Transgender US veterans sue VA for access to gender-affirming surgery in medical benefits
The Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA) filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday against the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), in which they are asking the VA to provide gender-affirming medical care to transgender veterans. Filed in the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the lawsuit comes months after a demand letter was […]
Jardín de las Mariposas: A Safe Space for Queer Migrants in Tijuana
Hola Friends! Before we close this season and take a little break, we wanted to leave you with the story of Jardín de las Mariposas, a shelter in Tijuana exclusively for queer migrants. This shelter has impacted the lives of thousands of queer folks who are fleeing violence and face discrimination in their land of […]
Quebec issues first X gender drivers’ license
Quebec has finally issued its first drivers’ license with an X gender marker, after years of advocacy and legal action by queer activists—but it could be years before any more are issued. Arwyn Jordan Regimbal received their new drivers’ license last week, making the 23-year-old the first—and only—person to have the X gender marker on […]
Kenyan health workers on alert over US funding for HIV/AIDS fight
NAKURU, Kenya, Jan 22 (Openly) – When Minne Gachau’s husband died from AIDS-related complications in 2006, she was still in denial about being HIV-positive herself – too scared to confide in friends and relatives in her home in Nakuru, a city in Kenya’s Rift Valley. It was only after the couple’s young son also tested positive […]
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas taking legal action against World Aquatics
The US swimmer Lia Thomas, who rose to global prominence by becoming the first transgender athlete to win a NCAA college title, is taking legal action in a bid to compete again in elite female sport – including the Olympics. Thomas has not swum since World Aquatics introduced new rules in 2022, which prohibit anyone […]
Amid global disputes over LGBT rights, Uganda takes Non-Aligned Movement chair
Facing stiff criticism from Western countries for its harsh new anti-gay law, Uganda has taken on a three-year chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), a global body of 120 countries. That honor eases the pressure on the country’s global public image, which has suffered since the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 came into force. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni took advantage of […]
Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ at much higher rates than older Americans, report shows
Nearly a third, or 28%, of Gen Z adults in the United States identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, a larger share than older generations, according to a new report by PRRI, a nonprofit that conducts research on religion, values and public policy. The report, titled “A political and cultural glimpse into America’s future,” […]
Zuma under fire for remarks about ‘anti-democratic’ same-sex laws
Gender rights groups have warned politicians not to exploit the rights of minority groups for “cheap political gain”. This follows comments made by former president Jacob Zuma regarding same-sex marriages at a rally of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party in Pietermaritzburg earlier this month. The Sunday Times reported that Zuma had told the MK Party gathering that he had […]
Over 75 % Of Young Queer Australians Face Abuse From Parents, Authority Figures: Study
A recent study on the prevalence of domestic violence has unveiled concerning findings about the experiences of maltreatment among LGBTQI Australians. Trigger Warning: This story discusses abuse faced by young LGBTQI people and child sexual abuse, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 […]
Rights group call on Meta to step up LGBT+ protections in MENA region
A coalition of rights groups launched a campaign – #SecureOurSocials – on Tuesday, 23 January, calling on social media giant Meta to strengthen protections for LGBT+ people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), citing past persecution of LGBT+ users in the region. The coalition, which included Human Rights Watch (HRW), Helem and the Social Media Exchange, asked Meta […]
More than 210,000 Latinx LGBT immigrants live in California
Nearly two-thirds of Latinx LGBT immigrants without Green Cards live in poverty. A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that there are 211,000 Latinx LGBT immigrants in California, including 68,800 who do not have Green Cards. An estimated 85% of immigrants without Green Cards are undocumented. The majority of Latinx […]
Jacob Zuma vows to reverse same-sex marriage rights in South Africa
Disgraced former President Jacob Zuma has raised alarms within the LGBTIQ+ community by seemingly spearheading a campaign to undermine the hard-won rights of same-sex couples in South Africa. A recent report by the Sunday Times shed light on Zuma’s remarks during a campaign rally in Pietermaritzburg earlier this month, where he addressed over 3,000 supporters […]
World Health Organization Named Former Prostitute, ‘Genderf**king’ Theorist To Transgender Health Expert Board
The World Health Organization (WHO) established an expert advisory group on transgender health, seeking guidance from a transgender former prostitute who called the line of work “empowering” and an academic attempting to popularize “genderf**king” as a critical legal theory. The WHO’s Guidelines Development Group on the Health of Trans and Gender Diverse People was established […]
LGBT group: Estonia takes huge step with marriage equality
For decades, same-sex Estonian couples could only register as co-habitants or domestic partners. As of 2024, they have the same right to marry as heterosexual couples. Minister for Social Protection Signe Riisalo underlined that the new law “ends years of legal confusion and ensures a sense of security,” as Estonia becomes the first post-Soviet state […]
Hungary PM says ‘no money in the world’ would make him accept LGBTQ+ ‘propaganda’
Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orbán has claimed that ‘no money in the world’ would make him accept LGBTQ+ “propaganda” after the EU froze funding to the country in 2022. In 2021, Hungary passed a law banning discussion of LGBTQ+ people in schools and in the media, similar to Russia’s cruel “anti-propaganda” bill. Since then, the […]
