Firebrand Islamic Cleric Rizieq Shihab Arrested By Police For Holding Mass Gatherings In Violation Of Covid-19 Protocols
Rizieq Shihab, the radical Islamic cleric and leader of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI)in Indonesia, was arrested by Jaon Saturday after undergoing questioning in a case pertaining to the alleged breaching of COVID-19 restrictions by holding a series of sermons with tens of thousands of followers, The Jakarta Post reported. Rizieq Shihab will be detained […]
The hashtag that grew the most on Twitter this year is “#transrightsarehumanrights”
J.K. Rowling recently said that she believes people agree with her transphobic opinions, but they’re just “afraid to speak up” on them. “Many are afraid to speak up because they fear for their jobs and even for their personal safety… this climate of fear serves nobody well, least of all trans people,” she claimed. Well, […]
‘Some people have two daddies’: The campaigners fighting for schoolkids to know it’s OK to grow up gay
In September, it became compulsory for schools across England to teach LGBT-inclusive lessons as part of the curriculum. Pupils in secondary schools will now learn about sexual orientation and gender identity while primary schools will share an awareness of different families, such as those with same-sex parents. While the news has been a long time […]
Canada’s police chiefs apologize for opposition to decriminalize homosexuality
The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) has apologized for its historical mistreatment of LGBTQ communities in Canada. In a video message CACP president Bryan Larkin, who is Chief of the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS), noted that the association publicly opposed changes to the Criminal Code in the late 1960s that decriminalized homosexuality. […]
Bolivia approves first same-sex union following legal battle
Bolivia’s civil registry authorized for the first time a same sex civil union following a two-year legal battle, a decision activists in the Andean nation hope will pave the way for an overhaul of the country’s marriage laws. David Aruquipa, a 48-year-old businessman, and Guido Montaño, a 45-year-old lawyer, were initially denied the right to […]
Mexico’s senior Catholic leader backs civil unions for gay couples
The Mexican Catholic Church’s highest-ranking bishop agrees with recent comments by Pope Francis in support of legal protections offered by civil unions for gay couples, the prelate told Reuters, stressing that no family member should ever be rejected. Mexico is the second-biggest Catholic country after Brazil with around 80% of its nearly 130 million people […]
Turkish court postpones trial of 19 Pride attendees, infringing their right to fair judicial process
During the hearing, all the defendants gave testimonies explaining how this trial is a cloud over their heads which negatively impacts their everyday lives. The trial has lasted one and a half years so far, and has affected them personally, academically, and professionally. This further postponement to 30 April 2021 means that the defendants will […]
FOCUS: Genderless uniforms spread in Japan as LGBT students gain notice
A growing number of Japanese prefectural high schools are relaxing or scrapping gender codes for uniforms to meet the needs of transgender and other sexual-minority students, with around a third of prefectures taking such steps in response to an Education Ministry request five years ago. To win broad acceptance, meanwhile, many are pitching the changes […]
“Kill Them, They Are Sodomites” – Police Violence Against LGBT People in Tunisia
On October 6, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists in Tunisia raised their voices and banners in the street, amid the hundreds of demonstrators who were peacefully protesting a draft law that would drastically limit criminal accountability for the use of force by the security forces. By a cruel irony, police attacked the demonstrators, […]
Still battles to be won, 50 years on from Highbury Fields gay rights demo
THE first gay rights protest in the UK has been celebrated 50 years on at an event in Highbury Fields. The park in Islington was a popular cruising spot in 1970 when Louis Eaks, a Young Liberals member, was arrested by undercover policemen for “importuning for an immoral purpose”. In protest at his treatment by […]
FACTBOX – As Bhutan scraps gay sex ban, what pro-LGBT+ steps have others taken?
