No, there’s no such thing as ‘rapid onset gender dysphoria’
Australian experts have debunked ‘rapid onset gender dysphoria’ in a strongly-worded position statement. The phrase emerged in 2018 and posits that a “social and peer contagion” is responsible for young people identifying as trans, as opposed to growing acceptance and understanding. ‘Rapid onset gender dysphoria’ is used by some journalists and online activists to suggest […]
Here’s why Ghana’s sex education program is controversial
Ghanaians are still debating a proposed school sex education program after religious groups said it was part of a “satanic” attempt to promote LGBT+ values. The backlash forced government and U.N. officials to defend the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) program, which was devised by the United Nations and Ghana’s government, saying it had no explicit […]
Toronto rally responds to anti-LGBTQ Christian group march
A rally promoting unity was held Saturday in response to an anti-LGBTQ Christian group’s march through the city’s gay village. A group of evangelicals with the Christ Forgiveness Ministry, including street preacher David Lynn and longtime activist Charles McVety, marched up Church Street calling for the protection of free-speech and civil liberties. The march was […]
One thousand people participate in gay pride march in Paraguay
Around a thousand militants from organizations of sexual diversity participated on Saturday in the annual march of the LGBTI community in Paraguay, one of the most conservative countries in Latin America, where among other things they requested that the government approve the legal changes of name to who present themselves with a gender different from […]
Australia Post releases marriage equality stamps
Australia Post has unveiled two commemorative stamps to mark the passage of marriage equality nearly two years ago. The majority “yes” vote for same-sex was announced on November 15, 2017. The same-sex marriage bill finally passed through the Australian parliament that December. The two stamps, released by Australia Post on October 1, both celebrate the […]
Fans cry foul as France cracks down on football homophobia
From leafleting fans to introducing fines and even jail time, France is cracking down on homophobia in football. But when a referee stopped play over anti-gay chants, fans cried foul. Mehdi Mokhtari’s decision to halt a match between second-league teams AS Nancy and Le Mans last month marked the first time a referee had used […]
Why the struggles of the climate and LGBTQIA+ movements are deeply connected
While states fail to act comprehensively on what is the biggest crisis humanity faces, a diverse group of queer activists came together on the evening of 2 September to found a new initiative. Several people from the frontline of climate breakdown in Mongolia and India shared their experiences of climate breakdown over a vegan, partly […]
Pope meets U.S. priest attacked by conservatives for ministering to gays
Pope Francis on Monday gave a high-profile private audience to a prominent American Jesuit priest who has been attacked repeatedly by conservative Catholics and media outlets for ministering to homosexuals. By meeting Father James Martin during the morning, when the pope’s meetings are part of his published schedule, instead of privately in the afternoon, Francis […]
Transgender boxer becomes new face of Everlast
A transgender man will be the new face of the iconic boxing brand Everlast, in a move lauded for showing that there are “many ways to be a man.” Patricio Manuel is the first professional transgender male boxer in the U.S., and one of the newest faces for Everlast as part of their “Be First” […]
Kal Queers’ monthly event Queer Beers marks new era of greater visibility for LGBT people in Kalgoorlie-Boulder
LGBT people in regional Western Australia say a lack of visible queer communities in country towns and cities makes people feel isolated and less likely to access support services. Geraldton-based Samantha Bentink says she was surprised to find that there was no public LGBT presence when she moved to the city four years ago. “One […]
Native American tribe becomes first to pass hate crime law protecting LGBT people
The Oglala Sioux Tribe may have become the first Native American tribe to introduce a hate crime law protecting LGBT+ and two spirit people. There is no comprehensive data on law codes for the 573 federally recognised American Indian tribes, but Indian Country Today reported that it could not find any other hate crime laws […]
Devi Durga to click photos, LGBT people draw graffiti in Kolkata puja
From Goddess Durga clicking a photograph of a visitor with an AI smart camera in one puja marquee, to drawing of traditional ‘alpana’ before the idol by gender minorities in another – Durga pujas in Kolkata have everything on offer. The AI (Artificial Intelligence) smart camera has been placed inside the third eye of the […]
Europe’s loneliest far-right party losing election battle in Portugal
Waving Portuguese flags, leaders of the far-right National Renovation Party (PNR) waited for more people to turn up at a mid-September rally in Lisbon, but their patriotic chants fell on deaf ears. No one joined the 50 or so party faithful gathered on this quaint square to campaign for the Oct. 6 parliamentary election. A […]
Transgender Woman in Supreme Court Case Is ‘Happy Being Me’
Aimee Stephens lost her job at a suburban Detroit funeral home and she could lose her Supreme Court case over discrimination against transgender people. Amid her legal fight, her health is failing. But seven years after Stephens thought seriously of suicide and six years after she announced that she would henceforth be known as Aimee […]
Barbie toymaker Mattel creates gender-neutral dolls
The toymaker behind Barbie launched a range of gender-neutral dolls on Wednesday which can be styled as either girls or boys, saying children were moving away from traditional stereotypes. Mattel’s “Creatable World” dolls come with removable wigs allowing them to switch between long and short hair, as well as outfits including both dresses and trousers, […]
