LGBTQ youth suicide prevention group leaves X after uptick in ‘hate & vitriol’
The Trevor Project, a national suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth, announced it is leaving X, formerly known as Twitter, because of “increasing hate & vitriol on the platform targeting the LGBTQ community.” The decision comes just over a year after billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk finalized his $44 billion purchase of the […]
Iranian-Born Norwegian Man Charged Over Deadly Oslo Pride Attack In 2022
A Norwegian citizen originally from Iran was on November 10 charged with aggravated terrorism for the 2022 deadly shooting ahead of an LGBT festival in the capital, Oslo. Two people were killed and nine seriously wounded in the shooting at three locations, chiefly outside a popular gay bar on June 25, 2022. Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo […]
Latvia legalises same-sex civil partnerships in historic first
The Latvian parliament has voted to allow same-sex couples to establish civil unions in a historic first for the Baltic nation. Officials voted on Thursday (9 November) to permit same-sex couples the right to have their partnership legally recognised as part of legislation set to come into effect in mid-2024. Couples in civil unions will […]
Conservative Muslims protest Coldplay’s Indonesia show over band’s LGBTQ+ support
Dozens of conservative Muslims marched in Indonesia’s capital on Friday, calling for the cancellation of Coldplay’s upcoming concert over the British band’s support for the LGBTQ+ community. Coldplay is renowned for interlacing its values with its shows, such as the band’s push for environmental sustainability. Lead singer Chris Martin has been known to wear rainbow […]
Nation’s first openly gay governor seeks second chance in politics after 20 years
Former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey, a Democrat who became the nation’s first openly gay governor when he admitted to having an extramarital affair with a male staffer before resigning in 2004, is seeking a second chance in politics after nearly two decades away. McGreevey, 66, announced Thursday he will seek the mayor’s office in […]
Future heritage: Introducing the new South Asian queer vanguard
South Asian queerness is a defiant celebration of who we are. It’s a combination of unapologetic self-expression and joyous representation. Here, in the UK, the LGBTQIA+ scene has been boldly shaped by a large minority of South Asian voices. One of these most notable influences has been presenter and producer Ryan Lanji. A mainstay in […]
Hong Kong equal opportunities watchdog told asking for legislative changes to protect LGBTQ people beyond its powers
Hong Kong’s equality watchdog had spent more than a year researching possible legislative amendments to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination, but was told by the government that such action was outside its mandate, the group’s chairman has revealed. Equal Opportunities Commission’s (EOC) chairperson Ricky Chu Man-kin, speaking on Friday at a panel discussion on diversity […]
Intersex Russians fear fallout from curbs on gender-affirming care
Nov 10 (Openly) – 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, […]
UN Committee Criticizes US Record on LGBT Rights
In its review of the United States’ record on civil and political rights, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRC) condemned a flood of discriminatory state legislation restricting the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. The United States ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1992. Every four […]
Russian TV turns ‘LGBT’ rainbow into grey cloud in K-pop music video
TNT Music, which runs a chart show dedicated to K-pop, aired the music video for boy band Seventeen’s hit song “God of Music” and replaced the rainbow featured with a grey cloud. In 2013, Russia passed a law banning ‘LGBT propaganda’, restricting the distribution of information about queer people among minors. In December 2022, the government expanded […]
Anti-LGBTQ group Gerakan Nasional Anti LGBT to protest at several locations in Jakarta
Anti-LGBTQ organization Gerakan Nasional Anti LGBT (Granati LGBT) will stage rallies at several locations in Jakarta from 12:00 Nov. 10. The purpose of the action is to demand assurances from organizers that there will be no LGBTQ content at the Nov. 15 concert of British rock band Coldplay. The activists plan to march from Al […]
Sex workers to rally for their rights in Sydney on Friday
The event is being held in Newtown’s Pride Square outside The Hub theatre building and will run from 10.30am until midday. Supporters are encouraged to wear red to the event where they will hear from speakers from groups including the Scarlet Alliance, Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) NSW, the Asian Migrant Sex Worker Advisory Group […]
Controversial EU proposal on parenthood comes closer
EU Member States should be forced to recognise LGBT parents, even if they forbid it in their own legislation, a committee in the European Parliament believes. Especially opponents of surrogacy are concerned. By 14 votes to 4, the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee on Tuesday agreed to the proposal to recognise parenthood acknowledged by one […]
Senegal probes homophobic mob that dug up and burned a gay man’s body
Footage said to show a gay man’s body being dug up from a grave and burned has shocked Senegal, triggering an investigation in the conservative country where homophobia is rife. The perpetrators arrived at a cemetery in the central city of Kaolack on [Oct. 28] searching for the grave of a man buried the day before, […]
Bronx SAGE Center Sparks More Visibility for LGBTQ Older People across the Nation
SAGE, the largest advocacy organization for LGBTQ older people since 1978, has celebrated the launch of a new community center for LGBTQ seniors in the Bronx. SAGE USA, joined by local advocates, community members, and city officials, held a grand opening ceremony on Sept. 27 for its newest location – SAGE Center Bronx at Crotona […]
Japan hospital denies LGBTQ woman support for IVF pregnancy
