Support Increases For Same-Sex Marriage Legalization in Ukraine
Recent survey results reveal a notable shift in public opinion toward legalizing same-sex marriage in Ukraine. According to data gathered on Ukraine’s Independence Day by the sociological group Rating, a significant portion of the population is opening up to same-sex unions. Among those surveyed, 37 percent supported legalizing same-sex marriage, 42 percent of Ukrainians were opposed, while 22 percent […]
First lesbian to become a mother in South Korea overcomes same-sex barriers to parenthood
SEOUL – On Wednesday, Kim Kyu-jin became the first openly gay Korean woman to give birth. While the birth of her child is a unique event here, it was a casual conversation over lunch which first sparked the idea of becoming a mother. “You are married? You are going to have a baby, right?” The question […]
‘Self censorship and fear’: backlash lingers for Malaysia’s LGBT community after British band’s kiss
The British rock band The 1975 has made life harder for LGBT people in Malaysia after staging a protest involving a same-sex kiss at a festival in the country earlier this summer, say local activists. More than a month after lead singer Matt Healy kissed a male bandmate and blasted the Malaysian government for “telling us […]
Majority Of Church Of England Priests Back Gay Marriage: Report
The majority of Church of England priests have come out in support of same-sex marriage according to a new survey. A survey by The Times found that Church of England priests are in favour of the Church permitting same-sex weddings and are reconsidering its stance against premarital and homosexual relationships. This comes a year after the Archbishop […]
Nigerian gay pastor based in UK condemns arrest of suspects at same-sex wedding in Delta
LONDON- Following the arrest of over 150 attendees at a same-sex wedding ceremony in Delta state on Tuesday, a Nigerian-British based pastor and Founder, House of Rainbow has condemned the police for carrying out such action against the suspects. According to the pastor by the name, Jide Rebirth Macaulay, the incident highlights the restrictions on gatherings […]
Romanian LGBT community slams government’s ECHR challenge
The Romanian government’s appeal against a recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which ordered Bucharest to provide legal protection and recognition for same-sex families in a case involving 21 same-sex couples, is shameful, the Accept Association said on Monday. Asked by Gandul.ro, the Foreign Ministry confirmed that Romania had appealed to the […]
In a State Hostile to LGBTQ+ People, Arkansas’ First Transgender Center Is a Lifeline
Every news cycle becomes heavier, like a fog of uncertainty that thickens and makes it impossible to see what lies ahead. Since the beginning of this year, queer and trans rights have been rolled back on almost every front, from bans on gender-affirming care for youth to the censorship of books featuring gay characters. The […]
Canada, citing potential dangers, warns LGBTQ travelers of US risks
Canada, citing the risk of potential dangers, is advising LGBTQ travelers planning trips to the United States to check how they might be affected by recently passed laws in some states, Ottawa said on Tuesday. Anti-LGBTQ demonstrations in the United States last year rocketed 30-fold compared with 2017 and legal moves to restrict LGBTQ rights […]
More than 60 people detained after a gay wedding in southern Nigeria
Police in Nigeria said Tuesday they detained at least 67 people celebrating a gay wedding in one of the largest mass detentions targeting homosexuality, which is outlawed in the West African country. The “gay suspects” were arrested in southern Delta state’s Ekpan town at about 2 a.m. on Monday at an event where two of […]
High Court puts Haryana on notice on petition seeking transgender category in job forms
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion to the state of Haryana and its functionaries on a petition seeking directions to include the category of transgender in forms for appointments under the Haryana government. Taking up the matter, Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj of the high court also fixed January 29, 2024, […]
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 […]