Victims of the deadly druggings that terrorized NYC’s gay bars are haunted by unknowns
Eddie Ashley was looking for a hookup. So like countless others on a Saturday night in New York City, he went to The Ritz, a gay bar in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. He drank too much, he said. And he did end up going home with someone — one of his victims. Eighteen months later, […]
How Queer Mexicans Are Mourning The Loss Of Jesús Ociel Baena
A demonstrator holds a picture of Jesús Ociel Baena in Mexico City on Nov. 13. The first openly nonbinary person to assume a judicial position in Mexico was found dead with their partner at home Monday in the central Mexican city of Aguascalientes. Lastweek,Jesús Ociel Baena, the first openly nonbinary person to assume a judicial […]
Melbourne’s queer community is hard at work to support those impacted by suicides, as families grieve those lost
Bridget Flack’s family remembers her as bright and creative. “She was incredibly artistic, you know, whether drawing or writing or playing music, she loved all of that,” Angela Pucci Love, Bridget’s older sister, said. She loved being surrounded by friends and going for long walks. “She would walk for hours upon hours, just pick a direction and go, […]
Two-Spirit Kumeyaay storyteller and educator talks about bridging communities, finding gratitude in survival
Juan A. Reynoso, whose Ipai-Kumeyaay name is ‘nemuuly’ (neh-mool), is a two-spirit storyteller, advocate and educator who helps run the nonprofit The Queer Sol Collective and also teaches bilingual education to deaf and hard of hearing students. Even as a kid, it was always important to Juan A. Reynoso (whose Ipai-Kumeyaay name is “nemuuly”) to provide […]
Trans Women Welcome Pope’s Message of Inclusivity
TORVAIANICA, ITALY — Pope Francis’ recent gesture of welcome for transgender Catholics has resonated strongly in a working class, seaside town south of Rome, where a community of trans women has found help and hope through a remarkable relationship with the pontiff forged during the darkest times of the pandemic. Thanks to the local parish priest, these […]
The inside story of DFAT’s treatment of LGBT staff over the decades
Bruce Miller, a former Australian ambassador to Japan, describes the career he had in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) as “a mixed picture”. A gay man, he joined DFAT in the 1980s and served overseas for 18 years. “I remember having to listen to jokes from colleagues in Canberra and Tokyo, with […]
California’s first lesbian Senate leader could make history again if she runs for governor
The first time Toni Atkins acted as the governor of California, she used her powers to honor the passing of San Diego Padres baseball player Tony Gwynn while playfully rebuffing Jimmy Kimmel’s advice that she “ invade Oregon. ” It was 2014, and Atkins — the first lesbian to be the speaker of the state […]
Nkoli: The Vogue Opera – the making of a musical about a queer liberation activist in South Africa
The history of South Africa’s struggle against apartheid (separatist white minority rule) is taught only through the broadest of brushstrokes in the country’s schools. So might music be a way to bring the story of one anti-apartheid activist alive for a new generation? And when that activist is a Black gay man, Simon Nkoli (1957-1998), […]
Target’s ‘Gay Nutcracker’ Christmas Ornament Sparks Backlash
Reviews of two LGBTQ+-styled nutcracker ornaments sold by Target have become deeply polarized after a Fox News report—but seemingly not because of the culture war over inclusive merchandise. “Gay nutcracker, complete with a rainbow hat, a trans flag—full price, $12, but right now it’s on sale for $8,” Fox News host Jesse Watters told viewers […]
Beyond Matrimony? Charting A New Course For LGBTQ+ Unions in India
NEW DELHI — The recent judgment of the Indian Supreme Court on marriage equality was, without a doubt, a disappointment for India’s queer community. With a 3:2 majority, the Supreme Court held that queer couples in non-heterosexual relationships do not have a fundamental right to marry and denied legal recognition to their relationships. The court’s judgment placed […]
Russia Moves to Ban ‘International LGBT Movement’
Russia’s Justice Ministry said Friday it has filed a motion for the Supreme Court to ban what it called an “international LGBT public movement” as extremist, a move activists warned would effectively put all LGBT Russians at risk of criminal prosecution. The LGBT “movement’s” activities within Russia were found to “incite social and religious discord” in violation […]
Students protest against gay marriage, lesbianism
Students, yesterday, took to the streets of Jos, the Plateau State capital, in protest against the proposed treaty on legalisation of Lesbianism, Gay marriage, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) in Nigeria. The protesters said the treaty is an abomination, and therefore unacceptable to the nation’s two major religions. According to them, if endorsed, the treaty could ruin their […]
The Latest Must-Pass Bill Barreling Through Congress is an Attack on Gender-Affirming Care
The fiscal year 2024 appropriations process has been littered with anti-LGBTQ attacks. Republican members of the House of Representatives have inserted anti-LGBTQ provisions into all 12 of the must-pass appropriations bills. These riders include restrictions on gender-affirming care, allowances for discrimination against same-sex couples, prohibitions of drag performances, banning of pride flag displays, and restrictions on […]
Mike Johnson is a board member of a Christian publishing house that called ‘monkeypox’ a penalty for being gay
House Speaker Mike Johnson sits on the board of a Christian publishing house that suggested getting “monkeypox” was “an inevitable and appropriate penalty” for being gay and that former President Barack Obama was rumored to be the Antichrist because of his “leanings toward Islam.” For the last decade, Johnson has been a member of the board of Living Waters […]
Queer Ugandan refugee on the run from anti-homosexuality law speaks out
‘What am I leaving behind?’: Queer Ugandans on the run from anti-homosexuality law speak out. When he made the tough choice to flee Uganda, in the wake of the country’s draconian anti-LGBTQ+ law being passed, activist Henry Mukiibi thought: “What have I left behind?” Mukiibi, the executive director of LGBTQ+ group Uganda’s Children of the […]
