Relief eludes transgender gharanas of Bhopal
Their income has dried up due to COVID-19 restrictions. “They came for men and women but not us,” lamented Devi Singh, 30, from the Mangalwara gharana [family] of Bhopal’s transgender community. Sitting at a haveli in the old city, she pines to return to work soon — collecting donations door-to-door — but for the lockdown […]
In America’s summer of discontent, a transgender doctor becomes a flashpoint
In Johannesburg, three decades ago, the homophobes were out in force: bible-thumpers trying to save our souls; right-wingers with their AWB swastikas. Last week, too, there were missionaries galore, with bibles and salvation brochures; giant pickup trucks, with gun racks and Trump 2020 signs, revving their engines at us, and in some cases shouting ‘queer!’ […]
This Lesbian Policewoman Couple in Gujarat Fought for Their Right to Be Together
Gujarat’s Mahisagar – known for the discovery of dinosaur eggs and fossils in the 1980s – in the news once again, this time for a courageous story of same-sex love. Two female police constables who had moved the court seeking protection from their parents secured a favourable order, with the judge instructing the district SP […]
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost writes to Mayor of Krakow seeking clarification on LGBT+ rights
THE Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Frank Ross, has written to the Mayor of Krakow asking him to clarify the Polish city’s opposition to homophobia and LGBT+ oppression. Last year Edinburgh City Council renewed its “partnership agreement” with Krakow, an arrangement dating back to 1994 in which the two cities cooperate in areas including culture, monument […]
Racist, anti-abortion group plans in-person “straight pride” event in a U.S. COVID-19 hotspot
The so-called National Straight Pride Coalition (NSPC) is planning an event in Modesto, California for August 29, 2020—in the middle of the ongoing coronavirus epidemic—even though their 2019 event only drew dozens of attendees and 250 counter-protesters. NSPC’s organizers told ABC 10 that the second annual Stanislaus County Straight Pride event is meant to be […]
Italy is one step closer to protecting LGBT+ people with a new bill, if the far-right doesn’t tear it down first
Although Italy approved same-sex civil unions in 2016, the country still lags behind other European countries in enacting measures against homotransphobia. In fact, 24 years after then-MP Nichi Vendola first proposed an anti-homophobia bill, there is still no specific legislation safeguarding the equal treatment of LGBTQ+ people. In a country where the number of hate […]
LGBT+ domestic abuse centre named for Stonewall pioneers Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera opens
London’s The Outside Project has opened a new LGBT+ domestic abuse refuge, named for transgender pioneers Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. The grassroots organisation, which in 2018 opened the UK’s first LGBT+ homeless shelter and community centre, announced the Star Refuge on Monday (July 27). The domestic-abuse refuge is named to commemorate the 50th […]
LGBT youth ‘robbed’ by coronavirus, says head of suicide-prevention org The Trevor Project
The coronavirus pandemic has “robbed” LGBT+ youth – who already had a higher risk of mental-health problems – of support, the head of The Trevor Project has written. Writing for the World Economic Forum, Amit Paley, the CEO of youth suicide-prevention organisation The Trevor Project, called for better data to understand the impacts of the […]
EU blocks funding for six towns that declared themselves ‘LGBT-Free Zones’
The European Union has denied funding to six Polish towns that declared themselves to be “LGBT-Free Zones.” In announcing the decision on Thursday, the European Commission said it was affirming that the union stands for equality for all people. “EU values and fundamental rights must be respected by Member States and state authorities,” European Commissioner […]
Cayman Islands fail to pass domestic partnership, making full marriage equality more likely
The Cayman Islands have failed to pass a Domestic Partnership Bill – but that makes full marriage equality more likely. As GSN reported last week, the Domestic Partnership Bill fell a long way short of same-sex marriage. It only offered basic next of kin rights to partners who register. However, even that proved too much […]
Builders will start work on this new £2.4million LGBT+ center for Manchester next week
Builders are to start work creating a bespoke £2.4million LGBT+ center for Manchester, the northern capital of LGBT+ Britain. And TV writer and producer Russell T Davies will get them going by breaking ground on the project on Thursday (6 August). In June, demolition workers smashed down the old center, which was the first of […]
Cameroon: Lesbian love affair ends in death, but who was the killer?
