THE STRUGGLE FOR TRANSGENDER RIGHTS CONTINUES WITH TAIWAN’S FIRST LEGAL GENDER CHANGE WITHOUT PROVIDING PROOF OF SURGERY
A variety of events happened this past week with regards to the ongoing struggle for transgender rights in Taiwan, including Taiwan’s first successful legal gender change without submitting proof of surgery, Lisbeth Wu’s second preliminary proceedings, and the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights’ (TAPCPR) second Transgender Film Festival. These gains for transgender rights […]
Ghana’s Anti-Gay Law: God Loves Gays, Let’s Show Them Love- Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has glaringly pooh-poohed the new anti-gay law that has been presented before parliament awaiting passage into law by saying God loves gays too since he created them in his image. He explained his stance on Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana show with Paul Adom Otchere saying; “It’s a very complex issue […]
Biden honors transgender people killed in US: ‘Each of these lives was precious’
Joe Biden issued a statement in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, memorializing the dozens of transgender people who were killed this year in America and saying “each of these lives was precious”. Biden noted that 2021 has been the deadliest year on record for transgender Americans, particularly Black and Latino individuals. A recent study […]
MAN SENTENCED TO SIX AND A HALF YEARS IN PRISON OVER PERTH GAY BASHINGS
A district court in Perth on Friday sentenced a 26-year-old man to six and a half years imprisonment for his role in two separate incidents of bashing and robbing of gay men. Tyler Dean Borinelli had lured the two men – Perth residents Michael Buhle (57) and another man in his 40s, through the gay […]
LGBT bookshop sends 300 Trans history books to MPs across the country
An independent LGBT bookshop has sent hundreds of books about the history of Trans people to MPs across the country – paid for by their own constituents. Queer Lit, an award-winning gay bookshop in Manchester, has packaged up 300 copies of ‘Trans Britain’ and sent it off to members of parliament from all over the […]
New action plans supporting Roma and Egyptians and LGBTI adopted by Albanian government
The adaption of the National Action Plans for Roma and Egyptian minorities (2021-2025) and for the LGBTI community (2021-2027) affirms the Albanian Government’s commitment to further advance the respective agendas in compliance with the European standards and values. The European Union and the Council of Europe supported the respective domestic authorities in carrying out comprehensive […]
LGBT migrants in South Africa: religion can be a blessing, and a curse
The politicisation of religion in Africa is now well documented. It is a strategy used to maintain the idea that heterosexuality is the only natural and normal expression of human desire. What is less often spoken about is the positive role that religion plays in the lives of LGBT Africans, including refugees. Even less attention […]
Biden Nixes Trump Policy Allowing Anti-LGBTQ Discrimination in Foster Care
The Biden administration’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is nixing a Trump-era rule that exempted federally-funded foster care providers from following non-discrimination rules in Michigan, South Carolina, and Texas. In a new policy unveiled on November 18, HHS asserted that the administration would instead revert back to its previous policy of examining religious […]
Statement by Russian and International Human Rights Organizations in Support of Russian LGBT Rights Activists under Attack
We, the undersigned Russian and international human rights organization condemn the escalating attacks against Russian LGBT Network, its leadership and partners. We call on the Russian authorities to cease targeting the largest and most prominent LGBTI rights group in Russia and foster a normal working environment for activists for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, […]
Mauritius: Island nation’s Supreme Court weighs constitutionality of anti-LGBT law
Nov. 16, 2021 — A crucial hearing in a case challenging the constitutionality of Section 250, brought by Abdool Ridwan Firaas Ah Seek, a 31-year-old human rights activist, took place today in the Supreme Court of Mauritius. Mr Ah Seek has been supported in his endeavour by the Collectif Arc-En-Ciel (CAEC), the largest and longest-standing organisation […]
NHS gets green light for game-changing HIV treatment injected just six times a year
Currently, people living with HIV are offered antiretroviral medicines that must be taken every day to suppress the virus – usually one to four daily pills. Effective treatment reduces a person’s viral load – the amount of virus in their blood – to an undetectable level. When the virus is undetectable, it cannot be transmitted, and a […]
French dictionary sparks anger by adding non-binary ‘iel’ pronoun
French dictionary Le Robert has added the “iel” pronoun for non-binary people to its online edition, sparking heated debate in a country where grammar is sacrosanct. Le Robert, one of France’s leading dictionaries, said in a statement it added the “iel” pronoun to its list of words a few weeks ago after its researchers noticed […]
Despite its reformist agenda, Ukraine’s government shows little commitment to LGBT+ rights
In September, thousands of people marched peacefully through the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in the city’s now annual LGBT+ pride parade – a victory of sorts given that previous parades have not always been so peaceful. In 2015, 10 people were injured when they were attacked by homophobic protesters in Kyiv, while in 2020 Odesa Pride […]
Olympics Committee Updates Eligibility Rules For Transgender Athletes
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Aiming to help sports write eligibility rules for transgender athletes, the IOC published advice Tuesday shifting the focus from individual testosterone levels and calling for evidence to prove when a performance advantage existed. No athlete should be excluded from competing based on an “unverified, alleged or perceived unfair competitive advantage due […]
Israeli Blood Drives Drop LGBTQ-friendly Wording Amid Pressure From Religious Groups
Israel’s Magen David Adom blood bank will restore the original wording of its forms for blood donors, after pressure from religious groups over the use of gender-neutral terminology. The questionnaire for donors will once again have the words “father” and “mother” under the boxes that ask where the donor’s parents were born, instead of the […]
India set to appoint its first openly gay judge
India is set to appoint its first openly gay judge. The Supreme Court Collegium recommended that senior advocate Saurabh Kirpal be elevated to the role of judge to the Delhi High Court, which would make history in the country if approved. However, Kirpal has been passed over for the elevation approximately three times since 2017, […]
In 102 anti-trans bills in 7 states, the word ‘transgender’ appears just 7 times. It’s not an accident.
