LGBT activists in China seek to change marriage civil code

It was only after her partner’s death that He Meili realized the full meaning of marriage. As a lesbian couple in China, He and Li Qin kept their ties largely unspoken, sometimes introducing themselves as cousins. This rarely bothered He until Li succumbed to complications from lupus in 2016, and Li’s parents demanded that He […]

Gay sex is banned – so Ghanaians dance against homophobia

Gay sex may be illegal in Ghana – dancing isn’t. So rappers and singers are using music videos to embrace LGBT+ life and fight homophobia in this conservative West African nation. “Definitely this is the strongest way to create change,” said Emmanuel Owusu-Bonsu, part of the rap duo FOKN Bois. “The main thing the youth […]

Teenagers admit homophobic London bus attack on two women

Three teenage boys pleaded guilty on Thursday to public order offences over a homophobic attack on two women on a London bus in which one of the victims said the attackers had tried to force them to kiss each other. The incident took place in the early hours of May 30 after the women, in […]

Prominent Haitian LGBTQ activist found dead

Human rights promoters and others are grieving the passing of a Haiti gay rights activist who was discovered dead inside his home in Port-au-Prince under suspicious conditions. Charlot Jeudy was discovered dead on Monday inside his home in the Caradeux neighbourhood of Haiti’s capital, his more seasoned sibling affirmed to the Miami Herald. Jeudy, 34, […]

U.N. awards Cyndi Lauper first social justice prize for LGBT+ work

U.S. singer Cyndi Lauper, who is set to win the United Nations’ new social justice award, said on Wednesday that her drive to end LGBT+ homelessness began in support of family and friends. Best known for her ‘80s-era pop hits, Lauper will receive the United Nations inaugural High Note Global Prize on Dec. 10 – […]

47 Nigerian men plead not guilty to homosexuality charge

Forty-seven Nigerian men pleaded innocent on Wednesday to a charge of public displays of affection with members of the same sex, an offence that carries a 10-year jail term. Homosexuality is outlawed in many socially conservative African societies where some religious groups brand it a corrupting Western import. The Nigerian men, who appeared at a […]

Hungary pulls out of Eurovision amid rise in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric

Hungary will not participate in next year’s Eurovision song contest, amid speculation the decision was taken because the competition is “too gay” for the taste of the country’s far-right government and public media bosses. While no official reason has been given for the withdrawal, the move comes amid an increase in homophobic rhetoric in Hungary, […]

Japan’s Support for Gay Marriage Is Soaring. But Can It Become Law?

Ikuo Sato stood in front of a Tokyo court in April and told the world he was gay. To a packed room, he described the anxiety he had felt as a young man, struggling to express his sexuality in Japan’s restrictive society. If the law is changed to allow same-sex marriage, he said, perhaps “we’ll […]

Under Trump, LGBTQ Progress Is Being Reversed in Plain Sight

When he campaigned for president, Donald Trump posed with the rainbow flag and became the first GOP nominee to mention LGBTQ citizens in his convention speech. In his first month as president, he released a statement stating he was “determined to protect the rights of all Americans, including the LGBTQ community.” Yet since taking office, […]

India’s LGBT community protests against transgender law at Delhi pride parade

More than 1,000 members of India’s LGBT community took part in an annual pride parade in the nation’s capital on November 24, 2019. Many of those at the event in New Delhi were protesting against a government bill called the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, which is currently before parliament. Despite its name, critics […]

Survey of 167 countries shows tolerance toward LGBT people rising globally

LGBT people have seen a rise in tolerance in almost every region of the world over the last decade, according to an index released on Monday. Iceland was named as the most tolerant country toward LGBT people in a survey of 167 countries by British think tank the Legatum Institute, while central Asian country Tajikistan […]

Sculpture honoring transgender community unveiled in New York City park

A new sculpture takes flight in New York City to celebrate the transgender community. The 10-foot tall sculpture is dedicated to the Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Community (GNC) and was unveiled in Tribeca Park in Manhattan. Internationally known visual artist Rubem Robierb is the creator of the sculpture “Dandara,” which is named after the 42-year-old […]

Zimbabwe High Court Awards Damages In Ground Breaking Judgment

The Honourable Justice Bere awarded Ricky Nathanson, a transgender woman and activist originally from Bulawayo, $400,000 in damages. The High Court awarded Ms Nathanson damages for unlawful arrest, malicious prosecution and emotional distress. The significant High Court decision came after Ms Nathanson sued the police for unlawful arrest, detention, malicious prosecution and emotional distress in […]

Uganda bans thousands of charities in crackdown

Uganda’s government has told more than 12,000 charities that they can no longer operate in the country. Following a review that took place in August and September, the number of officially registered NGOs in Uganda has been slashed from 14,207 to 2,118. Little more than 2,000 NGOs managed to renew their licenses, meaning 73 percent […]

‘Forbidden’ LGBT+ art takes center stage at Thai gallery

Intimate portraits of friends created by a Chinese artist before he took his own life. An Indian painter’s depiction of life before and after gay sex was decriminalized. These are some of the images on display at an Asian contemporary art show that opens in the Thai capital Bangkok on Saturday, seeking to fight LGBT+ […]

Malawians conflicted over LGBT+ rights, tolerance, research finds

Nearly all Malawians think LGBT+ human rights should be protected, yet the same number could not accept a gay or lesbian family member, according to a first-of-its kind report released this week. A third said transgender people deserve human rights and should be protected from violence, while half said they had reported gender non-conforming people […]

All-transgender hockey team believed to be a first for the sport

The goals are big for an all-transgender hockey team known as Team Trans. Comprised of more than a dozen players from Canada and the United States, it’s believed to be the first ice hockey team made entirely of transgender men, transgender women, and gender non-conforming athletes. Honorary co-captain Harrison Browne says hitting the ice for […]

Uncovering Colonial Williamsburg’s LGBTQ history

Aubrey Moog-Ayers was outside of an apothecary shop a few years ago, working as an orientation interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, when two men pulled her aside. The men, who said they were partners, asked her questions that stayed with her years later: What did she know about queer people in 18th-century America? Did […]

LGBT advocates call for Australia to release Saudi gay journalist couple

Two gay Saudi journalists, who claim they were outed in retaliation for contacts one of them had with a foreign media outlet, have been detained in Australia after requesting asylum. LGBT advocates are calling upon the Australian government to release the two men, who fled Saudi Arabia after realizing they were being targeted by the […]

The Oldest LGBT Film Festival in Europe Returns to Slovenia

The Ljubljana LGBT Film Festival is back for its 35th edition, officially starting Saturday, 23 November, and with events planned for Ptuj, Koper, Maribor, Bistrica ob Sotli, Idrija and Trst (aka Trieste, if you must), although the fun has already been going for more than week. First put on back in 1984 as part of […]

What is International Transgender Day of Remembrance and why is it so important?

Today, November 20, is the International Transgender Day of Remembrance – a day to honour and remember the many lives lost to transphobic violence. Trans allies across the country will be marking the day with a series of events to highlight the suffering experienced by the transgender community worldwide. Because the rate of transgender hate […]