An LGBT advocacy group urged the Japanese government on Tuesday to ensure that all pregnant women have access to the same level of medical support after a woman in a same-sex relationship who became pregnant through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) was denied treatment at a hospital. In the request presented to the Children and Families Agency, […]
Knesset amends law recognizing LGBTQ partners of fallen soldiers
The Knesset on Monday passed an amendment recognizing LGBTQ partners of fallen IDF service members as widows and widowers, similar to heterosexual counterparts. The amendment followed the death of Lt. (Res.) Sagi Golan, a commander in the military’s counter-terrorism special unit, who was killed in Gaza, and comes as a result of his partner’s advocacy. […]
Pastor Dorcas: No Amount of Money will Influence us to Legalize LGBTQ
Pastor Dorcas Rigathi has reaffirmed her stance against legalizing LGBTQ, claiming that no amount of money can influence her to change her stance. Addressing the audience in Matura village, Ol-Jor-Orok, Nyandarua County, during the burial ceremony of Beatrice Gachengoh, the wife of Apostle Stephen Gachengoh, Pastor Dorcas argued that the holy books, culture, and the […]
LGBTQ conversion therapy ban will not be included in King’s Speech
It is looking less and less likely that the abhorrent practice of so-called ‘conversion therapy’ will be banned before the next general election, as proposals have not been included in the upcoming King’s Speech. Legislation to outlaw conversion practices was promised five years ago under Theresa May’s government but since then, and three prime ministers […]
Romania’s reformist party USR fires leading EP candidate for LGBTQ-related remarks
Romanian reformist party USR asked its flagship candidate for the European Parliament, the mayor of Campulung Muscel, Elena Lasconi, to step down after her comments about the way gay couples’ relationships should be formalised – through civil partnership agreements as opposed to marriage, and about the gay couple’s ban on adopting children. Lasconi admitted in […]
Fort Lauderdale Police Name LGBTQ Chief
William “Bill” Schultz has more than 23 years experience in law enforcement, has led innovations in the Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD), and is a proud member of the LGBTQ community. Now he is leading the department. “I’m just so happy to openly represent the LGBTQ community as a chief of police in South Florida,” […]
Admiral Rachel Levine calls hate a public health threat
As the White House implements a new strategy (first announced in June) to address anti-LGBTQ+ violence and discriminatory laws, Admiral Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, says “hate — whether fueled by homophobia, transphobia, or racism — is a public health threat.” Levine’s declaration comes as stakeholders […]
Conversion therapy is still thriving in Brazil
For a third of his life — from the age of 14 to 27 — Héder Bello, now 37, lived in purgatory. He was engaged in a fierce fight against himself, in an attempt to stop being homosexual. He tried with all his might to eradicate the attraction he felt for other boys, something that — for […]
Argentina’s LGBT+ Community Comes Together for Diversity Parade
Thousands marched through Buenos Aires on Saturday in celebration of LGBTQ+ equality and diversity at a colorful pride parade. Buenos Aires dedicated a week to celebrating diversity, a week that began Oct. 28 and ended with the iconic Pride March on Saturday. Participants thronged the city in rainbow-colored attire and costumes, danced and sang during the march […]
Switzerland lifts extra restrictions against gay men giving blood
Gabriel Delabays sat calmly, his feet elevated on a reclining chair, as a nurse drew blood from his left arm at a Swiss transfusion center last Wednesday, the first day gay men in the country could give blood without extra restrictions. Switzerland amended blood donation criteria for men who have sexual relations with other men, making […]
‘Looking Forward To Jail’: The Prison Diary Of Kyrgyz Opposition Writer Oljobai Shakir
“The erosion of a nation’s freedom of speech can happen rapidly.” Oljobai Shakir, a 52-year-old activist and writer, spoke these words shortly after being detained by security forces in Kyrgyzstan for stating his opposition to the state giving four lakeside resorts to Uzbekistan and calling for protests against President Sadyr Japarov. For many years, Kyrgyzstan […]
Give Gay Games chance to ‘change hearts and minds’ in Asia, says co-president
International arrivals, political news conferences and attention-grabbing headlines — six years after the historic decision to award the Gay Games to Asia for the first time, it’s showtime for Hong Kong. For Federation of Gay Games co-president Joanie Evans, speaking to Outsports a day after jetting in on a flight from London, there might not […]
Hungarian National Museum director defies LGBT ban on minors visiting World Press Photo exhibition
The Hungarian National Museum is defying the government’s ban on minors visiting the World Press Photo exhibition, claiming they don’t have the authority to ask for visitors’ IDs, local media reported on November 2. The controversy started last week after the far-right Our Homeland party requested the ban because of a series of photos on […]
Justin Rogers’ journey to being out as gay and working in the NHL
“Dear younger JR. Becoming the best you will take time and understanding. That knot in your stomach — the one that makes you feel confused, isolated, lost in the world — invisible to everyone but you? It will slowly loosen. You don’t even understand the knot, but with time you will learn things about yourself […]
Number of pansexuals on 2021 Census more than halved after ‘error’ spotted
In a statistical release on Wednesday (1 November), the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shared corrected numbers for those who identified as pansexual. The ONS stated some responses to the sexual orientation question – which was asked for the first time in the 2021 Census – which should have been coded to ‘all other sexual […]