Monument to gay victims of Nazis vandalized in Berlin
An unidentified vandal defaced a memorial to the LGBT victims of the Nazis in central Berlin with homophobic flyers and attempted to set fire to it, police said Tuesday. The man, who was spotted by a security guard but remains at large, threw a burning object at the memorial in the early hours of Saturday […]
Unraveling the crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights in several African countries
Despite global efforts to promote inclusivity and equal rights, several African nations have taken measures to crack down on LGBTQ+ communities, sparking concerns among human rights activists and international organizations. On May 2 this year, the Ugandan parliament passed a bill that leaves the LGBTQ+ community vulnerable to severe punishments, including imprisonment and capital punishment. […]
Jordan’s New Cybercrime Law is a Disaster for LGBT People
On Saturday Jordan’s king approved a draconian cybercrime law that was rammed through parliament and is significantly worse than its antecedent. The law jeopardizes rights online and offline, including free expression and the right to privacy, and contains vague provisions that could target marginalized groups, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. The 2023 […]
African youths are divided on LGBTQ rights, new survey finds
A recent survey spanning 15 African nations has unveiled a striking divide in the attitudes of the continent’s youth toward LGBTQ rights, shedding light on the intricate challenges faced by LGBTQ individuals across Africa. Conducted by the Ichikowitz Family Foundation, the survey engaged with 4,500 respondents aged 18 to 24, delving into their opinions on […]
Minister Soraya Martinez-Ferrada and Minister Pascal St-Onge announce funding for five Quebec 2SLGBTQI+ organizations
MONTREAL, Aug. 13, 2023 /CNW/ – Breaking down barriers, addressing all forms of discrimination, and empowering 2SLGBTQI+ communities help create a stronger, more diverse and inclusive society. Today, at Montreal Pride, the Honourable Soraya Martinez-Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and the Honourable Pascal St-Onge, Minister of […]
The NAACP’s LGBTQ+ acceptance has empowered the Black community
Over 7,000 people attended the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) 114th National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts from July 26 to August 1. Along with the attendees, hundreds of local and national vendors showed up and showed out, and the convention’s theme, “Thriving Together,” allowed Boston to reintroduce itself, creating a milieu […]
Tolerant Caribbean island of Guadeloupe should reach out to LGBT+ tourists
In a press release, LGBT+ rights organisations from Guadeloupe, the diaspora and Haiti, as well as this news site, denounced the Comité du Tourisme des Îles de Guadeloupe for making no effort to publicise how attractive Guadeloupe can be for LGBT+ tourists, leaving the impression that the archipelago is stuck in its homophobic past. This is […]
Gay couple from Toronto wins lawsuit in Italy after son’s birth photo used in anti-surrogacy campaign
A same-sex couple from Toronto took on Italy’s ruling right-wing political party and won after a moving image of their first moments with their newborn son was used without their consent in an anti-surrogacy campaign. In 2014, BJ Barone and Frankie Nelson welcomed their son Milo with the help of a gestational surrogate. Photographer Lindsay […]
Some 60,000 march in annual Prague Pride parade
The annual Prague Pride parade saw some 60,000 people on the streets of the historic city on Saturday demonstrating for more rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) people, the police said. Many were draped in rainbow flags or wore colourful costumes. The annual parade was also attended by prominent politicians, including Interior Minister […]
Rethinking Africa’s Stance on Human Rights and Sexual Orientation
The narrative is gradually shifting among African leaders, prompting them to re-evaluate their positions on human rights, particularly concerning sexual orientation. Basically, the cultural argument has been a cornerstone for those advocating against LGBTQ rights. They claim that homosexuality is alien to African traditions and could lead to moral decay. Some even go as far […]
Federal judge to make decision about whether or not to issue injunction over transgender law
A federal court judge is considering issuing an injunction to halt Georgia’s new transgender health law until a trial can determine if it’s constitutional. That law prohibits healthcare professionals from performing certain medical procedures on transgender children. The plaintiffs in this case, five parents of transgender children, say this law hurts them, so they want […]
Growing number of Brits view trans people negatively, YouGov study finds
A YouGov poll on attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community has found that hostility towards trans people is growing at an alarming rate. The research, published on Friday (11 August), found that 39 per cent of Brits “personally view” trans people in a positive light, with 33 per cent saying their feelings are neutral and four […]
Discrimination against LGBTQ will send a signal to American investors that Ghana is not welcoming – US Ambassador warns
The US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer has noted that there will be grave consequences if Ghana discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community. Speaking on the sidelines of the US-Ghana Business Expo, she said she hopes Ghanaians known for being tolerant and welcoming will not discriminate against the minority group of LGBTQ+ people. She said discrimination […]
LGBTQ+ people in Ethiopia blame attacks on their community on inciteful and lingering TikTok videos
Members of Ethiopia’s LGBTQ+ community say they face a wave of online harassment and physical attacks and blame much of it on the social media platform TikTok, which they say is failing to take down posts calling for homosexual and transgender people to be whipped, stabbed and killed. A local LGBTQ+ support group, House of […]
Transgender troops warned to avoid Florida over discriminatory laws
When Jodi Jeloudov walked into the West Palm Beach Veterans Affairs center for her monthly doctor’s appointment this summer, she felt on edge. For eight years, she had approached VA the same way: high heels clipping the pavement, makeup adorning her face. As a transgender veteran, she faces persecution and harassment every time she visits, […]
