Crowds of LGBT Muslims lead their first ever pride march in Birmingham
British Muslims are leading the first ever pride march in Birmingham today, in what is a first in the event’s 22-year-history. Members of Birmingham’s Muslim community will walk alongside Andrew Moffat, the primary school teacher at the centre of a row over LGBT-inclusive relationship education. The show of solidarity comes after anti-LGBT education protestors have […]
Men raid Russian activist’s home, threaten to kill people helping LGBTI Chechens escape
A group of seven unknown men raided a Russian activist’s home in St Petersburg last week (17 May). The activist, who wishes to remain anonymous, works as a volunteer for the Russian LGBT Network’s hotline service. The hotline offers LGBTI people in Russia and Chechnya legal, psychological and organizational consultations. The Russian LGBT Network plays […]
We do: Taiwan’s gay newlyweds urge Asia to follow their lead
As they celebrated tying the knot at an outdoor party, many of the first same-sex couples to marry in Taiwan on Friday (May 24) urged Asian governments to follow their island’s lead. Taiwan’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage was not without controversy and came after three decades of campaigning by activists against staunch conservative opposition. […]
Gay Ugandans regret fleeing to Kenya
Hundreds of people in Uganda’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community have fled the country to escape homophobia and persecution. But many are now stuck in Kenya where the situation is not much better. Tyrone, not his real name, has had a tough time since arriving in Kenya in December 2014. Just days after […]
LGBT Hondurans march against hate
I traveled to Honduras last week to document violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. Violence abounds, according to Honduran LGBT activists, but there are also plenty of stories of courage, pride, and resistance. These stories echoed through the streets of the capital Tegucigalpa last Friday when some 350 Hondurans marched towards the […]
Russian Files Chechnya ‘Gay Purge’ Complaint With European Rights Court
A gay Russian man who says he was abducted and tortured by police in Chechnya has filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) after Russian investigators refused to open a criminal case in the matter, according to his lawyers. The complaint by Maksim Lapunov, the only person to publicly come forward […]
Almost one in three Russians would disown a gay friend, study finds
A new poll of Russians has revealed a complicated picture of homophobia — falling slightly, but from exceptionally high levels. The Levada Centre study, published on Thursday, indicated that more than half the population still had a negative opinion on LGBT+. Nearly a third said they would disown a friend if they found out they […]
Kenya: Court Upholds Archaic Anti-Homosexuality Laws
Kenya’s High Court on May 24, 2019 upheld laws criminalizing homosexual acts between consenting adults, a step backward in the progress Kenya has made toward equality in recent years, Human Rights Watch said today. The court was addressing a petition filed in 2016 by three Kenyan organizations that work to protect the rights of lesbian, […]
Court rejects lawsuit from Indonesian cop who was discharged for being gay
A former Indonesian cop has vowed to fight for justice after he was dismissed from the police force for being gay, but he’s already hit a legal roadblock after a court threw out his lawsuit. The plaintiff, identified by his initials TT (30), said he was dishonorably discharged by the Central Java Police in 2017. […]
Taiwan man behind Asia’s first gay marriage law urges others to fight
A leading Taiwanese gay activist on Thursday called on the LGBT+ community in other parts of Asia to take their battles to court after his successful legal fight paved the way for the region’s first same-sex marriage law. Chi Chia-wei, who was the first person to come out publicly as gay in 1986 on the […]
Tunisian court victory boosts push to end gay sex ban
After winning a four-year battle against government efforts to shut it down, Tunisia’s leading LGBT+ rights group said it will push for gay sex to be decriminalised amid rising convictions for same-sex relations. The government went to court to block Shams when the advocacy group registered in 2015, saying that the correct process had not […]
Asia’s Newest Nation of Timor-Leste Is Fighting for LGBTQ Rights
On a sunny morning last July, thousands of Timor-Leste residents took to the streets of Dili. Clad in white shirts, gripping rainbow-striped banners and flags, they were there to celebrate the city’s annual Pride Parade. What began in 2017 with a few hundred attendees now welcomes an annual turn-out of 1,500, along with a procession […]
Freedom comes at the cost of love
Close on five years into his forced conscription into the Syrian army, bombs smashed into the military base in the city of Deir ez-Zor, where Fadi Salim* was stationed. Injured in the attack, he was sent for medical treatment in the capital, Damascus. It was there where, two weeks into what ended up being a […]
For China’s LGBTQ people, Taiwan’s rainbow victory is a moment of joy and pain
When Chinese gay rights activist Peng Yanhui heard that Taiwan had approved a bill legalizing same-sex marriage on May 17 as he boarded a flight, he burst into tears of joy. “I was crying so hard on the plane that flight attendants wanted to find out what had happened,” said the director of the China […]
Russian Support for LGBT Rights Hits 14-Year High, Poll Says
Nearly half of Russians support equal rights for members of the LGBT community, marking the highest level of support in 14 years, according to the independent Levada Center pollster. Since Russia banned the display of “gay propaganda” to minors in 2013, authorities have refused to authorize gay pride events across the country and polls have […]
LGBT group in the Philippines slams Congress’ online poll
