Bangkok Aims to Be Safe Space for LGBT Asians
Tens of thousands of people in Thailand celebrated Bangkok Pride with a parade on Sunday. Some Thais say they hope laws will one day allow same-sex marriage in a society that has already changed.
Italy rightist ruling party pulls support from LGBT event, sparking anger
The right-wing government of Italy’s Lazio region around Rome said on Monday it was withdrawing its backing from the capital’s annual LGBT parade, drawing an angry response from rights activists and opposition politicians. LGBT rights and gender equality in Italy have been a particularly sensitive issue since right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni came to power […]
Where it’s a crime to be gay: A visual guide to where LGBTQ+ rights are repressed
Uganda enacted one of the harshest anti-gay laws in the world last week, a bill known as the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023. It imposes a life sentence for engaging in “same-sex sexual acts,” and the death penalty for gay sex in certain circumstances, such as while infected with an illness like HIV or for having […]
In Jerusalem, gay pride is conservative too
A sigh of relief was released by Israeli Police’s top brass after the Gay Pride and Tolerance Parade in Jerusalem on June 1 ended without disturbances. Police estimated that roughly 10,000 people attended, with 2,000 Israel Police and Israel Border Police personal securing the event. Former Prime Minister and current leader of the Knesset opposition, […]
PM urged to take stand on LGBT as ‘Pride’ products enter Muslim Malaysia
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has been urged to explain the government’s stand on the LGBT movement, as multinational companies introduce products based on lifestyles considered taboo in Muslim-majority countries such as Malaysia and in the wake of raids by the home ministry and the confiscation of rainbow-coloured watches from the Pride collection of popular Swiss […]
Global survey finds 9% of adults identify as LGBTQ
Nearly 1 in 10 adults across 30 countries identify as LGBTQ, according to a new global survey, but that number tells only part of the story. Age and geographic location played a central role in the findings, with younger respondents and those in more progressive countries significantly more likely to be included in that top-line […]
Charted: Growing global acceptance of gay and lesbian people
The share of people worldwide who say their area is a good place for gay or lesbian people to live doubled from 25% to 50% over 10 years, according to a Gallup Poll. Zoom in: The countries with the highest percentage were Norway (92%), Sweden (91%) and the Netherlands (90%). The U.S. ranks 15th with […]
Anti-LGBTQ disinformation surges online in East Africa
Anti-LGBTQ bills in Kenya and Uganda have unleashed an unprecedented wave of online disinformation targeting the community, with experts accusing political leaders of spreading falsehoods that put lives at risk. Social media platforms have been rife with false claims, including one alleging that Kenya’s president called for the killing of gay people and another that […]
‘Time of new hope’: Optimism is high for Bangkok Pride after Thai elections
When rainbow colours cover one of Bangkok’s main thoroughfares on Sunday, crowds joining the city’s pride celebrations may feel a little more optimistic about the future. In an election last month, Thai voters firmly rejected Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former coup-maker who has ruled the country for nine years, in favour of opposition parties promising reform, […]
Federal judge rejects Tennessee drag show ban as unconstitutional
A federal judge has ruled that Tennessee’s law restricting drag performances in public or where children were present was unconstitutional, striking a blow to efforts in U.S. states to regulate LGBTQ conduct. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee in February had signed the bill passed by the state’s assembly that aimed to restrict drag performances, putting the […]
Anti-LGBTQ+ law in Uganda that threatens the death penalty sparks international outcry
Uganda just enacted one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Same-sex relations were already illegal there, but the new law goes much further, including life imprisonment for anyone convicted of homosexuality and in some cases mandates the death penalty. The draconian provisions upended the lives of queer Ugandans who now feel in danger. Stephanie Sy […]
Being LGBTQ+ in Latin America: Four stories of bravery and resilience
June is Pride Month, a celebration of LGBTQ+ rights in the United States and around the world. The month commemorates the Stonewall Riots of 1969, when LGBTQ+ people protested police raids of gay bars in New York City and demanded justice and equal rights. Despite the progress made over recent decades, there are still many places where […]
Estonia considers moving towards same-sex marriage
Estonia might become the first post-Soviet Union country that has same-sex marriage. Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has tabled a bill to legislate marriage for gay couples. The parliament will debate the content of the bill in the coming weeks. The Riigikogu (parliament) passed the bill in the first reading. For Kaja Kallas, the first female […]
Every LGBTQ+ flag you might see at Pride and what they all mean
Pride month is a time for protest and celebration, one when the LGBTQ+ community unite under the rainbow banner or their chosen Pride flag. From the bisexual Pride flag to the trans Pride flag, here’s a guide to all the different designs. Each year in June, the queer community comes together to march through city centres honouring […]
Latvian Parliament elects first openly gay president of a Baltic nation
HELSINKI — Latvian lawmakers on Wednesday picked the country’s long-serving popular foreign minister, a strong backer of Ukraine, as its new head of state in a tight vote. The 100-seat Saeima legislature elected Edgars Rinkēvičs, the country’s top diplomat since 2011, as president to serve for a four-year term. He received 52 votes, one vote more […]
Uproar after Uganda enacts anti-gay law
