Hong Kong: Transgender activist must not be deported to mainland China
A Chinese transgender activist due to be released tomorrow after serving a prison sentence in Hong Kong will be at grave risk of persecution if she is deported to mainland China. She must instead be allowed to remain in Hong Kong or travel to another destination, Amnesty International urged today. Lai Ke (also known as […]
Breaking Down Barriers: Mo Jenkins Makes Transgender History in the Texas Legislature
Mo Jenkins is shaking things up as the first trans woman to be a committee director and committee clerk in the Texas Legislature. Currently working for Abel Herrero, the state representative for Texas House District 34, Jenkins is herself now running for state representative. If she wins her primaries, Jenkins will be the first openly […]
Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ bill draws international condemnation after it is passed by parliament
A bill which criminalizes LGBTQ people in Ghana and their supporters drew international condemnation Thursday after it was passed by parliament, with the United Nations calling it “profoundly disturbing” and urging for it not to become law. In a statement, Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner, said the bill broadens […]
LGBTQ+ advocacy group sues Texas AG, says it won’t identify transgender families
A national LGBTQ+ advocacy group is suing the Texas Attorney General’s office rather than hand over information about its support of transgender children receiving gender-confirming medical care. According to the lawsuit filed Wednesday in Texas court, PFLAG National says Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office is demanding “documents and communications” related to a sworn statement […]
Nigerian designer seeks to challenge norms with gender-fluid fashion
A Nigerian designer is making waves in fashion with a gender-fluid clothing line, which he says is intended to challenge the notion that non-binary dressing is a Western concept and to defy societal norms in a country where LGBT rights are restricted.
Ghana’s parliament passes anti-LGBTQ law
Ghana’s parliament passed a bill on Wednesday that further clamps down on the rights of LGBTQ people in the West African country. The “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values” bill enjoys support from a majority of lawmakers in Accra and has been sponsored by a coalition of Christian, Muslim, and Ghanaian traditional leaders.
Ukrainian veterans reject award after church annuls gay soldier’s medal
Now the culture wars have come to Ukraine. An Orthodox church in Kyiv annulled a medal it awarded to Viktor Pylypenko, a Ukrainian combat medic who served in the battle to fight off Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion, after the church discovered he was gay.
Viktor Pylypenko stripped of war medal because he’s gay
On February 8, 2024, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate awarded soldier Viktor Pylypenko a medal for his war service. But then, someone told them Viktor Pylypenko is gay. It’s no a big secret. After coming out as gay in 2018, Victor launched the charity LGBT+ Military, which supports LGBT+ soldiers and veterans. He […]
Christchurch Youths Sentenced in Unprovoked Attacks on Gay Men, Victim Speaks Out
In a harrowing series of events that shook Christchurch, five youths have been sentenced for their roles in unprovoked attacks on gay men, including a distressing assault on Kelly Hopkins. The attacks, which were filmed and shared within a private group, were reportedly inspired by violent content on social media from the United States, leading […]
Nex Benedict’s death spurs student walkout at his Oklahoma high school over anti-LGBTQ+ bullying
Students walked out Monday at Owasso High School in Oklahoma to protest bullying against LGBTQ+ students, and show solidarity with the local queer community after the tragic death of student Nex Benedict. Benedict, who was 16 and had Indigenous hertiage, had reported being bullied for months before he was involved in a physical confrontation in […]
UK’s only trans judge quits due to hostile climate: ‘I’m political every time I choose where to pee’
In a letter to the senior judiciary, Victoria McCloud, a High Court master, wrote that she is resigning because “I am now political every time I choose where to pee”, adding that her personal dignity is at stake, The Times reported. McCloud was first appointed as a part-time judge in 2006 and became the youngest […]
Bringing Haiti together at a Cap-Haïtien voodoo festival
While Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, is plagued with unending violence, the north of the country seems to be holding its own, attracting numerous cultural events that can no longer take place in the country’s main metropolitan area. In this context, the northern city of Cap-Haïtien is scheduled to host the first international voodoo festival from Aug. […]
Kane and Kotfe have been together for 12 years but their country’s law treats them as ‘strangers’
Kaneshige ‘Kane’ Hirata, a former firefighter, and Kohei ‘Kotfe’ Katsuyama, a former police officer, have been in a committed relationship for the past 12 years, living together in Japan for most of this time. However, the couple is unable to tie the knot legally, as Japan remains the only country in the G7 yet to […]
Siberian Queer Bar Shuts Down After Police Raid
A queer bar in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk has announced that it will close following a police raid over the weekend, local media reported Monday. The abrupt closure of the bar — called Elton — came after Yekaterina Mizulina, who has spearheaded a crackdown on anti-war activists in Russia, vowed to contact the police […]
Major medical society re-examines clinical guidelines for gender-affirming care
The major global medical association for endocrinologists will review its clinical guidelines for gender-affirming care, the Endocrine Society told CNN on Monday. Despite recent moves by some US states to restrict or ban such care, the society said it’s a routine update that was not prompted by politics. The society’s guidelines help the organization’s 18,000 […]
Church-state tension looms over gay marriage