In Italy, non-biological parents in same-sex couples may be removed from birth certificates
The children of dozens of same-sex couples in Italy could see the name of their non-biological parent removed from their birth certificates, an ongoing trial may soon rule. Last June, a state prosecutor in Padua, northern Italy, demanded the cancellation of 33 birth certificates issued to the children of same-sex couples in the city since […]
Non-binary NYC marathon winner loses out on prize money just months after fighting to compete
Non-binary marathon runner Cal Calamia made headlines last year when they became the first winner of the New York City Marathon’s non-binary division – but he’s still waiting on the prize money. It hasn’t been an easy road to victory for Cal Calamia, 27, who has already contributed to efforts to introduce non-binary categories in […]
Rainbow Labor’s Stall At Midsumma Carnival Targeted
The Labor Party’s LGBTQI group Rainbow Labor’s stall at the Midsumma Carnival was targeted on Sunday by a few protesters, who allegedly damaged some items, shouted slogans and ran off with a tablecloth. Thousands gathered at Alexandra Gardens in the heart of Melbourne CBD to kick off the city’s month-long Pride festivities with the Midsumma […]
Challenge to University of Ghana: Put an end to anti-gay attacks
Human rights groups are pushing the University of Ghana to take stronger action in response to a widely publicized anti-gay attack that occurred on a university campus targeting a young man who was believed to be homosexual. During the Jan. 14 incident at the Legon campus outside the capital city of Accra, “a young man, […]
Ohio is poised to become the 2nd state to restrict gender-affirming care for adults
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced proposals this month that transgender advocates say could block access to gender-affirming care provided by independent clinics and general practitioners, leaving thousands of adults scrambling for treatment and facing health risks. Ashton Colby, 31, fears the clinic where he gets the testosterone he has taken since age 19 would no longer […]
Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Law could pose major threat to HIV prevention
Uganda’s heavily criticised Anti-Homosexuality Act could pose a major threat to the country’s efforts to prevent the spread of HIV. When the Anti-Homosexuality Act was enacted last year, the immediate dangers were obvious. The law directly put LGBTQ+ people in danger by criminalising consensual same-sex relations. It also puts allies in danger by punishing anyone who “knowingly […]
Burundi: President accused of stoking anti-LGBTIQ+ hate
Burundi’s President, Évariste Ndayishimiye, has come under sharp criticism from Human Rights Watch, the US and the EU for expressing support for the public execution of LGBTIQ+ individuals. His controversial comments were made during a press conference on December 29, in response to questions about Western nations pressuring African countries to uphold LGBTIQ+ rights. He declared, “For me, […]
“Institutional prejudice” What the full text of the Russian Supreme Court judgement labelling the LGBT movement ‘extremist’ tells us”
In November, Russia’s Supreme Court ruled the “international LGBT movement” to be an extremist organisation, effectively outlawing LGBT activism in the country and placing anyone the authorities deem to be part of the movement at risk of prosecution. That ruling didn’t come out of nowhere, however. A decade-old law banning the dissemination of so-called “gay […]
Social media platforms are banning content promoting conversion therapy
Spoutible, an emerging social media platform launched last February as an alternative to X, has joined a growing number of platforms that have banned content promoting so-called “conversion therapy.” According to The Advocate, the platform’s founder, Christopher Bouzy, confirmed that the ban was implemented last week. On its website, Spoutible specifically touts its commitment to […]
‘You will not replace us’: a deadly attack on a Slovakian gay bar – and its link to a fast-spreading racist ideology
The October evening was warm and sunny. At about 7pm, two young men stepped out of the Tepláreň bar on Zámocká Street in the centre of Bratislava, to sit on a concrete bench and drink lemonade. Matúš, 23, had just arrived in the Slovakian capital to study Chinese. His 26-year-old friend worked in a local […]
Gay Saudi slams Jordan Henderson LGBTQ+ apology: ‘He needs to pay reparations’
An LGBTQ+ Saudi activist has slammed Jordan Henderson over his lukewarm apology to queer fans and called on the footballer to “pay reparations” to the community. Speaking exclusively with the i, Wajeeh Lion – who describes himself as the first openly queer Saudi – said: “If he actually wants to fix his image, he needs […]
In Brazil, murders of transvestites and trans people led crimes against the LGTBI population in 2023
At least 257 people from the LGTBI population were murdered in Brazil last year, of which 49.42% of the victims belonged to transvestite and transgender groups, according to the annual report of the NGO Grupo Gay Bahia, released this Saturday. During the year 2023, the NGO registered in the South American giant a total of […]
Russia’s Internal Affairs Ministry has reportedly begun calling transgender people in for questioning
Russia’s Internal Affairs Ministry has begun calling transgender people in for questioning in St. Petersburg and the Arkhangelsk region, reports human rights organization Sphere. Police officers are demanding trans people explain how they obtained medical certificates confirming their gender reassignment. According to Sphere, the ministry sent summonses to two people in the Arkhangelsk region and […]
‘The IDF is one of the most progressive militaries for LGBT individuals’
Activists in the gay community agree that the IDF has undergone an inspiring evolution, in terms of its ability to accept and allow fair conditions for LGBT soldiers, but the actual situation is still not perfect, and regular and reserve soldiers report they confront LGBT-phobic rhetoric. A new conference called “LGBT in Battle” will discuss […]
NSW Government Orders Review Into Hate Speech Law
The NSW government on Friday ordered a review into the state’s hate crime laws. Chairperson of the NSW Law Reform Commission and former Chief Justice of the NSW Supreme Court Tom Bathurst AC KC has been appointed to conduct the review into the effectiveness of section 93Z of the Crimes Act 1900. The NSW government […]