Thai king signs same-sex marriage bill into law
Thailand’s king has signed a marriage equality bill into law, making the country the first in South East Asia to recognise same-sex unions. The bill cleared the Senate in June but required royal endorsement to become law. It was published in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday and will come into effect on 22 January next […]
LGBTQI+ people face increasing violence in Bangladesh
Anti-LGBTQI+ violence is rising in Bangladesh as conservative Islamists gain power, according to human rights organization Justice Makers Bangladesh in France (JMBF). After the fall of the Awami League government in early August and under the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, Islamist fundamentalist groups have intensified their violent and inhumane acts against sexual minorities, […]
Outwords brings LGBTQ preservation initiative to New York City
Outwords, a California-based non-profit organization dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing stories of LGBTQ elders across America, made its first foray into New York City with a special event at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art on Sept. 19. Outwords’ New York City event, which also served as a fundraiser for the organization, was described as […]
Alberta premier blasts Trudeau’s ‘radical, extreme’ Senate appointments
Alberta’s premier criticized a newly appointed Alberta senator at a speech on Saturday, calling Kristopher Wells a “radical, extreme LGBT activist.” In a video from the Canada Strong and Free Network event in Red Deer, Alta., Danielle Smith made the comments while lamenting that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had chosen to appoint Wells and another […]
Taiwan will now recognize same-sex marriages of Taiwanese-Chinese couples
Taiwan officials have announced same-sex marriages between citizens of Taiwan and China will now be recognized in the breakaway republic. Taiwan was the first Asian country to recognize same-sex marriages in 2019. The move means that cross-strait same-sex couples can get married and their unions will be recognized in Taiwan. But like most things in […]
Hong Kong’s first transgender singer-songwriter seeks voice through music
Xavian Wu, Hong Kong’s first high-profile transgender singer-songwriter, sought to use the city’s annual LGBTQ Pink Dot HK carnival on Sunday to share his story through music. Wu, 30, who uses the stage name SY, debuted in February and has released three songs about his self-discovery journey, which he recounted at the festival on its […]
Religious freedom, LGBTQ rights collide in lawsuit over Colorado’s universal preschool program
At a time when the U.S. Supreme Court has opened the door to greater public funding for private religious schools, a lower court ruling in Colorado could have big implications for the separation of church and state in education. At the center of the case are two Catholic preschools in suburban Denver that want exemptions from […]
Painful experience of being an intersex in Kenya
Imagine growing up in a body that does not fit the standard norm of a girl or a boy. You were born with ambiguous genitalia – neither male nor female. Imagine growing up a girl, then realising, at adolescence, that you do not have a uterus or any reproductive structure that defines a woman. As […]
Transgender traffic police get the green light in India’s Telangana state
HONG KONG – Xavian Wu, Hong Kong’s first high-profile transgender singer-songwriter, sought to use the city’s annual LGBTQ Pink Dot HK carnival on Sunday to share his story through music. Wu, 30, who uses the stage name SY, debuted in February and has released three songs about his self-discovery journey, which he recounted at the festival […]
Michigan must face religious employers’ challenges to anti-bias laws, US court rules
A U.S. appeals court on Friday revived lawsuits by a Christian medical ministry and a Catholic school in Michigan seeking to block the state from enforcing anti-discrimination laws against them for seeking to hire and serve only members of their faiths. A unanimous three-judge panel, opens new tab of the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court […]
Town’s Pride event returns for ‘amazing’ fourth year
Organisers of a town’s Pride event said it meant “an awful lot” to have been able to share it with the local community. Alsager Pride marked its fourth annual celebration on Saturday, and is among a growing network of Pride events in Cheshire – including those in Congleton and Sandbach. Sarah Dening, chair of Pride […]
Georgia LGBTQI+ refugees say Europe safe lists put them at risk
LGBTQI+ people who fled from Georgia because their sexual orientation or gender identity exposed them to death threats, abuse or curbs under new laws are at risk under European “safe states” lists which could see them deported back to danger, activists say. Lawyers and activists said Georgians may not have their asylum claims properly considered […]
Seychelles passes Penal Code Amendment Bill providing vital protection from violence for marginalised groups
The Seychelles National Assembly yesterday passed the groundbreaking Penal Code (Amendment) Bill – the first time in the country’s history that a law has been adopted to protect its citizens from crimes motivated by prejudice and identity-based hate. The Bill, approved by a majority of 18 votes to 8, safeguards Seychellois citizens, especially those from […]
Nelson Mandela Bay Murders Reflect National Crisis of Deadly Anti-LGBTIQ+ Violence
The murders of five queer individuals in less than a month in the Nelson Mandela Bay area represents a shocking surge in anti-LGBTIQ+ violence in South Africa in 2024. LGBTIQ+ services and advocacy group OUT LGBT Well-being expressed deep concern over the deadly violence, which claimed the lives of two clients of its Engage Men’s […]
The False Idea Behind Project 2025’s Plans for LGBTQ Rights
On Aug. 8, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) launched a new push against Project 2025, the 900-plus-page conservative wish-list for a second Trump Administration. The HRC warned that Project 2025 constituted an existential threat to the LGBTQ+ community because it would “take a wrecking ball” to queer rights. The group argued that the Project 2025 […]
Greece’s bet on queer tourism
Greece is welcoming queer tourists with open arms, marketing itself as a summer hotspot and wedding destination. The government even signed a contract with a specialized travel provider to establish itself in the market.
