Global Methodist conference in Minneapolis to address LGBT inclusion is postponed
A historic meeting of the global United Methodist Church — one in which its future position on LGBT clergy and marriage was expected to be determined — has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Minneapolis Convention Center was going to be the epicenter of the debate, with up to 7,000 visitors from across […]
Egypt’s Denial of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
The Egyptian government is refusing to recognize the existence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, flouting its responsibility to protect the rights of everyone. On March 12, during its third Universal Periodic Review (UPR), where members of the United Nations Human Rights Council weigh in on countries’ human rights records, Egypt rejected recommendations […]
How a 27-year-old queer Indian brought drag to their city
Patruni Sastry is a 27-year-old, gender-fluid drag performer from the south of India. And they have a surprising story to tell about bringing drag to the city of Hyderabad. They have been able to overcome initial nervousness and prejudice. And by doing so, they have played a key role in establishing a drag scene in […]
Over 140 LGBTQ couples marry in mass wedding in Mexico City
Ana Scarlett Vargas was assigned male at birth, but she said she knew she was a girl at just 7 years old. At 13, she started performing in drag shows, impersonating the Mexican actress Laura Leon, in the tourist city of Acapulco where she was raised. During one performance, she was shocked to find her […]
‘A weight off my shoulders’: Argentina’s first openly gay basketball star on coming out
Traveling Argentina and the world as a professional basketball player, Sebastian Vega was living his childhood dream. But carrying a secret deep within was a nightmare. “When I started to feel attracted to a man, I had a very bad time,” Vega recalled recently on the phone from his home in the southern city of […]
Rural, gay Americans have more children
For more than a decade, America’s most prominent gay family have lived on abc. Gay and lesbian television characters were once such a rare sight that glaad, an advocacy group, began an annual count, as if it were tracking an endangered species. Now millions tune in to “Modern Family” to see how Cam and Mitch […]
‘It’s not safe for them’: Coronavirus lockdowns putting LGBT+ people at risk across Middle East
Coronavirus-induced isolation and lockdowns are putting LGBT+ people in the Middle East at risk, campaigners have warned. Many individuals are – or, due to money worries, fear becoming – trapped with family members hostile to their sexuality or gender, LGBT+ groups say, with government measures to combat the pandemic compromising access to private or safe […]
VIRAL VIGILANTES ARE TURNING YOUTUBE AND TIKTOK INTO A WEAPON
The video begins with an accidental, amateurish lens flare against the window of a car, before the teen’s phone camera settles on a supposedly 35-year-old man who has clearly been caught off guard. His face is clearly visible. “What you doing, bro?” the cameraman asks, leading a group of at least five other teens. “You […]
White nationalist groups surge as they move online
A new report on hate groups in the United States detailed an increase in the number of white nationalist groups even as the overall number of hate groups declined slightly in 2019. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) report, titled, Year in Hate and Extremism, documents 155 active white nationalist hate groups, a 55 percent […]
Lesbian doctor with coronavirus documents her illness on video
Lesbian surgical trainee Greta McLachlan is documenting her experience with coronavirus in a series of videos on Twitter. Over the past few days, 36-year-old McLachlan has taken viewers through her symptoms, as well as the ups and downs of the virus. The illness began small, with just a sore throat and small cough. “In the […]
Drag queens take their shows online as coronavirus shuts clubs
As bars and clubs shutter around the world, drag queens are performing online to make up for lost income and keep their fans in good spirits during the coronavirus epidemic. From livestreaming shows from home to personalized Instagram raps for fans, some of the biggest names in drag, including “RuPaul’s Drag Race” stars Latrice Royale […]
Transgender pastor defies court to conduct same-sex marriages in Hong Kong
A transgender pastor has vowed to officiate same-sex marriages in Hong Kong despite a legal challenge failing to provide assurances that he will not face arrest. Marrz Balaoro was arrested in 2017 for holding ceremonies in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Straight (LGBTS) Christian Church which he founded in the global financial hub in […]
Argentine television gets its first transgender news anchor
Diana Zurco did not attend her high school graduation because she refused to receive a diploma with her birth name. At 17 and considered a boy by school officials, she grew her hair long and adopted the name Diana after the alien character on the show “V” about an extraterrestrial invasion. Now 40, she recalled […]
Lesbian police officer was fired by her terrible boss – now she’s running to replace him
A lesbian sheriff who was allegedly fired because of her sexuality is running to replace her boss and become the first female LGBT+ sheriff in her state. Charmaine McGuffey is currently suing Hamilton county sheriff Jim Neil, claiming he fired her from her position as major of the Hamilton county jail and court services because […]
Nigerian Sun is issuing strange warnings about ‘homosexuals’
The Sun newspaper in Nigeria has published a diatribe on the rise of sadistic and hard-working “criminals”. Nigeria is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for LGBT + people. Homosexuality is punishable by up to 14 years in prison or the death penalty under Sharia law, and even discussing LGBT + rights […]
