EU launches LGBT protection strategy as homophobia rises in east
The European Union’s executive Commission launched its first strategy to protect the rights of LGBT people on Thursday, a challenge to right-wing governments in Poland and Hungary that have become increasingly homophobic in the past year. The Commission said LGBT people were facing growing discrimination in Europe, even as most people in the bloc were […]
Poland to consider outright ban on LGBT+ Pride after bill backed by more than 200,000 homophobes
Poland’s ugly war against LGBT+ people continues with a horrifying new bill that would ban Pride parades throughout the country. The proposed law, entitled “Stop LGBT”, was submitted to parliament on Monday (November 9) by the lobby group Life and Family Foundation. If passed, it would ban Pride parades as well as any other public […]
Clashes at Poland’s Independence Day far-right march
Polish police used tear gas and rubber bullets in clashes with far-right supporters Wednesday during an annual Independence Day march attended by thousands in Warsaw that went ahead despite a ban on public gatherings due to the pandemic. Follow the latest on Election 2020. Many participants turned up in cars and on motorbikes to observe […]
Hungarian government mounts new assault on LGBT rights
Moments before Hungary entered a second coronavirus lockdown on Wednesday, the far-right government signalled its intention to pass a range of new legislation, including to make it harder for opposition political parties to join forces and to change the constitution to enshrine the defence of so-called “Christian values”. Opposition politicians criticised both the substance and […]
Estonia’s Anti-LGBT Minister Resigns Over Biden Remarks
Estonia’s anti-LGBT, far-right interior minister, Mart Helme, resigned Nov. 9, a day after he called President-elect Joe Biden and his son Hunter “corrupt characters” without providing further details or evidence. “Last night I decided to resign [when] looking at the slander and lies produced by the Estonian media,” said Helme, of the Estonian Conservative People’s […]
Church of England could hold historic vote on gay marriage in 2022
The Church of England could hold a historic vote on gay marriage as early as 2022, as Archbishops apologised for the “damage and hurt” caused to the LBGTI+ community. The House of Bishops published its long-awaited report, “Living in Love and Faith”, in a bid to hold “open and honest” discussions and learn about gender […]
The rainbow colours flying together with the white-red-white flags. The Belarusian LGBT community at protests.
The unprecedented wave of mass social protests currently sweeping Belarus remains one of the most popular topics in global and European media. Occurring directly as a result of the disputed presidential elections on August 9th, the protests have often been met with brutal force from the authorities. However, this has only emboldened the country’s civil […]
Rainbow Railroad launches #60in60 campaign to help save at-risk LGBTQ people
Rainbow Railroad, the Canadian-based international organization that helps LGBTQI people around the globe escape violence and persecution, has launched its #60in60 campaign, which aims to raise $600,000 in the last 60 days of 2020 to save 60 people’s lives. The campaign, whose tagline is: “You can save an LGBTQI life,” will be releasing videos and […]
Rainbow poppy wreath laid at the Cenotaph in remembrance of the LGBT+ heroes who gave their lives for freedom
A rainbow poppy wreath was laid at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday (November 8) by campaigner Peter Tatchell and RAF veteran David Bonney. Bonney was the last UK serviceman to be imprisoned for his sexuality before the UK ban on LGBT+ military personnel was overturned. He was sentenced to six months in prison after being […]
Over 60 buildings across Ireland turn purple for Intersex Solidarity Day
Over 60 buildings in 19 counties across the island of Ireland lit up in purple last night in solidarity with Ireland’s intersex community. The campaign was coordinated by the Intersex Mapping Study Ireland in association with Intersex Ireland. The Intersex Mapping Study at DCU aims to learn about what life is like for the intersex […]
LGBTQ rights in Ukraine and the false dawn of Zelenskyy
The election of showbiz star Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the youngest ever president of Ukraine in spring 2019 was cheered by many in the country’s LGBTQ community. His election campaign was based on progressive and liberal slogans, fueling hopes for the acceleration of the pro-European reforms launched during the presidency of his predecessor Petro Poroshenko. Although […]
Belgium to introduce ‘X’ as third, non-binary gender
Belgium’s new government will introduce gender-neutrality throughout its term and make it possible for non-binary citizens to use the gender identifier “X.” Federal Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne said gender inclusion and self-determination will be one of the policies he will work on throughout his tenure, according to a general policy note released last week. […]
Finnish military backtracks after saying homosexuality ‘is an obstacle’ to full service and in the same category as mental illness
According to a report by the Finnish Parliamentary Ombudsman, the centre said in a training manual that sexual orientation, specifically homosexuality, was an obstacle to military service. The material referred to “demanding terms of service” and community housing, Nord News reported. For this reason, it said, cadets should doubt their chances of successfully completing the […]
Equality Act hangs in the balance as Democrats falter in Senate races
On May 14, 1974, Rep. Bella Abzug, a feminist icon in women’s rights movement, introduced one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation ever ignored. It had just one co-sponsor. The 10-page bill never moved out of committee. Had it passed, it would have amended the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit […]
Tasmanian Liberal members vote to repeal transgender laws
Tasmanian Liberal party members have voted in favour of repealing the state’s landmark laws on transgender recognition. At the party’s state conference this weekend party members voted to turn back the laws which were introduced in 2019, with delegates saying the legislation favoured a minority of people. According to local news outlet The Advocate conference […]
