Karin Ann is the Gen Z alt-pop icon speaking up for Eastern Europe’s queer community
To many, Karin Ann is an alt-pop newcomer. To Karin Ann, she’s something of an old-timer, and she’s only 21-year-old. The Slovakian singer released her debut, English language single “3AM” back in 2020, but she’d written it back in 2017, aged just 15. It’s a brooding slice of melancholic trap-pop, but it feels worlds away […]
California sues school district over its transgender notification policy
California’s attorney general on Monday sued a local school district in a bid to block a new policy that requires teachers to notify parents if their children identify as transgender or use a name or pronoun different than what is on their birth certificates at school. California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a lawsuit filed […]
First Ugandan is charged with ‘aggravated homosexuality’ punishable by death
A 20-year-old man has become the first Ugandan to be charged with “aggravated homosexuality,” an offense punishable by death under the country’s recently enacted anti-gay law, prosecutors and his lawyer said. Defying pressure from Western governments and rights organizations, Uganda in May enacted one of the world’s harshest laws targeting the LGBTQ community. It prescribes […]
What Is It Like As A Transgender Woman In Corporate India?
As I sit here, writing this article, I can’t help but reflect on the incredible journey that brought us here to this moment. Growing up, I never imagined a world where trans women like myself could occupy the spaces I now find myself in! An interview with trans women working in Corporate India? The very […]
Oregon, other states that protect transgender health care now try to absorb demand
States that declared themselves refuges for transgender people have essentially issued an invitation: Get your gender-affirming health care here without fearing prosecution at home. Now that bans on such care for minors are taking effect around the country, patients and their families are testing clinics’ capacity. Already-long waiting lists are growing, yet there are only so many providers […]
Cis woman womb transplant opens door for trans women birthing kids
A 34-year-old cis woman in England is the first recipient of a transplanted uterus in the United Kingdom. The operation brings the possibility of uterine transplantation and reproduction in trans women one step closer to reality. The cis woman received the reproductive organ during an operation lasting more than nine hours at the Churchill Hospital […]
Israeli man indicted for hiring hitman to ‘honor kill’ lesbian sister
Haifa District Attorney’s office filed an indictment in Haifa District Court on Sunday against the individuals suspected of having murdered Sarit Ahmad on June 9, 2023. The indictment, which is the result of a months-long investigation, included Ahmad’s brother Sa’id Ahmad, 29, who hired hitmen to kill her because she was a lesbian. Sarit, an 18-year-old girl […]
Ghana church leaders blast threats to withdraw investment over anti-LGBTQI+ bill
Religious leaders in Ghana, including the Catholic bishops, have issued a strongly worded statement saying the West African nation will not compromise its values to satisfy foreign investors promoting LGBTQI+ rights. In an Aug. 24 joint statement, members of the three Christian Ecumenical Councils in Ghana, the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), the Christian […]
Iraqi legislation would impose death penalty for gay sex, imprison trans Iraqis
Iraq’s parliament is considering a bill to impose the death penalty for same-sex intimacy and imprison transgender citizens. Although Iraq does not currently have an explicitly anti-gay law, Erasing 76 Crimes has long included the country in its list of nations with anti-gay laws, because it arrests LGBTQ Iraqis on vague “anti-morality” charges. Iraq is […]
Rulings in Texas, Missouri jumble again where US transgender youth can receive treatment
A judge on Friday ruled against Texas’ ban on gender-affirming health care for minors while a separate judge in Missouri let a similar ban take effect, jumbling again where in the U.S. transgender youth can receive treatment. The conflicting decisions, handed down hours apart in two Republican-led states, added to the legal unpredictability that is […]
Comment: Niger’s new leader might be better for gay rights, couldn’t be worse
In the wake of the July 26 coup that overthrew Niger’s president, members of the nation’s LGBTQ community see a possibility that the government’s previous anti-LGBTQ stance might soften. In January, then president Mohamed Bazoum announced his explicit intention to make changes to the country’s penal code, promising to severely punish homosexuality, including the death […]
Queer Muslim Couple’s Joyous Wedding Photos Go Viral
A queer couple’s wedding photos have proved a viral hit. Umairah and Sameera got married in Brixton, South London, a fortnight ago. A beautiful photo of them on the steps of the registry office, along with some of their wedding party, racked up over 40k likes on X. Umairah wears red and Sameera wears pink. […]
Hong Kong gov’t warns Gay Games 2023 must obey the law, whether using public or private venues
Gay Games Hong Kong (GGHK) must be conducted in a “lawful, safe and orderly manner” whether or not events are held in public or private venues, the government has warned. In response to media enquiries on Thursday, a government spokesperson said licences and permits may be required and government departments must process applications for the […]
What the March on Washington Can Teach Us About the Fight for Black Queer Freedom
August 28 will mark the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. During that march, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. declared his dream and Congressman John Lewis declared his impatience. Marian Anderson and Mahalia Jackson sang but did not speak. And Bayard Rustin, the man who organized it all, a […]
Iraq Mulls Law To Impose Death Penalty On Gay People
Days after Iraq banned the use of the words ‘homosexuality’ and ‘gender’, the country’s Parliament is considering a new anti-LGBTQI Bill that imposes the death penalty for same-sex relations and jail for trans persons. Human Rights Watch said the proposed law threatens the lives of LGBTQI Iraqis and called on Parliament to scrap the Bill. […]
