Campaigners fear conversion therapy ban is ‘dropped’ as government refuses to respond
Campaigners’ fears may have been realised as Downing Street says it has no update on the long-awaited conversion therapy ban, which many believe won’t be fulfilled as promised. In a comment to PinkNews, a spokesperson for No 10 said the Conservative government has no statement or update regarding its previous vow to outline plans of […]
Out in the World: Kenya court ruling in favor of LGBTQ group sparks anti-queer demonstrations
Religious leaders and members of parliament are protesting a ruling by Kenya’s Supreme Court that dismissed a challenge to its earlier decision this year upholding LGBTQ organizations’ right to register with the government. At issue was Kenyan Member of Parliament George Peter Kaluma’s challenge to the court in February about its decision siding with the […]
Beth Chayim Chadashim is first synagogue for gay, lesbian Jews
My friend, Harriet Perl, of blessed memory, lived well into her 90s and died in 2013. A life-long lesbian, Harriet had been an L.A. public high school teacher back in the day when that meant staying closeted or risking losing your job. It affected every aspect of her life, from clothes to housing to social […]
Rwanda: Activists want trans and intersex legal rights
Maily Isaro, a transgender woman in the Central African nation of Rwanda, has faced various forms of discrimination since publicly coming out as trans. She lives in a country that is considered progressive on LGBTQ issues — particularly when compared to its northern neighbor, Uganda, which earlier this year enacted one of the most draconian […]
A mausoleum for transgender women is inaugurated in Mexico’s capital as killings continue
Mexican transgender rights activists Kenya Cuevas and Andrea Luna sat in front of their longtime friend Paola Buenrostro’s pink grave in Mexico City. “You don’t have to pay rent anymore. You will have your own home now,” Luna sadly joked to her late friend, a transgender woman slain in front of Cuevas in 2016. Buenrostro […]
Hundreds attend protest after Cork gay bar rebrands for Freshers’ Week
Hundreds of people gathered in Cork city centre on Thursday night to protest a decision made by the owners of a popular gay bar, Chambers, to remove LGBTQI+ decorations for Freshers’ Week, which marks the return of students to college. Chambers Bar on Washington Street has been a firm favourite with the LGBTQI+ community for […]
Kentucky gay couple awarded $100,000 after being denied marriage license
A gay couple has been awarded $100,000 by a federal jury after a former county clerk refused to give them a marriage license. Kentucky couple David Ermold and David Moore sued clerk Kim Davis when she denied them a marriage license based on her belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Davis, a […]
Uganda: Constitutional Court to hear challenges to anti-LGBTQ law
The Constitutional Court of Uganda has confirmed that it will review three petitions challenging the constitutionality of the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act. The court announced that all legal arguments must be submitted by September 19, with the conference hearing scheduled for October 2. One of the petitioners, Chapter Four Uganda, expressed their appreciation, stating, “We welcome […]
Alice Litman inquest to examine impact of gender clinic waiting lists on trans woman’s death
Alice Litman died in May last year, and her family believe the long wait she had to endure played a part. Litman had been referred to an NHS gender clinic in August 2019, and had been waiting more than 1,000 days for an initial assessment. An inquest into her death will open on 18 September, and will […]
Nigeria: Delta Wedding – U.S. Lawmakers Protest Arrest, Parade of Gay Suspects
“We’re here to demand that Nigeria release all the detainees and drop all the charges.” On Tuesday, a group of Black American LGBTQ lawmakers protested in front of the Nigerian Embassy in Northwest Washington, condemning the recent arrest and parade of 67 gay suspects at a same-sex wedding in Delta State, the Washington Blade is reporting. The LGBTQ […]
Supreme Court Ruling on LGBTQ Associations Raises Concerns
The Supreme Court of Kenya’s ruling on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) associations has been met with mixed reactions. The ruling, which dismissed a petition filed by Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma seeking to overturn a lower court ruling that allowed the registration of LGBTQ associations, has been welcomed by some LGBTQ […]
A proposed law in this country would require citizens to report LGBTQ people to authorities
When Lariba was growing up in James Town — a coastal neighborhood in Accra, Ghana — they never felt criticized for living the life they wanted to live, they said, even as an LGBTQ person. Of course, there were certain areas in Accra they couldn’t go, like some religious communities that wouldn’t be friendly to presumed […]
‘Rustin’ puts a spotlight on a undersung civil rights hero
TORONTO (AP) — Bayard Rustin, the civil rights activist and primary architect of the 1963 March on Washington, who often worked tirelessly out of the limelight, takes center stage in the new Netflix drama “Rustin.” The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday, stars Colman Domingo as Rustin, a towering figure […]
Turkish Police Detain 10 for Protesting Televised Ad for Anti-LGBT Rally
Turkish police in the port city of Izmir detained 10 protesters who objected to the Turkish TV and radio regulator’s decision to broadcast a public ad on TV urging citizens to join an anti-LGBT rally on Sunday in Istanbul. Protesters gathered in front of the Izmir office of the Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council, […]
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 […]
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 […]