Polish top court to ask for EU ruling on recognising same-sex marriages
Poland’s highest administrative court has announced that it will ask the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to issue a ruling on whether same-sex marriages conducted in another member state should be recognised in Poland even though Polish law does not allow for such unions. The decision by the Supreme Administrative Court (NSA) is […]
Uzbekistan: Take Action on Rights Abuses Raised at UN Review
(Geneva) – The Uzbekistan government should urgently act on recommendations made on November 8, 2023, during its fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of its human rights record at the UN Human Rights Council, Human Rights Watch said today. The government should take particular action to uphold the rights of human rights defenders, journalists and bloggers, and […]
10 transgender inmates behind bars, no assaults against them reported: Singapore Prison Service
There are currently 10 transgender inmates behind bars, with one of them having undergone a complete sex change, while the remaining nine are in the process of transitioning. The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) told The Straits Times that there have been no cases of assault against transgender inmates in prison. How transgender inmates are housed […]
Global LGBT activists gather for Human Rights Campaign summit in DC
Thirty-two activists from around the world attended the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Global Innovative Advocacy Summit that took place [Oct. 31 – Nov. 3] in Washington, D.C. Activists from Algeria, Bolivia, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Congo, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Ghana, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Peru, Serbia, Tunisia, […]
Indian armed forces exploring employment opportunities for transgender persons
To pave the way for the employment of transgender persons in defence roles, the Indian Armed Forces are looking at possible employment opportunities for them and the roles they can perform, reported Indian Express. A joint study group, formed by the Principal Personnel Officers Committee (PPOC), will deliberate on the implementation of the Transgender Persons […]
After a Mexican LGBTQ+ magistrate was found dead, thousands in Mexico City marched for justice
Thousands marched in Mexico’s capital Monday night demanding justice for Jesús Ociel Baena, an influential LGBTQ+ figure who was found dead at home in the central city of Aguascalientes after receiving death threats. Baena was the first openly nonbinary person to assume a judicial post in Mexico, becoming a magistrate in the Aguascalientes state electoral […]
The U.N. Human Rights Committee Is “Deeply Concerned” About Anti-LGBTQ+ Discrimination In the U.S.
A United Nations committee says it is “deeply concerned” about numerous U.S. human and civil rights abuses in a new report, including the ongoing rise in state-level discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. On November 3, the U.N. Human Rights Committee (HRC) concluded its review of the state of human rights in the U.S., the first such […]
The colonial legacy of anti-LGBTQ+ laws in Africa
Namibia’s High Court will rule next May in a case that could see the southern African country overturn a colonial-era ban on same-sex relations. Friedel Dausab, who is gay, is challenging the compatibility of the common law offence of sodomy and related offences with his rights under the constitution. Sexual contact between men is a […]
Poland’s LGBT community hopeful era of hate speech is over
Just inside the entrance of one Warsaw high school, there’s a red plaque that pronounces it safe for LGBT students. “I chose this school because I just wanted to be myself,” Stacey explains, long fringe dangling over a face that’s heavy with make-up. The 15-year-old is transgender and moved to the Polish capital from a […]
Gay Syrian refugees see intolerance rise in once-liberal Lebanon
When Mahmoud’s father, a well-known sheikh in Aleppo city in Syria, found out his youngest son was gay, he was furious. “He pointed a rifle at my face, finger on the trigger, and fired into the air,” Mahmoud, 23, told Openly, recalling the shame he felt five years ago when his father found him wearing […]
Ayanna Pressley Denounces GOP for Trying to Gut LGBTQ+ Housing Funds
Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley took a firm stand on the House floor last Monday against a Republican-led housing appropriations bill that omitted critical support for The Pryde, an LGBTQ+ affordable housing initiative. The project, which aims to assist LGBTQ+ seniors in the Boston area, had $825,000 in federal funding removed by the GOP majority on the House Appropriations […]
Transgender Congress workers disheartened by lack of acceptance from within Congress
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Pradesh Transgender Congress (KPTC), which serves as the feeder organisation for the state Congress, underwent a recent overhaul. Despite the state’s pioneering efforts in 2015 to launch a policy aimed at securing justice and equal rights for the transgender community, the community still perceives a lack of acceptance from their party colleagues. The KPTC […]
NSW Gay Hate Crimes Inquiry Holds Last Public Hearing
The Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQ hate crimes (the Inquiry) will hold its final public sitting tomorrow, Tuesday 14 November 2023, in Sydney. Led by the Honourable Justice John Sackar (the Commissioner), the Inquiry has looked into all the unsolved deaths of LGBTIQ people (or people presumed to be LGBTIQ) that may have been hate […]
Ireland’s gender Jesuits
Being screamed at was my introduction to the Belong To crowd.” At seventeen Annaig stepped into a community hall to join what she had been told was a club for gay youngsters. A lesbian in Dublin, none of her school friends were “out” and so she was hoping to find her tribe at a meeting […]
‘Russia put back years’: intersex people fear fallout from sex change curbs
Born intersex and raised as a boy, Polina has known for years that she wanted to live as a woman. But Russia’s sweeping curbs on gender-affirming healthcare have made that much more difficult. The 33-year-old from Moscow said that since a new law – which targets transgender people – was passed in July, doctors have […]