotomayor. And in 10 years, much has changed. To start an LGBTQ magazine based in Ocala, one of the last remaining pockets of old Florida, surrounded by unvarnished nature and nicknamed the “horse capital of […]
As Winter Olympics approach, where are China’s gay athletes? Beijing 2022 set to be a barometer for Games’ progress
Before she became Belgium’s first Winter Olympian in the sport of skeleton, Kim Meylemans came out as gay. “Being true to myself, instead of hiding or changing who I am, improved my sport performance,” Meylemans told Out For The Win, a non-profit she serves that shares the stories of LGBT athletes. “Hiding your true colours […]
Respected indigenous elder and LGBTIQA+ leader passes away
Respected Indigenous elder Vanessa Smith has passed away following a long illness. A Noongar Sistergirl of the Kaneang people in the state’s South West, Aunty Vanessa spent decades fighting for both LGBTIQA+ rights and Indigenous rights. Among her many achievements were serving as Chair of the Gay Men and Sistergirls Steering Committee for Australia Federation of […]
Activists warn against loophole in UK ban on conversion practices
Campaigners are urging ministers to ensure any forthcoming UK-wide ban on conversion practices does not contain a loophole allowing those who received “informed consent” from their victims to evade justice. Critics of the practice declared “you cannot consent to abuse”, as a survey revealed the extent of sexual violence used during attempts to change a person’s […]
D.C. Digest: Lankford, Inhofe inject themselves into Finnish free speech case
Finnish Lines: U.S. Sens. James Lankford and Jim Inhofe have taken up the cause of a member of Finland’s parliament whose LGBTQ commentary has brought her into conflict with that country’s hate speech law. Inhofe and Lankford were among several Republican senators protesting to U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain that the prosecution […]
School officials remove student’s ‘Gay is OK’ rainbow artwork and liken it to the Nazi flag
The principal and vice-principal of an Athens, Georgia elementary school are under fire from both parents and faculty after they reportedly ordered an unnamed student’s artwork that includes the words “Gay is OK” to be removed from a collection of works hung on a classroom wall, with the vice-principal allegedly comparing it to the Nazi […]
Meet the LGBT+ East and Southeast Asian club night queering Lunar New Year
For June Lam, running a queer club night for Lunar New Year represents an important chance to “stop everything, dance and be connected to our cultures”. Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations in many East and Southeast Asian cultures. But while it’s common for LGBT+ venues to host New Year’s Eve […]
Botswana’s president meets LGBT activists, supports their work
In a landmark meeting with representatives of the LGBT rights group LEGABIBO, Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi vowed to protect LGBT persons’ human rights and to fully implement the recent historic court ruling that upheld the decision to decriminalise same-sex intimacy between consenting adults As AfricaNews points out, five years ago the human group had to […]