Attack the OAS: Inside the ultra-conservative war on the Inter-American human rights system
“The attack first started when I was president”, Margarette May Macaulay, a lawyer and former judge from Jamaica who was elected to the top post at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in 2018. She told openDemocracy how the US state department “said they could not give money to spend on my rapporteurship because […]
Cambodia: CHRC seeks to end LGBT discrimination
The Cambodian Human Rights Committee president spoke during a pro-LGBT event in Phnom Penh on Saturday and called on the public to end discrimination and prevent violence against the community. The event, organised by Rainbow Community Kampuchea, was held during International Human Rights Day. CHRC president Keo Remy said the government has made efforts in […]
Facebook ads push misinformation about HIV prevention drugs, LGBT activists say, ‘harming public health’
Facebook users have been bombarded with misleading ads about medication meant to prevent the transmission of HIV, according to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocates, who say the tech giant’s refusal to remove the content has created a public-health crisis. The ads have been viewed millions of times in recent months, Facebook’s archive reveals, and […]
UK‘s first LGBT retirement community set to open in Manchester
The northern British city of Manchester has announced it is to open the country‘s first retirement community for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. There are more than 7,000 LGBT people over the age of 50 in Manchester and the number is expected to increase, the council said in a statement. The project aims […]
Breaking barriers: Miss Universe’s first openly gay contestant is from Myanmar
Ninety hopefuls from around the world will vie for the crown at tonight’s (Dec 8) Miss Universe pageant. Among them is Miss Myanmar, Swe Zin Htet. The 21-year-old singer-actress is the first openly gay woman in Miss Universe history. Htet came out publicly on the beauty blog Missology on Nov 29. She has been in […]
Uganda Renews Clampdown on the LGBT Community
On November 11, police in Uganda arrested 125 members of the LGBT community. The Kampala police assert that the Ram Bar, which is frequented by the LGBT community, is a hot spot for smoking opium and shisha. Although reports suggest that only a few were smoking, those arrested were charged with violating the Tobacco Control […]
TikTok admits it censored LGBT users in ‘wrong’ attempt to tackle online bullying
Documents obtained by the German site netzpolitik.org from an anonymous source at the Chinese-owned company showed that accounts and posts from LGBT+ people, body positive advocates and people with disabilities were being limited in their reach, regardless of content. The section in the moderate rules was titled: “Imagery depicting a subject highly vulnerable to cyberbullying.” […]
The Fight for Peace and Justice in Colombia
Late last August, prominent FARC commanders Iván Márquez and Jesús Santrich declared that they would be taking up arms against the Colombian state once again. The announcement signified a partial breakdown of the 2016 peace agreement which was meant to mark the end of the decades-long conflict. The vocal cynics within Colombia’s hawkish right wing […]
Emerging Indie Wrestling Star Anthony Bowens Takes Pride in Representing LGBTQ Community
Anthony Bowens stands for more than solely great performances in the ring. One of pro wrestling’s rising stars, Bowens is entertaining in the ring, able to work on the mat, in the air, and show off some power. He also provides a voice to those who have not often been heard. Bowens came out as […]
EVANGELICAL SITE LAUNCHES ‘SUCCESSFUL’ PETITION AGAINST GAY CHRISTMAS MOVIE AFTER HALLMARK SAYS IT’S OPEN TO LGBTQ PITCHES
A far-right evangelical website has allegedly faked an online petition against a hypothetical gay Hallmark Christmas movie. Out reported Friday that evangelical website LifeSiteNews started a petition asking the Hallmark Channel not to produce a potential “gay Christmas movie.” Though LifeSiteNews claims “viral” numbers of 30,000 signatures, Out claims the numbers have likely been artificially […]
Brazilian Foundation Develops App to Map Risk Areas for LGBT Population
Fiocruz (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation) has developed an App to map the areas of the country regarded as the most violent for the LGBT population. Users will point out whether areas are safe or not. The goal is to reduce the number of attacks recorded, mainly at night, on the country’s streets and avenues. The tool […]
Trump’s Rollback of Transgender Rights Extends Through Entire Government
Whether it means serving in the military, working for a federal contractor or seeking medical help, regulations that once protected transgender people are under attack. Nicolas Talbott, a graduate student at Kent State University in Ohio who is transgender, was told in May that because of President Trump’s transgender ban in the military, he would […]
Gay Belgian rower launches Instagram campaign to aid acceptance of LGBTQ athletes
The sport of rowing is already beloved in the LGBTQ community thanks to the annual Warwick Rowers calendar, an annual fundraising publication featuring photos of the team baring it all in perhaps the greatest incentive to look forward to the first day of each new month ever conceived. To top it off, Warwick has openly […]
LGBT-friendly Businesses in Mexico Has Nearly Doubled Since Last Year
According to an advocacy group for LGBT rights, the total number of Mexican LGBT firms has been growing over the years. This has been inspired by businesses in the United States of America which are providing and expressing their support for LGBT manpower. According to the previous year’s statistics, the 69 businesses that supported LGBT […]
Florida dad accused of abandoning son at closed police station because he thought child was gay
A father in Florida is facing child neglect charges after he left his son outside of a closed police station on Sunday night because he thought the child was gay, according to an arrest report. According to an arrest report Evenaud Julmeus, 30, left his son outside of the closed Haines City Police Department on […]
