Saving Indigenous Trans Women
The New Mexico Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women task force held a public meeting on Thursday on the topic of violence against queer and trans people in the community. While the task force isn’t new, discussing the issue of violence against Indigenous trans people is a new topic for them. The meeting was moderated by […]
Sexual minorities still struggling five years after LGBT ordinance
Miho Okada experienced the frustrating limits of measures introduced to protect the rights of same-sex couples when her lesbian partner was hospitalized with advanced rectal cancer in Aomori Prefecture. Although Okada, 36, and Shoko Usami are certified as being in a “same-sex union” at the local level elsewhere in the country, the hospital said that […]
Record number of LGBT+ candidates set to run in U.S. election
A record number of LGBT+ people will run for office in next month’s U.S. election, reflecting stronger support for LGBT+ rights among Americans that is eroding concerns about the electability of gay, bisexual and transgender candidates. A report by the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which seeks to elect gay, lesbian, bi or trans lawmakers, said this […]
At home and abroad, LGBT Syrians fight to have their voices heard
In Damascus, Amira al-Tabbaa lived her life in murmurs. Officially, homosexuality and offenses against “public decency” are illegal in Syria. That is why when Amira met with friends in ‘gay-friendly’ cafes they spoke “only in whispers.” The 36-year-old Syrian dates her LGBT activism back to 2004 when she, along with other queer people, would help […]
Anarcho-queer-feminist housing project forcibly evicted after three decades
Liebig34, an “anarcho-queer-feminist” housing project in Berlin, has been cleared of residents following a contentious eviction involving around 1,500 police officers. Officers from eight German states, including specialist units, descended on Liebigstrasse 34, commonly known as Liebig34, in Berlin on Friday (October 9) to forcibly evict residents. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside to block the […]
Ukraine Wraps Skyscraper in Rainbow for Pride to Fight Homophobia
The owners of the second-tallest building in Ukraine are taking a stand against a rising tide of homophobia in the region. The colors of the Pride flag will be projected onto the exterior of the 35-story Gulliver Mall in capital city of Kyiv each evening from October 5 through 11. Also projected onto the building […]
Largest-ever US study on intersex adult health finds disparities
The largest-ever American study on the social and mental health of intersex adults was released October 9, revealing that the population experiences major health disparities. “A national study on the physical and mental health of intersex adults in the U.S.” was compiled by researchers at UCSF and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with help […]
Thailand: Kingdom still divided over LGBT rights
The passage of pro-rights bills pertaining to civil partnerships of same-sex couples has promoted greater rights for those in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT+) community in Thailand, but some LGBT+ advocates are still challenging the prevalent stereotypes and discrimination still existent against the gender diverse community. The recent approval of the government’s civil […]
Pussy Riot members arrested after LGBT+ flag protest
Russian police detained two leading members of the Pussy Riot art collective on Thursday. The news follows the radical group’s LGBT+ protest that saw them raising pride flags at five government buildings in “honour” of Vladimir Putin’s birthday on Wednesday. Maria Alyokhina was arrested just as she arrived to give an interview at a liberal […]
Nigeria is getting its first LGBT job fair
The event, scheduled for Nov. 28, is being organized by the Bisi Alimi Foundation, a diaspora LGBTIQ+ organization working to accelerate social acceptance of LGBTIQ+ people in Nigeria. According to the organization, the aim of the event is to “connect businesses in Nigeria with the Nigerian LGBT community”. It will also be a way for […]
There’s $20trillion of global LGBT+ wealth we could be leveraging to build a better world
Many people talk about the ‘power of the pink dollar’ but few realize there’s $20trillion of LGBT+ wealth we could be using to build a better future. Some companies have truly realised the value of LGBT+ consumers and reflected this in their advertising. But fewer have embraced the idea of using ‘our money’ to push […]
Rights group denounces Central America anti-LGBTQ violence
Human Rights Watch criticized Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala for failing to stop violence against LGBTQ people in a new report published on Wednesday, which also denounced the United States for denying these LGBTQ asylum seekers safe haven. “LGBT people in the Northern Triangle face high levels of violence that their own governments appear unable […]
How the LGBT community rallied against a ‘homophobic’ Tunisian influencer
During a 23-minute monologue on Instagram, the Tunisian beauty influencer Lady Samara veered off-piste when she said: “I do not respect homosexuality. A homosexual person is an individual who has stripped himself of all morals and values… gay people are trying to brainwash our children to become gay. “Several times she said that she does […]
Tokyo politician under fire after blaming LGBT community for falling birth rate
A local politician of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has come under fire for claiming last month that his north Tokyo ward would “cease to exist” if the rights of sexual minorities are protected by law. “This is impossible, but if all Japanese women were lesbian or all Japanese men were gay, then do you […]
Why a Children’s Book Is Becoming a Symbol of Resistance in Hungary’s Fight Over LGBT Rights
When Hungary’s Dorottya Redai and Boldizsar Nagy released their new children’s book on Sept. 21, they did not expect their initial run of 1,500 copies to sell out within two weeks. Meseorszag mindenkie, or A Fairy Tale for Everyone, is an anthology of retellings of traditional fairy tales, updated with more diverse, inclusive and LGBTQ […]
Transgender Voters Face Unique Challenges To Participating In Ohio’s Election
