The ‘laughing, loving diva’ who fights tirelessly for gay and lesbian rights
“A group of remarkable people who met weekly, daily, to work out what might be possible to work out what was possible to change the lives of the LGBT people in this community…there was Lisa. With the perfect name. Power. She had power of every possible sort and experience”. At a recent awards ceremony, Sir […]
Romania’s LGBT community sees gains, ongoing rights struggle
The last person jailed for being gay in Romania walked free in 1998. The country decriminalized homosexuality three years after that, in 2001, while reforming its laws to qualify for membership in the European Union. The 20th anniversary of the abolishment of Article 200, which authorized prison sentences of up to five years for same-sex […]
Sri Lanka discusses LGBTQ rights ‘over and over’, but clings to the past
The government of Sri Lanka is undecided on LGBTQ rights, but the matter is under discussion, government officials say. The video, which surfaced on Twitter [on Aug. 2], showed the counsellor posing the question “Would you like your child to be a victim of a homosexual?” to an audience of police officers who all reply […]
Gay Immigrant Recalls Tumultuous Escape From Nigeria
Uchechukwu Onwa, a gay immigrant from Nigeria, said he knew it was time to leave his home country when a group of men brutally raped his teenage friend for appearing “effeminate.” Months after the sexual assault, Onwa’s friend tested positive for HIV — and shortly after that he died by suicide. “Losing my friend in […]
The ban on the practice of ‘curing queer sexuality’ in India
The Madras High Court in its June 2021 judgement banned the practice of ‘conversion therapy’ in India, bringing protective measures for LGBTQIA+ individuals in the country. The case concerns a lesbian couple who fled from their homes after their parents intimidated them because of their relationship. The families went to police authorities and filed missing-person […]
This brave charity is helping desperate LGBT+ Afghans escape the brutal Taliban
The Rainbow Railroad is a global NGO providing aid and asylum to LGBT+ people around the world. Since its founding it’s helped more than 1,600 LGBT+ people find safety, including many victims of Chechnya’s “gay purge“. It now offers a lifeline to LGBT+ Afghans – already a persecuted minority – who find themselves uniquely vulnerable […]
LGBT in Afghanistan: ‘I could be killed on the spot’
Before the Taliban uprising in Afghanistan, life for gay man Abdul (his name has been changed) was already dangerous. If he’d spoken about his sexuality to the wrong person then, Abdul could have been arrested and taken to court for his sexuality, under Afghan laws. But since the Taliban seized control of major cities in […]
Polish region wants to remain an ‘LGBT-free’ zone despite risking millions in EU funds
This week a Polish regional council has voted to remain an “LGBT-free zone” despite a warning from the European Union that it could lose funding. Numerous local authorities in Poland have declared themselves free of so-called “LGBT ideology” as gay rights have become a high-profile and deeply divisive issue in the predominantly Catholic country under […]
Charity watchdog in talks with anti-trans LGB Alliance after ‘hateful’ bestiality tweet
The anti-trans group gained charitable status earlier this year in spite of fierce objections from multiple LGBT+ charities and a petition signed by more than 44,000 people. Further concerns were raised last week when the LGB Alliance posted a tweet that violated Twitter’s policy on hateful conduct. It read: “Adding the + to LGB gives […]
‘Everything is gone’ for LGBT+ Afghans, says bisexual man who escaped before Taliban took over
Afghanistan wasn’t a welcoming place for LGBT+ people prior to the Taliban takeover that shocked the world – but human rights activists are expecting things to get much worse. The militant group is likely to enforce an extreme interpretation of Sharia law that could see swathes of women and LGBT+ people executed. Mehrshad* is a […]
Will Romania step up anti-LGBTQ legislation like Hungary?
Many Romanians probably do not know what the letters LGBTQ stand for, and this is hardly surprising given that sexual orientation and gender identity have not played a major role in the country’s public debate in recent years. Although a referendum seeking to prevent same-sex marriage from ever being legalized was held in 2018 after […]
World Cup hosts Qatar raise the rainbow flag even as LGBT+ community is forced to live a double life
Degree-educated, bi-lingual and with a well-established career at one of the country’s leading companies, Hamad is, to all appearances, the very epitome of modern-day, outward-looking Qatar. But he harbours a secret, one which he says he has no choice but to keep hidden at all times; Hamad is gay – in a country where homosexuality […]
How to Help Queer Afghans Right Now
As images of Taliban forces regaining control of Afghanistan circulate across social media, many can’t help but think about the future of the country’s LGBT population. Same-sex sexual activity was already outlawed in the country and even punishable by death. But the Taliban’s stricter rule over Afghan citizens has left many fearing the worst, especially […]
The Nonbinary Chinese Fighting to Live Their Truth
Chao Xiaomi cut quite a figure as she strutted down an alley near the Forbidden City in the brilliant May sunshine. The 38-year-old was dressed to kill in a tight-fitting purple cheongsam, matching nails, and a jade bracelet. But many locals’ eyes were drawn to something else: her bushy black beard. Several passersby gaped and […]
Scotland’s LGBT community is frightened by the current anti-trans obsession
I NEVER picked a “side” – I was born this way. Common decency would argue that a group of people put into the continuous, never-ending, daily cycle of defending their existence should not be simply classed as a “side”. For many of us, this “side” was never a choice. However, undermining LGBT+ rights and inclusion […]
