Son of prominent anti-gay Nigerian politician causes internet frenzy by coming out as “Gay AF”
Bolu Okupe is the son of Dr. Doyin Okupe, a physician and politician in Nigeria, where LGBTQ rights are severely limited and same-sex relationships are outlawed. Bolu, currently in Paris, revealed on his Instagram that he is “Gay AF,” posing for photos in Pride-designed shorts while holding the Pride flag. Bolu has been out for […]
Chinese group KLSCAH Women says heavier punishment on LGBT community will spur more violence against them
Heavier punishments to prosecute the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population will only spur more violence and hatred towards the group, The Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) Women said. In a statement, its women’s division chairman Ng Geok Chee called out Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s department (Religious Affairs) Ahmad Marzuk […]
Acclaimed chef, LGBT advocate leads social, culinary change in Hong Kong
May Chow may be the most controversial — and visible — chef in Hong Kong: an acclaimed female restaurateur who is also a symbol of change for women and the LGBTQ community in greater China. But it seems she is just getting started. “I love to visit schools and show women that they can be […]
Doctor hands back medal over Court honour
The fallout from Margaret Court’s controversial Australia Day honour has continued, with a Canberra doctor handing back her own award in protest. Clara Tuck Meng Soo says the decision to award Australia’s highest honour to the outspoken tennis great “promotes discrimination” to LGBTQ people. Court’s appointment as Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in […]
UN: Eastern Caribbean States Called Out Over Anti-LGBT Bias
(Geneva) – Saint Lucia and Saint Kitts and Nevis should decriminalize same-sex relations and adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, Human Rights Watch said today. During the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the two countries’ human rights records on June 19 and 20 at the United Nations Human Rights […]
She Raved About LGBT Lifestyle. Now She’s Been Deported
(NEWSER) – For Kristen Gray, Bali proved to be a dream come true, and the 28-year-old American wanted to share that dream—specifically, how the island is tolerant toward the LGBT community and Black visitors like her, and how others should move there. The Indonesian government, however, didn’t exactly appreciate her amateur ambassadorship. The New York […]
Seoul education office’s push for LGBT students protection faces opposition
Seoul education office’s push to protect LGBT students and eradicate discrimination at schools is facing opposition after the office released its 2021-23 draft plan to protect the human rights of students. In the draft plan, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education included its plan to support and protect minority pupils –- from multicultural to LGBT […]
Biden calls for LGBTQ protections in day-one executive order, angering conservatives
On his first day in office, President Biden issued a sweeping executive order making it clear that gay and transgender people are protected against discrimination in schools, health care, the workplace and other realms of American life. The executive order outlines a broad interpretation of last year’s landmark Supreme Court ruling that gay and transgender […]
Bangladesh’s first trans school ignites hope for acceptance
Riya was given away by her parents when she was five after a short spell at school where she was bullied for being different. Unable to accept that Riya is a hijra, a transgender or an intersex person, her parents abandoned her to a group whose primary means of survival was begging and sex work. […]
Biden to reverse transgender military ban imminently, White House says
President Joe Biden will soon reverse the ban on transgender people serving openly in the military, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Wednesday. While the reversal was not one of the 15 actions the new administration announced it would take Wednesday, Day One of the Biden presidency, Psaki said it would […]
Singapore eatery praised for LGBTQ allyship after homophobic incident in shop
A homophobic incident at a food outlet in Lau Pa Sat has drawn a flock of supporters – including local celebrities – commending the business for taking a stand against hate. Health food kiosk, Smol Singapore, posted an account yesterday of a hostile patron abusing staff over an LGBTQ pride flag which was displayed at […]
‘LGBT community deserves equal protection under the law’
Everyone is protected by the law and there is no room for harassment and threats against anyone regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or nationality. In upholding such principles, Malaysian Bar president Salim Bashir said it welcomed the call by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for tougher laws in Asean countries to […]
Biden appoints Dr. Rachel Levine as assistant secretary of health, a historic first for transgender people
For the first time in history, a transgender person will go before the Senate to be confirmed for a presidential appointment. President-elect Joe Biden has nominated Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine to serve as assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. If approved, Levine would be the first ever Senate-confirmed […]
Hungary’s government orders disclaimers on books with gay content
Hungary’s government, which has made hostility to LGBT people a central part of its right-wing agenda, ordered a publisher on Tuesday to print disclaimers identifying books containing “behaviour inconsistent with traditional gender roles”. The government said the action was needed to protect consumers from being misled, after Labrisz, a Lesbian group, published a fairytale anthology, […]
Romania Slammed for Violating Privacy Rights of Transgender Citizens
Europe’s top rights court held Tuesday that Romania violated the human rights of two transgender men by requiring sex reassignment surgery before recognizing their gender identity. The European Court of Human Rights found that requiring the men to undergo surgery before legally changing their gender violated their right to privacy. “The national courts placed the […]
Pakistan’s transgender people demand respect
