Explained: Why Tourists From China Are Being Drawn To Thailand’s LGBTQ+ Community
Thailand has established itself as a welcoming refuge for the LGBTQ+ community. Thailand is well-known for its beautiful beaches, extensive cultural heritage, and exciting nightlife. In recent years, an increasing number of LGBTQ+ tourists from China have started travelling to Thailand to celebrate and embrace who they truly are in a welcoming environment. Here we […]
Andorra’s prime minister just came out as gay
Andorra Prime Minister Xavier Espot Zamora came out as gay in an interview with Ràdio Nacional d’Andorra yesterday. “I’m gay. I’ve never hid it,” he said. “Now, if I’m not asked, I don’t have to say it, in the sense that it doesn’t define the entirety of my person and even less of my personal […]
Setting the Record Straight on Chechnya’s Anti-Gay Purge
Today, the European Court of Human Rights handed down a ruling in the case of Maxim Lapunov, the only victim of Chechnya’s vile 2017 anti-gay purge who dared seek justice for the torture he suffered at the hands of local law enforcement. The court found Lapunov was “detained and subjected to ill-treatment by State agents,” […]
Iranian LGBTQ Activists Call For Protests On Amini Anniversary
Iranian LGBTQ activists have endorsed worldwide protests on September 16 to commemorate the death of Mahsa Amini. In a joint statement, activist groups such as Simorgh, Six Colors, the Iranian Rainbow Coalition, and the Queer Rights Group claim that the current revolutionary wave holds the potential to secure the liberation and equality of the rainbow […]
Over 100 toilets constructed in city for transgender people, Delhi HC told
The city authorities informed the Delhi High Court on Monday that over 100 toilets have been built for exclusive use by transgender people in the Capital. “A total of 102 such toilets have been built and 194 more are under construction,” counsel for the Delhi Social Welfare Department told a Bench of Chief Justice Satish […]
Serbia cannot join EU until it protects LGBTQ community, says Belgrade pride director
Serbia cannot be an EU member if it persistently refuses to enact laws that protect the human rights of the LGBTQ+ community, Belgrade Pride Director told EURACTIV. On Saturday, Belgrade hosted the Pride Parade, but the fact that physical attacks, hate speech, discrimination, and restrictions are a part of daily life for the LGBTQ+ community […]
Anti-trans policies at Conservative convention met with apathy and outrage
The war against queer and trans rights in Canada is ramping up after members of the Conservative Party voted overwhelmingly to advance anti-LGBTQ2S+ policies at their annual convention at the Centre des congrès de Québec in Quebec City over the weekend. But just down the street from the convention, at a queer bar called Le […]
‘Nobody is safe in Chechnya’: Life of torture survivor accused of being gay at risk, activists say
In 2020, a man fled Chechnya to Armenia after he was jailed, beaten and electrocuted by police who accused him of being gay. Now, a global campaign is calling on the country to ensure he isn’t extradited back to Russia on spurious charges. Global LGBTQ+ advocacy group All Out and NC SOS – activists who […]
LGBTQ patients face hurdles to fertility treatment in a system that wasn’t designed for them
After using their dead name, the doctor opened the door to greet Leighton Schreyer, who was waiting in the exam room to discuss fertility preservation. The rest of the appointment passed in a blur with a few gendered phrases sticking out like knives in the consultation. “When women menstruate, we….” their doctor explained. “Since you’re choosing to change… […]
Lebanon’s LGBTQ Community in Fear After Christian Extremists Attack Bar in Beirut
Amnesty International says hate speech and incitement have been rising in Lebanon, once a haven for LGBTQ people, and now that the line has been crossed into violence, the government must step in to protect rights. A group of men reportedly affiliated with an extremist Christian group recently attacked an LGBTQ-friendly bar in Beirut during a […]
In time of war, Russia turns up aggression on transgender citizens
When Russian authorities took away Yan Dvorkin’s 10-year-old adopted son last spring, there was nothing he could do but shout in frustration. His crime? He was a transgender, nonbinary person, married to a man. The official from child services had denounced him to prosecutors because he was open about his gender identity on social media […]
Ryan didn’t have the words to describe his identity. Now he feels more complete
Ryan Tran says he felt like he was living in two worlds. He was an out and proud gay man when speaking English, but among his Vietnamese community, words failed him. “When I wanted to talk to my friends and family, I wanted to talk about my identity, and I wanted to explain those terms […]
Latin and Caribbean Catholic Groups Ask Pope to Include LGBTQ+ People in Synod
Sixty groups forming an Ibero-American Catholic LGBTQ+ network have written to Pope Francis asking for LGBTQ+ people to be directly involved in the Synod assembly next month, rather than merely “objects” of discussion. The August letter was released by the Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Peninsula members of the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics, which […]
Hundreds Of LGBT Supporters March In Belgrade Event Amid High Police Presence
Hundreds of activists marched through central Belgrade on September 9 amid a high security presence in a march to support LGBT rights, with no disturbances reported. Organizers of the Pride event called it the largest-ever march in conservative Christian Orthodox Serbia. In a similar events last year, at least 21 people were arrested in connection […]
Transgender film looks to win hearts and minds in conservative Poland
The makers of “Woman Of”, which follows a man transitioning to a woman in socially conservative Poland, hope their film will help ease deep-rooted prejudices in the Roman Catholic nation. “Woman Of”, co-directed by Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert, had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Friday, just a month ahead of […]
Elle Hungary’s Latest Issue Features Gay Love Story
