Boys can wear skirts, girls can wear pants for school uniforms in Mexico City
Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum recently announced the city is doing away with gender restrictions on school uniforms. ‘We are announcing something very simple but for us very transcendent. I think the times have passed in which girls have to wear a skirt and boys have to wear pants,’ Sheinbaum said. ‘Boys can wear skirts […]
First openly gay minister shrugs off jeers at Jerusalem pride march
A day after being appointed as the first openly gay minister in the country’s history, Likud lawmaker Amir Ohana attempted to brush off an unwelcome reception at the Jerusalem pride parade Thursday. Ohana was appointed Wednesday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fill the justice minister role in the transition government until elections take place […]
NYPD apologizes for 1969 raid at Stonewall Inn gay bar, cradle of U.S. LGBT rights movement
Nearly 50 years after a police raid at the Stonewall Inn catalyzed the modern LGBT rights movement, New York’s police commissioner apologized Tuesday for what his department did. “The actions taken by the NYPD were wrong, plain and simple,” Commissioner James O’Neill said during a briefing at police headquarters. “The actions and the laws were […]
YouTube’s ‘confused’ response to anti-gay slurs
YouTube is one of many companies that has given its logo a rainbow-themed makeover to show support for LGBT rights – but, underneath the colourful veneer, a row has erupted over how the video-sharing site enforces its own hate-speech policies. At the centre of the dispute is journalist Carlos Maza, who presents a popular series […]
Thailand’s first cohort of transgender MPs make parliamentary history
Smiling broadly, Tanwarin triumphantly cast her vote for prime minister as one of the first transgender MPs in Thailand, where tolerance for the LGBT community is not matched by understanding or opportunity in public life. In a sign of that enduring gap, the elderly speaker called for “Mr Tanwarin” to come forward in a vote […]
‘It’s humiliating for us’: village disowns Dutee Chand, India’s first openly gay athlete
Supporters of India’s first openly gay athlete fear for her safety after her decision to come out prompted a backlash in her home village. Local reaction was hostile in Chaka Gopalpur, a village of weavers in Odisha, after Dutee Chand, the country’s fastest sprinter, told reporters on 19 May that her gay partner was her […]
Why we should (try to) take the Boston Straight Pride parade seriously
“It’s LGBT Pride Month, but straight people aren’t going to let that stop them. Yesterday, news hit the wires that a group of men referring to themselves as Super Happy Fun America were planning a “straight pride parade” in Boston. The self-identified deputy leader of the group, Mark Sahady, claimed that they had worked out […]
Polish court backs citizenship for LGBT couple’s child
A court in Poland has upheld the groundbreaking registration of a child raised by a same-sex couple. The decision by the Provincial Court in the southern city of Krakow to reject a protest by prosecutors and allow two Polish women living in Britain to be named as the parents of a child registered as a […]
Dance club for LGBT elders to be held in South Australia for the first time
A dance club for LGBT elders will be held in South Australia for the first time, as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. The free event is open to members and allies of the community and will feature dance lessons and performances from festival entertainers. Adelaide LGBT identity Dr Gertrude Glossip, whose alter ego is […]
LGBT tour operator faces death threats over Ethiopia trip
An LGBT tour operator has received death threats and hate messages on social media after launching a holiday to Ethiopia. Chicago-based Toto Tours’ 16-day trip to Ethiopia is due to take place at the end of October and includes religious sites such as the Debre Berhan Selassie in Gondar and the ancient cave monasteries in […]
Most of Spain’s LGBT community still closeted at work
A new study carried out by some of Spain’s leading corporations has found that 62 percent of LGBT people in Spain say they do not openly discuss or demonstrate their sexuality at work, while 20 percent say they believe equality of opportunity for LGBT people in the workplace in Spain does not exist. The report, […]
Lyft will now let passengers specify their preferred pronouns
June is LGBT Pride month, and as part of its observance, ride-share company Lyft has announced a new feature which lets passengers specify their preferred pronouns. In the app, passengers can access the option in their profile settings, and select from “She/Her/Hers,” “He/Him/His,” “They/Them/Theirs,” “Pronoun isn’t listed,” or “Prefer not to say.” The option is […]
Zimbabwe’s economic crisis driving homeless boys into illegal gay sex trade
On a sunny morning in the central business district of Zimbabwe’s second city Bulawayo, 14-year-old Tapiwa is basking in the sunlight on a busy pavement. After running away from his abusive stepmother last year, Tapiwa turned to sex work to earn a living on the streets. He is one of the rising number of homeless […]
San Marino bans discrimination based on sexual orientation
Citizens of San Marino, one of Europe’s smallest countries, have chosen to ban discrimination based on sexual discrimination by constitution. The motion passed with 71.46% of votes in a referendum on Sunday. The enclave state, home to around 33,500 people and independent since 301 AD (CE), has become the eleventh country in the world to […]
Far-right extremists vow to disrupt Jerusalem Pride Parade
The leader of a far right-wing group said Tuesday his organization plans to disrupt this week’s Jerusalem Pride Parade in order to fight what he called “LGBT terrorism.” Bentzi Gopstein said his Lehava organization has received a police permit to stage a protest near the annual parade on Thursday and would use loudspeakers to disrupt […]
