11 women arrested in Nigeria for planning lesbian wedding
A lesbian couple and nine other women have been arrested in Nigeria for planning the pair’s wedding. The 11 women were detained on Monday (December 17) in the northern state of Kano, where anyone convicted of having lesbian sex can be sentenced to death by stoning. Abba Sufi, the director general of the state’s Hisbah—an agency which enforces Islamic […]
Protests against transgender bill erupt in India
Transgender Indians on Wednesday (19 December) protested against a bill claiming to protect their rights. India’s lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha, passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill on Monday. But, the transgender community has slammed it. They claim it infringes their rights rather than protecting them. Transgender protestors in south India’s Bengaluru gathered outside […]
Explainer: What is a ‘terf’ and what’s going on with the UK’s debate on transgender rights?
IN 2015, IRELAND became the fourth country in the world to enshrine in law the right to gender recognition based on self-declaration. The historic move was a vital one for transgender people in this country. But in the UK, moves to bring about a similar law based on gender self-determination have proven to be incredibly divisive. What […]
Bermuda Government Appeals Ruling Against Marriage Repeal Law
The government of Bermuda has asked a British territories appellate court to overturn a ruling against a law that rescinded marriage rights for same-sex couples. The appeal was filed in the Privy Council in London on Dec. 13, less than a month after Bermuda’s top court ruled the Domestic Partnership Act is unconstitutional. Governor John Rankin’s decision […]
Catholic schools in Ireland may have to include LGBTI topics in sex ed
According to a new report on sex education in Ireland, Catholic schools in the country may have to start including LGBTI topics. The Oireachtas Education Committee released a draft of the report. It reveals some dramatic changes in the country’s sex ed, such as including LGBTI relationships in the curriculum. The report applies to both primary and secondary schools. According to […]
Gay arrests in Malawi: More mixed signals on gay rights
The southeast African country of Malawi remains torn about homosexuality — unwilling to repeal its anti-homosexuality law, but also unwilling to enforce it. This month’s arrest and subsequent release of a gay couple demonstrated the mixed signals that Malawi sends to its LGBT citizens. The subject of LGBT rights has resurfaced on the front pages […]
Lesbian magazines unite to issue statement of support for trans women
Six leading publications aimed at lesbian and bisexual women have issued a joint statement in support of trans people. Representatives of DIVA, Curve, Autostraddle, LOTL, Tagg and Lez Spread The Word signed the statement. They state, unequivocally, ‘That trans women are women and that trans people belong in our community. ‘We do not think supporting trans women erases […]
Will gay Nigerians ever be free to openly live their authentic lives?
Since the Nigerian government passed into law the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act (SSMPA), LGBT Nigerians have continued to suffer many forms of discrimination as well as exclusion from society. Many wallow in frustration and wonder if society will ever accept their kind of love. Looking at the present state of things, it is tempting to […]
Ugandan youth worker says being unemployed makes young men gay
A youth worker in Uganda has suggested that being unemployed makes young men gay. Ishahak Mugema also said he wants the government to open more factories for youths to work in, and suggested that this would keep young people away from same-sex activity. Mugema made the controversial comments in The Observer, a Ugandan newspaper. In the […]
Anti-LGBT campaign in Israel brands same-sex love as ‘poison’
A religious group in Israel has launched a new anti-LGBT+ campaign which brands same-sex love as “poison” and advocates for conversion therapy. The campaign – which has been launched by the Movement for Strengthening Family Values – is spreading information that says gay people should not be allowed to be parents. The materials also say […]
Reports: Russians targeted LGBT community with disinformation
A Russian social media operation aimed at helping Republican nominee Donald Trump win the 2016 presidential election included efforts to polarize voters around LGBT issues and, in some cases, pushed LGBT voters to support Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders. The operation also posted a message aimed at lonely LGBT teenagers, an effort believed intended to blackmail […]
Colombia hands down first conviction for murder of trans woman
A court has handed down Colombia’s first conviction for the murder of a transsexual woman. In the sentence dated Dec 3 and published Monday (Dec 17), a judge sentenced defendant Davinson Erazo to 20 years in a psychiatric facility. He was found guilty of murdering Luis Angel Ramos, who went by the name Anyela. She […]
‘A Gay’s Life’: indie web game offers a glimpse into the harsh realities faced by LGBT community in China
It’s tough being gay in China. Millions of LGBT Chinese face discrimination, intolerance, family pressures to get married and have a baby, and sporadic government crackdowns on public events aimed at promoting equal rights. Now you can experience for yourself what it’s like to be gay in China in a first-of-its-kind video game. In A Gay’s […]
Death of transgender woman in Malaysia sparks fears of hate crime
The death of a transgender woman in Malaysia has sparked fears of a rise in hate crimes, campaigners said yesterday, as police moved swiftly to detain four suspects in the murder investigation. The 32-year-old victim died from multiple injuries last Thursday after she was attacked by a group of youths in Klang, according to a […]
Beautiful photos from Brazil’s mass same-sex wedding ceremony
Dozens of same-sex couples tied the knot Saturday at a mass gay wedding ceremony in São Paulo, Brazil. Many LGBTI people in the South American country are fearful for their rights following the election of Jair Bolsonaro, to the position of President. The far-right leader of the Social Liberal Party, Bolsonaro takes office 1 January 2019. Bolsonaro has […]
