Kenya: It’s a Tough Life for Little-Understood Intersex People
Few choices would be harder to make than coming round to accept that you are neither male nor female. Add to this the fact not much is known in the Kenyan society about the intersex people, who have both male or female features. The dilemma is even more pronounced for parents and caregivers, who are […]
How violence and abuse drove a transgender migrant back to Pakistan
Romesa Ahmed, a transgender woman from Pakistan, tells the story of her failed attempt to flee to Europe. Shunned by her family, raped and tortured by those meant to help her, Romesa’s journey shows the particular hardship suffered by transgender people.
German Catholic Leaders Support Blessings for Gay Couples, Challenging Pope Francis
German Catholic bishops and lay leaders on Friday called for their church to bless same-sex relationships, challenging a Vatican ban on the practice. The move raised pressure on Pope Francis to respond to the Germans’ progressive drive, which conservatives have warned could split the world-wide church.
Hungarian LGBTQ Activist Among Time’s 100 Most Influential
An academic and LGBT activist in Hungary is among the word’s 100 most influential people, according to Time magazine, for her work on a children’s book that set in motion a debate over human rights in the Central European country. “It’s an honor. Obviously, it feels really rewarding to be one of these amazing 100 […]
UCLA Study Suggests Nearly Half of LGBT Renters Behind on Rent Fear Eviction Within 2 Months
According to a recent UCLA study, nearly half of the LGBT renters in the United States who are behind on their payments fear the worst: eviction. In as quick as two months, LGBT renters fear they could be displaced, according to research released by the University of California-Los Angeles. Examining housing stability during the coronavirus pandemic, a […]
Swiss vote highlights Europe’s east-west divide on gay marriage
After Swiss voters overwhelmingly backed same-sex marriage in a referendum on Sunday, LGBT groups in the country hailed a “historic day” for Switzerland. But the Swiss vote also marks a turning point for LGBT rights in Europe: all of Western Europe, except Italy, is now allowing gay and lesbian couples to wed. Meanwhile, in Central and Eastern […]
Russia Proposes ‘Extremist’ Label for LGBT, Feminist, Child-Free Movements
Russia’s LGBT, radical feminist and child-free groups should be recognized as “extremist,” the chairman of an influential government commission said Wednesday. “LGBT ideology, radical feminism and child-free movements should be recognized as extremism — an extremist ideology,” the state-run TASS news agency cited Andrei Tsyganov, chairman of a commission for the protection of children at […]
Evangelicals push for new bishop after Church in Wales allows pastors to bless gay marriages
Evangelicals who hold to traditional Christian teaching on sexuality and marriage are pushing for a new bishop to be appointed in the Church in Wales following the results of the church’s governing body’s early September vote to allow pastors to bless same-sex marriages. The Church in Wales, composed of six Anglican dioceses in the United […]
Grilling politicians on who has a cervix isn’t journalism – it’s toxic, transphobic theatre
Labour MP Emily Thornberry has expertly demonstrated how the question “do only women have a cervix” should be answered without feeding into a toxic debate. The reductive question has become the centre of political discussion since Labour leader Keir Starmer said it’s “note right” to say only women have a cervix during an interview with […]
LGBTQ students targeted, face crackdown in China
In a series of crackdowns that included big tech firms, entertainment stars, business magnets, China is now targeting the LGBTQ community. Fabien Baussart, writing in The Times of Israel said that China’s communist government is coming down heavily on the LGBTQ community, initiating measures to keep them under constant surveillance in a university and instructing […]
Japan’s new prime minister could herald a ‘historic moment’ for LGBT+ rights
Japan is about to get a new prime minister – and two candidates in particular have the potential to transform LGBT+ rights, including same-sex marriage. After the current Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga decided to step down a year into his term, his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is set to choose a successor on Wednesday […]
LGBTI citizens on edge in West Africa (Part 2: Guinea after the coup)
The coup in Guinea came in early September, only a few months after a military junta seized power in neighboring Mali. That turmoil added new challenges for LGBTI citizens in those nations and in neighboring Senegal. To gauge the effects of those events, journalist Moïse Manoel interviewed LGBTI rights activists in three French-speaking countries — […]
Hundreds of Texas Students Walk Out of School Over Anti-LGBT Discrimination
Hundreds of students walked out of a Texas high school on Wednesday, claiming discrimination against queer students and teachers. Many of those protesting at MacArthur High School in Irving wore heart-shaped rainbow stickers on their faces — symbols of solidarity with LGBTQ students that were suddenly taken down from many teachers’ doors and windows. Texas […]
Three Polish regions repeal ‘LGBT-free zone’ declarations
WARSAW -Three Polish regional councils voted on Monday to repeal motions declaring their provinces “LGBT-free zones,” state-run news agency PAP reported, after the European Union threatened to withdraw funding. Numerous local authorities in Poland declared themselves free of “LGBT ideology” in 2019, part of a conflict in the predominantly Catholic country between liberals and religious […]
Bisexual foundation leader blames pansexuals for conversion therapy
Ian Lawrence-Tourinho, the executive director of the American Institute of Bisexuality (AIB) which oversees the website Bi.org and publication Queer Majority, is receiving criticism for claiming that “pansexuality gave us conversion therapy,” suggesting that abusive practices used to turn queer people heterosexual only began to exist because people began identifying as pansexual. He made the […]
