This LGBT band is using music to fight Malaysian discrimination
Shh…Diam!, a four-member punk group is a rarity in a country where gay and transgender issues are often seen as taboo, cross-dressing is illegal and sodomy is banned under a British colonial-era law. Its name, which means “shut up” in the Malay language, is meant to mock critics for seeking to silence the country’s lesbian, gay, […]
Taiwan’s same-sex marriage vote divides families
On a sunny day in a park in Taipei, photographer Austin Haung advises a same-sex couple on how to pose for a pre-wedding photo shoot. For him, Taiwan’s reputation as a beacon of liberalism in the region means a thriving business. “Our clients are mostly same-sex couples from overseas, including Hong Kong, Singapore, China and […]
Turkey: Top religious body uses hate speech
Turkish LGBT rights organisation Kaos GL said on Wednesday that Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs had used hate speech against LGBT people while answering questions on homosexuality on Turkey’s official web-portal. The directorate said that homosexuality was not natural and did not have a biological basis when answering a question on what should be done for LGBT people […]
Sex, lies and heated debate: Taiwan prepares to vote in gay marriage referendum
Taiwan is in the final days of a battle over the future of equality in the country, with conservatives campaigning fiercely against LGBT advocates over a referendum on same-sex marriage on Saturday. As voting day nears, conservative groups have deployed a reported budget of 100m Taiwan dollars (£2.5m) in an effort to push the definition of […]
Transgender Remembrance Day, Yangon
The dark surface of Inya Lake is illuminated by warm bobbing candles, pushed out by a small but dedicated crowd who has come in the evening to show their respect. As the lights flicker on the water, yellow balloons are released into the sky and fly gently away, being indicative of freedom and lack of […]
Southern Muslim leaders disapprove of LGBT partner bill
Muslim leaders in Thailand’s South have rejected the proposed Life Partnership Bill, which would allow LGBT couples to marry. The Nation reports that, if the bill becomes law, the religious leaders say they will not perform marriage rituals for LGBT couples. No religious leader is required to perform rituals under the proposed law. Islam does […]
Same-sex Marriage: is Cuba Using it to ‘pinkwash’ Other Oppressive Policies?
Cuba will revise its constitution in 2019 – and one of the biggest topics under debate is Article 68, which proposes legalising same-sex marriage. By legalising same-sex marriage, and not just civil partnerships, Cuba would follow a broader trend in Latin America – and this is to be celebrated. But is the Caribbean nation’s promotion of […]
Mayor in Indonesia Leads Thousands in Anti-LGBTI March
The mayor of Padang, in West Sumatra, led thousands of city residents on an anti-LGBT march on Sunday (18 November). It is the latest state-sanctioned move to vilify the community in Indonesia. He organized the two-kilometer protest march to reject LGBT Indonesians and ‘declare a sin-free Padang’, according to local media. Thousands reportedly attended the march. LGBTI Indonesians are […]
No Filipino LGBTI Inclusive Policy: 1st SOGIE Inclusivity Index in the PHL Reveals
The Philippine LGBTI Chamber of Commerce recently revealed the results of the first-ever SOGIE inclusivity index in the Philippines, and the results are dismal. In a survey of 100 companies which cumulatively employ 267,231 people, not a single Filipino organization has any LGBT-inclusive policy. The study, which was undertaken by research firm Cogencia from July to […]
Activists Want Same-Sex Couples to Be Considered for LGBTI Foster Parenting
The civil society association called “Rainbow Families”, which brings together LGBTIQ activists, called on Tuesday on member of the Croatian parliament to amend the final foster care bill so as to enable same sex couples to be eligible to provide LGBTI foster parenting to children without adequate parental care. Such definition of foster carers will […]
Hiding in Fear: What is Life Like for LGBTI Indonesians?
In the last few weeks, regional authorities in Indonesia have launched a slew of anti-LGBTI measures. Gay sex is not illegal in Indonesia. But, since early 2016, ‘government-driven moral panic’ over LGBTI Indonesians has engulfed the nation, according to rights groups. And it only seems to be getting worse in the run-up to elections in the Muslim-majority country next […]
LGBT Couples With Migrant Caravan Hold Mass Symbolic Wedding at Mexico-U.S. Border Town
After making the arduous journey to the U.S.-Mexico border as part of a caravan of thousands of Central American asylum seekers, at least seven LGBT couples were able to celebrate their love openly, participating in a symbolic mass wedding ceremony in Mexican border town Tijuana on Saturday. Video of the ceremony captured by British newspaper The Telegraph shows […]
Justin Trudeau Resists GOP Push to Gut LGBT Rights From Trade Deal
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has said that a trade deal with the US should represent “shared values,” as Republicans attempt to strip LGBT+ rights protections from the agreement. 40 US Republican lawmakers penned a letter to President Donald Trump on Friday (November 16) urging him to gut LGBT+ protections in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a proposed […]
Costa Rica poised to legalize same-sex marriage
Costa Rica is poised to become the first Central American country to legalize same-sex marriage. On November 14, Costa Rica’s constitutional court formally ordered the country’s lawmakers to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples. The court action paves the way for same-sex marriage to be legal in 18 months after it’s published in the official […]
New Zealand pride parade in chaos after ban on police sparks mass withdrawals
The New Zealand police, New Zealand Defence Force and numerous major sponsors have pulled out of the country’s largest pride parade after organisers banned police and corrections staff from marching in uniform. Auckland pride parade organiser Cissy Rock said uniformed officers would not be welcome at the February parade, as the organisation had a long way to […]