UK study examines stigmas against LGBTQ and people with mental health problems
A study of stigma against LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) people in British Society has shown that there is less stigma against these groups that might be expected from social and media perceptions. The same study looked at stigma against people with mental health problems and discovered that they continue to experience higher […]
LGBT Resource Center closure due to new state law spurs U. students to launch their own space
SALT LAKE CITY — University of Utah student Ien Zielinski’s response on learning last June that the LGBT Resource Center would be closed was strong and immediate. “I remember I took a deep breath, screamed in my car and texted my adviser,” Zielinski said. Zielinski had anticipated the closure, precipitated by passage last January of HB261, and after […]
Biden makes history with 12th Senate-confirmed LGBTQ judge
President Joe Biden secured the record for the highest number of openly LGBTQ judges appointed to the bench by any president when the Senate on Tuesday voted in favor of a military veteran who spent years working as a prosecutor becoming a life-tenured judge in Philadelphia. The Democratic-led Senate voted 52-41 to confirm Mary Kay Costello […]
Taiwan recognises same-sex marriages between Chinese, Taiwanese
Same-sex Taiwanese-Chinese couples are now legally able to register their marriages in Taiwan, Taipei said Thursday, recognising cross-strait unions for the first time. Taiwan has long been at the forefront of Asia’s burgeoning LGBTQ rights movement, becoming in 2019 the first place in the region to legalise marriage equality. But tensions between Taiwan and China — […]
Georgian trans model murdered after parliament passes ‘anti-LGBTQ+’ law
A well-known Georgian transgender model has been murdered, local officials said, a day after the government passed legislation that will impose sweeping curbs on LGBTQ+ rights in the country. Georgia’s interior ministry said Kesaria Abramidze, 37, was believed to have been stabbed to death in her apartment in suburban Tbilisi on Wednesday. Georgian media later reported that […]
EU’s Borrell Urges Georgia To Scrap Bill Curbing LGBTQ Rights
Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell on Wednesday urged Georgia to withdraw a “family values” bill denounced as curbing LGBTQ rights, warning that it further harmed the country’s chances of joining the bloc. The law adopted by Georgia’s parliament would increase “discrimination” and “stigmatisation”, the European Union’s foreign policy chief posted on X. “I call on […]
Georgian parliament passes anti-LGBTQ legislation
Georgia’s parliament passed a package of anti-LGBTQ laws on Sept. 17 in its third reading. The bills will still need to be signed by pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili to become law — but a veto by the president can still be overcome by a subsequent vote in parliament. The package of laws, based around a […]
Soweto Pride Is Celebrating 20 Years of Queer Empowerment
Since its inception in 2004, Soweto Pride has been a vital platform for the empowerment of the LBQ community, fostering a safe, inclusive space for queer individuals to gather, celebrate their identities, and protest against discrimination and violence. Hosted annually by FEW, which was established in 2002, Soweto Pride remains a key political and social […]
Republicans pour money into attacking Texas Democrats on LGBTQ+ issues ahead of Election Day
Congressional Republicans will spend millions on television ads this fall targeting Texas Democrats for supporting pro-LGBTQ+ legislation — a bet that issue will resonate more than the border or economy. The National Republican Congressional Committee unveiled its first Texas ad of the general election on Tuesday, accusing U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, of pushing “sex […]
Georgian parliament approves anti-LGBTQ legislation, echoing measures in Russia
Georgia’s parliament on Tuesday approved sweeping legislation that curtails LGBTQ+ rights, a measure that echoes laws adopted in neighboring Russia. The bill, introduced by the ruling party Georgian Dream earlier this year, includes bans on same-sex marriages, adoptions by same-sex couples and public endorsement and depictions of LGBTQ+ relations and people in the media. It […]
Biden makes history with 12th Senate-confirmed LGBTQ judge
President Joe Biden secured the record for the highest number of openly LGBTQ judges appointed to the bench by any president when the U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted in favor of a military vet who spent years working as a prosecutor becoming a life-tenured judge in Philadelphia. The Democratic-led Senate voted 52-41 to confirm Mary […]
Kenyan Mercy Kamanja Calls for LGBTQ Awareness in Parenting
Mercy Kamanja, a fervent advocate for Scotland’s independence and a champion against various forms of discrimination, has shared her insights on the challenges of raising children in an era where discussions about LGBTQ identities have moved from the margins to the mainstream. This issue resonates deeply with many in the diaspora who find themselves navigating […]
EU to Pursue Ban on Conversion Therapy in New LGBTQ Strategy
The EU committed for the first time to seek a ban on conversion therapy as part of a new LGBTQ equality strategy European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to pursue in her second term. The EU is following in the path of countries including Ireland and the UK, which have moved to ban […]
This Neo-Nazi was planning an anti-LGBTQ+ shooting. Now he’s paying the price.
A neo-Nazi is facing years in prison after he was found guilty of intending to commit a terrorist act on an LGBTQ+ group in a nearby town. Alan Edward is a 54-year-old former journalist in the United Kingdom who had a following of over 28,000 people on social media. He was known for glorifying Hitler, […]