South Africa’s patchwork treatment of refugees and asylum seekers shows much to be done to ensure human rights for all
World Refugee Day is commemorated each year on 20 June to raise awareness of the plight of refugees around the world and of efforts to protect their human rights. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), as of March 2021, South Africa hosted 266,946 persons of concern, including refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless persons. The […]
Supreme Court sides with Catholic adoption agency that refuses to work with LGBT couples
The Supreme Court on Thursday delivered a unanimous defeat to LGBT couples in a high-profile case over whether Philadelphia could refuse to contract with a Roman Catholic adoption agency that says its religious beliefs prevent it from working with same-sex foster parents. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in an opinion for a majority of the […]
Irish LGBT community outraged after homophobic ‘straight pride’ posters appear in Waterford
A number of homophobic posters have appeared in Waterford recently, sparking anger within Irish LGBT communities. The posters, which were first spotted at the start of week, display the words ‘Straight Pride’, and feature a photo of a heterosexual married couple. The caption also reads: “It’s natural, it’s worked for thousands of years, and you […]
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says city will support Gay Games, and calls lawmaker’s hate-filled outburst ‘unnecessarily divisive’
Hong Kong’s leader has accused several pro-establishment lawmakers of dividing society and inciting hatred, after one called next year’s Gay Games “disgraceful” and the revenue it would bring to the city “dirty money”. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said on Tuesday that the quadrennial event promoted inclusiveness and diversity, and her government was prepared […]
Mexico’s Wild Ride to Marriage Equality
Twenty of Mexico’s 31 states and the federal capital Mexico City have marriage equality and same-sex couples can marry in the other 11 states if they go to a federal judge and get a personalized injunction (amparo), a process that is time-consuming and requires paying a lawyer for help. The judge cannot refuse the amparo. […]
How lockdown changed the coming out experience for LGBT people
Until last year, Alayna Fender was a ‘confirmed bisexual’ – a slogan she used on merch for her Youtube channel MissFenderr after coming out to her thousands of subscribers in 2015. She was engaged to a man and with his support, she explored relationships with women and built a community of LGBT+ friends both online […]
Exclusive-Hungary could be sanctioned over anti-LGBT+ law, warns EU equality chief
The EU could impose funding restrictions on Hungary over legislation that bans the dissemination in schools of content deemed to promote homosexuality and gender change, the bloc’s equality chief told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on Tuesday. Speaking shortly before Hungary’s parliament approved the ban, European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli said Brussels was prepared to […]
I’m a gay, Christian pediatrician and have no doubt: Jesus would reject anti-trans laws
“What would Jesus do?” This slogan has been used by Christians for decades, serving as a reminder to act in the way Jesus did (and would today) by showing love, mercy, compassion and kindness. When I was a child, this phrase was meaningful to me as I struggled to reconcile my Christianity with my sexuality. […]
Tireless fighter and beloved trans activist ‘assassinated’ just metres from her home in Guatemala
In Guatemala, frustration and grief swept the nation after two beloved and tireless trans activists were killed in two separate attacks just days apart. Andrea González, a 28-year-old who helmed trans rights group Otrans Reinas de la Noche, or Queens of the Night, was slain in what some activists have called an “assassination” in Guatemala […]
Japan Heads into ‘Diversity’ Olympics Without Promised LGBT Law
Japan’s parliament ended its session without passing a promised law on LGBT understanding, failing to fulfill a ruling party pledge just as the country is set to host what is meant to be a “diversity” Olympics. A bill under which discrimination against LGBT individuals would be deemed unacceptable was dropped by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s […]
Hungary Lawmakers Pass Law Barring LGBT Content For Minors
BUDAPEST — Lawmakers in Hungary passed legislation Tuesday that prohibits sharing with minors any content that portrays being gay or transgender, something supporters said would help fight pedophilia but which human rights groups denounced as anti-LGBT discrimination. The conservative ruling party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban introduced the legislation, which is the latest effort […]
Canada’s LGBTQ population now 1 million — but hate crimes are rising too: Statistics Canada
Canada is now home to about one million people who identify as members of the LGBTQ community, with people under the age of 25 accounting for a disproportionately large share of the LGBTQ population. That’s according to a new report by Statistics Canada which seeks to paint a “statistical portrait” of the country’s LGTBQ population […]
Guyana government introduces bill to repeal defunct cross-dressing ban
The Guyanese government has introduced a bill to repeal its defunct criminal ban on cross-dressing, Starbroek News reports. The law had previously been struck down by the Caribbean Court of Justice in 2018. The government bill was introduced at first reading on June 10, 2021, and must pass through the National Assembly before becoming law. […]
After 3-week delay, Ghana releases 21 human rights defenders
After three weeks of detention without trial, a High Court in Ghana granted bail for 21 people who were arrested May 20 at a training session about human rights. They were charged with unlawful assembly, but the obvious reason they were imprisoned without bail was that they were being trained to document and report violations […]
Hungarians protest against PM Orban’s LGBTQ rights crackdown
BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Thousands of Hungarians protested outside Parliament in Budapest on Monday against legislation that would ban discussions of homosexuality or gender change in schools as Prime Minister Viktor Orban prepares for contested 2022 elections. “This is horrible and inhumane,” said kindergarten assistant Dominika Pandzsa. “They are trying to strip people of all their […]
Boris Johnson tells G7 leaders world must rebuild ‘in a more gender-neutral and feminine way’
Boris Johnson surprised the G7 summit by saying the world must rebuild post-pandemic in a more “gender-neutral and feminine” way. At a meeting of leaders of the G7 member states and representatives of the European Union, which was held in Cornwall last week, Johnson said “building back more equal” meant “in a more gender-neutral and […]
Brooklyn Liberation March Brings Attention to Trans Youth
For a second consecutive year, a large crowd of people donning white shirts marched in the historic Brooklyn Liberation demonstration — and this time the focus was placed squarely on transgender youth. The June 13 event kicked off at Brooklyn Museum before continuing through the streets of Brooklyn, where folks set out match the energy […]
India’s transgenders ‘left out’ of Covid vaccination drive
India’s transgender community has complained it is being neglected from the nationwide Covid vaccination drive and has called for easier access to vaccines in community-friendly settings and assistance in booking slots. Last week’s figures showed just over 19,000 transgender people had been vaccinated. Many in the LGBTI community, which numbers nearly half a million, are […]
France snubs World Rugby’s guidlines on transgender athletes
Franc Rugby has gone against the guidance of World Rugby who recommends that transgender female athletes should not play in any women’s elite tournaments for safety reasons. The French Rugby Federation has announced that they will let transgender people be part of all their domestic competitions starting next season. Last year, World Rugby announced its […]
Filipino LGBTQIA advocates seek clarity on stance of politicians for 2022 elections
LGBTQIA Filipino organizations released an open letter seeking clarifications on the political stance towards LGBTQIA issues of politicians and political parties or coalitions engaging in the 2022 National Elections. “The contributions of the (LGBTQIA community) can no longer be ignored,” the letter stated, adding that with this, “our human rights must be positioned within a […]
In US, wave of anti-transgender legislation casts shadow on Pride Month festivities
It’s Pride Month, and gay Americans should have a lot to celebrate: A new president who has pledged to advocate for LGBTQ people, an easing of a pandemic that has disrupted their communal activism, and increasing public acceptance of their basic rights, including record-high support for same-sex marriage. Instead, the mood is somewhat bleak. Congress […]
QUEER ARTISTS OF INDIA USE ART TO EXPLORE GENDER AND SEXUALITY
In India, and South Asia in general, bias against women and other gender minorities remains prevalent across class, caste and social hierarchies. While there have historically been non-binary expressions of gender, such as with hijras, this community has only gained official recognition in the country in the past decade. History and the Hindu religion contained […]
The hopes and dreams of Africa’s queer activists
It took Dzoe Ahmad weeks of introspection and agonising over whether or not she was ready to share her story with the world. Ahmad, a young Zimbabwean trans woman, says: “I was still in Zimbabwe at the time … [and] I was going through an emotional breakdown … I was at a point where I […]
Pride Month: LGBT Scots on homophobia, trans rights and what still needs to change in Scotland
There may not be a parade this year, but Pride Month is an opportunity to spotlight LGBT+ experiences in Scotland. So we spoke to a range of young people about their lives and the issues facing their community in 2021. Heather McDade is bisexual and a volunteer ambassador for LGBT charity Just Like Us. The […]
Transgender athletes fight Florida’s new ban
They’ve spent months in limbo, anxiously waiting to figure out how they would be able to celebrate Pride Month 2021. They could emerge from more than a year of isolation to celebrate their identities with the rest of their community, free to live as their authentic selves. Or they would have to prepare to fight […]
This is how LGBTQ+ people are excluded from freedom of movement in the EU
One of the cornerstones of the EU is freedom of movement for its citizens. However, in reality, this is not the case for many LGBTQ+ people. Freedom of movement is based on the assumption that the EU citizen is heterosexual. If a ‘traditional family’ moves to another member state, the parents’ marriage certificate and the […]
LGBTQ activists react to Justice Department defense of Title IX religious exemption
LGBTQ advocates are criticizing the Justice Department for a court filing in which the DOJ wrote it would “vigorously” defend a religious exemption that allows federally funded religious colleges and universities to discriminate against minorities. The DOJ also said, in relation to the Hunter v. the U.S. Department of Education case, that the Department of […]
Hungary: Reject Bill Banning Discussion of LGBT Issues
Hungary’s parliament should reject a bill that would prohibit discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation, and violates Hungary’s international legal obligations, Human Rights Watch said today. The law targets content “promoting” or “portraying” sexual and gender diversity and could have sweeping consequences for health providers, educators, and artists, among others. The draft “Laws enabling […]
Ghana court grants bail to 21 LGBT+ activists
A high court in Ghana has granted bail to 21 gay rights activists arrested three weeks ago for what police described as an unlawful gathering, the prosecutor said on Friday. The 16 women and five men, who were arrested on May 20 at a hotel where they were attending a rights advocacy training, were released […]
Mass for LGBT community criticized by Traditionalists in Brazil
A Mass in memory of murdered members of the LGBT community has spurred controversy in Brazil. While LGBT Catholic movements hailed the event as a sign of support to their cause, Traditionalists criticized what they said was as political act against the doctrine of the Church. The Mass was celebrated on May 21 by the […]