Chinese novelist jailed for 10 years for ‘writing gay sex scenes’
A Chinese erotic writer has reportedly been jailed for more than 10 years after including gay sex scenes in one of her novels. State media reported that the writer, who uses the internet alias Tianyi, was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison by a court in Anhui province for “producing and selling pornographic materials” in her 2017 […]
Rugby team rallies against deportation of gay player to Kenya
An English rugby team is fighting to save a gay teammate from being deported to Kenya, where they fear he will face persecution or imprisonment. Kenneth Macharia, who has lived in the UK since 2009, has had his request for asylum rejected and is now being detained in an immigration center pending deportation, his club has […]
Russia: LGBT Conference Attacked, Disrupted
A prominent Russian lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) support group had to cancel an annual Inclusive Family conference in Moscow after homophobic threats and an attack with pepper spray, Human Rights Watch said today. Police should conduct a thorough and effective investigation capable of identifying and holding those responsible accountable. The fifth annual LGBTQIAPP+ Family Conference […]
Trump’s Mexico-Canada deal hits trouble in Congress over LGBT Language
President Donald Trump may be touting his trade deal with Canada and Mexico as a victory, but emerging complaints from liberals and conservatives are threatening to sink the agreement in Congress. Democrats, whose votes Trump needs to pass the deal in the House, say they want to see stronger protections against pollution and climate change, […]
These photos capture the lives and loves of Myanmar’s trans community
Grace Baey spent a month with transgender people in Myanmar’s commercial hub, Yangon. ‘I’ve been working with the trans community in Singapore for several years now, and was curious to learn more about what the dynamics were like in [Myanmar’s biggest city] Yangon’ the photographer told Gay Star News. Her ongoing photo project explores the […]
Tijuana shelters reaching capacity as migrant caravan continues to stream into border city
Central American migrants continue to make their way toward Tijuana, even as the border city south of San Diego struggles to accommodate the more than 2,000 caravaners who have already arrived. Mexican media has reported that more than 1,500 Central American migrants arrived in Mexicali Friday, about three hours by car to the east of Tijuana, and that the migrants are […]
How the Catholic ‘Alt-Right’ Aims to Purge LGBTQ Members from the Church
Websites like Church Militant, LifeSite News and the Lepanto Institute are ratcheting up the rhetoric with personal attacks on supporters of gay Catholics. The call for action against the “Forces of Organized Perversion” landed in the inboxes of conservative Roman Catholics across the country just before Election Day. “Have you had enough?” activist Randy Engel wrote […]
‘Waria’ Told to Leave Their Home in Jakarta Amid Anti-LGBT Campaign
Seven transgender people in Sumur Utara, Klender, East Jakarta, have been told by residents to leave a boarding house they are currently staying at. “We, kampung Sumur residents, reject the presence of LGBT groups”, states a banner put up in front of the boarding house on Saturday. The neighborhood unit (RT) head was collecting signatures from residents […]
Gay Couple from LGBT Migrant Caravan Marry in Tijuana
A gay couple from an LGBT+ migrant caravan from central America married in an emotional ceremony in Tijuana. Pedro and Erick tied the knot in front of journalists and human rights workers on Saturday. Freelance journalist Sarah Kinosian, who is based in central American, shared a video of the pair kissing after the wedding. She […]
Ukraine Transgender Rally Disrupted by Far-Right Militants
Far-right militants in Ukraine have disrupted a march by transgender activists in the capital Kiev. Reports say two young women were attacked and mocked as they received medical attention, and a Canadian journalist was punched in the face. Another reporter says police officers manhandled the activists and did nothing to stop the violent far-right members. […]
Pre-Referenda LGBT Rights Rally Draws 100,000 in Taipei
A reported 100,000 people attended a rally on Ketagalan Boulevard in support of LGBTQ rights Saturday, with a nationwide referendum on marriage equality and LGBTQ-friendly education scheduled to take place Nov. 24. Featuring musical performances and speeches, the rally culminated with a performance by heavy metal band Chthonic, which is fronted by legislator Freddy Lim […]
This Activist Can Explain What Life Is Really like for LGBTI People in Myanmar
The Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar made the news this month. It was revealed that two LGBTI individuals had been arrested under the colonial-era Section 377 of the penal code. Myanmar criminalizes ‘carnal intercourse against the order of nature’. The British introduced it in 1860 and those found guilty face up to 10 years in jail. It is the […]
Depok to Issue anti-LGBT Regulation
The administration of Depok in West Java says it is committed to preparing a regulation to curb a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) movement that the administration believes is becoming more rampant in the area. “[We will make it] to overcome this social deviancy. This mayoral regulation will be an effective regulatory step to […]
South Africa Needs to Oppose Tanzania’s anti-Gay Crackdown
Tanzania’s anti-gay crackdown has run into opposition far and wide, but not yet from South Africa, although equal rights for its LGBT citizens are enshrined in the nation’s constitution. South Africa has even wavered in its support for a South African journalist and press freedom advocate who was expelled from Tanzania last week as she and […]
LGBT Migrants Fled Persecution Back Home. Then They Fled the Caravan
For most of the people traveling as part of a thousand-person migrant caravan in the hope of reaching safety at the U.S. border, the group represents their best chance to escape persecution, violence and criminal exploitation in their native countries. For roughly 80 LGBT Hondurans, however, the group itself became a dangerous place—dangerous enough for them to […]