Vietnamese pop music’s exuberant take on LGBT
A slew of musical videos featuring LGBT characters have been released and become YouTube sensations in 2019. The most popular has been Truc Nhan’s song titled “Sang Mat Chua” (Serve You Right), which has amassed almost 45 million views since it was released at the end of July. Filmed for two years in Vietnam and […]
Malaysia’s LGBT community under siege as government ignores abuse
Malaysia’s LGBT community is on high alert after its members have received rare jail terms, raising fears of increased persecution by religious authorities as the government steps aside, unwilling to anger conservative Muslim voters. Already a target of violent attacks, online abuse and discriminatory laws, the LGBT community fears further attacks after the recent conviction […]
American Medical Association announces support for U.S. ban on conversion therapy
The U.S. physicians’ group the American Medical Association announced on Tuesday it would begin supporting a ban on so-called conversion therapy, as well as working toward more inclusive healthcare record-keeping for transgender patients. Conversion therapy, now widely discredited, is rooted in the belief that LGBT+ people have a mental illness which can be cured through […]
From ultra-Orthodox rabbi to openly transgender: Abby Stein shares her story
Abby Stein discovered what the word “transgender” meant — and that the term accurately described her — when she snuck on the internet for the very first time back in 2011, in a mall bathroom, at the age of 20. “The first thing I searched was whether a boy could turn into a girl in […]
Fast-food chain Chick-fil-A changes donations after facing LGBT+ protests
U.S. fast-food chain Chick-fil-A said on Monday it had stopped funding two Christian organizations, including The Salvation Army, that have come under fire from LGBT+ campaigners. The fast-food chain’s charitable arm, Chick-fil-A Foundation, donated millions of dollars over a period of years to The Salvation Army and to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), which […]
Trans children have ‘strong sense of identity’ from early age, study finds
Transgender children are no more or less likely than other children to conform to gender stereotypes in how they dress and play, suggesting they have a strong sense of identity from an early age, according to a study published on Monday. All young children tend to favor the toys and clothing typically associated with their […]
GAY SAUDI ARABIAN JOURNALISTS SPEAK OUT WHILE DETAINED IN AUSTRALIA
Two gay Saudi Arabian journalists detained in Australia while attempting to seek asylum have spoken out about their ordeal, labelling their treatment “unconscionable”. Last week, The Guardian reported the pair fled their home country after political harassment and threats of being publicly outed. When they arrived in Australia, they were searched, handcuffed and taken to […]
Brexit Party candidate declares ‘war’ on LGBT+ community and wants to turn ‘Christ-rejecting creatures’ into shoes and handbags
Victor Farrell is the Brexit Party’s candidate for Glenrothes in Scotland. His bizarre social media rants against “perverts pushing sodomite rights” were revealed on Monday by SNP MSP Jenny Gilruth on Twitter. “Look at the state of the @brexitparty_uk candidate standing in Glenrothes – crusading against lesbians, rampant youths and all those without god in […]
It’s ‘deviation’ and ‘mental disability’: Some Indonesian institutions put ban on LGBT applicants
Adding to the long list of prejudices faced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Indonesia, some government institutions are refusing to recruit those they say possess “deviations” of sexual orientation and behavior. November marks the opening of civil servant recruitment at 74 ministries and state agencies as well as 467 local […]
Only Three People Attended Dallas Straight Pride Event
A Straight Pride event at Dallas City Hall plaza attracted three supporters on Saturday. The march was hosted by the anti-LGBTQ group Protecting Our Next Generations (PONG). On its Facebook, the group promised the event would include discussions of abortion (“it is murder”), marriage values (“one man and one woman”) and genders (“there are only […]
Uganda: Stop Police Harassment of LGBT People
The Ugandan authorities should drop charges against dozens of people arrested over the last month in Kampala, the capital, on the basis of their presumed sexual orientation or gender identity, Human Rights Watch said today. The police carried out two mass arrests on spurious grounds, abused the detainees, and forced at least 16 to undergo […]
The Secret Battle To Save LGBT People From ISIS — And Bring Their Persecutors To Justice
One is the son of a communist who smuggled messages in kebabs for party members. The other is an army widow whose husband was killed by al-Qaeda. Together they want to convince the world that targeting LGBT people is a crime against humanity. The first time Majid and Ahlam saved a gay person’s life, they […]
Abomination: A DUP Opera review – an outstanding new work
Driving over the hills into north Belfast, as fields give way to houses, the visitor is plunged into election fever. Images of Nigel Dodds, the Democratic Unionist party MP for this hotly contested ward, smile from lampposts like a human flag parade all the way into the city. A few hours later, this same face […]
National Transgender Group Sees Exodus of Workers in Clashes With Leaders
A well-known national transgender policy group finds itself having to rebuild after a mass exodus of staff members amid discontent over its leadership, claims of retaliation for labor organizing and concerns about minority hiring and outreach. The group, the National Center for Transgender Equality, has lost about two-thirds of its staff in just weeks, Mara […]
Thousands show up for pride parade on LGBT rights in Hong Kong, as some wear masks and chant anti-government protest slogans
Thousands from Hong Kong’s LGBT community showed up at an annual pride rally on Saturday after police banned organisers’ application for a march for the first time since the parade was held in 2008. At Edinburgh Place in Central, a smaller crowd turned up for this year’s carnival-like event, with the theme “Equal Justice, Equal […]