Nepal gay marriage ‘victory’ hits legal roadblock
Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandey were poised to create history. Maya is a transgender woman but has not changed her gender on official documents. Her partner Surendra is a gay man. They were to be Nepal’s first same-sex couple to legally get married, following an interim order from the country’s Supreme Court that directed the […]
Iraq: Scrap Anti-LGBT Bill
(Beirut) – The Iraqi government should immediately withdraw a proposed law currently before parliament that would impose the death penalty for same-sex conduct and imprisonment for transgender expression, Human Rights Watch said today. If adopted, the bill would violate fundamental human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, association, privacy, equality, and nondiscrimination of lesbian, gay, bisexual, […]
An Italian general called gay people ‘not normal’. His punishment is a sign the country is changing
A general at the top of Italy’s armed forces bashed gay people in a recent publication. But LGBTQ+ activists and officers tell Euronews that, despite ongoing challenges, the situation is getting better for queer people in the army and the police. In a controversial self-published book that has become an object of heated debate, Italy’s […]
Brazil high court rules homophobia punishable by prison
Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that homophobic slurs are now punishable by prison, in a decision applauded by rights activists in a country with rampant violence against the LGBTQ+ community. The nine-to-one ruling puts homophobic hate speech on the same legal level as racist hate speech, which was already punishable by prison in Brazil. Justice Edson Fachin, […]
Argentina province designs school toilets for transgenders to curb violence
Were you ever afraid to go to the toilet at school? For a 14-year-old transgender teenager, it is a daily distressing situation. “I always wait for recess to end, and step away from my classes to go to the bathroom. There’s more privacy,” Noa told me in a WhatsApp audio. His biggest fear is that […]
Northern Ireland police investigate ‘no Irish, no gay’ graffiti as hate crime
Police in Northern Ireland are investigating graffiti found in Lurgan, Co. Armagh, reading “no Irish, no gay” as a hate crime. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said they received a report of criminal damage on Friday (18 August), however, according to local residents, the graffiti was not new, and had been there for […]
Sydney suburbs provide ‘safe space’ for gay rugby players
They play serious rugby, train twice a week, heckle from the sidelines, and participate in ‘boat races’ – a post-match duel against the opposing team to determine who can scull cans of beer the fastest. From the outside, they are an unremarkable team. But peel back the club’s facade and you find something different: an […]
Iraq: Scrap Anti-LGBT Bill
The Iraqi government should immediately withdraw a proposed law currently before parliament that would impose the death penalty for same-sex conduct and imprisonment for transgender expression, Human Rights Watch said today. If adopted, the bill would violate fundamental human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, association, privacy, equality, and nondiscrimination of lesbian, gay, […]
Spain’s first openly transgender senator, Carla Antonelli, pledges to protect queer and trans rights
Spain’s first openly trans senator has pledged to defend the country’s trans self-ID law as right-wing parties attempt to roll back trans rights. Carla Antonelli joined the Senate of Spain on Thursday (17 August) after an inconclusive July parliamentary election. Speaking with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the prominent trans activist and former actress, said “we […]
B.C. attracting researchers as home to world’s largest transgender archives
Every year, the University of Victoria’s Transgender Archives attract visitors from all over the world looking to study and learn from its history. The archives are the largest of their kind and one of the few trans-specific archives anywhere in the world. Housed in UVic’s McPherson Library, the archives consist of materials from 23 different […]
LGBTQ fears grow in Malaysia as Islamists shatter reform hopes
Artist Carmen Rose used to perform regularly in Malaysia, until a police raid last year put an end to the veteran drag queen’s act and fueled the fears of the LGBTQ community at a time when Islamists are rapidly gaining political clout. Since the raid, during which several party-goers were arrested, Rose has stopped doing […]
California Republicans Shift Stance on Abortion, Marriage-Equality
To the outrage of national Republicans, the California GOP is trying to broaden its appeal by removing language opposing abortion and critical of same-sex marriage from its platform. In the blue state, Republicans have indicated they intend to broaden their tent ahead of the party’s convention, where the 2024 candidates are expected to speak. By […]
A Californian was killed after an argument over a Pride flag hanging outside her clothing store, deputies say
CNN — A Southern California clothing store owner was shot and killed after an argument about a rainbow Pride flag hanging outside her business, police said, as the LGBTQ+ community continues to face violence and threats across America. Laura Ann “Lauri” Carleton, 66, died from a gunshot wound Friday evening at her store, Mag.Pi, in Cedar Glen, about 80 miles by […]
Putin’s adviser says U.S. is using brainwashing to make gay Ukrainian super-soldiers
An adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that Ukraine’s military will become “unified through gay sex” like the Greek Spartans. While the comment may seem bizarre, it’s just the latest example of Russian authorities using anti-LGBTQ+ nationalist sentiment to justify its unprovoked war against Ukraine. “Military theorists and historians know which army in Greece […]
LGBTQ Afghan Migrants In Limbo For Asylum
Even as night settles over Quetta, there are plenty of cars whizzing past us as we disappear into a two-story house along Sattar Road. We grope the walls on either side as we take every cautious step up a set of very narrow stairs, engulfed in darkness. We reach the top floor, but our path […]