NEW DELHI, Dec 10 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – As countries around the world move to dismantle often centuries-old laws banning gay sex, Bhutan has become the latest nation to take steps to ease restrictions on same-sex relationships. The tiny Himalayan kingdom cleared an amendment bill repealing two sections of the penal code that criminalised “unnatural […]
In Indonesia, gay ex-cop takes work battle to court
The first gay Indonesian policeman to sue the conservative country’s police force for wrongful dismissal due to sexual orientation was back in court this week, determined to be reinstated. Tri Teguh Pujianto, a 31-year-old former police brigadier was fired in 2018 after 10 years on the job when police in a different town apprehended him […]
Power Up: LGBTQ+ Caucus wants to see more representation in a Biden administration
President-elect Joe Biden has pledged the “most diverse” Cabinet in U.S. history. But the congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus released a letter last night expressing concern that LGBTQ+ representation is insufficient at the highest levels of American government. “While your administration is on track to be the most diverse in American history, we ask that you […]
North American companies pledge to mentor LGBT+ refugees
Nearly two dozen North American companies have signed up to mentor LGBT+ refugees, preparing them to find jobs while overcoming obstacles like discrimination in their new homelands, organizers said on Tuesday. The companies will help with resume writing, cover letter reviews and interview skills, said the Tent Partnership for Refugees, a non-profit that mobilises global […]
Qatar to allow Pride flags during 2022 World Cup – but will still lock up gay men for having sex
Qatar will allow Pride flags to be flown at the 2022 World Cup – but the starkly homophobic country will still expect visitors to respect its “culture”. There was outcry from LGBT+ football fans in 2010 when it was announced that Qatar would host the 2022 World Cup, despite the country’s harsh laws. Homosexuality is […]
Surprise ‘Gold’ Rush Hurtles Right-Wing Party Into Thick Of Romanian Politics
The support that propelled Romania’s little-known, right-wing AUR party into parliament in its inaugural national race may have shocked many, including the more established parties of an ex-president and former prime minister that fell short. But close followers of Romanian society say the warnings were evident ahead of the December 6 elections — from unprecedented […]
Gay French minister to visit ‘LGBT-free zone’ in Poland
French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune told a magazine to be published Wednesday that he is gay and plans to visit a so-called LGBT-free zone in Poland to support local activists. Beaune told French magazine Tetu in an interview that he would travel to Poland at the start of next year to “support one of […]
Civil partnership conversion for landmark gay couple
Chris and Henry Flanagan-Kane were the first gay men in the UK to get a civil partnership back in 2005. But they were left in a legal limbo when the laws were changed to allow same-sex couples to get married in NI. Those already in civil partnerships were denied the retrospective right to marriage, sparking […]
U.S. Supreme Court rejects challenge to transgender student accommodations
(Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday preserved an Oregon public school district’s policy of accommodating transgender students, rejecting an appeal challenging a policy that let students use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond to their gender identity. The justices left in place a lower court ruling that threw out a lawsuit against Dallas […]
China’s transgender people too scared to come out like Elliot Page – ‘You become a freak’
When Juno star Elliot Page, known as Ellen Page until December, came out as transgender, his social media pages were instantly filled with blessings and love from actors, musicians and other celebrities. “Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot,” the Oscar-nominated […]
OMSA Conducts Albania’s Very First LGBTI Equality Training With Youth Political Forums
According to survey results from members of Youth Political Forums, parties are still not ready to welcome LGBTI members in their ranks and they believe they will lose voters if they have LGBTI members. These were the findings of a survey conducted on the individuals following training with the youth members of political parties by […]
Joe Biden makes pledge to lead the “most pro-equality administration in history” of America
In brief remarks at the International LGBTQ Leaders Conference, President-elect Joe Biden told listeners that he is “committed” to making an LGBTQ-affirming administration along with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Citing the record number of out LGBTQ elected officials in this election cycle, the President-elect remarked that “it’s an honor to be an ally, and have […]
No one can stop anti-gay therapy in Florida — for now. How LGBTQ advocates are rethinking their battle strategy.
Gay rights and mental health advocates in South Florida are trying to come up with new ways to fight conversion therapy, the practice of mental health counseling aimed at “curing” teenagers with unwanted feelings of homosexuality or questions about their gender identity. Reeling from a recent federal ruling that cleared the way for psychologists in […]
CHRISTIAN LOBBY TARGETS VICTORIA’S BILL BANNING CONVERSION PRACTICES
The Australian Christian Lobby has a new target – the Victorian government’s proposed law against conversion practices that seek to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The Lobby has termed the Change And Suppression (Conversion) Prohibition Bill, introduced last month in the Victorian Parliament, as the “most dangerous and draconian bill we have […]
British High Court bans gender transitions for children
Children under the age of 16 are unlikely to give “informed consent” to take puberty blockers to begin their gender transition process. This is according to the British High Court via a landmark ruling. The case decided by the court was filed against the Tavistock Centre, England’s only youth gender identity clinic, and Portman NHS […]
‘A Butterfly With My Wings Cut Off’: A Transgender Asylum Seeker’s Quest to Come to California
When she turned 15, like so many girls in her town in Guatemala, Luna Guzmán celebrated with a quinceañera. “My friend lent me the dress because she saw the way I used to cry every time we passed the dress shop on the way to school, with all those beautiful dresses,” she said in Spanish. […]
Swiss upper house votes in favour of gay marriage
This week, The Council of States, Switzerland’s upper house, voted in favour of a project to allow gay marriage in Switzerland. 27 members voted for the plan, 15 against and 7 abstained. The result follows a successful parliamentary vote on the subject and is the culmination of a 7-year campaign to achieve full marriage rights […]
‘Highest ranks’ of Polish government are putting LGBT+ lives at risk, says top European human rights commissioner
In a memorandum on the stigmatisation of LGBT+ people in Poland published Thursday (3 December), Council of Europe commissioner for human rights Dunja Mijatovic criticised authorities in Poland for the appalling treatment of queer people in the country. Mijatovic’s 16-page report noted that stigmatisation of LGBT+ people in Poland is a “long-standing problem”, but said […]
LGBT+ groups see surge in calls after UK court ruling on trans teens
British LGBT+ groups have received a surge in calls and emails from transgender children and their parents following a court ruling this week that will force doctors to get a judge’s approval before prescribing puberty-blocking drugs to under-16s. The High Court ruled on Tuesday that it was unlikely that children under 16 could give informed […]
LGBT-friendly companies outperform in the stock market, Credit Suisse says
Companies more tolerant of differences in sexuality and gender identity have seen a stock-price boost as well, according to an analysis from Credit Suisse. The investment bank put together a list of what it calls the LGBT-350. There are companies either with openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender senior managers and/or are voted LGBT+ inclusive […]