Over three special legislative sessions this year, Texas legislators introduced 47 proposed bills that aimed to restrict transgender kids’ access to sports or gender-affirming care, plus three bills that would block birth certificate updates for minors. The word “transgender” didn’t appear in any of them. Proponents of the bills in Texas, which brought triple the […]
LGBT+ Church of England members stage defiant protest after archbishop of Canterbury’s Ghana apology
A gay canon and other LGBT+ members of the Church of England have staged a demonstration at a meeting of the General Synod to show solidarity with queer Ghanaians. Canon Simon Butler spoke out in defence of Ghana’s embattled LGBT+ community during a debate at the Church of England’s General Synod (its legislative body) on […]
You can’t target LGBT people like they are the source of Ghana’s sexual problems – Prof Prempeh fumes
Executive Director of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, has expressed his utter disgust at the treatment being meted out to members of the LGBTQI+ community. According to him, there are other bigger sexual offences that ought to be dealt with rather than targeting homosexuals. He believes that it will […]
Gay priest and partner make Church in Wales history with ‘rejoiceful’ same-sex blessing
Father Lee Taylor, 44, and his partner Fabiano Da Silva Duarte, 45, received a blessing from the Church in Wales on Saturday (13 November). Father Lee said the service at St Collen’s Church in Llangollen, where he is priest-in-charge, was “a great day of celebration”. He told PinkNews: “It was very important and exciting to […]
Trans Army veteran rejected by multiple nursing homes almost couldn’t find help anywhere
A U.S. Army veteran was rejected by dozens of long-term care facilities, with some even saying that she’s being denied care because she’s transgender. When Lisa Oakley could no longer manage her diabetes on her own, she sought entrance into the long-term facility in her small town of Craig, Colorado. After that facility rejected her, […]
This Manipur Youth Fought Drug Addiction, Built India’s First Transgender Football Team
Stigma, discrimination and a lack of social support and safe spaces for interactions have left queer youth across the world unable to come out or seek help. The situation is no different in the state of Manipur. A conflicted border state, it has other issues that it prioritizes like the citizenship crisis, insurgency, militarization, substance […]
LGBTQ+ youth violently attacked in Jerusalem on way to trans conference
A group of LGBTQ+ youth were violently attacked near the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem on Friday, while they were on their way to a conference on transgender issues being held in Tel Aviv. In a post on Facebook, Tsion Eliash stated that they were walking with their friend towards the bus stations in front of International […]
Josh Cavallo: the world’s only openly gay top-tier men’s footballer
When Adelaide United’s Josh Cavallo sat down to film his announcement to the world that he was coming out as gay, he didn’t know what to expect. He’d told his teammates and coaches and had a positive and supportive reaction, but the result of posting the video on social media was far less predictable. There […]
Virginia’s governor-elect appoints several anti-LGBTQ leaders to transition team
After narrowly winning the Virginia gubernatorial race over a week ago, governor-elect Glenn Youngkin (R) has begun naming officials to his transition team as he prepares to take the oath of office on January 15. Youngkin, who has already declared that he opposes marriage equality, has already chosen numerous anti-LGBTQ conservatives to ceremonial and official […]
Call for asylum for Afghans facing Taliban LGBT kill lists
Just.Equal Australia has urged the Australian Government to provide refuge for LGBTIQA+ Afghans facing persecution under the Taliban regime. The call follows reports from Rainbow Railroad of Taliban LGBT kill lists circulating in Afghanistan. The Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until overthrown by an American invasion following the September 11 attacks. The religious fundamentalists then […]
Zamboanga govenment grants financial aid to LGBT community
THE City Government of Zamboanga rolled out Saturday, November 13, the Local Social Amelioration Program (LSAP) for the members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) amid the health pandemic. Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said the grant of LSAP forms part of the City Government’s program to provide financial assistance to help cushion the […]
It was the deadliest year on record for transgender and non-binary people
This year proved to be the deadliest on record for transgender and nonbinary people, with at least 45 recorded deaths in 2021. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) said at least 45 transgender and gender-nonconforming people have been killed this year, but used the term “at least” as many of these types of incidents go unreported […]
Namibia | Transgender woman wins police abuse case
A transgender woman in Namibia has emerged victorious in her fight for justice after being beaten, kicked and verbally abused by the police. On Friday, the High Court awarded Mercedez von Cloete – who had sued the Minister of Safety and Security in early 2018 – N$50,000 (approximately R50,000) in damages. In the early hours […]
Out in the World: Rainbow Railroad says resettlement has started for some LGBTQ Afghans
Rainbow Railrod announced that the first group of LGBTQ Afghan refugees arrived in the United Kingdom just before Halloween. They are safe, but hundreds more remain unsafe in Afghanistan and safe houses in neighboring countries, the organization said. But security breaches threaten the operation. The first group of 29 LGBTQ Afghans arrived in the United […]