Politicians deepen existing divides when they use inflammatory language, such as hate speech, and this makes their societies more likely to experience political violence and terrorism. That’s…
Iraqi media outlets have become key promoters of “hate speech” against LGBT people, according to a new report by Iraqi LGBT rights organisation IraQueer published on Tuesday….
The Iranian state-run news channel Al-Alam released a 22-minute television program labeling the Iraqi organization IraQueer and its network of LGBTQ safe houses as agents of a…
As a researcher and advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, I am often asked: “What…
In Iraq and Iran, politicians stirred up homophobic disputes focusing on the May 17 celebration of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia (Idahobit) and…
Iraqi political leaders have issued condemnations and called for the expulsion of diplomats following a decision by a number of foreign embassies in the country to fly…
Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who is head of the Sadrist Movement and the Saraya al-Salam militia, said in March: “One of the most appalling things that…
Rifat Chadirji, a man often referred to as the father of modern Iraqi architecture, has died after contracting coronavirus. The 93-year-old architect and photographer was living in…
An official for the Iranian-sponsored Popular Mobilization Units declared in a video that Iraq is not a country for homosexuals or collaborators, and that his organization will…
In the Persian Gulf, LGBT persons in general hide their sexual orientation and non-conforming gender identity. Expressing them could put them at grave risk of violence and…
Brunei’s harsh new laws targeting LGBT people have shocked the world and prompted global condemnation. High-profile celebrities from George Clooney to Ellen DeGeneres have called for a…
Emma Haruka Iwao, a queer software engineer at Google, who calculated pi to a new world record, has said that she hopes her achievement will inspire others…
In commemoration of 2019 marking 50 years since the Stonewall Riots took place, the editors over at Gay Star News are inviting 50 international guest writers to…
