Gay penguins at Sydney aquarium are “fake”, conservative party claims
Two male gentoo penguins homed at an aquarium in Australia have risen to fame in recent years as a result of their charming love story. However, the gay penguins have recently received some unwanted attention from the Family First political party, which claims their relationship is forced and fake. The penguins, Sphen and Magic, are […]
Couples in Nepal celebrate ruling allowing same-sex marriage
Nepal will soon see the first legal same-sex marriages registered after an interim ruling from the country’s top court. The Nepal Supreme Court issued the interim order last week. Earlier, a group of nine activists sued over the South Asian country’s marriage laws that limit marriage to between a man and a woman. The interim […]
Kyrgyz Woman Wins Strategic Gender Equality Case
Altyn Kapalova is a lesbian feminist, artist, and writer from Kyrgyzstan who has been fighting with Kyrgyz authorities for more than two years for the right to keep the matronymic she gave her three children. Kapalova chose to give her children an appendage to their first name that comes from her first name, or a […]
LGBT Ireland calls for 2027 Census to include gender identity and sexual orientation questions
LGBT Ireland is insisting that the Central Statistics Office (CSO) include LGBTQ+ questions about sexual orientation and gender identity on the 2027 Census. A national Census of Ireland’s population is conducted every five years to help provide an image of social and living conditions over points of time. It includes questions about age, sex, education, […]
Government censors in DR Congo demand news outlets stop reporting on LGBT issues
The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has issued a warning to media outlets: do not promote LGBT issues in the DRC. The Congolese Broadcasting Council (CSAC) issued a press release June 19, 2023, denouncing “homosexuality” and “lesbianism” as “degrading” and “unconstitutional” and warning media outlets not to participate in the “shameful campaign” […]
Women’s World Cup: Australia Will Not Risk Wearing ‘One Love’ Armbands
Women’s World Cup co-hosts Australia will not risk wearing “One Love” armbands in support of LGBTQ rights at the tournament, captain Sam Kerr said, adding that she is confident there will be multiple opportunities to use her voice. Soccer’s governing body FIFA last week approved eight armbands for captains that could be worn at the […]
Pride Is a Protest. This Year, London Lived Up To That.
It can be tempting – when you see a colourful parade through central London of glitter and rainbow flags – to think of Pride as a party. In ways, it is. But marchers at London Pride this year were carrying a more sobering reality of queer rights today, edging the party closer to its origins: […]
Bill introduced in Navajo Nation to legalize marriage equality
Navajo Nation Council Delegate Seth Damon of Bááháálí, New Mexico is sponsoring a bill to have the Navajo Nation recognize marriages between two people of any genders. “The prohibition against same-sex marriages does not uniformly welcome or support the well-being of all Diné,” he said at Navajo Nation Pride last weekend. “Diné” is the Navajo […]
DeSantis campaign shares video slamming Trump’s past vow to protect LGBTQ rights
A campaign Twitter account for Ron DeSantis’ 2024 presidential bid is being criticized for marking the end of Pride Month on Friday by sharing a video slamming Republican rival Donald Trump’s previous promise to protect LGBTQ rights. DeSantis War Room – the Florida governor’s “Rapid Response” campaign account – reposted the video from another Twitter […]
What’s it like being queer in Luxembourg in 2023?
At 29, Eric Glod is not just one of Luxembourg’s top athletes, but also a champion for LGBTQIA+ rights. The four-time national table tennis champion, who currently plays in Austria, is known as much for his sporting prowess as for his advocacy. His commitment to the cause is symbolised by the rainbow flag he painted […]
First transgender referee ‘honoured’ by Guinness World Records inclusion
Football’s first transgender referee Lucy Clark has bravely revealed her journey from contemplating suicide to be awarded with a Guinness World Record. The 51-year-old officiates matches in the Women’s National League and grassroots level in the men’s game. She has been open about her transition since 2018, being a trailblazer for the trans community. However, […]
This gay doctor established the world’s first trans healthcare clinic in 1919, but he left behind a complicated legacy
Magnus Hirschfeld was a gay activist and doctor who established the first known transgender healthcare clinic in Berlin in 1919. The Institute for Sexual Science was a place where queer people could learn about themselves and heal both physically and emotionally. Hirschfeld, a pioneer of transgender rights and advocate for the acceptance of trans and […]
Activists hail Nepal ruling allowing same-sex marriage
Same-sex couples in Nepal said on Friday they were preparing to register their marriages after the Supreme Court issued a temporary order clearing the way for gay marriage for the first time in the largely conservative country. The Supreme Court has been considering a petition on the issue filed by gay right activists and on […]
Supreme Court says 1st Amendment entitles web designer to refuse same-sex wedding work
In a major decision affecting LGBTQ rights, the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday carved out a significant exception to public accommodations laws–laws that in most states bar discrimination based on sexual orientation. By a 6-to-3 vote, the court sided with Lorie Smith, a Colorado web designer who is opposed to same sex marriage. She challenged […]
‘Transfariana’ : New doc looks at love story that helped ‘queer’ Colombia’s peace process
On October 7th 2016 Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was given the Nobel Peace Prize “for his resolute efforts to bring the country’s more than 50-year long civil war to an end”, despite Colombia’s rejection of the peace deal with the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) just five days earlier in a referendum. Amongst […]
South Korea LGBT festival proceeds, bumped from prime spot by Christian group