Transgender Indians blocked from temple take case to police chief
Four transgender pilgrims stopped by police on their way to a sacred temple in southern India took their case to the district police chief on Monday (17 December). The four transgender women demanded permission to pray at the Lord Ayyapa Temple near Sabarimala in Kerala in their choice of clothing—a saree. The saree is a […]
Woman given payout after shop worker told her ‘you are only a lesbian’
A woman who was told she was “only a lesbian” by a shop worker has been awarded €2,000 (£1,800) after a hearing before the Workplace Relations Commission in Ireland. She said she had visited a shop where a family member worked, but another worker began to be aggressive towards her, the Journal reported. The woman, who has […]
Likho Awards honours LGBTQ representation in media
The third edition of the Likho Awards for Excellence in Media were presented on Saturday, right after the second edition of the Likho Indian LGBTQ Media Summit. The awards in 10 categories covered print and digital journalism along with graphic art, film, radio, and advertising. Some of the winners were journalists Alka Dhupkar, Chitra Palekar, […]
She didn’t win the crown, but Spain’s Angela Ponce captivates netizens
After the announcement of the top 20 semi-finalists, in which she failed to advance, Ponce walked the stage one last time while a tribute video was playing. Ponce recieved cheers from the audience. The video featured Ponce’s struggles from childhood as a member of the LGBTQ community until she finally made it to Thailand. “I don’t need […]
Gay man in Singapore wins landmark child adoption case
A gay man has won a legal battle in Singapore to be legally recognised as the parent of a child he fathered through surrogacy abroad. The Singapore High Court ruled on Monday that the 46-year-old gay man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will be able to adopt the child, reversing a previous decision […]
Brazil’s gay couples exchange vows in collective ceremony
About forty gay couples got married in downtown Sao Paulo on Saturday, tying the knot partly out of fear that the new administration of President-elect Jair Bolsonaro could restrict same sex marriage. Although his campaign did not express views against gay marriage, Bolsonaro’s record of homophobic comments has caused alarm. In an interview with Playboy […]
Tanzania Says Tolerating LGBT Community Would Be ‘Intolerable,’ As Donors Pull Funding
Tanzania said Friday that it would not comply with demands from donors to soften its opposition to LGBT rights. According to NBC News, Finance Minister Philip Mpango told officials that Tanzania could not comply with demands from donors to tolerate the LGBT community as a condition for aid. “[T]here is no way,” he said, calling […]
A welcome move: Bharati Vidyapeeth hospital in Pune to start health services for LGBT community
Bharati Vidyapeeth Hospital and Research Centre has announced to start an all-inclusive medical service for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community in the city which will not only have a dedicated outpatient department (OPD), but also a full-fledged super speciality providing services, including counselling, psychiatry, endocrinology, psychology and cosmetic surgery facilities. The hospital […]
India launches first trans body building competition in Asia
Asia’s first trans body building competition launched in India this month. The International Bodybuilding Fitness and Federation India (IBFFI) will include a trans male category in its March 2019 competition, according to IBFFI General Secretary Akshay Chopra. ‘Any step which will help the [trans] community gain more acceptance is a welcome step’ he told Gay Star News. The Indian […]
Germany adds ‘diverse’ as a gender to birth register
The German parliament was forced by the courts to make “diverse” an option on the birth register. Critics are split on whether the law goes too far, or not far enough. Germans will soon be able to choose a third gender on the register of births, with “diverse” set to become an option. Up until […]
Cries for speedy action over murder grow louder
The gruesome murder of a transgender woman has sparked widespread public outrage and calls for justice. Deputy Women, Community and Family Development Minister Hannah Yeoh said what happened to the victim in Klang on Wednesday night, was unacceptable. “I urge the police to expedite investigations and bring those responsible to justice,” she said in a […]
UK: Questions about sexuality and gender identity will be included in 2021 census
The ONS is recommending that the national census includes questions about sexual orientation and gender identity for those aged 16 and above. The next census, which will be taken in 2021, intends to record whether someone considers themselves straight, gay, or bisexual. A selected group of households were sent a 2017 census which asked this […]
U.N. moves LGBT+ refugees to safe houses after Kenya camp attacks
LGBT+ refugees in Kenya’s remote Kakuma camp are being moved to safe houses in Nairobi after they were attacked when protesting for greater protection, the United Nations said on Thursday. The refugees said they were assaulted by locals and fellow refugees outside the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) office while protesting about rising homophobic attacks in […]
Bulgaria: Billboards featuring LGBT couples vandalised
Billboards featuring LGBT+ couples and the slogan “It’s not scary, it’s just love—Different People, Equal Rights” have sparked controversy in Bulgaria. The street posters were installed this week in various Bulgarian cities as part of a European Commission-funded project by a group of six Bulgarian non-governmental organizations, aimed at tackling homophobia. They had the side […]
The Role of US Christian Conservatives in Taiwan’s LGBT Referendum Defeats
Like in Australia, the debate about foreign interference in Taiwan usually centers on the shadowy intentions of China. But a very different source of overseas influence is blamed, at least in part, for Taiwan’s failed bid last month to become the first Asian nation to formally legalize same-sex marriage. Not meddling from Beijing, but from […]