6th Grader Interviews LGBTQ+ People, Makes Picture Book for Kids
Education about sexual minorities in Japanese schools is relatively non-existent. But one 6th grader named Ui is hoping to educate children about LGBTQ+ people with her picture book “So That Everyone May Smile” (みんな えがおになれますように). Published in September by Gekkan, the 53-page book features whimsical art and interviews with LGBTQ+ people in a simple Q&A […]
Levi Davis, the first out bisexual rugby union player, has disappeared in Spain
Rugby Union’s first out bisexual player has gone missing. Levi Davis has been missing for over a week, according to his old team Bath Rugby. The team posted a Twitter update asking for any information as to his whereabouts. The English 24-year-old, who plays for Worthing Raiders in the National League 2 South, was last […]
Gay football fans set to be offered ‘safe houses’ in Qatar during World Cup
Gay football fans are set to be offered ‘safe houses’ in Qatar after a World Cup ambassador described homosexuality as ‘damage in the mind’. The Football Association of Wales warned it ‘can’t guarantee’ the safety of LGBTQ+ and female supporters travelling to the hardline Gulf state. Officials are considering setting up a ‘safe house’ zone […]
Maura Healey Becomes First Lesbian Governor in U.S. History
Democratic candidate Maura Healey has been elected the first out lesbian governor in the U.S. as well as the first woman to lead Massachusetts. In 2014, Healey previously made history when she became the first LGBTQ+ elected to be a state’s attorney general. The Associated Press called the race shortly after polls closed in Massachusetts.
Ben-Gvir, the Beast Parade, and a Blessing in Synagogue
What follows is a translation of a long Hebrew-language Facebook post by Amir Ohana, the recently reelected Israeli Knesset member who formerly served in governments led by Benjamin Netanyahu. Ohana became the first openly gay person to be elected to the Knesset and the first openly gay person to serve in an Israeli government, both […]
Pennsylvania’s First Openly Queer Women Lawmakers Take A Stand In GOP-Controlled Legislature
The Mid-Atlantic state of Pennsylvania includes the liberal metropolis of Philadelphia, the state’s biggest city with the highest population, and runner-up Pittsburgh on the west side of the state. Yet, due to what many say is Republican gerrymandering, the GOP has controlled both the Senate and House of Representatives in the Pennsylvania General Assembly since […]
Gay Games XI Countdown Celebration Held in Guadalajara
Guadalajara and Hong Kong will co-host the 2023 Gay Games XI, holding the games from Nov. 3 to 11, 2023, with a kickoff event to begin the one-year countdown held on Friday, November 4 at the Astros de Guadalajara arena. A variety of celebrities helped welcome the opening of registration for athletes and start the […]
New project Nour Sarah reaches out to LGBTQ Afghans, aims for more
A new project launched by LGBTQ rights activists based in Lebanon and Paris offers emotional support services to members of the LGBTQ community — initially to refugees from Afghanistan and later to LGBTQ people throughout the North Africa and Western Asian region. The project is named Nour Sarah (Light of Sarah) in honor of Sarah […]
Australian Jewish group is concerned about homophobia in new Israeli government
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry have congratulated incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his election win but have also voiced concern about homophobic elements within the coalition he may lead. Netanyahu returned to leading Israel following elections last week. He was previously the Prime Minister for 12 years but was ousted in 2021. The […]
LGBT community makes presence felt at ALF
NAMSAI, 6 Nov: The three-day Arunachal Literature Festival (ALF) – one of the most popular events conducted by a government department in the state – ended here on Saturday. The fourth edition of the popular ALF saw the participation of noted authors, poets, novelists, scholars, and intellectuals from all over the country. Students and booklovers also […]
Qatari minister blasts ‘arrogant’ critics of World Cup host’s repressive anti-LGBT laws in furious rant amid huge public backlash to football stars David Beckham and Gary Neville taking money from Middle Eastern state to front the tournament
Qatar’s foreign minister has said the country’s critics are ‘arrogant’ and ‘cannot accept a small country from the Middle East’ is hosting the World Cup, amid criticism of the nation’s LGBTQ rights record. ‘Preaching from a distance is not a solution, said Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani in an interview with Sky News. ‘Calling to boycott […]
Texas politicians rake in millions from far-right Christian megadonors pushing private school vouchers
Texas Republicans bankrolled by Christian conservative donors are hoping to ride a wave of parental anger over the teaching of race and sexuality in schools to achieve what has long been an unattainable goal: state funding for private education. Groups committed to giving parents the option of sending their children to private schools using taxpayer […]
England’s Coach Encourages Gay Soccer Players to Come Out
England coach Gareth Southgate hopes that gay soccer players “come out soon” because “it would have an enormous impact on society,” he said in an interview with an Italian newspaper published on Saturday. “The teams and players wouldn’t have any problem with it,” Southgate told La Repubblica ahead of this month’s World Cup in Qatar. […]
Poland’s highest court rules foreign same-sex marriages can be recognised
Poland’s highest court has ruled that it is in line with the country’s constitution to recognise foreign same-sex marriages. Poland has become increasingly hostile towards the queer community in recent years, but on Thursday (3 November), the country’s highest court – the Supreme Administrative Court of the Republic of Poland – handed down a rare […]
Centaurus High to perform ‘The Crucible’ through LGBTQ lens
Centaurus High theater students wanted a fall play that celebrated their diversity and tackled a social issue. They chose Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” a 1953 play that uses the Salem witch trials to critique McCarthyism, and reworked it to tell the story through an LGBTQ lens — keeping the original themes of the absurdity of […]
