Anti-LGBTI Sentiment Rises Ahead of Elections
Several regional authorities are planning to create regulations designed to further curtail the rights of the LGBTI community — minority group frequently used as political fodder during election season. Payakumbuh, the second-largest city in West Sumatra, is set to revise a 2016 bylaw on social ills to introduce several articles specifically banning LGBT activities to prevent […]
Doncaster ‘Gay Pride’ Poppy Divides Opinion on Remembrance Sunday
A ‘gay pride’ poppy decorated with LGBT rainbow colours has divided opinion after being shared by Doncaster Pride on Remembrance Sunday. The organisation shared the image – with part of the poppy’s traditional red petals replaced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community’s rainbow colours as the nation fell silent yesterday to remember the 100th anniversary […]
LGBT Migrants Leave Caravan over ‘Discrimination,’ Reach California Border
LGBT members of a caravan of Central American migrants heading toward the U.S. border appear to have reached the California border after leaving the main group behind over alleged discrimination from other migrants. A local community group in Tijuana, Mexico, where the group appears to have arrived, said they were “surprised” to see members of the […]
Young Ukrainian Campers Learn Lessons in War, LGBT Hate
The campers, some clad in combat fatigues, carefully aim their assault rifles. Their instructor offers advice: Don’t think of your target as a human being. So when these boys and girls shoot, they will shoot to kill. Most are in their teens, but some are as young as 8 years old. They are at a […]
CCJ Declares Guyana’s Cross-dressing Law Unconstitutional
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruled that a law in Guyana, which makes it a criminal offence for a man or a woman to appear in a public place while dressed in clothing of the opposite sex for an “improper purpose”, is unconstitutional. The law, Section 153(1)(xlvii) of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act, is […]
Thailand: New Bill Offers Some Hope to LGBT Community
The Thai Justice Ministry has kicked off public hearings on the proposed Life Partnership Bill that is scheduled to be submitted to the Cabinet this month. The Life Partnership Bill has no less than 70 sections, but the elaborate legislation excludes some basic rights for same-sex couples, many said at the first public hearing stage […]
Closing Arguments in Same-Sex Marriage Appeal
Same-sex marriage gives gay couples a “stamp of approval” not provided by domestic partnerships, a lawyer argued yesterday. Mark Pettingill, who argued against a government appeal to reverse a Supreme Court decision to reinstate same-sex marriages, added that the removal of the right sent a clear signal of disapproval. He said: “To remove this recognition […]
Let’s Do the Math on Gays in Malaysia
On Oct 29, an officer of the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), Mohd Izwan Mohd Yusof, claimed that the number of gay men in the country had increased from 173,000 to 310,000 between 2013 and 2018, while the number of transgender people between 1988 and 2018 increased from 10,000 to 30,000. Among others, he stated […]
LGBT+ Rights Take Center Stage in Mexico’s New Congress
A bill passed this week in Mexico’s Senate granting same-sex couples equal social security benefits as heterosexuals now moves to the Chamber of Deputies, where advocates expect it will be voted into law. The vote in the country’s recently sworn-in upper house was unanimous. The amendment also included motions granting gay and lesbian couples the […]
Thousands Attend Anti-LGBT Rally in W. Sumatra, Authorities Promise Harsh Laws to Stop Spread of ‘Virus’
Anti-LGBT hysteria seems to have once again taken hold in some parts of Indonesia, with near daily stories of authorities fanning the flames of hatred with discriminatory acts towards the vilified minority group. Many of these stories are coming from West Sumatra, with one city in the region recently seeing a massive anti-LGBT protest followed by […]
The Hidden Gay History of the Yukon, Home to One of the Most Remote Prides
Driving into Whitehorse, Canada, the only city in the Yukon, you’d be forgiven for tucking away your rainbow flag. With the Sacred Heart church on the right and only a Tim Hortons as the biggest chain insight – I wasn’t sure if this was a trip to parade my Gay Star News tote bag about. […]
Tanzania’s Anti-homosexuality Purge Is Making Ottawa Anxious
Official anti-gay prejudice in Tanzania is causing Canadian officials to reassess this country’s relationship with one of Canada’s biggest aid recipients. Arrests of gay men in Zanzibar over the weekend, and the launch of “anti-gay patrols” in the former capital Dar es Salaam on Monday, are the latest incidents to alarm Canadian diplomats. They’ve come […]
Protesters Vs. Petitioners: Dispute over Tunisia’s Anti-gay Law
Thousands of Muslim fundamentalists protested Saturday in front of the nation’s parliament to decry proposals in a government report on gender equality that they claim are contrary to Islam. Men and veiled women marched under a blazing sun from Tunis to Bardo, outside the capital where the parliament is located, to protest the report by […]
LGBTQ+ Germans Reveal Life of Insults with #MeQueer
LGBTQ+ people in Germany are sweeping Twitter with the hashtag #MeQueer, exposing how difficult life can still be in the country. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, pansexual and queer people are using the hashtag, modeled on the #MeToo movement, to expose the reality of their situations. In one tweet, a 19-year-old describes walking through the […]
Ukraine: Police Called on to Guard Odessa Pride Marchers
A small 100-people strong, mostly successful LGBT march, was held in the Ukraine under the watchful eyes of the police amid contrasting events elsewhere. Several anti-LGBT marchers carried out minor attacks on members of the group before the march. Two men who “committed hooligan actions in the city center,” by striking a passerby, were arrested. […]