ELLE Magazine in Hungary takes the fight for LGBT rights to the forefront and fearlessly showcases equality in a move that could see the popular source face several repercussions. ELLE Hungary is gearing up to release its September issue, one that is about to set history in the country as it will feature a gay […]
Malgorzata Szumowska & Michal Englert Talk Championing Transgender Rights With Venice Title ‘Woman Of’: “This Film Is Needed Right Now In Poland”
Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert’s transgender drama Woman Of world premieres in Competition at the Venice Film Festival on Friday. As ever the filmmaking team – who have been working together for more than two decades on titles such as Mug, In The Name Of and French-language drama Elles – are pushing boundaries […]
Ugandan activists criticise EU inaction over LGBTQ law
Gay rights activists on Friday criticised a European Union announcement this week that it would not cut funding to Uganda over a harsh anti-LGBTQ law enacted in May. In a written statement to the European parliament issued on Wednesday, European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen said suspending financial aid to Uganda over the law, […]
VA started the school year with new anti-trans policies. The state’s largest district won’t comply
Referring to the Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) 2023 model policies for the treatment of transgender students, attorney Wyatt Rolla of the ACLU of Virginia said Governor Glenn Youngkin’s (R) administration is “throwing school districts under the bus to advance its own dangerous anti-trans political agenda.” The new model policies, which replace the ones published […]
Miami school board rejects LGBTQ+ history month proposal in 14-hour meeting
MIAMI, Fla. (CITC) — The Miami-Dade County School Board rejected a proposal to recognize October as LGBTQ+ history month at a meeting that lasted until early Thursday morning. The meeting, which lasted more than 14 hours, featured passionate speeches from over 100 parents, students, educators, advocates and non-profit representatives who argued over the proposal. Those in favor said […]
South Korea: Lesbian couple welcomes child in historic first
Couple Kim Kyu-jin and Kim Sae-yeon became proud parents to their daughter Rani on 30 August, with Kyu-jin making history as the first openly gay Korean woman to give birth, the Korea Herald reported. While South Korea has not yet legalised same-sex marriage, and sperm banks in the country are only accessible to heterosexual married couples, the […]
Hong Kong’s top court urges alternative legal framework for same-sex couples
HONG KONG, Sept 5 (Reuters) – Hong Kong’s top court partially approved on Tuesday a landmark appeal by an LGBTQ activist for recognition of same-sex marriages, calling for new regulations for gay couples to protect their basic social needs. The ruling by Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal followed a five-year legal battle fought by […]
Iraq debates law on death penalty for same-sex relationships
The Iraqi politician who introduced the bill into parliament is absolutely certain: Any behavior that deviates from heterosexuality is a danger to his country. This is why, in mid-August, Raad al-Maliki introduced a bill that would amend Iraq’s “Law on Combatting Prostitution” from 1988 to make same-sex relations a crime, alongside any kind of expression […]
Judge describes suspected hate attack on lesbian couple in Dublin as ‘shocking’
A judge has described as “shocking” victim impact statements shown to him after a teenager’s “rage-filled” and suspected hate attack on a lesbian couple. The boy, now 17, attacked after seeing them cuddling at a bus shelter in Dublin. The youth, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, appeared again at the Dublin Children’s Court […]
A Court In Hong Kong Has Ruled That The Government Must Legally Recognize Same-Sex Partnerships
Hong Kong’s Court of Appeals has ruled that the government must provide a legal framework to recognize same-sex partnerships. In Hong Kong, the constitution only recognizes “marriage” as being between between a man and a woman. The move comes after Jimmy Sham, a pro-democracy activist, sued the government for not recognizing same-sex marriage. Sham married […]
Guadeloupe: The challenge of bringing together the LGBT+ community
In the French Caribbean island Guadeloupe, the months of July and August have been a time for reflection about activism within the local LGBT+ community. Leïla, of the association Secret’s Out, agreed to talk to us about her organization. Erasing 76 Crimes: Why set up a new organization to help the LGBT+ residents of Guadeloupe? Leïla: I used […]
Gay rights activists hope to sway popular opinion, political action against colonial era buggery laws
The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) on Wednesday launched a “Guyana Together” campaign to increase public tolerance of gays as well as convince government and opposition politicians to change laws that violate the human rights of members of that community. “I think the next phase- we are assuming that we’ll achieve our goal in two […]
HK top court urges government to create legal framework for same-sex couples
Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal (HKCFA) on Tuesday ruled that the government had breached its rights under the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance by failing to set up a framework to legally recognize the rights. But the court dismissed part of an appeal to recognize same-sex marriages, including overseas unions. This is the […]
CA Assembly Declares Nation’s First Transgender History Month
Assemblymember Matt Haney (D–San Francisco) hosts a press conference to announce that every August hereafter will be known in California as Transgender History Month. California has long been at the forefront of the transgender liberation movement. But transgender and gender-nonconforming Americans are being politicized and dehumanized in recent culture wars and their contributions to the […]
Jordan Henderson defends move to Saudi Arabia after LGBTQ rights criticism
England midfielder Jordan Henderson has responded to criticism by defending his decision to join a Saudi Arabian club and apologising for the hurt caused to the LGBTQ community in an interview published by The Athletic. The 33-year-old moved to Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq from Liverpool on a three-year deal in July. The switch […]