A song for Sphen: Penguins mourn death of one half of beloved same-sex couple

They were the penguin power couple, a world-famous same-sex pairing whose love was taught about in schools and inspired a pride parade float. Now Magic, mourning Sphen’s death, has led their community in a tribute song. Sphen died earlier this month just before his 12th birthday, the Sydney Sea Life Aquarium said Thursday, a long life for a […]

LGBTQ Dems stress importance of representation, allyship in Harris-Walz ticket

Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride, who in November is expected to become the first openly transgender person elected to Congress, told LGBTQ delegates to the Democratic National Convention during a caucus Wednesday that her candidacy marked a milestone for trans representation. McBride, a candidate for Delaware’s at-large U.S. House seat being vacated by U.S. Senate candidate […]

Marta: Brazilian legend announces engagement to lesbian partner Carrie Lawrence

Brazilian football legend Marta has announced her engagement to Orlando Pride team-mate Carrie Lawrence. The proposal, which took place during a serene picnic, was a huge moment for the couple who have been together since 2022. Marta, widely considered the greatest female footballer of all time having won the FIFA Women’s player of the year […]

Details Emerge in Senseless Murder of Trans Woman Clement Hadebe

A friend of Clement Hadebe, a transgender woman recently murdered in Johannesburg, has spoken out to correct what they describe as inaccurate media reports about the circumstances of her death. The friend, identified as Sasha, spoke to MambaOnline about the tragic night Clement was shot multiple times. Sasha confirmed that Clement was 22-years-old, identified as a […]

Judge rules transgender teen can temporarily play on girls’ soccer team amid new law

When the girls’ soccer team at Plymouth Regional High School in New Hampshire began practice on Monday to prepare for the start of the official season on Aug. 30, transgender athlete Parker Tirrell was able to join her teammates. That’s what a federal judge ruled on Monday after the families of two transgender teens — 15-year-old […]

Mpox not the new COVID, says WHO

The mpox outbreak is not another COVID-19, says the World Health Organization, because much is already known about the virus and the means to control it. While more research is needed on the clade 1b strain which triggered the UN agency into declaring a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), the spread of mpox can be […]

Closing the legal gaps: Advancing transgender justice in Pakistan

The legal recognition and protection of transgender rights in Pakistan has been subject to a complex interplay of societal norms, cultural practices, and legislative frameworks. A significant stride towards addressing the marginalization of this community was marked by the enactment of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act (TPPRA), 2018. While this legislation constitutes a […]

Trump-stacked appeals court overturns trans worker’s court victory

A Georgia anti-trans discrimination ruling from May has been voided by an appeals court, half of whose judges were appointed by former President Donald Trump. The ruling concerns a transgender deputy who was denied equal medical care when the Houston County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office refused to cover her gender-affirming care under their health insurance policy. […]

East London bookshop and cafe described as a queer ‘haven’ fundraising to stay open

A bookshop and cafe in East London, seen as a “haven” for the LGBTQ+ community, has launched a fund-raiser to help the venue to keep going. The Common Press bookshop, in Shoreditch, has seen an “absolutely overwhelming” amount of support since launching its crowd-funder on Tuesday (13 August), and has already raised more than £8,000 […]

Did the Supreme Court just overrule one of its most important LGBTQ rights decisions?

The Supreme Court handed down a brief and very odd opinion on Friday that seemed to abandon its landmark civil rights decision in Bostock v. Clayton County (2020), a four-year-old case that compelled the Biden administration to write rules forbidding discrimination against gay and trans students. The Court’s new decision in Department of Education v. […]

QTalk: Nigerian pastor fights for identity after church rejection

Andrew, a 30-year-old gay man from Nigeria, turned to the Qtalk app for counseling after being dismissed from his pastoral role when his church discovered his sexuality. Andrew had devoted his life to his faith and congregation, and the abrupt termination left him feeling betrayed, isolated, and uncertain about his future. During the session, Andrew […]

Joburg Murder Sparks Transphobic Victim Blaming

The horrific murder of Clement Hadebe, a queer individual in Johannesburg, has sparked a flood of hateful, victim-blaming transphobic bigotry on social media. Reports of Hadebe’s death, believed to be a hate crime, went viral on Facebook on Monday, seemingly stemming from an initial article published by Moja Love’s ZiMoja website. The report stated that […]

