LGBTQ Ukrainians and Russians find solidarity in Berlin
Berlin, Germany – Having visited the German capital twice before, Polina Punegova, from the Russian port city of St Petersburg, had often told her Ukrainian partner Yulia Maznyk that she would love Berlin’s architecture, graffitied streets and spirit of open-mindedness, and that they should visit together. But following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the […]
Gay Conversion Therapies Continue To Take Their Toll In Switzerland
(MENAFN– Swissinfo) – Unlike many countries, Switzerland has refused to ban conversion therapies, often practised by evangelical churches, which claim to“cure” homosexuality. Several victims explain how they have slowly rebuilt their lives. “I was on my knees in the middle of a circle of people who were shouting to get the demon of homosexuality out […]
Three landmark legal verdicts strengthen LGBTI rights in Southeast Europe
Courts in three Southeast European countries — Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria and Croatia — have issued landmark rulings in cases concerning the rights of LGBTI people in recent weeks. The role of the courts in these three countries in maintaining LGBTI people’s rights appears to be part of a wider phenomenon, according to a recent […]
Pakistani film on transgender dancer wins Cannes honour
“Joyland”, the Pakistani film featuring a daring portrait of a transgender dancer in the Muslim country on Friday won the Cannes Queer Palm prize for best LGBT, queer or feminist-themed movie, the jury head told AFP. “Joyland” by director Saim Sadiq, a tale of the sexual revolution, tells the story of the youngest son in […]
We have to learn the lessons of the past’: Why calling monkeypox a ‘gay disease’ is wrong and harmful
In just a few weeks, there has been an ‘unprecedented’ number of cases of monkeypox around the world. Cases of the little-known disease are being investigated in Europe, Australia and America, with over 100 cases already reported in the UK. The virus, which is transmitted to humans from animals, is thought to be similar to […]
History! LGBTQI+ organisation raises Pride flag on Robben Island
Robben Island, located just off the coast of Cape Town was used as a prison between 1961 and 1996. Former president Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his 27-year prison sentence on the island. The Other Foundation, an organisation dedicated to advancing the rights of the queer community in South Africa, held their annual LGBTQI+ […]
NYU’s Nursing School Finally Has a Course on Queer and Trans Health
LGBTQ+ people across the U.S. are facing bigger challenges than ever before in obtaining necessary and competent healthcare, but students at one nursing school want to change that. After successfully piloting a new course focused on “affirming and inclusive” LGBTQ+ health this spring, NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing announced this week that the course […]
ACT move to end non-consenting intersex medical intervention
The ACT Government has released a draft bill outlining plans to end non-consenting medical interventions on intersex children. The legislation was developed after consultations with experts and lived experience participants, and ongoing advocacy from intersex and LGBTQIA+ organisations. The Variations in Sex Characteristics (Restricted Medical Treatment) Bill 2022 sets out new processes to be applied […]
Jewish Queer Youth is growing. For closeted Orthodox and Sephardic teens, that ‘means the world.’
Students come to Jewish Queer Youth secretively — through a Google search, a meme on social media, a pamphlet in their local pizzeria, a chat between two friends who suspect they might be the same in some way. “I told my parents I was hanging out with a friend after school,” said N., a Bronx […]
Bangkok’s first ‘real’ Pride parade coming up June 5
Pride month is approaching cities across the globe, including Bangkok! On June 5, the city is expected to host its first ‘real’ pride parade. Feminist activist Siri “Tata” Nilphruek said at a press conference yesterday that in the past, Bangkok’s pride parades were just street demonstrations. But this year, the organisers hope to make pride […]
LGBTQI people on the continent are ‘children of the Africa soil’, says activist
LGBTI activist groups and their allies are gathering in Cape Town this week to discuss the progress being made to advance equality, freedom, and social inclusion for LGBTI people. The week-long conference – or kopano, as it is called – has the ultimate aim of achieving just and democratic societies, in which all people can live […]
As monkeypox cases grow, so do fears of a return of gay blame and stigma
BERLIN — As mysterious cases of a rare and ominously named virus began surfacing in Europe, Germany’s disease-control center quickly told people to be on the lookout. In a May 19 alert, the agency listed telltale symptoms of monkeypox: fever, aches, a rash. Then, in a further comment that set different alarm bells ringing, the bulletin pointedly warned men […]
Not even Russian bombs can silence queer Ukrainian journalist Maksym Eristavi
A queer Ukrainian journalist. A writer. A public speaker. A self-proclaimed bridge builder and “Russian colonialism storyteller-in-chief.” Maksym Eristavi was born to amplify voices! For only being in his 30s, Eristavi’s reputation as a journalist and activist is both commendable and inspiring. He started reporting at the age of 16 and essentially pioneered queer representation in […]
More than one in 10 young women in UK identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or other
More than one in 10 young women in the UK identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or other, according to official figures that suggest more than 2 million people define themselves that way. Of females aged 16-24, 11.4% said they were lesbian, gay, bisexual or other based on an annual population survey by the Office for National […]
Tunisia’s first LGBTQ play lifts curtain on hidden violence
The first queer play to be staged in Tunisia has premiered in the capital, Tunis. Director Essia Jaibi’s latest work aims to challenge conservative attitudes in a country where same-sex acts are punishable by prison terms. “Flagranti” (or “In the Act”), deals with “a reality that we pretend not to see”, said Jaibi. The work, co-produced by LGBTQ […]
Trans woman’s photo used to spread baseless online theory about Texas shooter
Sam, a transgender woman who lives in Georgia, said that on Tuesday evening, Reddit users started commenting on a photo of her that she had shared on the platform three months ago. They told her the photo was being shared on 4chan, a forum website with little moderation, and people were saying that it showed the shooter […]
Without disruption, Cameroon’s LGBTI coalition elects new leadership.