A coalition of LGBTI rights groups in the Philippines has slammed an online same-sex unions poll by the country’s Congress. It was ‘misleading and irresponsible to ask for public opinion on a nuanced issue with such inadequate information and narrow choices’ the Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy Network (LAGABLAB) said. ‘Our Congress should not decide […]
Brazil’s top court set to rule on outlawing homophobia
Homophobia and transphobia could become crimes in Brazil if its highest court rules in favor of reform on Thursday, amid fears that its right-wing president could roll back other LGBT+ gains. Four out of the 11 judges on the Supreme Federal Tribunal already ruled in February that anti-LGBT+ acts should be criminalized but the remaining […]
Anti-LGBTI violence still acceptable in many countries, new study shows
Homophobic violence is still widely endorsed in several countries, new research highlights. The study on the Journal of Interpersonal Violence by the Honour Abuse Research Matrix (HARM) at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), analyzed attitudes to violence against the LGBT community. The research focused on five countries: India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Iran and England. Shared […]
Kenya’s High Court to Rule Friday on Legality of Gay Sex
This Friday, Kenya’s High Court is set to rule on a case challenging colonial-era laws that criminalize homosexuality. The petitioners want the court to declare those laws unconstitutional in hopes that will make life easier for the country’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Stanely Muasa, a gay man living in Kenya, said going to […]
Philadelphia Woman Becomes Fifth Transgender Person Killed in 2019
Michelle “Tamika” Washington, 40, is the fifth transgender person killed in 2019, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) reports. A longtime trans-rights advocate, Washington was fatally shot Sunday in North Philadelphia. According to CBS, officers discovered Washington’s body around 5 a.m. with multiple gunshot wounds to her head and body. She was transported to Temple University […]
Hong Kong transport authorities approve LGBT ad after backlash over ban
A Cathay Pacific advertisement featuring two men holding hands can now be displayed across Hong Kong’s transport network, after its reported ban sparked a public outcry. The South China Morning Post reported Monday that the city’s airport and MTR train operator had barred the gay-friendly ad from its crowded terminals, citing sources. The news emerged […]
Birmingham LGBT teaching row: How did it unfold?
Lessons about same-sex relationships and transgender issues have resulted in protests outside primary schools, children being removed from classes and head teachers being threatened. BBC News looks back at the origins of the Birmingham LGBT teaching row. The No Outsiders project was the brainchild of Andrew Moffat, assistant head teacher at Parkfield Community School in […]
IDF drops traditional parental identifications
After an ongoing campaign by “LGBT” organizations, the IDF has decided to make a revolutionary change and relinquish the definitions of “Mother” and “Father” in favor of “Parent 1” and “Parent 2”, so as to prevent embarrassment during the stages of recruitment. Galei Tzahal Army Radio reported that for years the army refrained from changing […]
Polish Towns Go ‘LGBT Free’ Ahead of Bitter European Election Campaign
Teresa Drzewiecka grew up during World War Two, when German and Soviet troops battled for control of her town of Swidnik in eastern Poland. Now 83, she sees another threat to her country’s survival: lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. “Let children have a father and a mother, not such deviations,” said Drzewiecka, resting […]
Moldovan Pride march met by opposing groups
Hundreds of supporters attended Moldova’s LGBT “I’m OK” march on Sunday. The LGBT Solidarity March began in 2013 and has occurred annually since then. Parliament member Dumitru Alaiba has been the first deputy to openly align himself with the protest. “These marches are an affirmation of our common dignity, of the freedoms and rights that […]
GAY COUPLES PLAN MASS WEDDINGS AFTER TAIWAN LEGALIZES UNIONS
Gay couples in Taiwan plan a mass wedding registration after lawmakers voted to legalize same-sex marriage, a first in Asia and a boost for LGBT rights activists who had championed the cause for two decades. Legislators pressured by LGBT groups as well as by church organizations opposed to the move on Friday approved most of […]
Taiwan furious after China attempts to take credit for LGBT marriage win
Taiwan has lashed out at China’s state media for attempting to take credit for the island’s historic decision to legalize same-sex marriage. On Friday, Taiwan’s legislators passed a bill making same-sex marriage a reality, the first place in Asia to give LGBT couples many of the same rights as their heterosexual peers. LGBT activists were […]
LGBT in Lebanon: 15 years of activism, oppression
The sun was shining above the groups demonstrating against the US-British military campaign against Iraq in 2003 in Beirut. We were a group of eager youths, university student activists meeting in front of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia building in the city center. We stood at a corner, trying to […]
NIO spends just £318 advancing LGBT rights in Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Office has spent just £318 in recent years on advancing LGBT rights in Northern Ireland. The money was spent on rainbow lanyards, according to a Freedom of Information response to Channel 4 News. Friends of murdered writer Lyra McKee, an LGBT-rights advocate, expressed shock at the spending and said it made them […]
Center for Civic Education (CGO): Homophobia and Transphobia in Montenegro Must be Stopped
The Montenegrin society has to make efforts in the struggle for human rights that every citizen would be accepted as equal before law and society, regardless of sexual and gender differences, said the Center for Civic Education (CGO).On the occasion of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, they said that institutions also have […]