Hong Kong LGBT charter in planning stages
Plans to introduce a voluntary charter on discrimination against sexual minorities in Hong Kong are under way as officials look into existing policies adopted by neighboring governments. In a document sent to the Legislative Council, the constitutional and mainland affairs bureau said it has been drawing up a charter against sexual orientation and gender identity […]
JAPANESE REGION ANNOUNCES BAN ON OUTING LGBTQ PEOPLE AGAINST THEIR WILL
Japan is beginning to lag noticeably behind when it comes to LGBTQ rights such as adoption and marriage equality, but one region has taken a groundbreaking step forward by banning the outing of LGBTQ people against their will. Last week (3 June), the governor of Mie Prefecture, a region located on the south coast of […]
Saudi authorities beat blogger, demand he ‘confess’ being gay because he supports LGBT+ rights
Human rights campaigners have called on Saudi Arabia to release blogger Mohamad al-Bokari, who was detained after stating his support for LGBT+ rights. According to Human Rights Watch, al-Bokari was arrested on April 8 after an online Q&A in which he said: “Everyone has rights and should be able to practice them freely, including gay […]
With blackmail list, gay men in Ghana fight conmen posing as lovers
As Benson walked across the street towards his date in Ghana’s capital, Accra, he saw something was wrong – it was not the man he had been messaging on the popular gay dating app Grindr. Sensing danger, Benson tried to get away but two other men grabbed him from behind, started beating him and ordered […]
‘Trans women are women’: Daniel Radcliffe speaks out after JK Rowling tweets
The Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has spoken out over JK Rowling’s recent comments about the transgender community and said he hopes they will not “taint” the series for fans. The statement comes in response to a series of controversial tweets from Rowling over the weekend. Rowling took issue with a headline on an online […]
LA Pride steps away from ‘All Black Lives Matter’ march after police inclusion sparks outrage
LA Pride was cancelled almost two months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic, but organisers announced last week that they intended to replace it with a Black Lives Matter march. However, the event was slammed by the LGBT+ community after an LA Pride organiser wrote a letter to police seeking permission and approval for the […]
Calls grow for police to be banned from Pride marches
Calls are growing for police to be banned from marching in Pride parades and for the LGBT+ events to return to their roots as rebellions against police brutality amid a rolling, global anti-racism movement. While Prides have mostly been cancelled or moved online due to the coronavirus pandemic, the marches that kick off in June […]
This Pride Month, Shame on You: Exposing Anti-LGBT Government Strategies in MENA
As a researcher and advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, I am often asked: “What is it like to be gay in the Middle East?” It is a question that cannot be answered. It assumes a uniform “gay experience” across the region, that […]
Israel: Municipalities reaching out to LGBT community
Tel Aviv may still be the gay capital of the Middle East, but 29 other municipalities – including those with councils that include representatives of ultra-Orthodox communities – are also reaching out to their LGBT residents, as old social prejudices fall by the wayside. Accompanied by the mayors of Rishon Lezion, Kiryat Bialik, Ramat Gan, […]
Polish government finances LGBT-critical articles
Poland’s justice ministry used taxpayer money for sponsored articles about the global persecution of Christians, and likening the LGBT rights campaign to Soviet-era communism, just as a new documentary about clerical sex abuse went online. Two recent issues of the weekly magazine Do Rzeczy contained sponsored articles headlined “In Defence of Christians” and “Catholics Pilloried”. […]
Gay couple feature in TV commercial in a first for Poland
A gay couple is seen getting intimate in a new advert on Polish TV – believed to be the first time the country has seen a same-sex couple in a commercial. The advert for Durex comes after a year when about a third of the country has set up ‘LGBT-Free Zones’. The advert features well-known […]
We are all George Floyd!