Germany’s Franciscan Friars Elect Openly Gay Brother as New Provincial Leader
Germany’s Franciscan friars have elected an openly gay brother as their new leader, who becomes one of the most high-profile out LGBTQ+ church leader to date. The friars of the Province of St. Elizabeth, which includes all of Germany, held their provincial chapter earlier this year. Just weeks before it, Br. Markus Fuhrmann came out […]
Qatari officials accused of gang raping gay man in hotel before deporting him
A gay man who lived in Qatar has revealed the harrowing truth about sting operations in place to entrap members of the queer community, with his own experience resulting in him being raped by officials. In a report by inews, a man called Ali, who moved to Qatar’s capital, Doha, after the death of his […]
In a first, two gay men contest same Congress seat in U.S. elections
NEW YORK, Nov 3 (Openly) – History is in the making. For the first time, two openly gay candidates are competing for election to a U.S. congressional seat. Analysts say the race in New York’s 3rd congressional district highlights the huge strides LGBTQ+ representation and acceptance have made on the political stage. “What’s notable is that it […]
Religious Zionism MK: Party won’t come after LGBT, but wants ‘order in public space’
Religious Zionism MK Orit Strock says leftists, Arabs and members of the LGBT community should not fear the rise of the far right in this week’s election. “We’re not going to hammer anyone,” she says. “We will serve all citizens, including those who do not think like us and whose lifestyles are different.” However, she says her […]
Polish top court issues ruling on same-sex marriage
Poland’s highest administrative court has issued a ruling on same-sex marriage which the gay couple who brought the case say shows that such unions are not barred under the constitution. However, a conservative legal group has dismissed that claim as “fake news”. Article 18 of the constitution states that “marriage as a union of a man and […]
Uproar after Irish priest says Varadkar and other gay politicians will go to hell
A Catholic priest has caused uproar in Ireland after declaring that the deputy prime minister, Leo Varadkar, and other gay politicians will go to hell. Fr Seán Sheehy, 65, condemned homosexuality, trans rights and abortion rights from the pulpit and in media interviews this week, drawing widespread censure, including from his own bishop. Some called the comments a throwback […]
Tokyo Same-Sex Couples Start Receiving Partnership Certificates
In what LGBTQ+ people in Japan hope is a harbinger of marriage equality, Tokyo’s city government began issuing partnership certificates to same-sex couples Tuesday. The certificates allow the couples’ unions to be recognized for services such as housing and health care, but they do not confer any rights when it comes to inheritance, adoption, or […]
7 queer French Muslims reflect on their identity and upbringing
Documentary and portrait photographer Camille Farrah Lenain dissects issues of representation, collective memory and identity through long-term projects grounded in portraiture. Connecting the dots that make up her subjects’ stories, she refocuses attention on communities whose experiences are traditionally overlooked or misunderstood. In her ongoing body of work, Made of Smokeless Fire, the French-Algerian photographer […]
Darling of the “detransition” movement comes out again as transgender
Like the ex-gay movement that rose to prominence in the early 2000s and then came crashing down as leaders recanted their “conversions,” the detransition movement is showing similar signs of a crack-up. Ky Schevers is just one of the prominent voices of the detransition movement to reconsider her choice to reject her gender evolution and […]
NSW gay hate murder probe seeks ‘justice’
A landmark NSW inquiry is investigating cold-case murders of gay men and LGBTQI community members. Led by Justice John Sackar, the special commission of inquiry into hate crimes began its first hearing on Wednesday. The inquiry was created in April after it was recommended by a 2019 parliamentary report.
Dutch increasingly critical about transgender law
This year, Dutch citizens have become more critical of a transgender proposal that should make it easier for people to change their gender on birth certificates and identity papers. The initiators of the proposal want to remove the minimum age and the need for an expert opinion in the case of gender reassignment. Yet, most […]
Government urged to stop discrimination against intersex people
Worried about stigmatisation and discrimination against intersex persons in society, the Centre for Healthcare Development and Youth Empowerment, (Intersex Nigeria) has called on the government to intervene with policies and programmes to checkmate any form of discrimination. “Intersex” is an umbrella term for people born with sex traits that do not fit binary medical definitions […]
Czech MP comes out as gay after Slovakia LGBTQ+ bar shooting: ‘Society is being radicalised’
A Czech Republic MP has come out as gay in the wake of an apparent anti-LGBTQ+ shooting in neighbouring Slovakia. Jiří Navrátil discussed his sexuality and his experiences as a gay man in an interview for Seznam, the Republic’s most used search engine. A member of the Christian and Democratic Union in the Chamber of […]
Transgender and intersex people demonstrate in Brussels for more rights and respect
Some 300 people demonstrated in Brussels on Sunday afternoon to demand more rights and respect for transgender and intersex people. “We are still excluded and attacked in this society because of who we are,” said a spokesperson. “Transphobia and interphobia are on the rise, and there is an urgent need for much more than performative ‘inclusion’.” […]
Young gay couple jumps to their deaths after posting final photos together on Instagram
A young gay couple jumped to their deaths from a bridge in Armenia last week, after posting a series of photos together on Instagram and tagging them “Happy End.” The last photo shows the couple sharing a final kiss. The tragic post went viral, and continues to draw thousands of comments, tributes, and even threats. The […]