Guadalajara says they will host a successful Gay Games despite low registration numbers
Gay Games organizers in Guadalajara say that the games will go on in the Mexican city this November, regardless of historic-low registration numbers. It is, for the organizers, a push to impact Central and South America with a multinational LGBTQ event they say is guaranteed to take place in some form, due to government funding. Monica […]
High Court hears petition on adoption by LGBTQ couples: ‘Decision cannot be avoided’
The High Court heard a petition Thursday against discrimination toward LGBTQ couples who wish to adopt, and indicated it might move to resolve the issue in the absence of a legislative solution. The discussions on the Child Adoption Law ended without a decision, but the three-judge panel made it clear that the current situation was untenable […]
USAID Releases Historic LGBTQ-Inclusive Development Policy
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced on Wednesday its first-ever LGBTQI+ inclusive development policy, which will guide the agency’s inclusion of LGBTQ+ rights support in its programming. “The Policy outlines overarching USAID principles and objectives for LGBTQI+ inclusive development programs and activities as part of a coordinated Agency priority, and advances USAID’s commitment to […]
Dyan Tai’s Mission To Showcase Queer Asian Excellence
Dyan Tai, the self-described “Gaysian Empress of Sydney,” is a trilingual Malaysian-born classically trained musician, singer, performer, cabaret artist, DJ, and fixture of the Sydney Queer arts scene. In a conversation with Star Observer, he spoke about showcasing and cultivating Queer Asian excellence, the importance of music in his life, and his memorable first Sydney Gay and […]
Negros Occidental town declares drag queen Pura Luka Vega persona non grata
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – A municipal government in Negros Occidental declared drag queen Pura Luka Vega unwelcome in its town on Tuesday, August 1. The persona non grata declaration by Toboso town’s legislature came in response to a controversial video that went viral, showing Vega wearing a Black Nazarene-inspired costume while dancing to a remix of the song […]
Mike Pence says he’ll ban transgender people from the military if he wins
Republican presidential candidate Mike Pence said that if he wins the White House he would ban transgender people from the military again. Pence was speaking to reporters in Nevada – an early primary state – when he said that it “makes no sense” to let transgender people serve in the military. “Look, we have people […]
NHS: Transgender Court of Appeal case for gender dysphoria waiting times is dismissed
Two transgender people have lost a Court of Appeal challenge against NHS England over waiting times for gender dysphoria treatment. Eva Echo and Alex Harvey took legal action against the healthcare body over “extreme” waiting times for a first appointment with a specialist, along with two other young people who cannot be named. At a […]
Anti-LGBT Rhetoric Undermines Rights in Lebanon
Anti-gay remarks made on Saturday by a Hezbollah leader in Lebanon who has recently called for anti-gay violence sparked panic and terror among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon, described same-sex relations as a “sexual perversion,” and warned that gay people’s existence is a “threat to […]
Iraqi Kurdistan human rights group shuttered over rainbow logo
A court in the Kurdistan region of Iraq dealt independent civil society a blow on May 31, 2023, by ordering the closure of Rasan Organization over “its activities in the field of homosexuality,” Human Rights Watch said. Rasan is the only human rights organization willing to vocally support lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights […]
Fear and frustration escalate after antisemitic, anti-LGBTQ graffiti found in London park
Members of London’s LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities say they’re disappointed and fearful after “alarming” graffiti was found scrawled in a park in London’s SoHo neighbourhood over the weekend. “It’s really scary that this is happening,” said Shawnie Gallant, who was out walking a dog Saturday when they came across swastikas and hateful words on the […]
Iran official in charge of ‘promoting Islamic values’ suspended over alleged gay sex video
An official in Iran in charge of “promoting Islamic values” has reportedly been suspended over an alleged gay sex video. Reza Tsaghati, head of culture and Islamic guidance in Gilan province, was reportedly seen having sex with another man in a video posted online, however the video’s authenticity, and the identities of those in the […]
In a first, State to roll out queer-friendly hospital initiative
For the first time in the country, the Kerala government will implement a “Queer-friendly hospital initiative” to protect the rights of the queer, transgender community and to ensure healthcare services for them in hospitals across the State. Health Minister Veena George said in a statement here on Monday that the Health department intended it to […]
Gay dads win case against rightwingers who used their son’s photo on an anti-surrogacy flyer
An Italian anti-LGBTQ+ political party has been ordered to pay the equivalent of $10,000 U.S. to a gay Canadian couple after it used a photo of their family in a campaign against surrogacy. In 2014, an emotional photo went viral that captured the moment Frank Nelson and BJ Barone met their newborn son, Milo. Taken […]
`Belgium’s trans-friendly reputation faces far-right rise
BRUSSELS — Belgium has built a reputation as among the most progressive EU countries on trans rights. For the past five years, people there can legally change their gender and name without medical certification. Its current government includes a transgender politician in a leading position. And, just recently, the city of Ghent in Belgium’s northern Flanders region […]
Hong Kong public broadcaster cancels LGBTQ radio show
A radio show promoting LGBTQ equality will end its 17-year run at Hong Kong’s public broadcaster on Sunday, with station management citing “changes in programme” as the reason for cancellation. The axing of “We Are Family” comes after Beijing crushed Hong Kong’s democracy movement and imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020, which critics say […]
India’s first openly gay prince says his parents tried to subject him to the ‘torture’ of conversion therapy to make him straight