Transgender adults question gender identity before age 7, study finds
Transgender adults who undergo gender-affirming surgery may first begin questioning their biological sex as early as age 7, a new study has found. In research published Monday by JAMA Network Open, the authors found that, among 210 transgender men and women, most first experienced gender dysphoria — feeling their emotional and psychological identity to be […]
The government of Bermuda is trying to ban same-sex marriage for the third time
The government of Bermuda is trying to ban same-sex marriage for the third time, as it has been banned and then legalised on the island twice already. Although equal marriage was legalised in England and Wales in 2013, and Scotland in 2014, and Northern Ireland in 2020, the laws did not automatically extend to the […]
Coronavirus: Three Lessons from the AIDS Crisis
As of March 15, Seattle had recorded 420 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 37 deaths. As a historian of 20th-century queer and trans politics, I know that’s nothing compared to the toll that HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, took on our city. But these are early days. The U.S. made serious mistakes when the HIV […]
A very queer and very vibrant art scene is thriving across Mexico
Unlike Puerto Vallarta, Chiapas is a less familiar state among tourists travelling to Mexico but San Cristóbal de las Casas is the perfect location to discover Chiapa’s natural beauty, vegetarian Mexican food and a thriving LGBT+ arts scene. There’s also plenty to discover in San Cristóbal de las Casas itself – including a gay-friendly arts […]
Growing List Of Postponed LGBT Pride Festivals Over Coronavirus Concerns
At least three cities have postponed events related to LGBT Pride celebrations due to concerns over the virus sweeping over the globe. The cancellations come just days after a global pandemic was declared. Christopher Street West (CSW), which organizes Los Angeles’ annual parade and festival, said in a tweet that it was postponing all events […]
NY now lets minors switch gender on birth certificates
A new policy in New York state allows minors to change the biological sex on their birth certificates to their preferred sex – as a result of a favorable verdict for a pro-LGBT law group. Lambda Legal Senior Attorney Omar Gonzalez-Pagan – serving as counsel in the lawsuit on behalf of a girl, called a […]
Catholic college responds to trans man coming out with ‘brilliant’ show of love and support
Ben Hodge, 20, didn’t feel able to come out as a trans man at school – despite coming out as non-binary at 14 and using they/them pronouns. It was only when he went to college that he felt comfortable telling his peers and teachers that he’s a trans man. And despite attending a Catholic college, […]
The struggle for LGBT inclusion in US St Patrick’s Day parades
In 1992, Cork made history when its St Patrick’s parade included the first-ever LGBT float to take part, which also won best new entry in that year’s parade. But over in New York, all was not well. “With only eight days to go before March 17th,” Conor O’Clery wrote in a piece published on March […]
Moscow’s first queer dance festival challenges homophobia
In a dance studio tucked away off a Moscow side street, a couple dozen people are working on their tango. While the footwork is their focus, the dancers also have a wider aim: They are part of the Russian capital’s first queer dance festival, which hopes to change attitudes toward the LGBTQ community in a […]
Unique transgender vulnerabilities require tailored and specific interventions
The virtual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2020) this week has included research assessing HIV prevalence, risk, access and adherence to medication in transgender women and men in the United States, Kenya and Zimbabwe. Transgender women continue to have high rates of HIV infection globally, with an estimated prevalence of around 19%. Although […]
A Clash Across America Over Transgender Rights
By the time Peyton Badalucco came out to his mother as transgender, he had been secretly binding his chest in a desperate attempt to hide his body. He was 14 years old and so miserable that he could barely muster the emotional strength to leave the house. Coming out led to months of counseling, a […]
How Indian Pride Festivals Have Become Political Battlegrounds
For most queer people, pride is seen as a space to celebrate diversity and resist oppression. It’s a space where they feel safe and seen. But this year’s pride in Mumbai has changed that for the LGBTQ+ community in India, perhaps forever. Last month, the 2020 pride march in Mumbai, scheduled for February 1, was […]
A British court ruling may change laws for LGBT+ people around the world
Years of legal battles around same-sex marriage in Bermuda will come to a head 5,548kms away in London on 7 and 8 December this year. And the result may help make same-sex marriage legal and strike down laws against gay sex in dozens of countries. Some of those countries, including Jamaica, are currently among the […]
Russian LGBT activist faces porn trial for vagina drawings
Yulia Tsvetkova posted delicate drawings and embroidered images of vulvas on a social media page called “Vagina Monologues” that she hoped would help lift the taboo on women’s bodies. Instead, the Russian artist and campaigner for women’s and LGBT rights has been put under house arrest for the posts. Since she was detained in November, […]
Ghana bans LGBT+ conference after Christian groups protest
Ghana’s government has said it will not allow a major gathering of LGBT+ activists to go ahead after an outcry from conservative Christian groups in the country. The conference, scheduled for July, would be the first of its kind in West Africa and aims to bring together LGBT+ leaders to share ideas and work together […]