Man Using Grindr To Target Gay Men For Robbery & Assault Busted & Taken Into Custody

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office in Florida announced the arrest of a man who allegedly used the alias Larry on the gay dating and hookup app Grindr to target gay men for assault and armed robbery. A spokesperson for the sheriff specifically thanked the local community for providing critical and timely information to investigators. Adam […]

Ron DeSantis is Asked How He’d React if One of His Kids Came Out

A journalist asked Florida Governor Ron DeSantis directly how he would feel if one of his kids came out as gay or trans. The question came up during an interview DeSantis gave to Time magazine. Writer Molly Ball spoke to DeSantis at the Iowa State Fair last weekend. DeSantis is pushing himself as a Presidential […]

LGBT committee welcome but ‘lacks inclusivity’: groups

The creation of a committee on LGBT affairs is appreciated but the panel needs to be more inclusive, advocacy groups said Monday. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr issued Executive Order No. 51 to “strengthen existing mechanisms to address the continued discrimination being experienced by the members of the LGBTQIA+ community.” But Bahaghari chairperson Reyna Valmores told […]

Fact check: Did Sweden ‘shut down’ gender-affirming surgical care for minors?

The claim: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said parents who seek gender-affirming care for their children subject those children to abuse — so much so that other nations have sought to ban it. During the fourth Republican presidential primary debate Dec. 6 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, DeSantis cited Sweden as an example. “As a parent, you do […]

Kentucky’s ‘Don’t say gay’ law miserable for LGBTQ students

Kentucky’s version of a “Don’t say gay” law is creating many problems for LGBTQ+ students — and the parents and teachers who want to support them, numerous queer advocates said. In March, the state’s Republican-majority legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto to pass one of the nation’s farthest-reaching anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Senate Bill 150 includes a ban on […]

African priests reject Pope’s endorsement of gay marriages

In an extraordinary pushback against Pope Francis, some Catholic bishops in Africa, Poland and elsewhere say they will not implement the new Vatican policy allowing blessings for same-sex couples. Others downplayed the policy approved this week by Francis as merely reaffirming the Vatican’s long-standing teaching about marriage being only a union between a man and […]

Italians demand church condemn lesbian nativity scene

The display’s creator cited Pope Francis allowing priests to bless same-sex couples in his defense of the controversial scene © Catholic group Pro-Vita e Famiglia. Tens of thousands of Italians have called on Catholic authorities to condemn a Christmas nativity scene featuring the baby Jesus with two mothers instead of the traditional Mary and Joseph […]

Killer of Kenyan lesbian sentenced to 30 years

Confessed murderer Billington Wambui Mwathi on Dec. 22 was sentenced by a Kenyan court to 30 years’ imprisonment for the murder of Sheila Lumumba in April 2022. Lumumba identified as a non-binary lesbian. Mwathi was recorded on CCTV as he accompanied Lumumba as they left an establishment on the night of the murder. He eventually […]

White House defends its hard stance against Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act

With Uganda’s controversial Anti-Homosexuality Act being challenged in court, Biden-Harris administration officials are vowing to continue holding the African nation accountable, even as the United States simultaneously works to reestablish ties on the continent after years of dormant engagement. Uganda’s law, which penalizes homosexual acts, including the death penalty for so-called “aggravated homosexuality,” has received […]

‘Di Catholic Church no dey change dia mind on blessing same sex marriage’

Di Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja for Nigeria say one document wey Pope Francis approve regarding blessing of same sex couples don dey misinterpreted. Di document wey di Vatican release on Monday allow priests to bless same-sex and “irregular” couples, under certain circumstances. Di announcement bin dey seen as a historic shift for d position of […]

Seattle hospital says Ken Paxton asked for records about transgender care for children

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked a Seattle hospital to hand over records regarding gender-affirming treatment potentially given to children from Texas, according to court filings that appear to show the Republican going beyond state borders to investigate transgender health care. Seattle Children’s Hospital filed a lawsuit in Austin this month asking a court to […]

Madrid partially revokes trans and LGBTQ rights laws

Protections for transgender people will be stripped back in Madrid after a proposal was passed by the Spanish capital’s conservative People’s Party (PP). Under the reform, discriminating against workers based on their sexual orientation or gender identity is no longer a punishable offence. It is also no longer a punishable offence to beat a person […]

The queer community in Kerala opens up about ‘Kaathal-The Core’

Even as Mammootty’s Kaathal-The Core is gearing up for an OTT release, the Malayalam movie is still running successfully in 60 theatres across Kerala. Though it was appreciated well for showcasing the issues of the queer community, not all community members seem to be happy with the movie. In an exclusive chat with South First, […]

Strike a pose: LGBTQ+ Nigerians thrive in underground ballroom

LAGOS, Dec 20 (Openly) – Behind a tall metal door in a suburb of Lagos lies a world of fun, fashion and flamboyance that most Nigerians have never seen. Men dressed in elaborate drag outfits – sequins, silk and ruffles – sashay in heavy make-up on the highest of heels, striking provocative poses on a pulsing […]

A quarter of Methodist congregations abandon the church as schism grows over LGBTQ issues

A quarter of Methodist congregations in the U.S. are leaving the United Methodist Church as one of the country’s largest Protestant denominations wrestles with issues of sexuality and gender identity. More than 7,600 of United Methodist’s approximately 30,000 congregations had voted to leave as of this week, and the number could grow as the Dec. 31 deadline for departures […]

LGBTQ+ Russians ask: Should I stay or should I go?

LONDON – Gay and transgender Russians say they fear further attacks on their rights following a Supreme Court ruling that designated LGBTQ+ activists as “extremists,” with some in the community now debating whether to move abroad. “It is clear that the Russian government has decided we are no longer welcome in our own country,” said a 22-year-old […]

Africans differ over clerical blessings for same-sex couples

Homosexuality is a controversial topic in Africa, a continent where many people have strong and very conservative views on sexual orientation. Pope Francis’ recent approval of blessings for same-sex couples has left many Africans confused, triggering mixed emotions. “As a Christian I am very embarrassed. What the pope did, he represented himself not the whole of Christians,” Mary Lesiba […]

The New “Lavender Scare” in America’s Schools

It has been 70 years since the Lavender Scare, when thousands of gay people in the US government were fired or forced to resign from their jobs. Now, this same discrimination is driving modern-day legislation. “We’re talking about the systematic, intentional targeting of queer people,” says Jay Jones, the first openly transgender vice president of […]

What does the trans guidance for England’s schools say?

The UK government finally published its long-delayed guidance for England’s schools on youth transition. The document promises a clear set of principles for teachers and staff as they wrestle with the needs of children who are questioning their gender identity. According to the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, the guidance “puts the best interests of all children […]

LGBT+ Catholic Couples in Brazil Seek Blessing after Vatican Approval

“The love of God is for everyone, and the church has finally had the courage to accept that,” declares 25-year-old Daniella Cardozo from Rio de Janeiro. Bisexual, she has been in a relationship with Marianne de Luna, 28, since mid-2020. A Catholic, she plans to seek a blessing for their union after the Vatican’s approval. […]

England’s schools must be involved in new transgender guidance, union warns

Schools in England must be involved “properly” in developing new transgender guidance that needs to work alongside their existing safeguarding duties, the UK’s largest education union has warned. As the government prepares to publish its first draft of the long-awaited guidance, the National Education Union (NEU) said many LGBTQ+ young people still found school a […]

Majority of European countries vote to recognize & honor LGBTQ+ parents

The European Union has voted to support parenthood, including same-sex parents, throughout the continent. The European Certificate of Parenthood will recognize parenthood regardless of how a child is conceived or born or the type of family structure they have. It also provides for rights to education, healthcare, custody, and succession. The move honors the rights […]

Gabon: LGBT people worry that post-coup government may reinstate anti-gay laws

Gabon has wavered on whether to decriminalize homosexuality or not. Modern Gabon had never criminalized gay sex until 2019, when it enacted a law providing up to six months in prison for same-sex intimacy. In 2020, it repealed that law, decriminalizing homosexuality. After a coup in August 2023, the issue is alive again. Gabon’s laws […]

In major doctrinal shift, Vatican officially OKs Catholic blessings for gay couples

The Vatican’s doctrinal office has officially declared it possible for Catholic priests to bless same-sex unions and divorced and remarried couples, under the condition that the blessings do not send mixed messages about the church’s teaching on sacramental marriage and do not occur within a liturgical celebration. While extremely narrow in scope, the Dec. 18 […]