India’s first openly gay prince said his parents tried to make him undergo conversion therapy in a interview with Sky News. Speaking from Jaipur, India, on Friday, Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil told the news channel that his mother and father would’ve gone to go to extreme lengths to try to make him straight. “My parents were planning to […]
Texas church firebombed after ‘anti-LGBT’ YouTuber video
(NewsNation) — A Texas church was firebombed Sunday, weeks after it was the subject of an anti-LGBTQ Christian YouTuber’s video, according to multiple news reports. Community Unitarian Universalist Church in Plano, Texas, was the target of the attack carried out July 23, the church posted on Facebook. The attack happened between midnight and 12:30 a.m. using a chemical accelerant that […]
Mission Africa Inc. honours Bagbin, Sam George, others for championing Anti-LGBTQI+ Bill
The Executive Board of Mission Africa Incorporated USA/Ghana, in collaboration with the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship, the Worldwide Miracle Outreach UK led by Dr Lawrence Tetteh, Inland Empire Concern African America Churches of California, (IECCAC (UNA- GH), Inter Faith Christian for Jewish Strategic Diplomacy, USA, Christian Bible and Governance, have commended the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, […]
Saudi football ‘sportswashing’ and using multi-million-pound deals to distract from human rights issues
Players from across the game have taken eye-watering amounts of money to join the Saudi Pro League, moves which have been criticised as supporting “sportswashing”. In December, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Riyadh-based club Al-Nassr on a free transfer after leaving Manchester United, reportedly bagging the biggest salary in football history, at more than £173 million (close […]
Can states’ bans on transgender care hold up in court? We break down the arguments
Of the 20 states restricting gender-affirming hormone therapy, nearly half are being challenged in federal court. At the heart of these lawsuits is this question: Do bans on gender-affirming care violate the U.S. Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment? (A reminder: The Fourteenth Amendment says states can’t deprive people of liberty without due process and can’t deny people […]
Iran sex tape scandal: Government says no prior knowledge of alleged behaviour
A video posted online allegedly shows the head of culture and Islamic guidance in Gilan province, Reza Tsaghati, having sex with another man. Their identities and the video’s authenticity have not been verified. Mr Tsaghati has been removed from his post while authorities investigate. Homosexuality is illegal in Iran, with LGBT+ people at risk of […]
1st PH gay summit eyes ‘inclusivity’ in tourism
THE Department of Tourism (DoT) will be holding a first-ever Pride Summit as part of the government’s initiatives focusing on “inclusive tourism development and establishing the Philippines as one of Asia’s most LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, and asexual plus) friendly destinations.” DoT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco made the announcement on Thursday during […]
In Nepal, the LGBTQ Community’s Fight for Marriage Equality is Far From Over
“We are going to fight until the very end!” said Surendra Pandey, the husband of Maya Gurung, when we met at a restaurant in Nepal’s busy capital Kathmandu. Frequent power outages, with lights and music turning on and off at irregular intervals, seem to provide an appropriate backdrop to the legal rollercoaster Maya and Surendra […]
‘I can make you straight in three months’: Inside India’s gay conversion industry
Widely discredited around the world, conversion therapy – which aims to change someone’s sexual orientation – is still legal in India but the practice of it by doctors is banned. Above a second-hand car shop on a bustling Delhi street, sits the office of the Indian capital’s self-proclaimed “best sexologist”. Dr Shriyans Jain is smartly […]
From state houses to Congress, anti-trans fights arrive in Washington
When AJ DePre, a trans rights organizer, heard that a House subcommittee was holding a hearing about “The Dangers and Due Process Violations of ‘Gender-Affirming Care,’” on Thursday, they spent the day making calls to their family in Belgium to assess if they could move to Europe. “I felt scared and ready to leave,” they […]
India could soon become the second country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage
India could soon become only the second nation in Asia to legalise gay marriage. As the world’s fast-growing democracy, it is a hugely significant moment for LGBTQIA+ campaigners. Abhay Dange and Supriyo Chakraborty are one of 18 Indian couples leading the fight at the Supreme Court. Abhay says culturally, the ability to marry is critical: […]
How will Russia’s tough new law affect trans people?
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new law that bans transgender people from changing their gender on ID documents or undergoing transition-related medical care such as surgery and hormone therapy. Campaigners have condemned the legislation, the latest rollback of LGBTQ+ rights in Russia, warning that it could fuel mental health problems among trans people […]
Ghana set to pass anti-homosexuality law after legal challenge fails in Supreme Court
Same-sex intercourse is already illegal in the West African nation, and is punishable by up to three years in jail. The Ghanaian parliament has been debating the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill for two years, with most MPs in favour of it. It would criminalise same-sex relations, being transgender and advocating for […]
Malaysia’s LGBTQ community fears backlash after concert kiss
The 1975 frontman Matty Healy’s recent appearance at a festival in Kuala Lumpur — where he criticized Malaysia’s homophobic laws and kissed a male bandmate on stage — has strongly angered conservatives in the country. Members of the LGBTQ+ community have also expressed unease over his actions, fearing that the episode risks further exacerbating the […]
Uganda anti-gay law ‘already causing harm,’ says US ambassador
U.S. officials and those working in the HIV response in Uganda said they are already seeing the detrimental effects of the controversial anti-gay bill that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed into law in May, with many affected populations now in hiding and not seeking services. “The law is already causing harm,” jeopardizing the gains made in […]