Taiwanese public largely rejects gender self-identification, survey finds

A new study published in Archives of Sexual Behaviour reveals that an overwhelming majority of Taiwanese respondents strongly oppose gender self-identification for transgender women. Gender self-identification, particularly for transgender individuals, is a contentious issue in Taiwan, despite the progressive stance on LGBTQ rights in other areas. The Gender Recognition Act mandates proof of sex-reassignment surgery (SRS) for […]

China awards visitation rights to gay mom in historic first

In a legal first, China has granted visitation rights to a gay mom separated from her daughter for four years. The woman, identified by her nickname Didi, married her wife in the U.S. in 2016, according to reporting by the Guardian. Later that year, the couple underwent IVF treatment with embryos made from the wife’s eggs and […]

Outrage as librarians reveal UK schools are banning LGBT+ books after complaints from parents

LGBT+ books are being banned from UK schools after complaints from parents, librarians have revealed. A six-month investigation by Index on Censorship, the results of which have been shared exclusively with The Independent, found that 53 per cent of UK school librarians polled had been asked to remove literature and in more than half of those cases books were taken […]

Has Power Moderated Italy’s Leader? Not to Same-Sex Parents.

While their curly-haired rescue dog napped on the floor, an Italian couple logged on to a late-night video call with their American surrogate, sunbathing in her garden in Oregon. The fathers-to-be cooed as she told them she was playing fairy tales close to her belly that they had recorded for their future daughter. “And she […]

West Bengal: LGBTQIA community stages protest over Kolkata rape-murder

Amid widespread outrage and demands for justice following the rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, members of the LGBTQIA community staged a protest here on Saturday, demanding justice for the victim. A member of the trans community told ANI that the police attempted to […]

Mpox is not a ‘gay disease’ – here’s what you need to know

The current mpox outbreak in Africa has left members of the gay community wondering how badly if it will affect them. The virus was first declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) in July 2022, after cases increased in Europe and the Americas. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), […]

Bulgaria’s new anti-LGBTQ+ law is official. Opponents beg EU to take action.

Bulgaria on Friday officially published the text of a controversial law banning LGBTQ+ “propaganda” in schools after the country’s President Ruman Rudev failed to veto the bill on Thursday. The amendment to the country’s education code, which was introduced by the far-right, pro-Russian Revival party and unexpectedly backed by pro-European Union parties, prohibits the “propaganda, […]

Bulgaria’s new anti-LGBTQ+ law is official. Opponents beg EU to take action.

Bulgaria on Friday officially published the text of a controversial law banning LGBTQ+ “propaganda” in schools after the country’s President Ruman Rudev failed to veto the bill on Thursday. The amendment to the country’s education code, which was introduced by the far-right, pro-Russian Revival party and unexpectedly backed by pro-European Union parties, prohibits the “propaganda, […]

Anti-LGBT bias vs. medical advances against HIV: One nation’s story

While progress in medical technology has improved the prospect of HIV-positive people leading fulfilling lives, the challenge of expanding access to those treatments remains. The 25th International HIV/AIDS Conference last month in Munich, Germany, made clear that substantial progress has been made in terms of access to HIV treatment, despite COVID. But at the same […]

LGBT envoy heads to Leipzig after neo-Nazis spoil Pride march nearby

Berlin’s commissioner for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual rights, Alfonso Pantisano, said on Friday that he plans to support Leipzig’s Pride event after neo-Nazis marched at a similar rally nearby last week. Pantisano said he plans to be present to show solidarity and support for the gay and lesbian community in Leipzig on Saturday, after the […]

Activists sound alarm as gay exorcism cult seeks foothold in Scotland

As the Scottish government seeks to ban conversion therapy, it is granting charity status to a notorious cult that believes in witchcraft, advocates gay exorcism, and extolls the virtues of women providing on-demand sex for their husbands, the National Secular Society (NSS) announced this week. Forward In Faith Church International Incorporated (FIFCII) was founded in Zimbabwe in […]

OAS Creates New Position on Prostitute Rights

WASHINGTON, D.C. August 16 (C-Fam) The Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS) announced the appointment of a lesbian activist to the newly-created position of OAS Commissioner for the Rights of Sex Workers. Gloria Careaga Pérez, a Mexican social psychologist, was formerly co-Secretary General of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA).  She […]