Gay marriage soared ahead of Bolsonaro presidency in Brazil
Gay Brazilians rushed to the altar ahead of President Jair Bolsonaro taking office, according to newly released data that campaigners say reflected fears the incoming leader would clamp down on their rights. Same-sex marriage in Brazil rose 62% in 2018, and a fifth of the 9,520 gay weddings took place in December, according to Brazil’s […]
Federal court to consider bathroom use by transgender student
A transgender student’s fight over school bathrooms comes before a federal appeals court Thursday, setting the stage for a groundbreaking ruling. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta will hear arguments about whether a Florida school district should be ordered to allow students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity. Drew […]
Senate calls on government to expedite asylum claim of two gay Saudi journalists in ‘arbitrary’ detention
The Senate has passed a motion calling on the government to recognise the increased risk it has placed on two gay Saudi journalists by keeping them in detention after they claimed asylum last month. Guardian Australia can reveal that multiple news organisations around the world have called for the release of the men, warning the […]
Republican Christian fired for coming out as transgender has powerful message for bigots hiding behind religion
A lifelong Republican voter and conservative Christian has written a powerful piece about why the fight for transgender rights must cut across religious and political divides. Trans woman Erin Dotten, who was fired six months after coming out as trans at work and was told she was fired because of her transition, wrote for the […]
As HIV prevention stalls, gov’t provides free PrEP
The United States has seen little progress at the national level in preventing new HIV cases over the past half decade, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released December 3. To help address this shortcoming, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a new program — called […]
Brazilian mum gets 25 years jail for brutal murder of gay son
A jury has sentenced Brazilian woman was sentenced to more than 25 years in prison for brutally murdering her gay son. Tatiana Lozano Pereira never accepted her 17-year-old son Itaberli Lozano was gay, and the pair’s relationship broke down over Christmas 2016. Lozano had gone to stay with his grandmother after arguments between him and […]
‘Google is no longer listening’: four fired workers file charges against tech giant
The four worker-activists who were fired by Google during Thanksgiving week plan to file federal charges alleging that their former employer fired them to quash worker organizing, in violation of federal labor laws. Google told its staff of approximately 100,000 last week that the employees were fired for “clear and repeated violations of our data […]
Kenyan police brutally beat and lob teargas bombs at queer refugees peacefully protesting the camp’s horrific conditions
Kenyan police brutally battered LGBT+ refugees and lobbed teargas bombs in an attack that led to four in a coma today, activists on the ground have claimed. Moreover, the organisation said that “five persons have returned to the reception centre to access these registration services.” For days, rainbow refugees staying at the Kakuma camp un-rolled […]
He gave thanks for his two dads. His teacher condemned gay couples
A substitute teacher at a Utah public school asked students in a fifth-grade class what they were thankful for before they left for Thanksgiving break. When one of the students answered that he was “thankful for finally being adopted by my two dads,” the teacher retorted that “homosexuality is wrong,” one of the boy’s parents […]
Zambia: 15-year prison sentences ‘shocked the world’
The 15-year prison sentences imposed this week on a gay Zambian couple are a shocking miscarriage of justice, African gay-rights activists declare. The U.S. ambassador to Zambia agreed, saying that the sentences harm the country’s international reputation and perpetuate discrimination. Pan-Africa ILGA, the African chapter of the International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans and Intersex Association, […]
Gay homeowner challenges Hong Kong inheritance law over fears husband may not get house if he dies
A gay homeowner who previously took the Hong Kong government to court over a rule that prevented him from living with his husband has mounted a second legal challenge, this time over inheritance in case he dies without a will. Edgar Ng Hon-lam on Wednesday applied for a judicial review over the marriage provisions in […]
Gay marriage in Baja: reforms aim to address discrimination
Same-sex marriage is legal in Baja California. Sort of. To get married in the state, gay and lesbian couples are legally required to overcome costly and lengthy legal obstacles that heterosexual couples never face. The process involves applying for a marriage license, getting rejected by a local clerk, and filing an injunction with a federal […]
Guyana: ‘God-fearing political party’ aims to end homosexuality, restore integrity to high offices
The People’s Republic Party (PRP) is the newest political party to join the race for office come March 2, 2020. Led by Dr. Valerie Leung, a re-migrant who works in the field of law, the party is referred to as “the God-fearing party.” Its members are from the Christian faith and the party was launched […]
North Vancouver filmmaker documents transgender model’s transition
It was close to coffee break time on a construction job when Kas Baker’s phone buzzed and an unfamiliar voice made an extraordinary request. Would he step in front of a movie camera and talk about being a transgender man? The guys at work didn’t know he was transgender. Baker figured it was better that […]
Gay man in hiding from Russian police after explaining sexuality to kids in innocent viral video
A gay Russian man who took part in a YouTube video where children asked him about his sexuality has been forced to go into hiding after authorities opened a criminal case against him. Maxim Pankratov took part in the Real Talk video series and was asked unscripted questions by four children aged between six and […]