Gay rugby player faces deportation to Kenya as asylum claim rejected
A gay rugby player who is facing deportation to Kenya, where he fears he will be subjected to persecution and violence because of his sexuality, has had a fresh claim for asylum rejected. Kenneth Macharia, whose plight prompted more than 100,000 people to sign a petition calling on the Home Office to halt his removal, […]
QATAR BANS HOMOSEXUALITY AS AL JAZEERA IN ENGLISH MARKS LGBT PRIDE MONTH
Qatar bans homosexuality, but the Qatar-backed Al Jazeera’s AJ+ still recently marked June as LGBT Pride Month with a tweet about speaking to the cast of “Queer Eye” on LGBT issues. The interview highlighted “gender visibility, religion’s effect on youth, community through social media and what makes us not so different,” and included rainbow flag […]
17 Pictures That Changed The Course Of LGBT History
In the 1960s and ’70s, amid a climate of political upheaval and civil rights activism, LGBT communities across the US were uniting for visibility and change. Events like the 1969 Stonewall riots, which saw LGBT activists rise up against discrimination in New York City, helped to galvanize this movement by bringing together a generation of […]
Japan Opposition Parties Submit Same-Sex Marriage Bill
Japan’s major opposition parties submitted a bill Monday calling for same-sex marriage in the world’s third-biggest economy, a move that comes weeks after Taiwan became the first place in Asia to legalize gay marriage. The bill is unlikely to go far in parliament, where the conservative ruling Liberal Democratic Party has barely budged to advance […]
Defeat in Kenya didn’t reverse gay Africans’ gains
On May 24, three months late, Kenya’s High Court decided whether to legalise gay sex. Human rights advocates had hoped to watch the start of a rainbow-colored domino effect across East Africa. But commiseration replaced visions of celebration. The judges declined to retire the colonial-era law sanctioning “carnal knowledge”, declaring that it wasn’t scientifically proven […]
H&M Malaysia does not carry pro-LGBT collection, rep confirms
Fashion retailer H&M has confirmed that its collection supporting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community is not available in Malaysia. Malaysiakini reported Sweden-based H&M’s Malaysia & Singapore communications manager Abby Wee as saying the brand is present in 72 markets globally, and as such it has been left to each local market to […]
LGBT people: Sharing their dreams, confessing their fears
‘I WANT TO DRESS UP AS A BRIDE’ “Sometimes, you have to hide your dreams from the world,” says Kolkata’s Amit Bittoo Dey, who would often tell people that he wanted to pursue hotel management when all he really wanted to do was dance in a chiffon sari like his onscreen idols Sridevi and Madhuri. […]
Pink Dot: how Singapore’s LGBT movement became a ‘tangible force’ where others struggle to survive
It was an obvious choice for Manda Foo when she was asked to sign a pledge in April to reduce discrimination faced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community in Singapore. The founder of education and events company Bollywood Adventures said: “As a business that believes in being inclusive, it was a […]
This lawyer helped pioneer the gay rights movement in late-1800s Germany
This week’s entry: Karl Heinrich Ulrichs What it’s about: A man many see as the father of the gay rights movement. Ulrichs was a journalist and lawyer who campaigned for gay rights in 1860s Germany, first under a pseudonym, and then his own name, and as such is considered one of the first prominent openly […]
President Trump’s Anti-LGBT Agenda Is Louder Than His Pride Message
On Friday, President Trump tweeted a message in support of Pride month, which was breathtakingly disingenuous given his administration’s systematic assault on LGBT rights. After ignoring LGBTQ Pride month since he took office—and moving to roll back LGBTQ rights in so many areas—President Donald Trump had the gall to tweet about celebrating Pride on the […]
U.S. embassy in Seoul faces backlash for flying Pride flag
The American embassy in South Korea is facing backlash from the country’s conservative and Christian groups for displaying a Pride flag on its building during Pride celebrations in Seoul. Harry Harris, the American ambassador to South Korea, captioned photos of the flag on Twitter with the words; “LGBTI rights = Human Rights. USA is committed […]
After Brunei episode, Aceh now in spotlight in fight for LGBT rights
George Clooney’s star power helped in Brunei, but LGBT+ advocates said a similar celebrity boycott of businesses in another anti-LGBT+ hotspot in Southeast Asia is unlikely to have the same results. Clooney, who led celebrity protests over the death penalty for gay sex in Brunei, is global ambassador for Nestle-owned coffee maker Nespresso that sources […]
South Korea’s pride parade marks 20 years in blaze of colour
Tens of thousands of LGBT South Koreans and their supporters paraded through central Seoul Saturday for the capital’s 20th gay rights march, with ruling Democratic Party members taking part for the first time. The parade, some 70,000 strong according to organisers, made its way through the South Korean capital with participants dancing on open truck […]
Rainbow flags set on fire outside New York City LGBTQ bar
Two rainbow flags were set ablaze outside a New York City LGBTQ bar just as Pride Month festivities were set to get underway, police told NBC New York. It happened just after midnight Friday on the eve of June’s Pride Month, which started Saturday, police said. The venue, Alibi Lounge in Harlem, bills itself as […]
Is your life expectancy different because you are LGBTQ+?
What do you feel your life expectancy is? Do you think it is different because you are LGBTQ+? The current life expectancy for the “average” American is roughly 78 years and Brazil is not far behind. But the life expectancy of transgender people in Brazil is 35 because of the violence and discrimination against them. […]