‘Born gay in the Soviet Union, living gay in Russia’
In recent years, there has been a growing number of artistic ventures about the lives of LGBTQ+ people in Russia. One of them is the art project PASHA. Though he doesn’t reveal his real name or the details of his biography, the artist behind the project regularly publishes new works on Instagram under the handle […]
President Museveni Refuses To Sign Homophobic Law
The LGBTIQ community in Uganda has today caught a break after President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni returned the notorious Sexual Offences Bill back to the floor of Uganda parliament for reconsideration saying all the crimes that would be punishable under the law are already provided for under the Penal Code Act. While chairing plenary within parliament […]
49ers expand LGBTQ outreach, DT Maurice Hurst shares love for his gay friends
As the San Francisco 49ers held a special Diversity & Inclusion Day at training camp last Thursday — inviting members of the LGBTQ fan group 49ers Pride to attend the team’s Community Corner — newly acquired DT Maurice Hurst opened up about his support for LGBTQ people, including the possibility of having a gay teammate. […]
Moderna starts human trials for its revolutionary HIV vaccine this week
This week, the biotech company Moderna will start human trials for its HIV vaccine. Its HIV vaccine will be the first of its kind to use messenger RNA (mRNA), an approach that Moderna used in its effective COVID-19 vaccine. The clinical trials will start on August 19 and end sometime around spring 2023, according to […]
Men hurt in homophobic attack at Birmingham’s Gay Village
Two men have been attacked with bottles and had homophobic abuse shouted at them in Birmingham, police have said. Rob and Patrick, in their 30s, were outside the Missing Bar in the city’s Gay Village on Sunday. West Midlands Police said the abuse came from a group of four men in a black SUV, who […]
Turkish LGBTQ Activists Counter Oppression With Art, Solidarity and Radical Hope
Activism came to Hazar Kolancalı like a thunderstorm, at first a rumbling in the distance and then upon her all at once. The constant — and often violent — oppression of LGBTQI+ people in Turkey, a country that is increasingly hostile toward them, manifested suddenly for Kolancalı in a brutal arrest at the hands of […]
Classroom workshops offer support to LGBTQ youth in rural Quebec Social Sharing
A new project launched by the Association for New Canadians is working to create a safe and welcoming environment for LGBTQ immigrants and refugees coming into Newfoundland and Labrador. The association is working with the Rainbow Refugees Association of Nova Scotia to create Welcome Rainbow, which will develop training for staff and orientation sessions for […]
Sarajevo’s Pride Parade Calls For More Rights for LGBT Community
Sarajevo’s second-ever Pride parade as well as a counter-protest organised by a hardliner Muslim political campaign group ended peacefully on Saturday. “Aware of discrimination, violence and hate speech, we resist and we are clearly saying that it is enough! After two years, we are here again, but this time in a pandemic that has hit […]
Bucharest gay pride march resumes after coronavirus pause
Several thousand LGBT supporters took to the streets in the Romanian capital of Bucharest Saturday for a gay pride parade that resumed after a year’s pause due to the pandemic. Marchers young and old walked through the capital’s streets, with many waving colorful flags and blowing whistles. Teodora Ion-Rotaru, executive director of ACCEPT Association, an […]
92% Of LGBT Adults Have Received At Least One COVID-19 Vaccine Shot
LGBT adults have nearly universally adopted the COVID-19 vaccine. According to a report released Thursday by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the education arm of the nation’s largest LGBT rights advocate, 92 percent of LGBT adults surveyed in the United States have received at least one vaccination for COVID-19. The rate of adoption within […]
Kids in this country can ‘explore gender’ in school without parental consent
Children as young as four can “explore their gender” without parental consent in some parts of the UK. New guidance in Scotland has said schoolkids should be supported in using a different gender if they want. It may mean using a new name – including in school systems – pronouns, dressing differently, or using the […]
LGBTQ stars grabbed spotlight at Olympics, but Japanese athletes remained hidden
If LGBTQ athletes at the Tokyo Olympics were their own country, they would have been in the top 10 on the medal table. Around 180 athletes at the event were openly LGBTQ, making it the queerest modern Olympics to date. The hypothetical team finished the Olympics ranked seventh in the world with 32 total medals. […]
Taiwan-Macau gay couple wed after landmark legal win
A Taiwanese-Macanese gay couple tied the knot in Taipei on Friday after winning a landmark legal case as they called for the island to amend its laws to allow same-sex unions with all foreigners. Taiwan is at the vanguard of the burgeoning LGBTQ rights movement in Asia and became the first place in the region […]
Rom-com between boys is now a series
AFTER premiering and gaining recognition as 2nd Best Picture at the 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival, the boys’ love movie, The Boy Foretold by the Stars, transfers to the small screen as a six-episode series titled Love Beneath the Stars on iWantTFC. As their love story continues on the series, senior high school students Dominic […]
LGBTQ Adults Are Facing Hunger At Almost Twice The Rate As Others, New Data Shows
LGBT adults living in the U.S. are nearly twice as likely to be experiencing food insecurity during the pandemic than non-LGBT adults, according to new survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Of the more than 64,000 people who responded to the bureau’s latest Household Pulse Survey, just over 13% of LGBT adults reported living […]