Tens of thousands attended South Korea’s largest annual LGBT festival on Saturday, vowing to continue fighting for gay rights after the Seoul city government denied them a prime spot and gave it to an anti-LGBT Christian group. The Seoul Queer Culture Festival, staged outside city hall in the nation’s capital annually since 2015, except for […]
Southeast Asia’s Most Gay-Friendly Country Still Has No Law Against LGBT Discrimination
At first glance, the deeply Catholic Philippines can seem surprisingly LGBT-friendly. In a nation of 110 million people, more than 110,000 showed up last week to Quezon City’s Pride festival, making it by far the largest LGBT congregation in Southeast Asia. The country also ranks highest in the region for LGBT social acceptance—according to a […]
Supreme Court limits LGBTQ protections with ruling in favor of Christian web designer
The Supreme Court Friday ruled in favor of a Christian web designer in Colorado who refuses to create websites to celebrate same-sex weddings out of religious objections. The 6-3 decision was penned by Justice Neil Gorsuch and joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas. […]
Pride Shabbat at Cape Town’s Temple Israel embodies community and diversity
Despite it being a cold winter’s evening, Friday 23rd June saw a packed turnout for Pride Shabbat, taking place at Temple Israel Wynberg in Cape Town. A highlight on the synagogue calendar, the service marks an affirming space for many LGBTIQA+ identifying Jews, and attracts a vast number of gentiles, who come to experience the […]
LGBTQ+ refugees in Africa celebrate Pride safely, joyously, nutritiously
Refugees in Kenya, Malawi and Zambia celebrated Pride this month with nutritious, festive meals organized by the human rights advocates of the African Human Rights Coalition. Melanie Nathan, executive director, the U.S.-based AHRC, congratulated donors, organizers and refugee community members for the work on the AHRC Pride Meal. This account of the multi-location event is […]
‘There are more trans bans than trans athletes’: what’s driving anti-LGBTQ+ hate in America?
Gillian Branstetter, a trans rights advocate, has watched in distress over the last year as lawmakers have eliminated fundamental protections for transgender people across the US. But last week she felt a rare moment of hope after four trans youth fought for their lives in Arkansas federal court – and won. “The courage and strength […]
Survey: more than half of Argentines are in favor of greater LGBT+ representation in politics
In its International LGBT+ Pride Day survey on the representation that diversities have in the political sphere shows that more than half of the Argentines consulted are in favor of more candidacies of people from the group. According to a survey of Lights/Plaster carried out in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, 55% of the country’s […]
In the Philippines, a survey shows growing support for gays and lesbians
A sharp majority of Filipinos say they agree that gays and lesbians are trustworthy and contribute to the progress of society, according to a national survey. The survey, conducted in March by the nonprofit social research group Social Weather Stations and released in June — Pride Month in many nations — shows a substantial rise […]
Why is Russia ramping up attacks on LGBT rights during the Ukraine invasion?
After passing a law last year banning all pro-LGBT narratives in the country, Russiais planning to launch an institute to administer “psychiatric terror” on trans individuals. How is it tied to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine? Russian president Vladimir Putin has authorised the creation of an institute for the “study of LGBT people” within the […]
THE WORLDWIDE OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE RIGHTS OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMMUNITY
Whenever the rights of LGBTQ+ people move forward in the world, be it with laws that recognize same-sex marriage or the administrative identity of trans people, there is backlash, to a greater or lesser degree. The historical struggle of the LGBTQ+ community, which today celebrates Pride Day, is full of advances and setbacks, but now […]
A journey of survival and love: Venezuelan asylum seeker flees bigotry and perseveres for a new life in the United States
It starts years before they made it to the U.S.-Mexico border in October 2022 and turned themselves into authorities, in Yuma, Arizona, asking for asylum. Reydi’s story starts in his home country, Venezuela, in 2017. He had been doing political activism on and off for years. He finished his law degree and was teaching classes […]
Supreme Court of Nepal orders registration of marriages for same-sex couples
The Supreme Court of Nepal on Monday issued an interim order directing the office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers of Nepal and other relevant ministries to establish a “transitional mechanism” to ensure the registration of marriages for “same-sex couples”. The order was passed by Justice Til Prasad Shrestha, presiding over a single […]
What is New Brunswick’s LGBTQ student controversy all about?
New Brunswick’s premier has been facing turmoil in his own party. LGBTQ students and advocates have protested. Even the prime minister and the official Opposition leader have weighed in. What is Policy 713 and why has it dominated New Brunswick news headlines for two months? Policy 713, introduced in August 2020, set minimum standards for […]
China crackdown pushes LGBT groups into the shadows
While celebrations were held around the world for Pride month, there were no major LGBT events in China. The country’s largest Pride event has been suspended since 2021. The organiser, a group named ShanghaiPride, did not give a reason for the move, saying at the time it was “cancelling all upcoming activities and taking a […]
Turkey Detains Dozens of LGBTQ Activists During Pride March
Turkish police have ramped up a crackdown on LGBTQ activists as dozens of people were detained Sunday at Pride marches in Turkey’s metropolitan Istanbul and Izmir provinces. Istanbul’s governor said police detained 113 people attending the 31st LGBTQ Pride March there on Sunday (June 25). “Our national future depends on keeping the family institution alive […]