Nadra Khan is campaigning for justice after a bank manager rejected her application to open an account. “People make us dance but enjoy bank accounts. The dancers can’t have one. I perform in functions for my bread. I don’t have any other source of income. You have insulted me,” she said in a video posted […]
NHS wins right to appeal cruel High Court puberty blockers ruling that restricts healthcare for trans kids
The Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, which runs GIDS, the only gender clinic for trans youth in England and Wales, said it would appeal the ruling when it lost the judicial review in December 2020. The Tavistock’s appeal has now been granted, it was confirmed Monday (18 January), and will be heard before 22 March, […]
South Asia’s LGBT Muslims turn to social media for support
Shahamat Uddin moved to the United States recently to look for a better future after living in fear for his life as a marginalized gay man in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. The numerous instances of violence and persecution of the LGBT community in Bangladesh shocked Uddin. The murder of Xulhaz Mannan in 2016 was perhaps the most […]
New CA Bill Would Limit Genital Surgeries on Intersex Infants
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A new first-in-the nation bill would limit medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex children in California; that is, on babies born with anatomical differences in their genitalia. Senate Bill 225 would require parents to wait until the child is six years old to have surgeries that would, for example, reduce a clitoris, move […]
Study Details Disparities Impacting Black Queer Americans
Black LGBTQ adults face more health disparities, discrimination, economic woes, and violence than non-LGBTQ Black adults, according to a new study from the Williams Institute at UCLA. The wide-ranging report, which concluded that 1.2 million of the 25 million Black people in the US identify as LGBTQ, found significant disparities in Black queer individuals’ mental […]
Bihar: Transgenders to be recruited into police either through direct appointment or competitive exam, reservations to be provided
The Bihar Police will now recruit people from the transgender community into its ranks after the state home department notified the matter following high-level discussions. According to reports, reservations will also be provided to the transgender community for the posts of constable and inspector with one seat out of 500 being reserved for them. The […]
N. Carolina cities begin passing historic LGBTQ nondiscrimination laws
Three North Carolina municipalities passed discrimination protections for LGBTQ people this past week, shortly after the expiration of a yearslong moratorium on such measures. Hillsborough, Carrboro and Chapel Hill passed ordinances protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people from discrimination in public accommodations and employment on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. They’re the first […]
Being trans in a pandemic
Growing up a trans woman in rural northeastern Thailand for the first 16 years of her life, Minty* was often ridiculed and physically abused by elders in her family and neighbourhood children for her effeminate demeanour, which forced her to run away to an unknown future in Bangkok. Arriving in the capital, she was befriended […]
Boys’ love brings edgy drama to China, and a backlash
For years, Chinese television dramas were the poor cousins of Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese soap operas. A 2018 Chinese remake of the Taiwanese show Meteor Garden is a good example. Following the tensions between a poor girl and four rich boys, the mainland version was unwatchable. A drama about class divisions set in present-day China […]
Improving the Lives and Rights of LGBTQ People in America
The Trump administration spent the majority of its four years in office launching a barrage of attacks infringing on the rights of LGBTQ people, promoting discriminatory policies, and creating barriers to access critical government services. These actions reflect the Trump administration’s blatant disregard for the rights, dignity, and well-being of LGBTQ people, their families, and […]
‘An inspiration’: How Marta’s engagement gave Brazilian LGBT community strength in fight against homophobia
On 4 January, Brazil’s six-time Ballon d’Or winner Marta logged onto Instagram and posted three pictures of herself alongside her partner and Orlando Pride teammate Toni Deion Pressley, who was sporting a new ring. Underneath, Marta wrote: “This is another story of the chapter we are writing.” On her Instagram profile, Pressley posted the same […]
Ugandan president Museveni wins sixth consecutive term after campaign marred by homophobia and violence
On Saturday (16 January) Museveni was once again declared the winner of the presidential election with 58.64 percent of the vote. He has ruled over Uganda since 1986. His main opposition, the former pop star Bobi Wine, was dogged by rumours of homosexuality and funding from “homosexual groups” after Museveni painted him as “an agent […]
Transgender student shares distressing experience of MOE blocking her HRT treatment
Using a throwaway account on reddit/r/SGExams, one transgender student recalled her difficult experience in school, specifically with the Ministry of Education (MOE) allegedly interfering her hormone replacement therapy (HRT) treatment that was prescribed by her doctor after she was diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The student recalled her experience in an all-boys-primary school, describing it as […]
What does the European Commission’s LGBTIQ Equality Strategy mean for CEE?
For most of emerging Europe, LGBTIQ rights and social inclusion remain contentious issues with no clear path forward. Poland and Hungary especially have seen a sharp rise in anti-LGBTIQ rhetoric and policies that have worried many activists and analysts. In November of 2020, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new LGBTIQ Equality […]
California bill would ban intersex surgery for young kids
A California lawmaker is trying again to ban some medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex children until they are at least 6-years-old, hoping a narrower focus combined with new legislative leadership will be enough to get the first-of-its-kind legislation signed into law. State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco, introduced the bill late Thursday […]