Activists defiant as Uganda proposes death penalty for gay sex

The Ugandan government’s plan to reintroduce a bill that could impose the death penalty for homosexuality is being met with defiance from the LGBTQ community in the East African nation, activists told CNN. Ugandan Ethics Minister Simon Lokodo, in an interview with local media Thursday, said present laws criminalizing gay sex – which in theory […]

Elizabeth Warren’s deadpan quip in LGBT debate wins plaudits

It’s the type of tricky question designed to trip up a presidential candidate. But the US senator Elizabeth Warren’s deadpan response when quizzed about same-sex marriage during a TV debate drew applause and widespread admiration. During the CNN forum on LGBT issues on Thursday, Morgan Cox, the chair of the Human Rights Campaign board of […]

Ukraine’s first-ever LGBT shelter forced to close after running out of money

An LGBT+ shelter in Kyiv ran out of money and was forced to close its doors, severing off a pocket of protection in a war-tugged country where citizens and officials divide on queer rights. Opened by the LGBT+ non-government organisation Insight in 2014, it became the first shelter specifically to house queer folk. But organisers […]

The migrant caravans: Finally feeling safe, she longs for her wife and son

Marveny Suchite lives with her American immigration sponsor in a bungalow here on a tree-lined street. A neighbor’s yard sign reads: “No matter where you are from, we’re glad you’re our neighbor.” The 25-year-old from Guatemala takes English classes and gets bilingual children’s books from the library to learn even more. A daily highlight is […]

Mum of teen who died by suicide after being outed demands urgent action

A mother whose son took his own life after bullies outed him online is calling for action on the “epidemic” of LGBT+ bullying. Tyler Clementi, 18, tragically died in 2010. He was driven to suicide when his college roommate covertly filmed him kissing another man and then livestreamed it online. His death brought national attention […]

Anti-gay laws linked to low levels of HIV testing in Africa

Poor uptake of HIV diagnosis and treatment among gay men in Africa may be linked to government crackdowns on homosexuality, a paper has found. The research, published in the Lancet HIV journal, analysed data from 75 studies involving gay and bisexual men across 28 African countries. It found that only 19 per cent of gay […]

Gay Peruvian congressman resigns

Alberto de Belaunde, who was one of two openly gay congressmen in Peru, stepped down late Monday night after Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra dissolved the South American country’s Congress. De Belaunde is one of six nominees for this year’s LGBTQ Victory Institute Tammy Baldwin Breakthrough Award, the organization announced September 26. “Thank you so much […]

Poland’s drift to right divides young male and female voters

Out on the campaign trail before Poland’s parliamentary elections, Jolanta Banach, a leftwing candidate, has noticed a recurring pattern. “There’s a young couple out for a walk with a pushchair, and I approach them to offer our campaign leaflets. The guy says: ‘No, we don’t want it.’ And then the woman says: ‘Actually, I’d like […]

U.S. Supreme Court divided on LGBT employment protection; Gorsuch could be key

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared closely divided over whether a landmark federal law forbidding sex discrimination in the workplace protects gay and transgender employees, with conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch emerging as a potential decisive vote. The nine justices heard two hours of high-profile arguments in three cases that could broaden LGBT rights involving […]

Gay Jamaican asylum seekers find new life in US with LGBT task force

Maurice Newman was thriving in Jamaica, fulfilling his dreams. He was teaching the fifth grade and also traveling for the government, training fellow teachers. He was building his life, living in the upper-middle class with an apartment and nice car. Then his life flipped around in an instant when police discovered his sexuality. “All that […]

Gay men seen dying from AIDS due to Africa’s homophobic laws

Thousands of gay men in Africa are likely dying from HIV-related illnesses every year due to homophobic laws that stifle their chances of being tested and treated, said researchers behind a study published on Monday in The Lancet HIV journal. A study of the data of 45,000 gay men in 28 African countries including Kenya, […]

Questions about sexual orientation and gender identity dumped from census

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has ditched preparations to ask about sexual orientation and gender identity in the 2021 census, although a question on whether people are male, female or non-binary is still under consideration. On 15 October, the ABS will test the census on 40,000 households in Wagga Wagga and south of Brisbane, including […]

Uganda: Why government is reintroducing anti-gay law

At the end of August, the Ethics and Integrity minster, Fr Simon Lokodo, said his predecessor, Mr James Nsaba Buturo, would take leave of Parliament to reintroduce a private member’s Bill against homosexuality. This came more than five years since President Museveni, on February 24, 2014, signed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law before both local […]

HIV diagnosis for 15 men waiting for drug on NHS

At least 15 people in England have tested HIV positive while waiting to get a place on a trial for a pill which prevents the disease. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a daily tablet which can stop a person from getting HIV. England is the only place in the UK where places on a trial to […]

Islamist extremists exploited LGBT school teaching tensions to fuel hate – report claims

Islamist extremists exploited tensions over equality teaching in Birmingham schools to amplify hate against LGBT+ people, a hard hitting report claims. Hizb ut-Tahir and other pro-Islamist organisations allegedly tried to use the dispute, centred on two small primary schools in Sparkhill and Alum Rock, to “promote their belief that Western liberalism was a threat to […]

Gay, transgender rights in spotlight as U.S. Supreme Court returns

The U.S. Supreme Court kicks off its new term this week, with a major dispute on tap over whether a landmark decades-old federal anti-discrimination law that bars sex discrimination in the workplace protects gay and transgender employees. The nine-month term opens on Monday with three cases to be argued before the nine justices. On Tuesday, […]

UK Transgender law reforms ‘will happen’ insists government

After reports that a public consultation on the matter had been abandoned, equalities minister Liz Truss is reportedly committed to completing the process in a way that has a ‘positive impact on the trans community in the UK’. Former minister for women and equalities Penny Mordaunt had launched a public consultation into how transgender people […]

Japanese MP makes waves by linking same-sex marriage to revising constitution

A conservative ally of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called for discussion on revising Japan’s constitution to allow same-sex marriage, annoying colleagues in the ruling party who are against it and also opposition parliamentarians who say enacting a simple law would clear the way. Japan has no anti-LGBT laws although many LGBT people still conceal […]

‘Born to Be’ Review: Intimate Portrait of Transgender Surgery Pioneer Gets It Right

“Not every patient wants to have a surgical transition. Transition can take many forms,” says Dr. Jess Ting in an early interview in “Born to Be,” a poignant and finely tuned documentary about his work as head surgeon at Mt. Sinai’s Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery. Ting’s thoughtful, measured, and sensitive approach to the […]

Russian man sues Apple after cryptocurrency “turned him gay”

A Russian man has filed a lawsuit against Apple alleging that a cryptocurrency app caused him to turn gay, according to a copy of the complaint seen by news agency AFP and reproduced in the Telegraph. The man tried to buy some Bitcoin, but he received some “GayCoin” instead—which came with a note: “Don’t judge […]