She should have left Ghana over anti-LGBT+ Bill threats
Former Ghanaian Ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro, Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, has accused the Ambassador of the United States of America to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, of interfering in the country’s internal affairs. According to Nyaho-Tamakloe, the recent comment, including threats, issued by the Ambassador in relation to the approval of a bill against same-sex activities in […]
Italy’s Meloni Becoming Force to Be Reckoned With in European Politics
Giorgia Meloni, the right-wing prime minister of Italy, could be set to shake up European politics in a big way. When Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party took power in October 2022, Europe’s political establishment went on high alert at the prospect of a major country being led by a party that openly opposes […]
Ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, Japan court rules
A Japanese high court made a landmark ruling on Thursday, saying the country’s lack of legal support for same-sex marriage violates the constitution. Key points: Responding to a case brought forth by three same-sex couples, the Sapporo High Court in Tokyo deemed denying same-sex marriage as a violation of the fundamental rights of LGBTQ+ couples, […]
Current and former college athletes sue NCAA, alleging Title IX violations over transgender policy
More than a dozen current and former collegiate female athletes filed a lawsuit with a US District Court in Georgia on Thursday, alleging that the NCAA “serially violated Title IX in 2022 by purposefully adopting and amending policies” to allow transgender swimmer Lia Thomas to compete with the UPenn women’s swim team during NCAA competitions. […]
New LGBTQ+ legislation is welcome, but not enough, says Dr Amanda Cohn
On Wednesday, the Attorney General tabled long-awaited legislation to ban harmful LGBTQIA+ conversion practices. The changes are “overdue” and “welcome”, says Dr Amanda Cohn, NSW Greens spokesperson for LGBTQIA+, but much more needs to be done. “This is the result of the hard work of victim survivors of conversion practices over many years … and […]
Bahrain: Continued Denial of Legal Gender Recognition and Gender-affirming Healthcare for Transgender People in the Name of Islamic Sharia
In a recent judgment from May 2023, a Bahraini lower court rejected a transman’s application to obtain legal gender recognition and access gender-affirming healthcare, citing Islamic Sharia. The plaintiff sought judicial approval to undergo gender-affirming healthcare and to obtain legal gender recognition afterwards. They requested to be examined by a medical committee from the Ministry […]
Analysis: In deciding on anti-gay law, Ghana’s president is caught between a rock and a hard place
(CNN) — Sam George, the driving force behind Ghana’s harsh anti-LGBTQ legislation, portrays himself as a guardian of gay Ghanaians. “I have put in legislation that protects the rights of gay people from being verbally and physically assaulted,” he said in an interview with CNN from Accra. But despite his claims, the bill, signed into law […]
Kyrgyzstan: Parliament adopts contentious foreign agents law without debate
Lawmakers in Kyrgyzstan have, in a widely anticipated move, given their definitive backing to a bill that stands to cripple the work of nongovernmental organizations advocating for human rights and independent media. Fully 66 MPs registered as being present in the Jogorku Kenesh on March 14 voted in favor of the legislation in its third and […]
Taiwan gay marriage: Hundreds of couples tie the knot on historic day
Hundreds of gay couples in Taiwan have rushed to get married on Friday – the first day a landmark decision that legalised same-sex marriage took effect. Taiwan became the first country in Asia to allow same-sex marriage last week in a legislative vote on a cause that the island’s LGBT rights’ activists have championed for […]
French minister apologises to LGBTQ+ community for historic ‘repression’
Following the introduction of a bill that seeks to compensate the victims of past anti-gay laws, justice minister Eric Dupond-Moretti issued an apology “on behalf of the French Republic”. “Sorry to the people – the homosexual people of France – who, for 40 years, suffered this totally unfair repression,” he said. Homosexuality was decriminalised in France in […]
Florida’s parental rights movement’s power dwindles
Florida’s “parental rights” movement was dealt a blow this week when state education officials conceded that a law banning instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity does not bar classroom discussion of LGBTQ+ people, families or issues. Why it matters: The parental rights movement began in the early days of the pandemic — arguing against mask […]
Haiti: Port-au-Prince and its LGBT+ community face the risk of genocide
The situation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is worsening by the hour, a crisis that has been met with a staggering indifference on the part of many nations. The past week was characterised by threats of massive violence, as “Barbecue”, the leader of the capital’s main criminal gang, threatens the entire population of the coastal city with […]
What Happens In LGBT ‘Conversion Therapy’ In Russia
Russians who underwent so-called LGBT “conversion therapy” in Russia have told RFE/RL about brutal treatment they experienced, amid an ongoing crackdown on sexual minorities in the country. One person who wanted to undergo gender confirmation surgery recalls being forced to castrate a pig. The interviews were recorded before the Russian authorities designated RFE/RL an “undesirable […]
Suspected Oslo LGBTQ festival shooter stands trial
The trial began Tuesday in Norway for a man accused of aggravated terrorism for the deadly shooting at an LGBTQ+ festival in Oslo’s nightlife district. Two people were killed and nine seriously wounded in the shooting at three locations, chiefly outside the London Pub, a popular gay bar, on June 25, 2022. Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø […]
Uganda Court Rejects LGBTQ Group Registration Appeal
A Ugandan court on Tuesday dismissed an appeal by a gay rights group seeking government registration, ruling that it aimed to promote “unlawful” activities. The Court of Appeal said any registration of the group Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) was against the public interest and national policy. Its judges upheld a previous high court ruling that […]
Japan adopts LGBTQ awareness legislation