For many trans people, legally changing their name is a definitive statement of who they are and an affirmation of their identity. The process is not easy, and a name change in Ohio can take months and a small mountain of paperwork. It’s also playing into the fears of some trans people that the change […]
Twitter users flood #ProudBoys hashtag with gay pride images
Twitter users are flooding the #ProudBoys hashtag on social media with images of LGBTQI+ pride, displacing posts made by neo-Nazis and white supremacists using the tag. Proud Boys, a far-right group founded in 2016, calls itself a “western chauvinist” organization but is considered a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The group was […]
Panama Should Uphold the Rights of Same-Sex Couples
This is an important day for same-sex couples. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights will, for the first time, hold a public hearing on the question of marriage equality in Panama. This means that advocates will have a chance to make their case before a regional body on how depriving same-sex couples of equal access […]
Fight against gay marriage still ‘alive and well’ in U.S., advocates warn
President Donald Trump’s nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last month ignited fears of an increasingly conservative court rolling back recently gained LGBTQ rights. Fuel was then added to the fire on Monday when two of the court’s conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, […]
The impact of the anti LGBTQ+movement in Poland on Irish trans masculine people’s healthcare
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I firmly believe that an attack on one of us, is an attack on all of us. I believe that until we are all truly equal, none of us are at all. History has taught us time and time again that initially localised anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric can spread globally […]
Courts finally move on with same-sex marriage cases in Panama
Both LGBT+ campaigners and religious fundamentalists are protesting as courts debate the future of same-sex marriage in Panama. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which theoretically has power over Panama, has already ruled the country must legalize same-sex marriage. But despite that, the issue has stalled. Now the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is hearing […]
Anti-discrimination ordinance passes final reading in Zamboanga City; awaits mayor’s signature
The rainbow rises in Zamboanga City. The 1st class highly urbanized city in the Zamboanga Peninsula of the Philippines, Zamboanga, joins the growing number of local government units (LGUs) that now has an anti-discrimination ordinance (ADO). As helmed by Hon. Lilibeth Macrohon Nuño, the ADO passed the third and final reading at the Sangguniang Panglunsod […]
Sharad Pawar’s NCP Forms LGBT Cell, Becomes First Political Party in India to Take Such a Step
Mumbai: In a welcome move, the NCP on Monday set up its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) cell and claimed it is the first political party in the country to take such a step. Also Read – Day After Fadnavis-Raut Meeting, Sharad Pawar Visits Maharashtra CM Uddhav | What Did They Discuss? Maharashtra minister […]
California governor nominates 1st gay to state Supreme Court
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Gavin Newsom nominated the first openly gay Black man to the state Supreme Court on Monday, potentially replacing one of the court’s more conservative members with a former federal civil rights attorney who prosecuted cross-burnings and police misconduct cases under President Ronald Reagan. Martin Jenkins, 66, would be the court’s […]
Serbia’s First Gay Premier Gets Second Term After Landslide Win
Ana Brnabic, Serbia’s first female and openly gay prime minister, will lead the government for a second term following a landslide win by the ruling party. Aleksandar Vucic, who as both president and leader of the Serbian Progressive Party holds the ultimate power behind the administration, appointed Brnabic on Monday. Brnabic’s appointment should sail through […]
Conservative Justices Thomas and Alito Suggest Supreme Court Should ‘Fix’ Its Ruling That Legalized Gay Marriage
Conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, joined by fellow conservative Justice Samuel Alito, argued in a Monday statement that the landmark 2015 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide was improperly decided and suggested the court should “fix” the decision. The statement, written by Thomas and joined by Alito, was attached to a decision from the top […]
Transgender Sonorans, Allies Celebrate ‘Historic’ Passage Of Identity Measure
A measure to allow transgender Sonorans to easily modify official documents to reflect their gender identity has been approved. After a brief presentation from its sponsor and no floor debate, the Sonoran Congress approved the measure Thursday. Fernanda Velarde, founder of Sonora Trans — one of several groups pushing for the reform — praised the […]
Jacinda Ardern pledges gay conversion therapy ban if re-elected
Jacinda Ardern’s Labour party has committed to banning gay conversion therapy if re-elected in New Zealand’s 17 October election. In an interview with Express magazine, the 40-year-old Labour leader said she was moved to oppose the practice after watching a Joseph Gordon-Levitt movie. “I still remember watching the film Latter Days at the film festival […]
An often ‘isolating’ experience: Students launch trans mentorship program
A new student-run trans mentorship program has launched at UBC. Fourth-year students Alex Gonzalez and Kip Chow, along with a few other students from the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses, have launched the faculty-sponsored Trans Mentorship Program. With about 30 students signing up as either mentors or mentees, Gonzalez said he created this initiative as an […]
‘I don’t want to lie’: Gay pioneer stands in Myanmar election
Outraged over ongoing discrimination in Myanmar, Myo Min Tun decided to stand as the first openly gay election candidate in a country where same-sex relations are illegal. His decision to enter the political fray came after transgender friends told him how they had suffered police harassment. The officers allegedly forced them to remove their bras […]