San Francisco’s Stonewall: the new year’s ball that sparked a queer power movement
As 2024 draws near, LGBTQ+ activists are taking stock of a traumatic year for the queer community. Lawmakers across the country introduced hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ laws, with particular emphasis on trans people. Now, as queer folks are looking toward hope and change in the New Year, they are reflecting on the past resilience of their […]
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoes bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors
Ohio’s Republican governor has vetoed legislation that would have barred transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care, he said Friday. Signing the bill would “be saying that the state, the government” knows what’s better for youth than their parents, Gov. Mike DeWine said. State lawmakers passed House Bill 68 just before the holiday break. The legislation […]
Greece will legalise same-sex marriage, despite church opposition
The Greek government is pushing ahead with its same-sex marriage legislation, despite opposition from the church. In July, the prime minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, promised to legalise same-sex marriage, saying that “Greek society is much more ready and mature.” As of 2015, Greece recognises cohabitation agreements for same-sex couples, offering some of the rights […]
LGBT Advocates Call On NSW Police, Government To Implement Gay Hate Inquiry’s Recommendations
LGBTQI advocates have called on the NSW government and NSW Police force to fully implement the recommendations by a special commission of inquiry into LGBTQI hate crime deaths. Out gay Sydney MP Alex Greenwich called the commission’s report “sobering” for police and other government agencies. “I urge them to embrace the opportunity for positive reforms […]
GOP Congressman tells Uganda leaders to “stand firm” in support of LGBTQ death penalty
Every once in a while, the right in the U.S. can’t help but look longingly at countries where repression of LGBTQ is a matter of law. But Rep. Tim Walberg, a Michigan Republican, went one step further. He actually took a trip to Uganda to meet with leaders there and urge them to “stand firm” […]
LGBTQ Population in the US Grows by Over 2 Million
A new study from the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy at the UCLA School of Law finds the LGBTQ+ population in the U.S. is now the largest ever recorded and growing exponentially every few years. This new research — a 17-page study — estimates the percentage and number of LGBT adults […]
Burundi’s President Ndayishimiye hits out over gay rights and aid
Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye has said that homosexuals in his country “should be stoned”. Responding to a reporter’s question, Mr Ndayishimiye, a fervent Catholic, said powerful nations “should keep” their aid if it comes with an obligation to give rights to homosexuals. Some African leaders have in the past accused donor countries of trying to […]
Stigma against gay, bisexual men could worsen Congo’s biggest mpox outbreak, scientists warn
KINSHASA, Congo—As Congo copes with its biggest outbreak of mpox, scientists warn discrimination against gay and bisexual men on the continent could make it worse. In November, the World Health Organization reported that mpox, also known as monkeypox, was being spread via sex in Congo for the first time. That is a significant departure from previous […]
Recent rulings have sparked hopes that Hong Kong will soon legalize same-sex marriage
Hong Kong’s LGBTQ community is cautiously optimistic that the government will legalize same-sex marriage following landmark rulings in favor of granting gay and lesbian couples more rights. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: Hong Kong’s civil liberties have been in decline since China’s government imposed a national security law there. That law followed large-scale and sometimes violent anti-government protests in […]
Nepal is the First South Asian Country to Register a Same-Sex Marriage
A battle six years in the making was finally won as Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandley’s marriage was officially registered with the government of Nepal in late 2023. Maya, a transgender woman, and Surendra have been living as a married couple since 2017. The ceremony, however, was never recognized by the government. While Nepal became the first […]
LGBT+ activists across Latin America welcome Vatican move on same-sex blessings
SÃO PAULO – Catholic members of LGBT+ communities in Latin America have welcomed a new Vatican declaration on the possibility of blessings for same-sex couples, including in nations where civil legislation does not recognize same-sex relationships. Catholic faith communities that work with LGBT+ members have been formally organized over the past decades in Mexico, Costa Rica, […]
Brazil: Same-sex marriages on the rise
According to a study from the National Human Rights Observatory (ObservaDH), 59,620 same-sex marriages were registered in South America’s largest country between 2013 and 2021, Agencia Brasil reported. The new figures represented a 148.7% increase in nine years, it was also explained. In the same period, 59,620 civil unions were also recorded, the survey showed. The […]
Pope urges Vatican officials to avoid ‘rigid ideologies’ after approving blessings for gay couples
Pope Francis urged Vatican officials to avoid “rigid ideological positions” in a speech days after his recent approval of blessings for same-sex couples. Addressing the Holy See hierarchy in his annual Christmas greeting last Thursday, Francis emphasized the importance of evolving to serve the Catholic Church effectively. “In our service here in the Curia too, […]
Thousands of trans people waiting months for IDs in India
Thousands of transgender people in India are reportedly waiting months to obtain a certificate that will allow them to receive gender-affirming care. Statistics reported by the country’s Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment found that over 3,200 applications had been waiting more than 30 days to receive a transgender certificate and ID card. In India, […]
Recent rulings have sparked hopes that Hong Kong will soon legalize same-sex marriage
Hong Kong’s LGBTQ community is cautiously optimistic that the government will legalize same-sex marriage following landmark rulings in favor of granting gay and lesbian couples more rights. Hong Kong’s civil liberties have been in decline since China’s government imposed a national security law there. That law followed large-scale and sometimes violent anti-government protests in 2019. […]
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 […]
Transcending Boundaries: Saima Shaukat Joins Transgender Trailblazer Sobia Khan In KP Election Fray
After the groundbreaking entry of Sobia Khan into the political arena, another prominent transgender figure, Saima Shaukat, has stepped into the spotlight by submitting her nomination papers for Haripur Constituency PK 46. Holding the position of President in the transgender association for the same constituency, Saima Shaukat brings a wealth of experience, having previously won […]
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 […]
‘No, that’s fascism’: the librarian who defied Russia’s purge of LGBTQ+ books
As a gay man growing up in Russia, books were Vladimir Kosarevsky’s refuge, offering him a precious glimpse into lives that in some way echoed his own. So when the Moscow librarian received orders late last year to destroy books referencing same-sex relationships – part of a sweeping attack on gay and transgender rights – […]
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 […]
Massachusetts police chief apologizes after middle school searched for LGBTQ book with “concerning illustrations”
A Massachusetts police chief apologized after an officer searched a middle school for a copy of “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” an illustrated book on gender identity that has been banned in other districts. The incident occurred on Dec. 8 at W.E.B. Du Bois Regional Middle School. A plainclothes officer with the Great Barrington Police Department […]
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 […]