Risks multiply for LGBTI citizens of West Africa. (Part 1: Senegal)
In West Africa, military juntas have seized power in Mali (May 24) and in Guinea (Sept. 5) — events that added new challenges for LGBTI citizens in those nations and in neighboring Senegal. The resulting erasion of democracy and weakening of civil society have added to the risks faced by sexual minorities already endangered by […]
Sajid Javid condemned for saying it’s a ‘scientific fact’ that only women have cervixes
Health secretary Sajid Javid is facing strident backlash after he said it was a “scientific fact” that only women have cervixes. Javid made his comments after Labour leader Keir Starmer touched on the subject in an interview with Andrew Marr on BBC One. In that interview, Keir Starmer was grilled on comments made by Canterbury MP Rosie […]
Penang Mufti: Transgender people should change appearance before entering mosques, surau
GEORGE TOWN (Bernama): “Mukhannath” or transgender individuals should change their appearance if they want to be in mosques or surau, says Penang Mufti Datuk Seri Dr Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor. He said this is so that they do not look odd and avoid uncomfortable feelings among other worshippers, adding that there is no other […]
Liz Cheney: `I was wrong’ in opposing gay marriage in past
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Liz Cheney says she was wrong to oppose gay marriage in the past, a stand that once split her family. Cheney, R-Wyo., a fierce critic of fellow Republican Donald Trump, also tells CBS News’ “60 Minutes” that she views her reelection campaign as the most important House race in the nation […]
Kenya bans film for ‘advocating same-sex marriage’
Kenya’s Film Classification Board (KFCB) has banned a documentary about two gay lovers. The film, I Am Samuel, is a movie about the romantic relationship between two men who live in Nairobi. In a statement on Twitter, the board’s head, Christopher Wambua said the documentary “propagates values that are in dissonance with our constitution, culture, […]
Swiss vote overwhelmingly for same-sex marriage, according to poll
Swiss voters have decided by a clear margin to allow same-sex couples to marry, in a referendum that brings the Alpine nation into line with many others in western Europe. Official results showed the measure passed with 64.1% of voters in favour and won a majority in all of Switzerland’s 26 cantons. Switzerland’s parliament and […]
China’s Crackdown Has a Straight Eye for the Queer Guy
China officially has a “male feminization” problem. That’s not some throwaway line or social media meme. It’s actual policy from the nation’s education ministry, which plans to strengthen physical education for the nation’s adolescent boys to combat the phenomenon. Beijing’s rewriting of social norms doesn’t end there, and will continue for years as President Xi […]
Conflict deepening between Seoul gov’t, LGBT festival organizers
A conflict is deepening between the Seoul Metropolitan Government and organizers of the annual Seoul Queer Culture Festival (SQCF), following the city government’s recent decision to reject the latter’s application to be registered as a non-profit organization. The Seoul Queer Culture Festival (SQCF) Organizing Committee, consisting of members of the LGBTQ community and their allies, […]
Will the Swiss vote for gay marriage in Sunday’s referendum?
Twenty years after the Netherlands became the first in Europe to legalise same-sex marriage, Switzerland is among the last Western European countries where it is still outlawed. But that may change after a national referendum on Sunday (September 26) when the wealthy Alpine nation will vote on whether to allow gay and lesbian couples to […]
The AP Interview: Hungary committed to contentious LGBT law
The right-wing populist government in Hungary is attracting conservative thinkers from the United States who admire its approaches to migration, LGBT issues and national sovereignty — all matters that have put the country at odds with its European partners, who see not a conservative haven but a worrying erosion of democratic institutions on multiple fronts. […]
Govt mulls banning transgender individuals from entering mosques in FT
The government is looking into emulating Perlis in banning “mukhannath” or transgender individuals from entering mosques in the Federal Territories. Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary said the action of the religious authorities in Perlis was appropriate to maintain the sanctity of the mosques and avoid confusion among […]
Scotland becomes first country in world to embed LGBT education in school curriculum
All school staff will be given a basic awareness e-learning course on LGBT inclusive education and a toolkit of LGBT inclusive education teaching resources. A dedicated website will also be launched with resources for information to support young people. Subjects across age groups will now include LGBT identities, issues and history, focused on promoting equality, […]
LGBT+ conversion therapy thrives even as bans gather pace
LONDON, Sept 15 (Openly) – Doctors once prescribed long, hard bike rides and testicular transplants to cure gay men of their “sexual abnormality”. More than a century on, fear and controversy still dog the secretive world of conversion therapy. From injections to electric shocks, prayer to rape, myriad methods are peddled by medics, counsellors and […]
Progress Continues on 10th Anniversary of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Repeal
Ten years ago this week, the odious policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) came to an end. The law prevented gay people from serving in the military. People who went public with their sexuality were kicked out, no matter how distinguished their service. Enacted in the 1990s, DADT was created to stop witch […]
Transgender people in Puerto Rico say they are invisible in the eyes of the island — and it’s contributing to a culture of violence
While celebrating her 16th birthday at a gay bar in Puerto Rico a few years ago, Lina, a trans woman, said an older man drugged her and attempted to rape her. She then sought out the police to report her experience. “When I turned to the police station, they said, ‘You were in a gay […]