Beirut Pride organizers cancel opening event after threats
Organizers of Beirut Pride said they have canceled the event’s opening concert after threats meant they could not guarantee the safety of attendees at Lebanon’s third annual LGBT+ week. Organizer Hadi Damien said a concert planned for Saturday at The Palace theater was axed after the venue received threatening phone calls and posts on social […]
Police fire tear gas and arrest dozens of far-right protesters attempting to disrupt LGBT+ march
Riot police have tear gassed and arrested dozens of far-right protesters after hundreds tried and failed to disrupt an LGBT+ parade in Poland. Nearly 30 people have been detained so far after an estimated 200 counter-demonstrators attempted to block the route of the Lublin’s second ever march for gay rights. Balaclava-clad homophobes brandished banners likening […]
TikTok censored all positive LGBT content in countries deemed conservative
The social media video app TikTok has been censoring pro-LGBT+ content in some conservative countries, even if homosexuality has never been illegal there. A report by The Guardian revealed that in an attempt to provide locally sensitive moderation, TikTok banned any content that could be seen as positive to LGBT+ people – even same-sex couples […]
‘Basic human rights are being rejected’: Northern Ireland’s anti-DUP protest music
The dark upstairs room of an old sports bar in Belfast is an unassuming venue for a revolution. Against a backdrop of silver streamers and placards from the pro-choice rally that has just taken place, a small crowd gathers as Sister Ghost blast out a rendition of Nirvana’s Love Buzz. Vocalist Shannon Delores O’Neill sings […]
LGBTQ and black passengers face more rideshare cancellations, study finds
Though rideshare apps were intended to be a more egalitarian transportation option than traditional cab services, they have a demonstrated history of bias against minority passengers before pickup. Numerous studies have established that black passengers, for instance, faced longer wait times and were subject to more frequent cancellations than white riders. In recent years, platforms […]
Brexit could lead to a shortage of HIV-preventing PrEP drugs, experts warn
A hard Brexit could lead to a shortage of HIV-preventing drugs used for PrEP, experts have warned. PrEP drug Truvada can drastically reduce the risk of being infected with HIV if taken daily, and is recommended for use by at-risk gay and bisexual men. It has seen a swift uptake across the UK, with thousands […]
Gay man’s murder raises questions over Uzbek human rights reforms
The murder of a gay man in Uzbekistan has cast the spotlight on the treatment of LGBT+ people in the country and raised questions over government reforms aimed at attracting foreign investment, human rights activists have said. Shokir Shavkatov, 25, was stabbed to death inside his flat in the Central Asian nation’s capital earlier this […]
How LGBT rights became a key battleground in Poland’s election
Picking a vulnerable group of people, demonising them and convincing your voters that you will protect them from the threat the group allegedly poses has long been a proven strategy for electoral success. This, at least, seems to be the golden rule for the currently in power conservative and populist Law and Justice (PiS) party […]
The struggle for equality is real. The ‘woke police’ are a myth
There’s a lot of talk these days about new political tribes, so allow me to introduce another one: the “anti-woke”. The first curious thing to note about members of this group is that they define themselves in opposition to an identity that doesn’t actually exist. They are anti-woke, even though there is no “woke”. Woke […]
Anti-LGBT Republican opposes abortion so much he’s introduced a bill to protect gay foetuses
Sean Duffy – who up until this week was a member of the House of Representatives from Wisconsin’s 7th district – has a track record of being anti-LGBT+. But that isn’t stopping the Republican congressman from suddenly changing his stance by trying to stop women from having abortions when their children are gay. The bizarre […]
Russian gay couple under investigation for adoption request United States asylum
A Russian gay couple has requested asylum in the United States after authorities launched a criminal investigation over their adopted children, their lawyer said Thursday. The two men, Andrei Vaganov and Yevgeny Yerofeyev, and their two adopted sons are now in Seattle and requested asylum in the US this month, lawyer Maksim Olenichev said. “They […]
Masked men and murder: vigilantes terrorise LGBT+ Russians
Receiving photos of mutilated bodies with the warning “you’re next” rattled gay rights activist Nikita Tomilov but when he saw surveillance men outside his home, he fled Russia for good. The threats via social media came from Pila – Russian for “saw” – a homophobic group which has said it was behind the fatal stabbing […]
Transgender man loses court battle to be registered as father
A transgender man from Kent who gave birth with the help of fertility treatment cannot be registered as his child’s father, the most senior family judge in England and Wales has ruled. In the first legal definition of a mother in English common law, Sir Andrew McFarlane, the president of the high court’s family division, […]
We freed 3 gay men from prison
A and his friend Y (names withheld for their safety) walked free on August 30, having served four years of a five-year sentence imposed after they were reported to police by a hotel receptionist on June 24, 2015. In the short term, their release was made possible by caring people in the United States who […]
Luxembourg prime minister makes history at UN General Assembly
Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel on Tuesday became the first out head of government to speak about LGBTI-specific issues at a U.N. General Assembly. “Being gay is not a choice, but not accepting it is a choice,” said Bettel at an U.N. LGBTI Core Group event that focused on efforts to end anti-LGBTI hate speech […]