More tension looms between Church and state over the bill for same-sex civil marriage and adoption by such couples which Parliament recently passed, after Greek Archbishop Ieronymos reportedly expressed dismay with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ speech during the House debate on the legislation. Kathimerini understands that the archbishop believes that the prime minister does not seem […]
Amid Mardi Gras buzz, Indonesians in Australia rue diminishing LGBTQ rights back home
As the 46th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras prepares to kick off on March 2, the party buzz has caught on in the Indonesian LGBTQ community in Australia, where members are readying themselves to march alongside activists and revellers from around the world. The Indonesian float at the parade, dubbed Selamat Datang – meaning “Welcome” in Indonesian […]
‘It was the life raft’: Transgender people find a safe haven in Florida’s capital city
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Quandarius “Chanel” Johnson twirled a gold-colored crown that glinted with light streaming in from a nearby window. It’s a symbol to remind her of her strength. After all, “I’m a Leo,” Johnson said. She keeps the crown hanging on her bedpost. Johnson, a Black transgender woman, lives in a safe house not far from […]
ABSURD ANTI-LGBT+ VIDEO URGES RUSSIANS TO VOTE IN UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Three weeks ahead of the 2024 Russian presidential election, a bizarre video campaign has cropped up on the internet, urging Russians to vote in order to avoid a dystopian, LGBT-dominated future. Titled ‘THE FUTURE OF RUSSIA?’ the 6-minute video is set in Moscow, 2036, and portrays a future where LGBT+ ideology has prevailed as a result […]
“My Little Pony” convention raided by Russian authorities for “LGBT propaganda”
A convention celebrating My Little Pony in Russia was deemed “LGBT propaganda” by authorities and shut down by federal agents. The pint-sized ponies are just too gay for diminutive Russian president Vladimir Putin. The raid was conducted to break up an event mounted by fans of the popular pony series and toys. The event was […]
‘A gay man without rights:’ Israeli reservist who killed highway terrorist speaks out
Hanania Ben-Shimon, the IDF reservist who was wounded as he killed one of the terrorists in the attack at the A-Za’ayem checkpoint near Ma’ale Adumim on Thursday, published a post on Friday in which he pleaded that his case not be used to promote either “divisive or aggressive” discourse or relaxed gun policies. “After going […]
US man guilty of killing transgender woman in gender identity hate crime first
A man has been found guilty of killing a transgender woman in the US’s first federal trial over an alleged hate crime based on gender identity. Jurors in South Carolina decided that Daqua Lameek Ritter shot dead Dime Doe in August 2019 for that reason. During the trial, witnesses testified that prior to the killing […]
Uganda squirms as pressure mounts to repeal anti-gay law
As human rights defenders inside and outside of Uganda await a Constitutional Court ruling on petitions challenging the Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA) 2023, the backers of the cruel law are squirming with discomfort. While international pressure against the law has been building, the regime’s expectations for the law proved unrealistic. After President Yoweri Museveni signed the […]
Mandaue City probes club for alleged transgender discrimination
THE Mandaue City Government is investigating a club in the city for allegedly discriminating against a transwoman guest. The establishment reportedly refused entry to a transgender individual unless she paid for the use of a VIP table. VIP tables in clubs provide guests with a reserved area and a dedicated server for orders, typically at […]
Nex Benedict’s death sparks calls against anti-LGBTQ bullying nationwide
Vice President Kamala Harris and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre are the latest figures to speak out regarding the death of Nex Benedict, a nonbinary 16-year-old who died one day after a physical altercation with several other students at their Owasso, Oklahoma, school. “My heart goes out to Nex Benedict’s family, friends, and their […]
Jesse Baird: Police officer charged with murder of missing Australian TV host and partner
A 28-year-old police officer has been charged with two counts of murder after the disappearance of Australian TV personality Jesse Baird and his partner Luke Davies. Beau Lamarre, Baird’s ex-partner, appeared in Waverley Local Court on Friday (23 February) as the charges of murder were read out to him. He handed himself in at Bondi […]
Protest targets Ugandan plan to praise anti-LGBT law in England
Human rights activists based in and outside Uganda have petitioned the government of the United Kingdom, urging it to cancel an invitation to Anita Among, Speaker of the Uganda Parliament, to participate in the Commonwealth’s 75th anniversary celebrations scheduled for next month in London. Among was the chief architect of the draconian Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA), […]
Conservative who moved to RUSSIA with family to escape LGBT ideology now says she hates it because locals don’t speak English
A conservative Christian family moved to Russia to escape LGBT ideology – only to melt down when their bank accounts were frozen and there were no English speakers to help them. Farmer Arend Feenstra and his wife Anneesa made the decision to move their family of 10 from Canada to Russia a month ago, but their dream appeared to […]
Why is Germany so low on PrEP and will HIV infections now rise?
BERLIN, Jan 26 (OPENLY) – A severe shortage of HIV prevention drugs in Germany has sparked fears of a spike in infections over coming months, with doctors urging government to step in and keep tens of thousands safe. Almost 90% of Germany’s doctor surgeries and pharmacies are affected by the shortages of PrEP pills, according to a […]
Ghana moves closer to passing bill that would crack down on LGBT rights
ACCRA, Feb 21 (Reuters) – Ghana’s parliament on Wednesday moved a step closer to holding a vote on a bill that seeks to further clamp down on the rights of LGBT people, rejecting a proposal that would have seen jail terms for gay sex replaced with non-custodial sentences such as counselling. A coalition of Christian, Muslim, […]