‘I Am Me Now’: Syrian Refugee to Lead Kelowna Pride March after Life of Secrecy
Anas Qartoumeh says he wants Canada to keep fighting for human rights abroad. The Grand Marshal of the 2018 Kelowna Pride March is proud to lead the parade, but more important, he’s just proud he can be himself. Anas Qartoumeh is a gay Syrian refugee who fled his country in 2015 to escape the civil war, […]
Legendary Alleged Gay Club in Kuala Lumpur Raided for First Time in 30 Years
A local club operating on Jalan Sultan Ismail for about 30 years has finally been raided earlier this morning (August 18). It is believed that the club has always been popular among the local and foreign gay communities. The raid was a joint operation between the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), Federal […]
Russian LGBT Pride Parade Finally Approved and Immediately Banned in Village of Seven People
Russian activists announced the first government-permitted Gay Pride march, but less than 24-hours later, local officials said they would not let the event go ahead, even in a town with a population of only seven people. The initial announcement, made by one of the country’s most famous LGBT rights activists, followed a series of bids from campaigners […]
Growing up Gay in China: As Chinese Come Out of the Closet, Companies Cash In
A group of girls sit cross-legged in front of a wall-to-ceiling mirror concentrating intensely as they apply make-up. They talk quietly, exchanging tips on which brush to use and what shade of mascara works best. But these young Shanghai women are not trying to make themselves look more feminine. They are getting lessons on how […]
Republicans Pick ‘anti-LGBT Extremist’ to Challenge out Senator Tammy Baldwin
Republican voters have picked an anti-LGBT candidate to challenge the only out US Senator, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. The Democratic firebrand, who co-chairs the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, will face an anti-LGBT challenger in November. Republicans picked State Senator Leah Vukmir to challenge Baldwin in this week’s primary. The Human Rights Campaign notes that Vukmir “has repeatedly taken extreme positions […]
Egyptian Actor Pushes for LGBT Rights
Amid Egypt’s continuing repression of its LGBT citizens, dissidents, political activists and journalists, actor Khaled Abol Naga keeps promoting LGBT rights. An award-winning actor, stage director and film producer, Naga was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2007. He has spoken out on many sensitive social issues, including HIV/AIDS, female genital mutilation and children’s rights. […]
Good News for Africa’s Queers
An eight-part podcast series looking into the experiences of “queer Africans living, loving, thriving and surviving on the continent and in the diaspora” recently hit the virtual world. Titled AfroQueer, the weekly series covers topics such as law, migration, film, race, censorship, family and sex. The series is put together by an African queer-focused digital media […]
Germany has Approved Plans to Legally Recognise a Third Gender
Germany’s government has approved plans to introduce a third gender on official forms. In November, the highest court in the country ruled in favour of an intersex person and ordered the Parliament to legally recognise a third gender from birth or remove gender from documents. Germany was the first European nation to introduce the option for parents to […]
Tunisia: Gay Rights, Inheritance Reforms Put Country on Edge
Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi has backed equal inheritance rights for men and women and is also pushing for other reforms such as decriminalizing homosexuality. Religious conservatives are far from happy.
Austria Rejects ‘gay Afghan’s’ Asylum Claim Telling Him he Doesn’t ‘walk, talk or dress like a homosexual’
Austria has rejected the asylum application of an Afghan claiming to be gay because he did not ‘act’ or ‘dress’ like a homosexual, according to a media report. An official in Lower Austria state found no grounds for fear of persecution based on the sexual orientation of the 18-year-old, the Falter weekly newspaper reported. ‘The way you walk, act […]
Baker Who Refused to Make a Gay Wedding Cake Back in Court
A baker who won a US Supreme Court battle over his refusal to bake a gay wedding-themed cake is again in the headlines, this time for turning down a request to make a transgender-themed treat.
‘She Insulted My Manhood’: Murder Underlines Turkey’s LGBT Backlash
In a country where anti-gay violence is often excused as unjust provocation, a fatal shooting has raised fresh fears. Simge Avcı loved practical jokes, says her roommate Bahar, recalling how her friend would giggle after pretending to spill the contents of an empty teapot on her startled victims. Bahar (not her real name), 25, had lived […]
Pride in London Sorry After Anti-Trans Protest
Pride in London organizers have apologized after anti-trans protesters “forced their way to the front of the parade”. Members of lesbian and feminist group Get The L Out demanded to march behind the rainbow flag, which marks the start of the event, organizers said. The group argues the trans movement is attacking lesbian rights and […]
Spain Offers Free Fertility Treatment for Lesbians and Single Women
Spain’s new Socialist government has agreed to offer free reproductive treatment to lesbians and single women on Friday, restoring a benefit cancelled by the conservative administration it toppled in June. The announcement rounded off a string of social measures made during Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s first month in power. The austerity-minded government of former premier […]
Gay Marriage Does Not Fit in a Communist Country, Cuban Evangelicals Say
Five Evangelical churches in Cuba say they oppose same-sex marriage because the ideology of gender is totally foreign to Cuban culture or “the historic leaders of the Revolution.” The Evangelical League of Cuba, the Eastern and Western Baptist Conventions, the Methodist Church of Cuba and the Assembly of God Evangelical Church explained their posture in […]