ID changes proposed to include transgender, intersex and non-binary identities
A new draft policy suggests a major review of the identity management system to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) in order to include various categories to better represent those who identify as transgender, intersex or non-binary. The current Identification Act used by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is now more than 20 years […]
Ghana: LGBT+ safe house opens; anti-gay crusader in a rage
After LGBT+ Rights Ghana held a fundraiser at the new site, anti-gay campaigner Moses Foh-Amoaning called for the police to shut it down, arrest the group’s leaders and enact laws that further restrict the human rights of LGBTQ+ people in Ghana. The country’s penal code already provides for up to three years in prison for […]
Pandemic exposes LGBTI rights’ fragilty, report says
The Covid-19 pandemic and its consequences have highlighted the fragility of the human rights of LGBTI people, according to the annual report by a leading rights NGO, published on Tuesday (15 February). “Progress which has been taken for granted is not only increasingly fragile, but particularly vulnerable to exploitation by anti-human rights forces,” concluded the […]
UN Expert Raises Alarm Over Reports Of LGBT Child ‘Torture’ In Iran
The UN’s special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran has expressed concern over reports that the country has subjected lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) children to “torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.” In a report released last week, Javaid Rehman said such practices, which violate Iran’s obligations under the International […]
Dismissed LGBT veterans can apply to reclaim confiscated medals
Former military members who were dismissed from service because of their sexuality are now able to reclaim lost medals. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it wanted to address a “historical wrong” with the launch of the scheme. Gay people were not allowed to serve in the military until a rule change in 2000. A […]
More European politicians found using homophobic hate speech
Homophobic language and hate speech against transgender people are on the increase among European politicians, an advocacy group said on Tuesday as it sounded the alarm about a backlash against LGBT+ rights in the region. Politicians in 17 countries in Europe and Central Asia – including Estonia, Finland and Italy – have verbally attacked LGBT+ […]
Drag queens rally to make sure LGBT+ seniors had a Valentine’s Day to remember
A group of drag queens in Chicago showed the power of the queer community when they came together to make sure local LGBT+ seniors received Valentine’s Day cards. The Chicago Black Drag Council partnered with nonprofit Our Art of Giving along with local businesses to help LGBT+ elders feel the love for the special occasion. […]
Plight of marginalised : Trans community gets vocational training
For transgender person, Bali Jetty, learning the art of embroidery brought gradual respite from the banality of the stereotypical roles. Unfortunately, the transcendence proved to be short-lived as the work came to a standstill during the coronavirus pandemic. The biggest dilemma of the transgender community is a lack of acceptance in society. They even struggle […]
Cameroon: Police arrest 12 teens on homosexuality charges
Feb. 11, 2021, will remain unforgettable for 12 boys arrested and taken to the Nkolbikone police station after they were spotted kissing each other near the Grand Palace Restaurant in Bertoua. Among the patrons at the restaurant was the top official (prefect) of the Lom and Djerem department, which has Bertoua as its capital. The […]
How to come out when ‘gay’ isn’t in your language? LGBT website provides translation resources for sexual minorities in Asia
When 13-year-old Tien wants to tell his mother he’s gay, he goes to the library. But he quickly realises there aren’t any appropriate words for homosexuality in Vietnamese. He eventually finds a mix of words in his native language and English to confide in his mother, who is not very conversant in English. Tien is […]
Flurry of bills aim to set limits on transgender kids – and their doctors
Sam Edelman felt like a girl for as long as he could remember, his dad said. As Sam’s 18th birthday approached, and after years of researching hormone treatments, the high school senior scheduled an appointment with a doctor who treats transgender people. It was a big step for Sam, a musician, a runner, a snowboarder […]
Betsy West & Julie Cohen explain why Pauli Murray is the most important queer you’ve never heard of
How could anyone ever top Ruth Bader Ginsberg? Documentary filmmakers Betsy West & Julie Cohen faced that same question upon completing their Oscar-nominated film RBG. Fortunately, the late, great justice had already given them an idea. That suggestion grew into the newest film by the pair, My Name is Pauli Murray. The movie debuted at […]
Joe Biden invited to Nigeria to ‘marry a man as his second wife’ by raging homophobic bishop
The angry tirade comes after Biden vowed to advance the cause of LGBT+ rights around the world, threatening financial sanctions on regimes deemed to have infringed on the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people. A memo signed by Biden on 4 February instructed US government agencies to “strengthen existing efforts […]
Highwayman’s 1750 confessions reveal ‘unusual’ ambivalence about gay sex
An “incredibly rare” deathbed confession from an 18th-century highwayman, written just before he was “hung in chains” for robbing the Yarmouth Mail and detailing his enlightened response to a failed gay seduction, has been acquired by Horsham Museum. The Life of Thomas Munn, alias, the Gentleman Brick-Maker, alias, Tom the Smuggler runs to 24 pages […]
Discharged transgender soldier struggles to make a return
Byun Hee-soo, South Korea’s first transgender soldier, who was discharged from the military last year after undergoing gender reassignment surgery, is battling her way back into the Army. In January 2020, the Army fired the former staff sergeant, a tank gunner who served at an armored unit in Gyeonggi Province, saying the surgery rendered her […]
Military veterans stripped of their medals for being gay will have honours restored under new rules