Uganda’s latest anti-Homosexuality law is one of the world’s most brutal legislations that seeks to restrict homosexual rights in Uganda and punish offenders. When lawmakers initially passed the bill in March, President Museveni had it sent back to parliament, asking for some of its provisions to be toned down. But on Monday, the 78-year-old leader signed the revised bill into law. Members […]
Anti-LGBTQ disinformation surges online in East Africa
Anti-LGBTQ bills in Kenya and Uganda have unleashed an unprecedented wave of online disinformation targeting the community, with experts accusing political leaders of spreading falsehoods that put lives at risk. Social media platforms have been rife with false claims, including one alleging that Kenya’s president called for the killing of gay people and another that […]
The paradoxical queer history of Iran
This past February, something special happened. For the first time in the 44-year history of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the majority of trade unions and notable social activists inside the country published a charter that demanded basic rights that, in their words, need to be addressed immediately. One of their demands was “The immediate […]
Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ law spurs bipartisan uproar in US
Leaders in Congress are forcefully condemning a sweeping new anti-gay law in Uganda, calling on the Biden administration to reconsider assistance to the East African nation. “Uganda’s appalling Anti-Homosexuality Act is the latest indication of Pres. Museveni’s hostility to human rights & fundamental freedoms,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said Tuesday on […]
Russian legislators are targeting transgender people. It’s the latest move that copies GOP talking points from the US
A new Russian bill could ban transgender healthcare in the country, a move that mirrors legislation being proposed and enacted by Republican lawmakers across the United States. The bill, put forward on Tuesday, would ban gender-affirming surgeries and care, according to Russian state media outlet TASS. The only exception to the legislation is birth abnormalities, […]
Japanese court rules against same-sex marriage ban in major win for LGBTQ+ equality
On Tuesday (30 May), Nagoya District Court became the second to rule against Japan’s banning of same-sex marriage, despite the country’s prime minister Fumio Kishida claiming the ban wasn’t discriminatory to the LGBTQ+ community. Japan is the only G7 nation that does not recognise same-sex marriage. The ruling – welcomed by activists and supporters outside […]
LGBTQ Russians flee to Argentina seeking refuge from discrimination, Ukraine war
Anastasia Domini and her wife Anna Domini walked hand in hand on a recent sunny day in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires while their four restless children played nearby. Same-sex couples are a common sight in a country where same-sex marriage has been legal for more than a decade. But the pair, who got married soon […]
Bill: Intersex suspects, inmates to have special cells
A police officer has told the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) of how he influenced a complaint to withdraw a case from court when a suspect could not be locked in prison because of “gender confusion”.
‘I feel deeply afraid’: Turkey’s LGBTQ community dreads future under Erdogan
Turkey’s LGBTQ community fear being exposed to more homophobic hate after conservative President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made them into his favorite target for his bitterly divisive re-election campaign. The Islamic-rooted leader constantly railed against LGBTQ people on the campaign trail, accusing them of threatening traditional family values and calling them “perverse.” He also attacked opposition […]
Uganda enacts harsh anti-LGBTQ law including death penalty
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni signed one of the world’s toughest anti-LGBTQ laws, including the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality”, drawing Western condemnation and risking sanctions from aid donors. Same-sex relations were already illegal in Uganda, as in more than 30 African countries, but the new law goes further. It stipulates capital punishment for “serial offenders” […]
How anti-LGBTQ sentiment is affecting Pride
Repressive social backlash and extreme anti-LGBTQ sentiment are complicating Pride celebrations in the US this year, even potentially inciting violence against queer people and gatherings meant to celebrate the LGBTQ community. Though LGBTQ people and by extension Pride have won important rights and gained fairly widespread acceptance in US political and social life in recent decades, right-wing politicians, religious […]
Being queer in Africa: the state of LGBTIQ+ rights across the continent
In recent years several African countries have decriminalised same-sex relationships. But they’re not representative of the continent. In fact, queer rights at times appear to be eroding in much of the continent, with Kenya and Uganda most recently in the news for harsh laws and violence against members of the LGBTIQ+ community. We asked sociologist and queer studies scholar Zethu […]
KNHRC Champions Intersex Bill To Protect Rights
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) is working towards ensuring the establishment of a legal framework that will fill the gap in the law for the protection of the rights of the intersex persons. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the commission, Dr. Bernard Mogesa, said KNCHR is working with the Office of the […]
Pitiful turnout of anti-drag protesters countered with ‘joyful’ LGBTQ+ street party
On Saturday (27 May), around 100 LGBTQ+ folks and allies stood against 40 Turning Point UK campaigners, holding signs that read “South London loves trans people”. Turning Point UK – an offshoot of an American far-right group – has routinely called for its supporters to protest outside the pub in an effort to spread a hateful anti-drag […]
Author Arinze Ifeakandu shines a light on gay Nigerian lives
Nigerian author Arinze Ifeakandu has often dreamed of a society where gay people do not have to hide their love or live in fear of homophobic hate. But LGBTQ+ people are pushing back against repression through creativity and community, said Ifeakandu, whose debut book “God’s Children are Little Broken Things” won the prestigious Swansea University […]