Blocked by YouTube over ‘curing’ gays, Nigerian pastor speaks up
A popular Nigerian evangelical preacher, TB Joshua, has called on his followers to “pray for YouTube” after the platform blocked his channel over allegations of hate speech against LGBT people. The founder of The Synagogue Church of All Nations, a Christian megachurch in Lagos, is one of Africa’s most influential preachers with a large following […]
Immigrant Detention For Profit Faces Resistance After Big Expansion Under Trump
A dozen Central Americans in T-shirts that read Mujeres Luchadores — Fighting Women — marched through a small Texas town last month toward the gates of an imposing private detention center where they all used to be incarcerated. “Biden, hear us! Shut down Hutto!” they chanted. They’re referring to T. Don Hutto Residential Center, the […]
Gay conversion ban: Therapy is a ‘humiliating and harmful practice’
Gay conversion therapy is a humiliating and harmful practice that needs to be banned, a Stormont assembly debate has heard. Politicians on Tuesday passed a motion calling for a ban on gay conversion therapy “in all its forms”. It was proposed by Ulster Unionist assembly members (MLAs) Doug Beattie and John Stewart. The non-binding motion […]
Corporations ask Legislature to drop bills targeting LGBT Texans
Raising concerns about legislation targeting LGBTQ people, a group of leading corporations is urging Texas lawmakers to focus instead on urgent issues involving the pandemic, electric grid and education. “We are concerned to see a resurgence of efforts to exclude transgender youth from full participation in their communities, to criminalize or ban best-practice medical care […]
The Ugandan mum who was once ashamed of her gay son
When Rita heard rumours that her son was gay she refused to believe it. At the time, she thought that homosexuality was an abomination – a “problem” that happened elsewhere, not in Uganda. When she finally realised the truth, she felt that something bad had invaded her own home. “When I confirmed it, I wept. […]
‘It’s not safe’: Parents of transgender kids plan to flee their states as GOP bills loom
George and Emily Spurrier are leaving their home of 16 years in central Arkansas due to a new law that will ban the health care that they say their 17-year-old transgender son needs. Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, vetoed the measure earlier this month, calling it “a vast government overreach.” But the Arkansas General Assembly […]
We cannot turn this country into a satanic one – Chieftaincy Minister rallies support from Chief Imam
The Chieftaincy and Religious Minister, Ebenezer Kojo Kum has asked for support from leaders of the Muslim community as measures are being put in place to prevent the practice of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) in the country. Mr Kum made this appeal when he paid a courtesy call on the National Chief […]
‘End housing bias against gay couples’
Housing Authority should amend Home Ownership Scheme rules to rectify discrimination against gay couples, the high court heard yesterday. But the Housing Authority told high court judge Anderson Chow Ka-ming that changing the rules would significantly increase the number of HOS applications. The applicant, Edgar Ng Hon-lam, married his Henry Li Yik-ho in the United […]
Halt Proposed Shariah Amendment Criminalising LGBTQ People
Malaysia is facing a serious threat to human rights and the HIV response with the announcement by a cabinet minister of the government’s plans to expand the jurisdiction of religious courts and increase penalties for LGBTQ people. IAS (International AIDS Society) strongly condemns the existing laws regarding same-sex relationships and the proposed amendment to strengthen […]
Kerala is pioneer in transgender rights. So where are the transgender voters?
Kerala has been a pioneer in the field of transgender rights in the country. It was the first state in India to announce a transgender policy after the 2014 Supreme Court judgment established the right to equality and equal protection for transgender persons. It was also the first state to set up a board for […]
German NGO files legal case against Chechen officials over anti-gay purges
Five officials from the inner circle of Chechnya’s autocratic leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, are the subject of a criminal complaint in Germany for crimes against humanity, in a legal attempt to seek justice over the semi-autonomous Russian republic’s anti-gay purges. The 97-page charge sheet, extracts of which have been seen by the Guardian, accuses the Chechen […]
Gay former extremist Caolan Robertson says leaving the far-right was like escaping ‘a cult’
A gay former extremist Caolan Robertson has said that leaving the far-right was like leaving “a cult”, and explained how homophobia contributed to his radicalisation. Robertson grew up in the Republic of Ireland, and moved the the north of England as a child. He knew he was gay from a young age, but according to […]
Mormon sex therapist faces excommunication for supporting LGBT+ community
Natasha Helfer is a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified sex therapist, who is also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, otherwise known as the LDS church or Mormon church. Helfer is one of very few sex therapists within the Mormon church and, making her even more rare […]
Nicola Sturgeon pledges action against gay conversion therapy and reaffirms commitment on gender recognition reform
Last week Boris Johnson disbanded an LGBT advisory panel, which had been appointed by Theresa May when she was prime minister, shortly after three members quit accusing the UK Government of dragging its feet on outlawing conversion therapy. In a speech on Sunday reaffirming a commitment to equal rights and reform of the Gender Recognition […]
Turkey’s women’s treaty exit legitimises crimes against women
Turkey’s withdrawal from a European treaty aimed at protecting women against violence is a major setback with catastrophic consequences for women, Turkish writer Elif Şafak told actress Angelina Jolie in an interview published in Time Magazine. The Istanbul Convention is the most progressive international treaty, which protects anyone who is vulnerable to violence, Şafak said […]
‘Being trans is not something you put on and take off. It’s part of who you are’
Rowan Moore’s son Felix came out as transgender to his family seven years ago, when he was 19. Here they address some of the significant themes in the discussion about trans rights today. Upon his death in 1989, retired jazz singer Billy Tipton, who lived as a man for more than 50 years, was discovered […]
Gay couple fights Namibian government over surrogate-born twins
On a calm autumn afternoon, newborn twins Maya and Paula lay peacefully on a mattress at a Johannesburg house, blissfully taking turns to bottle-feed and nap, oblivious of the uncertainty over their citizenship status. They are daughters of a Namibian-Mexican gay couple, and the Namibian authorities have dragged their feet on issuing documents for the […]
LGBT People Fleeing Harassment in Iran Find Life No Easier in Turkey
For hundreds of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Iranians who fled their homeland because of persecution for who they are, moving to Turkey was not a significant improvement. Sexual and gender minorities say constant harassment and discrimination experienced in the host nation is forcing many of them to seek relocation to a third country. A.R. […]
EU urged to ban ‘discriminatory’ AI tools that detect gender or sexuality
A cross-party group of European lawmakers called on Friday for an EU ban on artificial intelligence (AI) systems that detect and label people according to gender or sexuality, saying the technology was ripe for abuse and could fuel discrimination. Draft rules set to be announced by the European Commission next week include rights safeguards and […]
How a Canadian court system officially ended misgendering in the courtroom
For trans people, navigating the judicial system can feel daunting at the best of times, and unsafe at worst. If you have to present in court, how can you be sure your identity will be respected? Courts in British Columbia are enacting changes to ensure trans inclusion—and ending misgendering—within the judicial system is a reality. […]
Cameroon: Abuses of LGBTQ People Increasing in Cameroon
Human Rights Watch said in a report this week that LGBTQ people are suffering a fresh wave of persecution in Cameroon, where same-sex relations are illegal. The group said in February, police detained 12 youths in the eastern town of Bertoua for homosexuality, beat them and locked them in a police station. They were released […]
Kyrgyzstan: National-patriots attack women’s rights rally
Women’s rights campaigners in Kyrgyzstan’s capital were assaulted by dozens of self-styled traditionalists on April 14 while holding a rally to call on the government to do more to combat gender-based violence. Police did not intervene. The demonstration held outside the Interior Ministry headquarters was another event reflecting the upswell of indignation provoked by last […]
Thai LGBT couple speak out against Indonesia’s online bullying
Twenty-nine-year-old Jasmine, who asked to use a pseudonym to protect her privacy, moved to northern Thailand last year to be with her boyfriend, a 60-year-old American. As a trans woman, Jasmine, feared coming back to Indonesia after suffering bullying from her peers while growing up. “My friends called me banci or bencong [a slur akin […]
Women, Girls and LGBT Fight for Rights in Myanmar: “We Have to Win This Time”
In early February, women, girls and members of the LGBT community hit the streets of Yangon, Mandalay and other cities throughout Myanmar to protest the country’s military takeover. Protesters—many of them young women—have continued to marched, beat pans and hang their undergarments (known as htamein) in creative and colorful protest, not just against the dictatorship, […]
Sex ed rules passed in Arizona would require parents to sign off on LGBT discussions
Arizona has passed new sex education rules that would require parents to sign off on their children learning about LGBT issues. It “requires the school governing board to develop procedures by which parents will be notified in advance, and given the opportunity to opt their children into, any instruction regarding sexuality, gender identity or gender […]
Tunisian LGBT rights group provides vital services during pandemic
The Tunisian LGBT rights group Mawjoudin (Arabic for “We Exist”) has been providing vital services to vulnerable community members through the COVID-19 pandemic, according to its just-released annual newsletter. Mawjoudin was founded in 2014 by feminist and LGBTQI+ activists to advocate for sexual minorities and fight discrimination based on sexual orientation, sex, gender, and gender […]
Promising Guyanese designer found murdered in Trinidad
Police in Trinidad and Tobago are investigating the murder of 27-year-old Guyanese-born fashion designer, Marc Anthony Singh. The youth who moved to Trinidad several years ago, was found stabbed to death in his apartment in the community of El Dorado on Tuesday evening. Reports out of Trinidad state that Singh who was a member of […]
LGBT persecution on the rise in Cameroon, Human Rights Watch says
Cameroon security forces have arrested, threatened or assaulted at least 24 people since February in a ramped-up crackdown on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT+) people, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday. The rights group said recent documented accounts of abuse, including that of a 17-year old boy, point to an overall rise of […]
Transgender and Non-Binary Youth Influencers Launch Book Collection with Kids Media Disrupter A Kids Book About
CHICAGO, April 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — While many teens took e-learning as an opportunity to level-up their gaming skills, a group of young people chose instead to write a collection of books about their lives. The GenderCool Project, a storytelling campaign turned global movement led by 18 young people known as the “Champions,” has teamed […]
‘I want to show the pride’: photo essay of the Two Spirit Indigenous people
When Monique “Muffie” Mousseau was in the fourth grade she got expelled from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic school on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation in South Dakota. Her classmates didn’t like the beaded moccasins her grandmother made for her and the two braids she sported, which were held together by hand-beaded hair ties. “I […]