Ethiopia cracks down on gay sex in hotels, other venues
Security forces in Ethiopia are cracking down on hotels, bars and restaurants in the capital Addis Ababa where gay sexual activity is alleged to take place, the state news agency said on Thursday. Several African countries that criminalise homosexuality have enforced the law more harshly in recent years, with many governments proposing stricter laws and […]
Mass arrest at LGBTQ club in Venezuela prompts outcry over discrimination
It was an otherwise ordinary night at the Avalon Club, a bar and sauna popular with the LGBTQ community in Valencia, Venezuela’s third-largest city. Music was playing, drinks were flowing and guests were enjoying the accommodations, which included a restaurant, smoking room and massage parlour. But that evening, on July 23, police would burst into the […]
Owners of ‘LGBT’ Swatch watches could be jailed for three years in Malaysia
Owners or sellers of rainbow-coloured timepieces made by the Swiss watchmaker Swatch face three years in prison in Malaysia, the interior ministry has said, as the Muslim-majority country rails against LGBTQ+ symbols it says could “harm morals”. Homosexuality is outlawed in Malaysia and LGBTQ+ people face discrimination. Malaysia’s law enforcement unit at the interior ministry raided Swatch stores at 11 […]
Germany receives 178 compensation applications from gay servicepeople over discrimination
BERLIN (AP) — The German defense ministry said Tuesday that it has received 178 applications for compensation from gay servicepeople who experienced discrimination in the military in the past. The ministry said in a statement that it had expected more applications, but that nonetheless “the goals of the law were achieved.” A law rehabilitating gay soldiers who […]
World Bank values violated by Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ law
The World Bank has said that Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ law, which has been condemned by many countries and the United Nations, contradicts the bank’s values. A World Bank team traveled to Uganda immediately after the law was enacted to review the multilateral development bank’s portfolio. That review determined that additional measures were needed to ensure projects […]
LGBT Criticisms As Biden Admin Asked To Step In
FIRST ON FOX– House Republicans want the Biden administration to step in to help two Finnish officials who are “stand[ing] trial for simply being Christians,” and echoing biblical views on marriage and sexuality. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and 11 of his GOP colleagues issued a scathing letter calling for action against a “rogue prosecutor” who has […]
Iraq bans media from using term ‘homosexuality’, says they must use ‘sexual deviance’
Iraq’s official media regulator on Tuesday ordered all media and social media companies operating in the Arab state not to use the term “homosexuality” and instead to say “sexual deviance,” the regulator said. The Iraqi Communications and Media Commission (CMC) said in a statement that the use of the term “gender” was also banned. It […]
‘You learn to hide your identity’: being queer in the Armenian army
While military service is mandatory in Armenia, the prospect comes with many dangers for queer Armenians. Faced with a system that labels them mentally ill while both denying and mocking their existence, there appears to be no easy way through. For Artak Adam, the threat of military service loomed heavy as they approached their 18th […]
World Bank says Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ law violates its values
The World Bank said on Tuesday it would halt new lending to the Ugandan government after concluding that its anti-LGBTQ law, which has been condemned by many countries and the United Nations, contradicts the bank’s values. In response, the East African country dismissed the move as unjust and hypocritical. A World Bank team traveled to […]
178 gay German soldiers apply for compensation over past discrimination
The German defense ministry said Tuesday that it has received 178 applications for compensation from gay servicepeople who experienced discrimination in the military in the past. The ministry said in a statement that it had expected more applications, but that nonetheless “the goals of the law were achieved.” A law rehabilitating gay soldiers who suffered […]
SNP’s LGBT rights record blasted by gay MP who says the Nats have ‘set back’ progress
The SNP has “set back” gay rights with its gender reforms and “toxic” debate, claims an openly gay MP who called the Scottish party out on stage at Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival. Labour MP Wes Streeting, who also labelled Stephen Flynn a “career politician”, had a few words to say about the issue dividing politics and […]
The Double-Edged Sword: Hypocrisy or Homophobia?
In recent days, videos of sexual relations allegedly involving a number of male officials of the Islamic Republic made the news. Reza Saghati, the dismissed director-general of Culture and Islamic Guidance in northern Gilan province and Hojatolislam Mahdi Haghshenas, former deputy of the Headquarters for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in […]
In Latest LGBTQ Crackdown, China Bans Rainbow Attire at Pop Concert
eijing concert-goers say they were prevented from displaying rainbow imagery at a pop singer’s performance on Saturday, in a sign of increasing tightening on LGBTQ expression in China. Fans attending a concert by Taiwanese singer Chang Hui-mei — better known by her stage name A-Mei — say they were prevented from wearing shirts with rainbows […]
FDA policy allowing more gay and bisexual men to donate blood goes into effect
In a victory for LGBTQ rights, a broad swath of the U.S. population of gay and bisexual men Monday became newly able donate blood, thanks to the American Red Cross’ implementation of a landmark recent change in Food and Drug Administration policy. The policy, which the FDA put on the books in May, newly permits […]
Portrush Pride: First rally a monumental moment, say organisers
Organisers of Portrush’s first Pride rally said they were delighted with the “monumental moment”. The hometown of gay rights campaigner Mark Ashton hosted the rally on Saturday afternoon. Mark Ashton grew up the County Antrim town before moving to London in 1978 and was a leading figure in the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners […]