Germany Launches Plan To Protect LGBTQ Rights
The German government on Friday unveiled a plan to protect sexual and gender minorities from discrimination, including a bid to anchor their rights in the constitution. Sven Lehmann, the government’s commissioner for LGBTQ affairs, said it was a “historic day” as he presented the plan at a press conference in Berlin. The move marks the […]
Gay men working in parliament ‘most vulnerable’ to harassment, says MP
Gay men working in parliament are the “most vulnerable” to harassment and abuse but are “absolutely terrified of coming forward” because of the taboo which remains around homosexuality, a senior Conservative MP has said. Former immigration minister Caroline Nokes said women receive “all the column inches in the press” before “this ‘and also’ [approach] when […]
Bangladeshi students seek dismissal of gay teacher
The Bangladeshi human rights organization JusticeMakers Bangladesh expressed concern and anger over the attempt to expel the gay teacher, Aminul Islam, from his position as senior lecturer in the geography department of Bhalum Ataur Rahman Khan Degree College in Dhamrai, Dhaka. Justice Makers Bangladesh demanded action against his accusers after a “quick and impartial investigation”. The […]
Senate clears hurdle to move gay marriage bill toward final passage
The Senate on Wednesday cleared a key procedural hurdle to move forward the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that will codify same-sex marriage into federal law. The bill earned bipartisan support in a 62-37 vote, with a handful of Republicans voting to move the bill along, giving it enough votes to clear the 60-vote filibuster. The GOP […]
NHS Scotland ‘plans to remove ”barriers” to irreversible operations for transgender patients and make a ”single opinion” enough to refer for surgery in most cases
NHS Scotland is planning to remove ‘barriers’ to irreversible operations for transgender patients, a report has revealed. The new transgender treatment rules, which The Telegraph says it has seen, will reportedly see operations made more widely available including mastectomies, breast implants and genital reassignment, as well as hormone treatments. The report calls for ‘barriers’ to […]
Venezuela is still a dangerous place to live as an LGBTQ person
I’m a 20-year-old woman living in a town called Guatire, not far from Venezuela’s capital city, Caracas. Gay sex was legalised here in 1997, but Venezuela is still a dangerous place to live as an LGBTQ person. Many of my queer friends have left the country because of homophobia, transphobia and problems such as poverty, […]
Fighting for change in Senegal, lesbian activist sees a long, difficult road ahead
In a short interview, Senegalese lesbian activist Guadalupe Dansokho (a pseudonym), presents her unvarnished observations of her home country — plagued with femicides, ruled by power-hungry men, and near the bottom of the world’s worst nations in terms of gender equality. Dansokho is a militant lesbian in her 30s who belongs to a feminist group […]
Gay Qataris physically abused then recruited as agents, campaigner says
Gay Qataris have been promised safety from physical torture in exchange for helping the authorities to track down other LGBTQ+ people in the country, a prominent Qatari doctor and gay rights campaigner has told the Guardian. Dr Nasser Mohamed, who lives in the US but retains contact with hundreds of gay Qataris, said that some […]
LGBTQ advocate to become Slovenia’s first woman president
Lawyer and human rights advocate Natasa Pirc Musar won Slovenia’s presidential election, defeating an ally of ousted nationalist leader Janez Jansa to become the European Union state’s first woman head of state. Pirc Musar, who once served on the legal team of former US first lady Melania Trump, won 53.9% in Sunday’s runoff, according to […]
Lagos Shelter Brings Rare Respite For Nigeria’s LGBT+
When Muna and Mary moved in together in Nigeria’s Anambra state, they thought they were starting a new life. But that dream quickly became a nightmare for the trans man and his girlfriend after a barrage of insults from neighbours and threats of rape. They had no choice but to flee. “It destroyed me, damaged […]
Outcry in Moldova about new LGBT campaign in schools
A campaign called “LGBT children in your school” has led to many critiques in Moldova. Both the Orthodox Church of Moldova and parents speak out against the promotion of LGBT values in schools. Propaganda of the LGBT agenda and its development is unacceptable, both socially and from a Christian point of view, Metropolitan Vladimir of […]
1,000 hold rally in Tokyo in call to protect rights of transgenders
Hundreds of people rallied in Tokyo to highlight the urgency of calls to protect the rights of transgender people. Organizers estimated that about 1,000 people, Japanese and foreign residents alike, took part in the Nov. 12 parade in Shinjuku Ward. Participants hoisted placards displaying various messages to get their point across. The demonstration was organized by Tomoya […]
Fifa’s meetings with LGBT charities are just a ‘Band-Aid’ to cover Qatar’s oppression, says Arab LGBT group
One of the only LGBT organisations based in the Gulf region has accused Fifa of putting a “Band-Aid” over Qatar’s treatment of LGBT people by holding meaningless meetings with advocacy groups as a public relations exercise – while privately treating the issues as a “distraction”. “They talked to us, we had so many different calls, and […]
‘Anatomy inventory’ fosters more inclusive care for transgender, non-binary patients
PHILADELPHIA — Taking an “anatomy inventory” during visits can help cultivate a more supportive environment for transgender and non-binary patients to discuss their gender identity and the need for organ-specific care, a presenter here said. “The TGNB — which stands for transgender and gender non-binary — community are in need of social services and experience a […]
Isreal’s new legislative leader promises to protect LGBTQ rights despite his party’s threats
Benjamin Netanyahu — the former Israeli prime minister who was recently elected as the chairman of the majority Likud party within his country’s legislature, the Knesset — has promised not to allow legislators to roll back LGBTQ rights in the country. “There will be no harm to pride parades nor to the status-quo on LGBTQ rights,” […]
As Texas cracks down on trans youth, some families feel trapped