Military veterans who were stripped of their medals for being gay or transgender will be able to get them restored under a new scheme to remedy historic injustices. Veterans minister Johnny Mercer will announce next week as part of LGBT History Month that former servicemen and women will be invited to apply to the Ministry […]
BlueCity Launches Campaign for Greater LGBTQ Acceptance Among Families in China during Chinese New Year
BlueCity, a world-leading LGBTQ community platform providing a full suite of services to foster connections and enhance the well-being of the LGBTQ community, launch the “Let Love Go Home” campaign, which pushes for greater LGBTQ acceptance and understanding among the families of community members in China as the country celebrates. The campaign intends to offer […]
Iran’s use of electric shocks on LGBT+ children is torture and ‘echoes treatment by the Nazis’
A United Nations report found the Islamic Republic of Iran imposed electric shock torture on LGBT+ children, among other human rights violations. British LGBT+ campaigner Peter Tatchell told The Jerusalem Post that the regime’s “abuses echo anti-LGBT+ medical treatments by the Nazis and other fascist regimes”. Tatchell called for Iran to be expelled from international […]
Ghana Parliament must decide whether they want to decriminalise LGBT laws
The Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, says Ghana’s Parliament must make up its mind on whether it wants to decriminalise LGBT laws in the country. Ghana’s Criminal Code of 1960 contains provisions criminalising consensual same-sex sexual acts and considers “unnatural carnal knowledge” as a misdemeanour. Answering questions during her vetting on Thursday, Mrs. […]
QAnon supporters claim COVID-19 vaccines turn people gay, transgender
QAnon supporters are peddling the false conspiracy theory that COVID-19 vaccines turn people gay or transgender. BBC investigative reporter Shayan Sardarizadeh posted screenshots from Telegram – the new home of many conspiracists kicked off mainstream social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook after the January 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol – promoting the […]
8 Bills Across 7 States: Coordinated Anti-Transgender, Anti-LGBTQ Legislative Push Ramps Up In State Houses Across The Country
The legislative fight to pass discriminatory anti-transgender legislation is ramping up in state houses across the country, with a significant number of bills expected to have hearings or votes this week. Opponents of equality failed to claw back marriage equality and failed in their push for bathroom bills. This legislation is simply the latest iteration […]
LGBT Rights Ghana Responds To Foh-Amoaning’s Calls For Shutdown Of Its New Office In Ghana
The LGBT+ Rights Ghana has responded to calls by the Executive Secretary of the National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, Moses Foh-Amoaning, on the government to shut down its new office in Accra. Foh-Amoaning’s calls are on the heels of a fundraising ceremony organized by the LGBT+ Rights Ghana and attended […]
Angola Officially Enacts Law Decriminalising Homosexuality
After passing a new law decriminalising same-sex relationships in 2019, Angola has finally enacted its new penal code which is against the discrimination of LGBT Angolans. Angola has recently enacted a new law decriminalising homosexuality which, as of yesterday, will now legally protect the rights of Angolans who are a part of the LGBT community. […]
There will come a point when being a member of the LGBTQ+ community is not a big deal – we are not there yet
I feel very lucky because my own experience since coming out has been overwhelmingly positive, with the benefit of a loving family, great friends and a supportive work environment. Colleagues across the political divide messaged me their support and the already strong LGBTQ+ community across parliament welcomed me. Nor did it stand in the way […]
‘We all know what we’re facing’: divided Myanmar unites against coup
The Myanmar military took power last week on the promise of “restoring eternal peace” to a country riven by seven decades of ethnic conflict. Since the takeover it has made remarkable progress in uniting the deeply divided country against a common enemy: itself. In Myanmar’s biggest city, Yangon, strangers greet each other with the three-finger […]
Welcome back to Chechnya: How Ramzan Kadyrov’s men tracked down and imprisoned LGBT evacuees
For 48 hours, a panicked phone call and ransacked apartment were the only clues; a sign that something was desperately wrong. David Isteyev, the Russian LGBT Network activist who took the emergency call on Thursday, says it was difficult to make out much above the shrieking. But an SMS message immediately clarified things. “Pomogite!” it […]
LGTBQ seniors in Philly get COVID-19 vaccine
Residents of the John C. Anderson LGBT-friendly Senior Apartments received their first doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine last week, with second doses scheduled for next month. A team of four from Mazzoni Center held a vaccine clinic in the community room of the JCAA building, with vaccinations starting around 10:00 a.m. and finishing up […]
In a nation wracked by violence, Kay Trans Ayiti welcomes trans Haitians
Yaisah Val, a pioneer trans activist in Haiti, describes trans advocacy and the challenges of life in the impoverished Caribbean nation. “I am Yaisah Val. My organization is A.C.I.F.V.H and I am the first trans woman in Haiti to come out on a radio broadcast. In the past, there was always confusion between sexual orientation […]
Lesbian mother of stateless baby takes citizenship fight to top EU court
LONDON, Feb 9 (Openly) – A baby left without a nationality after she was born in Spain to a same-sex couple from Bulgaria and Gibraltar is at the centre of a test case to be heard by the European Union’s top court on Tuesday. Lawyers say Bulgaria has put one-year-old “Baby S” at risk of […]
Queer online series meets eager Russian LGBTQ audience
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian film director Andrei Fenochka says his online series about queer young people is important for LGBTQ people in a country that bans gay “propaganda” among minors. Fenochka’s “Here I Come” series that debuted last fall is marked as only available to people older than 18 in accordance with Russian law. Fenochka […]