The drama unfolded on July 30 in the city of Bertoua in eastern Cameroon when two young lesbians met in private at a family home. The women, identified here by the pseudonyms Jopa and Hifa, had been together romantically for quite a while without any disruptions. They met on July 30 in Hifa’s room where […]
How Latino dads are using TikTok to connect with their children
Wearing a sultry look on his face and a long, curly gray wig, Genaro Rangel pulled his fake hair out of a ponytail and whipped it dramatically over his shoulders. “¡Qué pasó!” exclaimed Rangel, a burly, mustachioed handyman, as he yanked off the wig in his Santa Ana dining room. “It’s me!” His daughter, Wendy, […]
El Salvador police sentenced in nation’s first trans murder convictions
A court in El Salvador has sentenced three police officers to 20-year prison sentences for the murder of a transgender woman, the nation’s first convictions in a homicide case involving a trans victim. The verdict was a welcome development in the conservative Central American country, where gay and trans people face rampant discrimination and abuse, […]
‘Don’t come back, they’ll kill you for being gay’
For years Mohamed’s family tried to make him more like other boys – tougher, more “masculine”. They even sent him to have a female spirit driven out with hallucinogenic drugs. Eventually, writes Layla Mahmood, they decided to kill him. The heat enveloped 20-year-old Mohamed, as he zig-zagged through the alleyways of Hargeisa. It was around […]
Sri Lankan poll candidate under fire for homophobic remarks
Rights activists have condemned a former Catholic parliamentarian and candidate for Sri Lanka’s Aug. 5 parliamentary election for his comments on the LGBT community. In an online interview on July 27, Kavinda Jayawardana said he is a Catholic and the Church strongly condemns homosexuality. He said homosexuality is a mental disorder and he does not […]
‘I wish they killed you’: trauma of Syrian LGBT+ rape survivors
Stigmatised gay, bisexual and transgender Syrian refugees who survived sexual violence in war are struggling to get medical or mental health care, human rights groups said on Wednesday. More than 40 LGBT+ survivors in Lebanon told Human Rights Watch that they were raped, sexually harassed and had their genitals burned by government forces and armed […]
Thai students rally over gender rights, uniforms and haircut rules
Dozens of students rallied in Thailand on Wednesday to demand from the government greater gender rights and an end to what they called outdated curriculum and discriminatory rules on uniforms and haircuts. Onlookers in Bangkok cheered and applauded as students of mixed ages carrying placards and banners and rainbow flags, fans and umbrellas marched to […]
Pro-Trump preacher unleashes homophobic rant at Chicago’s lesbian mayor Lori Lightfoot
Pro-Trump preacher Dave Daubenmire has taken aim at the mayor of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, for being a married lesbian. Daubenmire, more commonly known as right-wing internet persona ‘Coach Dave’, hit out at the pioneering Chicago mayor, who is one of the few LGBT+ people of colour elected to office in the US. On his online […]
Ugandan LGBT advocate wins HIV/AIDS global award
Susan Atuhura was honored for her study of the successes of community-based adherence clubs in reducing HIV levels and increasing the levels of self-care among for men who have sex with men (MSMs). Atahura is the monitoring and evaluation officer for the long-established Ugandan anti-AIDS and LGBTI rights group Spectrum Uganda Initiatives. Her honor — […]
Police launch investigation after homophobic comic books pushed through letterboxes
Officials are investigating after extreme anti-LGBT+ cartoons listing homosexuality alongside incest, bestiality and child sacrifice were pushed through letterboxes in the suburb of Redland and possibly other parts of the city on Saturday (July 18). “We have received a report about offensive material being distributed in the Redland area in recent days, an Avon and […]
Nigeria’s queer history told by those who lived through it
When Goodluck Jonathan, the former president of Nigeria, passed a bill into law that criminalised any active part of gayness in January 2014, he was lauded by many in the country for being a custodian of Nigerian culture. By others, namely international human rights activists, he was criticised, his actions were seen as a destructive […]
Grocery store’s coronavirus sign sparks Pride event and Trump-supporting counter protest
The small Pennsylvania town of Mifflinburg witnessed a face-off between LGBT+ protestors and Trump supporters on Sunday (26 July). It started as a response to a bizarre note stuck on a grocery store door which linked mask-wearing, catching coronavirus and being LGBT+. But it ended with a couple of hundred LGBT+ people and allies in […]
LGBT youths’ suicidal thoughts decline with community supports: study
Supportive communities and a progressive political climate can help combat LGBT teen suicides, especially among girls, new UBC school of nursing research shows. “Consistent evidence has indicated higher rates of suicidal behaviour among sexual minority youth than their heterosexual counterparts,” the report said. Data came from the 2013 British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey. The study […]
Moroccan women break through in rap scene dominated by men
In a rap scene dominated my men, women’s voices are starting to make waves in Morocco. Houda Abouz, a 24-year-old who majors in film studies at a university in the northern city of Tetouan, has long been fascinated by hip-hop, and, encouraged by friends, she picked up a mic and began to perform. In January […]
Italy opens historic debate on long-awaited bill to outlaw LGBT+ hate crime
Italy has been divided by debate over the country’s first law that would punish discrimination and hate crimes against LGBT+ people. The proposed legislation would bring Italy in line with its western European counterparts by explicitly recognising discrimination against LGBT+ people as well as women. As lawmakers begin debating the draft in parliament on Monday […]
Saudi Arabia: Yemeni Blogger Convicted for Supporting LGBT Rights
A Saudi court sentenced a Yemeni blogger to jail and then deportation to Yemen for a social media post supporting equal rights for all in Saudi Arabia, Human Rights Watch said today. After a trial in which he was provided no counsel, Mohamad al-Bokari, a Yemeni living in Riyadh, was sentenced on July 20, 2020 […]
On Screen, Normalizing Queer Love in the Philippines
Known primarily for his poetry and acting, Juan Miguel Severo announced his latest show this month, produced by Globe Studios, about same-sex love between two adolescent boys. “Gaya sa Pelikula” or “Just Like the Movies” is set to air in the last quarter of 2020. The plot revolves around a university romance and borrows motifs […]
Rideshare Profiles With LGBTQ Symbols Canceled More Often by Drivers
Racial and anti-LGBTQ+ bias persists in ridesharing services even though companies have taken steps to reduce it, according to a new study from Indiana University Bloomington’s Kelley School of Business — and the authors believe they’re the first to show that an indication of support for LGBTQ+ equality can trigger this bias. “Platforms such as […]
Haitian Christians protest new law providing protections for LGBT community
Several thousand members of Protestant churches demonstrated Sunday in Port-au-Prince against the country’s new criminal code, which they consider “immoral” because it penalizes discrimination based on sexual orientation. “If a pastor doesn’t want to marry two men together or two women, he will be arrested and at risk for one to three years in prison,“ […]