Every morning, Mary’s eight-year-old daughter Paige walks into school in the Texan city of Austin with a legal letter in her rucksack, neatly packed with her schoolbooks and her lunch, just in case she gets stopped by state family protection officials. The letter is short and to the point: she cannot be interviewed without the […]
U.S. judge rejects Biden administration’s LGBT health protections
A federal judge in Texas ruled on Friday that President Joe Biden’s administration had wrongly interpreted an Obamacare provision as barring health care providers from discriminating against gay and transgender people. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo ruled that a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2020 holding that a law barring workplace discrimination […]
In new hate speech, Turkish Interior Minister Soylu deems LGBTI+ ‘cultural terrorism’
Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu on Nov. 12 called the LGBTI+ community as “propaganda of a terrorist organization.” “There is cultural terrorism. The propaganda of a terrorist organization, which tries to make people forget their values, their religion, unity, parental love and family loyalty. It is exactly Europe’s policy, exactly America’s policy of divide and […]
Hate speech surged on Twitter during first week under Musk’s ownership: report
Hate speech surged during the first week of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter, according to a new report released by the Center for Countering Digital Hate. Social media analytics tool Brandwatch documented that during the week of Oct. 31, the social media platform saw significantly higher numbers of slurs referring to people in […]
Gandhara Briefing: Taliban Targets Universities; Women Barred From Parks; Gay Afghan Men Fear Persecution
RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi reports on the Taliban cracking down on Afghan universities, which have become a hotbed of anti-Taliban protests led by female students. In the latest incident, the Taliban beat up dozens of female students who staged a rally on October 30 outside their university in Badakhshan. The incident came after a group of […]
Traditional Countries Rally on Transgender, Homosexuality, and Abortion at UN
A major fight broke out in the UN General Assembly Third Committee this week that pitted traditional countries over against powerful Western governments on the questions of abortion, homosexuality, and transgender ideology. The debate occurred during consideration of a resolution on “violence against women.” Western delegates were in shock as traditional countries upended the adoption […]
Dubbed torture, ID policies leave transgender people sterile
She was the only woman soldier working in the guard room, surrounded by men who harassed and frightened her after she said she was transgender. She tried to ignore them as they opened up their shirts and pretended to rape each other, while beckoning her to join them. And then one day, as Lune Loh […]
The ‘armed and gay’ Senate hopeful who helped force Georgia’s runoff
The morning after the midterms, Chase Oliver was back at work. “That’s what most other Georgians have to do after an election,” he tells the Guardian. “I have a job and have to pay rent and the bills.” Oliver, 37, has two jobs, actually – one as a sales account executive for a financial services company […]
Gay Ukraine soldier marrying woman so she can ‘retrieve his body’ if he dies
A woman in Ukraine has said she plans to marry her gay soldier friend so someone can “claim him if he dies” while fighting in the war. In the latest horrifying news from the war in Ukraine, Kyiv resident Leda Kosmachevskaya told the i newspaper that since same-sex marriage is illegal in the country, her friend would not […]
Poland warns of “Putin’s provocateurs” at nationalist Independence March in Warsaw
Poland’s deputy interior minister has warned that Russia could use “provocations” to cause trouble at tomorrow’s nationalist march in Warsaw to mark Polish Independence Day. The event, which is organised by three far-right groups, often draws over 100,000 participants, including extremists but also many mainstream conservatives. While some marches, such as last year’s, have passed peacefully, others, for example the […]
SYDNEY’S LGBT MUSEUM QTOPIA WILL RE-CREATE AUSTRALIA’S FIRST HIV/AIDS UNIT – WARD 17
Sydney’s new LGBTQI museum Qtopia has announced its very first exhibition – a restaging of Ward 17 South, Australia’s very first dedicated HIV/AIDS unit that was located at St Vincent’s hospital. On Wednesday, Qtopia signed a lease with the City of Sydney for a temporary venue at the Bandstand in Green Park, Darlinghurst. For Sydney […]
Before The 2022 World Cup In Qatar, French Football Called To Condemn Violations Of LGBT + Rights
Pressure on French football. A group of associations and personalities have called on the France team and national authorities to denounce the violations of the rights of LGBT + people committed by the authorities of Qatar, host country of the 2022 Football World Cup. “Federation, leaders, players and referees of French football, you have the power […]
LGBTIQ+ entrepreneurs: Unlocking the PLUS within
PLUS. The LGBTI+ Business Network was founded in 2017 – with the backing of America’s National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and the Other Foundation – as Africa’s first LGBTIQ+ chamber of commerce. Supporting South African LGBTIQ+ businesses and entrepreneurs, in particular its members, is the core mission and vision of the organisation. It has hosted several […]
OPINION Twitter takeover: Real-world risk to LGBTQ+ users
Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter has sent a shockwave through social media and the LGBTQ+ community. Bloomberg reports the world’s richest man has ordered a review of the platform’s hateful conduct policy, “specifically a section that says users can be penalized for ‘targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals.’” There are few things more hurtful to a […]
Leigh Finke to become first transgender legislator in Minnesota House
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Leigh Finke will be the first transgender legislator in the Minnesota House after she handily won the seat for District 66A on Tuesday night. According to the secretary of state, she defeated Republican Trace Johnson 81% to 18% and will serve St. Paul, Falcon Heights, Roseville, and Lauderdale. The first-time candidate was […]