In June 2023, the ‘Act on the Promotion of Citizens’ Understanding of Diversity of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity’ was enacted by the Japanese legislature (the Diet). Japan’s legal system for protecting its LGBTQ minorities is considered insufficient compared to other developed countries. For this reason, LGBTQ persons and support groups have pushed for legislation […]
Poll shows US public support for LGBTQ+ protections falling for first time since 2015
Public support for same-sex marriage and nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ Americans has fallen, even as the overall share remains high, according to new findings by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute. Broad majorities of Americans, regardless of political party or faith, continue to support LGBTQ+ rights and protections, the analysis found. But after years of […]
Notes from Lebanon toward (Queer) Liberatory Alternatives
During the first week of August 2023, Lebanon made international headlines for (a failed, performative) attempt to ban the movie Barbie by a (Muslim Shia) government minister in a country long lauded for its ‘freedoms’. The minister’s narrative focused on the movie’s proclaimed (yet, I would argue, deeply wanting) ‘homosexuality’ and consequent corruption of ‘moral […]
Australian soccer embraces Pride round despite teenage player’s anti-gay screed
The Pride Celebrations in Australia’s A-Leagues at the weekend were certainly colorful. They were also meaningful to many of the country’s top-flight soccer stars. The controversy surrounding Adelaide United teenage player Musa Toure’s anti-LGBTQ social media post was put to one side at Coopers Stadium. Instead, rainbow fireworks greeted the men’s team ahead of Saturday’s […]
Mumbai: In A First, GT Hospital Offers Voice Change Surgery To Transgender Persons
In yet another novel initiative, the GT Hospital has become the first state-run facility in the city to offer voice change surgery to transgender persons who have undergone gender reassignment procedure. Notably, the Hospital’s move comes after the provision of a separate ward for the third gender. The voice change surgery consultation will be done […]
Florida ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law upheld after settlement in federal court
The state of Florida settled a multi-year suit Monday against the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law, which limits how LGBTQ topics can be discussed and presented in schools. The settlement agreement clarifies language of the 2022 Parental Rights in Education Act, keeping it in place but toning down what LGBTQ advocates in the state warned […]
California City Passes Ban Preventing Government from Flying ‘Pride’ Flags
Voters in Huntington Beach, California voted on Thursday to only allow a list of acceptable flags the city can fly, effectively banning the “pride” flag from being flown on government property. The proposal, called Charter Amendment No. 2, asked voters if they would support allowing only certain flags to be flown on properties owned by the city. The […]
Panamanian LGBTQ Groups Urge Presidential Candidates to Support Same-Sex Marriage
Several LGBTQ groups in Panama asked presidential candidates on Thursday to commit to recognizing same-sex marriage, which was rejected a year ago by the Panamanian justice system. About fifteen groups are seeking for the candidates to sign a pact on March 27 in which they also commit to promoting laws against discrimination towards members of the […]
Thousands Rally After Shocking Attack on Trans Couple Rattles Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, Greek LGBTQ Community Defiant: ‘We Are Not Afraid’
UPDATED: A crowd that swelled into the thousands took to the streets of Thessaloniki Sunday night, one day after a shocking attack on a transgender couple rocked Greece’s second city and rattled filmmakers and guests at this year’s Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. Waving rainbow flags, carrying banners denouncing homophobia and transphobia and chanting protest slogans, the mostly peaceful demonstration […]
China’s sexual minorities suffering violence in “conversion therapy”
As gender diversity spreads around the world, the position of sexual minorities in Chinese society is deteriorating, with many sent to correctional facilities where they undergo brutal treatment in the name of “conversion therapy.” The accusation comes from a group of victims and their supporters who in recent interviews revealed that there are some 100 […]
Spotlight on Bangladeshi politicians’ anti-trans, anti-gay remarks
LGBTQ rights activists have denounced Bangladeshi politicians for their anti-gay and anti-trans hate speech in recent months along with their opposition to inclusion of references to transgender people in school textbooks. Politicians’ offensive and discriminatory comments cited by JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) included: Denying the humanity of transgender people; Using the words “homosexual” and […]
U.S. expands crackdown on Ugandan homophobes seeking visas
The United States has expanded the number of Ugandan officials who are denied visas because of their anti-LGBTQ stance. The Guardian reported: US denies visa to Ugandan MP who called for homosexual castration. Activists welcome sanction on Sarah Achieng Opendi and other legislators against a backdrop of anti-LGBTQ+ oppression in Africa. The Ugandan MP Sarah […]
Coptic Church cuts theological dialogue with Catholics; says blessing gays ‘unacceptable’
One of the most influential Oriental Orthodox Churches has suspended theological dialogue with the Catholic Church and reaffirmed its opposition to “all forms of homosexual relationships,” in the latest blow to a recent Vatican document which sets a way for blessing members of same-sex relationships. The declaration – “Fiducia Supplicans: On the Pastoral Meaning of […]
In Argentina, feminists and LGBT groups challenge Javier Milei
Around a hundred women, transgender, and non-binary people gathered on Wednesday, March 6 on the patio of the Hotel Hector Quagliaro in Buenos Aires, loaned by the ATE civil servants’ union. On the wall hangs a green banner from the “Campaign for Legal Abortion.” Trade unionists, representatives of neighborhood assemblies, the working classes, indigenous peoples, […]
In Argentina, feminists and LGBT groups challenge Javier Milei
Around a hundred women, transgender, and non-binary people gathered on Wednesday, March 6 on the patio of the Hotel Hector Quagliaro in Buenos Aires, loaned by the ATE civil servants’ union. On the wall hangs a green banner from the “Campaign for Legal Abortion.” Trade unionists, representatives of neighborhood assemblies, the working classes, indigenous peoples, […]