Conservative Mexican State Puebla Legalized Gay Marriage
Congratulations to the gay citizens of Puebla. According to the Yucatan Times, the Mexican state of Puebla has just legalized gay marriage. The state Congress approved an update to the state’s Civil Code, which will now recognize same-sex marriage. Now, 20 out of 32 Mexican states have legalized same-sex marriage. On top of that, the […]
Senegal: Prison for 8 men arrested at supposed ‘gay wedding’
A total of 24 people were arrested at the party in the Keur Gorgui section of Dakar. Of the 24, five were sentenced to six months in prison. Three were sentenced to three months. Thirteen of the remaining 16 arrestees were ordered to be released. The status of three others was not disclosed. LGBTQ+ rights […]
Oxford English Dictionary amends ‘sexist’ definition of the word ‘woman’ to LGBT-inclusive version
The world-famous dictionary previously described women as “a man’s wife, girlfriend or lover”. This has now been amended to acknowledge the fact that a woman can be “a person’s wife, girlfriend, or female lover”, rather than only a man’s. The entry for “man” has also been amended to include the same gender-neutral terminology, while many […]
Zanele Muholi review – portraiture as activism
There is an image so astonishing in this epochal exhibition you can hardly tear your eyes away. It is a self-portrait by the great South African photographer Zanele Muholi. The non-binary artist appears in profile like the head on a medal, lips white, skin black, against a grainy monochrome ground. Their hair flares upwards in […]
LGBT+ rights groups hope Biden win helps marginalised communities
Joe Biden’s win in the U.S. presidential election will help give a voice to marginalised LGBT+ communities, rights groups said on Saturday, after he promised to overturn a ban on transgender personnel joining the military and clampdown on discrimination. Biden captured the presidency on Saturday as voters narrowly rebuffed Republican incumbent Donald Trump’s tumultuous leadership […]
Bangkok Pride Parade demands reforms and rights for sex workers
The Thai LGBT community was joined by anti-government protesters in yesterday’s Pride Parade in Bangkok, which travelled from Sam Yan intersection to Silom. The parade took on a more political tone this year and was calling for democracy and equal rights, amid the usual demands for the resignation of Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and reforms […]
Transgender couple wed in Hungary, land of growing homophobia
The wedding of Hungarian transgender couple Tamara Csillag and Elvira Angyal looked just like any other, with the nervous pair dressing up and heading off to the rural Hungarian court room where their marriage would be sealed. But in the world of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, this was special as Orban, increasingly hostile to […]
Transgender in Bangladesh: First school opens for trans students
Bangladesh’s first religious school for transgender people has opened in Dhaka. More than 150 students will study Islamic and vocational subjects free of charge at the privately-funded seminary, or madrassa, in the capital. Many in the transgender community identify as a third gender which is now officially recognised in the country. They have the right […]
Estonia’s liberal reputation at stake as gay marriage referendum emboldens the far-right
Over the past decade, Estonia has developed an international reputation as both an economic tech hub and a liberal bastion of human rights. As well as opening its doors to digital nomads with initiatives such as e-residency , Estonia was the first state in the Baltics to pass a law on same-sex partnerships. But now its […]
Italy lower house approves bill protecting LGBTQ+ community, women and disabled people from violence
Italy’s lower house of parliament passed a bill Wednesday that extends anti-discrimination protection to women, disabled people and members of the LGBTQ+ community, making violence against these groups a hate crime. Existing hate crime legislation only protects people from racial, religious and ethnic discrimination. Under this law, people convicted of hate crimes against these newly […]
Bangladesh opens first Islamic school for transgender Muslims
The LGBT community faces widespread discrimination in the South Asian country, with a colonial-era law still in place that punishes gay sex by prison terms, though enforcement is rare. Bangladesh opened its first Islamic school for transgender Muslims on Friday with clerics calling it a first step towards integrating the discriminated minority into society. The […]
#EndSARS is a huge moment in Nigeria’s queer history
If there is one thing that unites a lot of Nigerians, it is hatred toward queer people. Religion is the basis for a good amount of this. Homophobic Nigerians are quick to tell you how the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of homosexuality. For the past several weeks, Nigerians have been protesting […]
Watch: Thai drag queen rides on protest wave to push for LGBT rights
Joining the wave of youth protesters marching down the streets of Bangkok, drag queen Aunchalee Pokinwuttipob is hoping to advance a drawn out struggle for same-sex marriage and LGBT rights in the Southeast Asian nation, alongside broader calls for greater democracy in the country that have taken place in recent months.
She was fired by the sheriff for being a lesbian. So, she ran for his job and beat him.
It all began three years ago when Charmaine McGuffey was fired from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department by Sheriff Jim Neil. McGuffey claims it happened because she raised concerns over abuse of force by fellow officers and the fact she’s an openly gay woman. Neil claims he fired McGuffey for creating a hostile work environment. […]
2020 election is a ‘seismic’ shift for LGBT+ representation in politics
As the US election results pour in, the LGBT+ community is celebrating a significant milestone in the political landscape. In Delaware, Sarah McBride was elected to the state senate, becoming the first transgender state senator in US history. Though there are several transgender politicians in the US, no transgender candidate has previously held federal or […]