Lebanon protests seen as an ‘opportunity’ for LGBT+ community
Despite being seen as a bastion of relative freedom in the largely conservative Middle East, Lebanese society remains reluctant to extend rights to the LGBT+ community. Nationwide protests that have thrown Lebanon into political and economic turmoil could end up being an opportunity for the LGBT+ community, according to the head of the country’s most […]
Pope compares politicians who rage against gays to Hitler
Pope Francis said on Friday politicians who rage against homosexuals, gypsies and Jews remind him of Hitler. “It is not coincidental that at times there is a resurgence of symbols typical of Nazism,” Francis said in an address to participants of an international conference on criminal law. “And I must confess to you that when […]
Pete Buttigieg is the top choice for the Democratic nomination in a crucial poll
Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg has topped a new poll which could prove crucial to his campaign. Mayor Pete, as he is known to the residents of South Bend, Indiana, led the pack in a Monmouth University poll of Iowa caucus voters released on Tuesday, November 12. Buttigieg garnered 22 per cent support, just ahead […]
This is what it’s like to be an LGBTIQ+ asylum seeker in Australia
LGBTIQ+ people seeking asylum in Australia face a unique set of challenges and often find themselves isolated in a new country, say a support group working to change that. Like many refugees, Tina Dixson and her partner Renee’s decision to seek asylum in Australia was a matter of life or death. The couple had been […]
Damning report reveals extent of brutality, violence and persecution LGBT+ people face in Myanmar
A damning report has revealed the shocking extent of violence and persecution faced by LGBT+ people in Myanmar and has recommended urgent law reform. The report – which was produced by the Denmark-Myanmar Programme on Rule of Law and Human Rights – tells the stories of LGBT+ people in the Asian country to illustrate the […]
LGBT+ delegates say sidelined at ‘inclusive’ global sexual health summit
A global summit on sexual and reproductive health hailed by organisers as being an inclusive event failed to adequately hear the voices of sexual minorities, some LGBT+ delegates said as the three-day event ended on Thursday. Discussions at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) ranged from how to end maternal deaths and eliminate […]
‘We stand and we resist’ says head of Brazil’s first LGBT+ bank
The head of Brazil’s first bank for gay and trans people said on Thursday that he aimed to tap into an overlooked market, combat prejudice and support social issues that matter to LGBT+ people. Marcio Orlandi Jr., chief executive of Pride Bank, which launched in beta testing mode this week, said other banks were failing […]
Suicide rates fall after gay marriage legalised in Sweden and Denmark
Suicide rates among those in same-sex relationships have fallen significantly in both Denmark and Sweden since the legalisation of gay marriage, according to a study, although whatever their marital status, homosexual people remain more likely to take their own life. The joint study by the Danish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention and researchers from Stockholm […]
India: PIL against insistence of sex-reassignment surgery proof for passport
An LGBT activist has approached the Madras high court to declare a proviso in passport rules mandating submission of sex re-assignment surgery certificate for effecting change of sex in passport, as illegal and unconstitutional. Admitting the PIL, filed by T D Sivakumar, a division bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice N Seshasayee ordered notices […]
Armenian Parliament Refuses To Hear Bill Banning Same-Sex Marriage
Armenia’s parliament has rejected consideration of a bill seeking to expressly outlaw same-sex marriages in the Caucasus nation. A majority of lawmakers on November 12 dismissed consideration of a draft law proposed by the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), saying it was redundant given that the country’s constitution already defines marriage as a union between […]
Sacked, shunned and suicidal – the Cameroon sports stars battling anti-gay laws
Cameroonian athlete Thierry Essamba still trains every day, even though he has little hope of reviving a career cut off when he was ousted from the national squad in a scandal over homosexuality. The 38-year-old hurdling champion was training for the 2014 Commonwealth Games when a senior sports official told a crowd of journalists and […]
Saudi promo video labels feminism, atheism, homosexuality as extremist ideas
A promotional video published by Saudi Arabia’s state security agency categorises feminism, homosexuality and atheism as extremist ideas, even as the conservative Muslim kingdom seeks to promote tolerance and attract foreigners. The animated clip posted on Twitter at the weekend by a verified account of the State Security Presidency said “all forms of extremism and […]
LGBTQ acceptance grew globally over past four decades — but not everywhere
The “most accepting” LGBTQ countries are becoming “more accepting,” while “the least accepting” are becoming “less accepting,” according to a recent report from The Williams Institute, a think tank at the UCLA School of Law. In executing the study, which came out last month and was built upon the organization’s previous reports, researchers analyzed survey […]
Singapore court to hear legal challenges on gay sex ban
As a Singapore court prepares to hear a series of legal challenges to a law that bans gay sex, LGBT+ activists on Tuesday called for the “right” verdict to be delivered so similar reforms can be triggered across other parts of Asia. Like many other former British colonies, Singapore has retained an old law that […]
Uganda charges 67 after raid on gay bar
A Ugandan court charged 67 people with causing a nuisance on Tuesday after they were arrested in a gay-friendly bar, in a move condemned by activists as the latest “homophobic” attack. The 67 – who were among 127 arrested at Ram Bar, in the capital, Kampala, on Sunday – could face up to one year […]