Most of us must have been troubled by the news of what is happening in the US in the aftermath of the horrific death of George Floyd, who was killed by police officers. These must be worrying times for the people there — not just the pandemic and the economy but now, the protests in […]
History-making queer activist Caleb Orozco gives a rousing reminder that ‘giving up is not an option’
In 2016, after a long fight from LGBT+ activists, gay sex was finally made legal in the Central American country of Belize. That change would never have happened without the tireless campaigning of Caleb Orozco. As executive director of the United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM), Orozco filed a case with the country’s Supreme Court in […]
For Pride, NOM’s Brian Brown Touts Trump’s Rolling Back Of LGBT ‘Victories’ Under Obama
In a fundraising email to supporters, Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), touted President Donald Trump’s rolling back of LGBT “victories” under former President Barack Obama. For over a decade, NOM has been at the forefront of denying gay and lesbian couples the right to marry. After the Supreme Court in […]
20 photos that chronicle America’s iconic history of activism
Tens of thousands of Americans have been marching in the streets daily, demanding an end to police brutality and racism. Following the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd let alone the countless others who have been overlooked Americans have come together to fight for the Black Lives Matter movement and combat racial […]
Celebrating Pride Month and rallying for racial equality: LGBTQ groups seek ‘to stand in solidarity with the black community’
Pride Month began Monday. Many in the LGBTQ community, however, were unsure how to celebrate without overshadowing the ongoing nationwide protests over racial injustice spurred by the death of George Floyd. But activist Jay W. Walker told USA TODAY that the struggle against oppression is inseparable from the LGBTQ rights movement. “The truth is that […]
How liberal outrage pushed a homophobic troll video to the top of Russia’s political agenda
As far as storyboards go, the advert was as inept as it was crass. The year is 2035. Two gay men are in the process of adopting a child. A worried boy asks where his mother is. Orphanage workers look on with concern. An effeminate actor in eyeliner, “mum”, gets out of his car. “Is […]
Black transgender community to march against injustice
The LGBTQ community typically marches in June to celebrate pride. This year, some in St. Louis will gather with a different tone. Charles Buchanan with Flower Boi support group, is organizing a march to address injustice for black transgender people. “I’m exhausted. I’m tired of living at those intersections and feeling attacked at various situations,” […]
Iowa police raid gay bar for providing first aid supplies to protestors
An LGBTQ venue was raided by police earlier this week for providing first aid for protestors. The Blazing Saddle, an LGBTQ bar in Des Moines, posted a video to Facebook showing around a dozen armed police officers raiding the bar late Monday night, the first day of Pride Month. Protests erupted all over the country […]
New Trump Appointee to Foreign Aid Agency Has Denounced Liberal Democracy and “Our Homo-Empire”
Merritt Corrigan, USAID’s new deputy White House liaison, has condemned the “tyrannical LGBT agenda” and celebrated Hungary’s right-wing prime minister as “the shining champion of Western civilization.” A new Trump appointee to the United States’ foreign aid agency has a history of online posts denouncing liberal democracy and has said that the country is in […]
Japan court rejects notion same-sex couples are de facto marriages
A Japanese district court on Thursday rejected a request by a man to overturn a prefectural commission’s decision deeming him ineligible for victims’ compensation as a surviving family member after his same-sex partner was murdered. “I cannot recognize same-sex relationships as de facto marriages,” presiding Judge Masatake Kakutani said in the hearing at the Nagoya […]
LGBT+ Pride events turning focus to racial injustice in U.S
Organizers of LGBT+ Pride events in major U.S. cities are shifting their focus to racism and police violence, they said this week, addressing the concerns and demands raised by protesters over the killing of a black man in police custody. Los Angeles Pride will hold a “solidarity protest march in response to racial injustice,” and […]
Edinburgh Pride: Scotland to become first nation in the world to put LGBTQ history on curriculum
Next year Scotland will become the first nation IN THE WORLD to teach LGBTQ history in schools. In November 2018, Scottish Ministers accepted in full the recommendations to deliver LGBT inclusive education across the curriculum to improve the learning environments of all children and young people. This means all public school pupils will receive lessons […]
Ukraine and Albania urged to protect LGBT+ people from hate and discrimination
Ukraine should reform its laws to combat homophobic hate crimes and Albania should give more rights to same-sex couples and trans people, a top European rights body said on Wednesday, amid a backlash against LGBT+ rights in Eastern Europe. The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), part of the Council of Europe, renewed a […]
YouTube takes down anti-gay ad after outrage in Russia
An online video suggesting Russians back constitutional reform or see gay couples win adoption rights was taken down by YouTube on Wednesday after LGBT+ groups said it incited hatred. The clip, posted online this week, shows a boy going from joy to heartbreak as he discovers his new parents are men. The ad had created […]
Costa Rica’s Progress on Marriage Equality Should Inspire the Region
Costa Rica became the first Central American country to allow same-sex marriage on May 26. This is no small political feat in a country where the issue divided voters in the 2018 presidential race, and in a sub-region that is markedly religious and socially conservative. Earlier this month, lawmakers even came to physical blows around […]
Counter protester embedded inside Operation Pridefall reveals truth behind terrifying cyber attack aimed at LGBT+ community
Alt-right 4chan users plan to belabour LGBT+ people’s social media accounts, as well as boycott and assail companies that run Pride campaigns throughout Pride Month, as part of a terrifying cyber attack known as Operation Pridefall. And PinkNews has just entered its radar after we reported on it May 26. The imageboard website has, over […]
World Leaders, Pop Stars and Drag Queens to Headline Livestream for Gay Pride
World leaders, human rights activists, international musical acts and drag queens will participate in a 24-hour online celebration of gay pride organized after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation or postponement of hundreds of L.G.B.T.Q. pride events around the world, organizers announced on Saturday. The event, which is scheduled for June 27, will feature remarks […]
Costa Rica: 82 same-sex couples have joined their lives and await registration of their marriages
82 same-sex couples have joined their lives and hope that their marriages in the country will be registered very soon. This is confirmed by data provided by the Civil Registry to AM Prensa. On May 25, the day before the marriage ruling took effect, 55 applications for registration were recorded. Starting on the 26th of […]
Chinese dancer’s wedding photos revive same-sex marriage debate
A dancer has reignited a debate about same-sex marriage after posting pictures of her wedding ceremony online in a rare move for a public figure in China. Few high-profile Chinese figures have come out as gay, but Shui Yue posted the photos from her wedding to Pu Yurong on Weibo on Monday hours after they […]