The UNITY umbrella organization of Cameroon’s varied LGBTI rights advocacy groups has elected a new board after a spirited campaign. “We all won,” said Sandrine Ateh, the newly elected vice-president, referring both to successful candidates and to those whose campaigns fell short. “I congratulate all the candidates and candidacies presented,” she said. “This shows the […]
Jamaica man sentenced to half-decade behind bars for threatening to shoot transgender woman on his street: DA.
Jamaica resident Quame Truitt was sentenced to five years in prison Monday after pleading guilty earlier this month to threatening a transgender woman with an illegal firearm last fall, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Truitt, 24, of 162nd Street, pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree before […]
Indonesia may outlaw gay sex amid growing anti-LGBTQ sentiment.
Indonesia’s parliament is debating a bill that would outlaw so-called deviant sexual behavior, raising alarm among human rights activists about a possible increase in violence against LGBTQ people. Homosexuality and extramarital sex are not outlawed in Muslim-majority Indonesia, but some among the more conservative followers of Islam here view them as vices. It is only […]
Montana bars birth certificate changes, even with surgery.
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte’s administration says transgender people can not change their birth certificates even if they undergo gender-confirmation surgery, in defiance of a court order that temporarily blocked the Republican state’s bid to restrict transgender rights. The state health department said in an emergency rule that it would no longer record the category of […]
Qatar’s Emir welcomes gay couples to World Cup but asks them to ‘respect our culture’.
The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has said that gay fans will be welcome at the 2022 World Cup, but demanded that visitors “respect our culture”. Speaking at a news conference in Berlin following the signing of an energy partnership between Germany and Qatar, al-Thani said: “Everybody is welcome in Doha. We […]
Indonesia summons British ambassador over LGBT flag.
The Indonesian authorities summoned Monday the British ambassador, Owen Jenkins, to protest the raising of an LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) flag in the embassy, considering it controversial in the Muslim-majority country. The British Embassy in Jakarta raised the multi-colored flag on May 17 to mark the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, […]
Church of Scotland general assembly votes to allow same-sex marriages.
The Church of Scotland has voted to allow same-sex marriages, after fresh warnings that its historical opposition had increased the church’s decline towards irrelevance. The church’s general assembly, its decision-making body, voted by 274 to 136 on Monday to allow its ministers and deacons to opt in to officiate at same-sex weddings, ending a centuries-old […]
UN denounces ‘racist’ and ‘homophobic’ coverage of monkeypox.
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has warned that stigmatising language used in the coverage on the monkeypox virus could jeopardise public health, citing some portrayals of Africans and LGBTI people that “reinforce homophobic and racist stereotypes and exacerbate stigma”. More than 100 confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox virus have been reported […]
Rugby: Shifting attitudes towards rainbow community lead to hopes of first gay All Black
It’s been a big and progressive week for the rainbow community in sport. First, New Zealand Rugby announced it’s signed up to the Pride Pledge, and then professional footballer Jake Daniels publicly announced he’s gay, ending decades of silence in the UK. And for New Zealand’s premier gay rugby side, the shifts in the attitude towards the LGBT+ […]
Starbucks to pay travel costs for trans employees getting gender-affirming care
Starbucks has announced plans to cover travel costs for employees who must travel more than 100 miles to access gender-affirming care in the wake of multiple state-led attempts to criminalize this care. The pledge comes after a draft of a Supreme Court decision affecting abortion rights was leaked. Many experts warn that if Roe v. Wade’s abortion […]
Gay man killed in Cape Town as Parliament considers Hate Crimes Bill
The family of a man allegedly murdered for being gay is calling for justice as Parliament continues to ponder the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill, which has been on the cards for four years. Yesterday, 21-year-old Unathi Weba was buried at his home in the Eastern Cape, two weeks after he […]
UK plummets further down ranking of LGBTQ-friendly countries in Europe
ILGA Europe’s Rainbow Map and Index has ranked European countries on the basis of their “legal and policy situation” for LGBTQ+ people each year since 2009. It ranks countries from zero to 100 per cent, with zero per cent representing gross violations of human rights and discrimination, and 100 per cent representing respect of human […]
Turkish police break up LGBTQ pride parade
Police in Turkey broke up an LGBTQ pride parade at one the country’s top public universities and detained all of the participants Friday. Riot police entered Bogazici University and surrounded dozens of students who were waiving rainbow flags and calling for tolerance. They arrested the students one by one and led them into police buses […]
Same-sex marriage support still up substantially since 2018: survey
As Taiwan approaches the third anniversary of its legalization of same-sex marriage on May 24, support for the right of gay couples to wed has risen to 60.9 percent, still up substantially from four years earlier, according to the results of a new survey released Sunday. In a press release, the Gender Equality Committee of […]