What Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness index says about its queer community
Located in the eastern Himalayas, Bhutan is a country that prioritises Gross National Happiness (GNH) over Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a philosophy introduced in the 1970s. This commitment to fostering well-being and happiness is evident in the country’s steadily rising GNH index, which has increased from 0.743 in 2010 to 0.781 in 2022. And when […]
Madalitso’s story: The persecution of LGBTI people in Zambia
Yesterday, 25 November, was Madalitso* Zulu’s 36th birthday and his third one behind bars at a Zambian Prison. Madalitso, a health professional, did nothing wrong, but is locked up. He is serving a 15-year prison sentence with hard labour simply because he identifies as gay in a country that wants to dictate his identity. Madalitso […]
Transgender lawyer makes history, takes case on puberty blockers and hormone therapy to Supreme Court
Chase Strangio surrounded himself with close friends on election night, knowing that Donald Trump might be sent back to the White House after a campaign that included extensive attacks on the transgender community Strangio is part of. Defending the community is his life’s work. The American Civil Liberties Union attorney sensed early in the evening […]
Top Hong Kong court dismisses government appeal in gay rights housing case
Hong Kong’s top court on Tuesday upheld three earlier rulings that favoured granting public housing and inheritance rights to married same-sex couples, citing equality provisions in the city’s mini-constitution. The unanimous ruling by Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal is the latest legal victory for the city’s LGBTQ+ community since 2023. Judges Andrew Cheung, Robert […]
In new constitution, Gabon rejects appeals to criminalize homosexuality
On November 16, Gabonese voters ratified a referendum on a new constitution, the fruit of bitter discussions between the transitional military authorities who deposed Ali Bongo’s regime in August 2023 and Gabonese civil society players, some of whom were calling for the criminalization of homosexuality to be included in the draft constitution. In the end, […]
Putin bans adoption of Russian children by citizens of countries permitting gender-affirming care
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed into law separate bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community both in Russia and abroad. The new laws outlaw the promotion of non-traditional families and the adoption of Russian children by foreign nationals from countries that recognize a person’s right to gender-affirming care. The bills were approved by the Russian […]
Donald Trump ‘to expel all transgender people from military’
Donald Trump will remove all transgender members of the US military from their posts, according to reports. The president-elect will use an executive order to make the move and it could come as soon as his first day in office, The Times reported. It will lead to the dismissal of thousands of service personnel at a time when the US armed […]
Trigger warning: Homophobic song goes viral in Cameroon; LGBTI defenders sue
In Cameroon, LGBTI people are only too aware that they live in a society saturated with homophobic rhetoric and violent attacks targeting them. In recent weeks, that homophobic fervor has intensified in a torrent of online videos of a homophobic song calling for the death of LGBTI people. It’s known as “Poign@rdez les PD“ — in […]
Scientists discover genetic underpinnings of bisexuality
For the first time, scientists have identified genetic variations associated with human bisexual behavior — and found these markers are linked to risk-taking and having more offspring when they are carried by heterosexual men. Jianzhi “George” Zhang, a professor at the University of Michigan and senior author of the new research, told AFP it helped […]
Delaware’s transgender community reels after election
Cello music filled a sanctuary here on Wednesday night as the audience clutched blue or pink carnations in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance. A slideshow cycled through pictures of trans daughters, brothers, coworkers and friends, forever frozen in confident, happy, candid moments. As each name was read aloud, a gradual dawning swept through the […]
Nigeria: Mob Beats and Humiliates Men Over Homosexuality Claims
Disturbing social media videos have revealed four young men being beaten and degraded by a mob in the Nigerian city of Benin, highlighting the social impact of discriminatory and dehumanising laws that criminalise same-sex intimacy. It is alleged that the men were targeted after reportedly being caught engaging in sexual activity, which could see them […]
Italy’s same-sex civil unions rise to six-year high
Same-sex civil unions in Italy rose in 2023 to a six-year high, the country’s national statistics office said on Friday, but at the same time LGBTQ groups say the current conservative government is making life harder for them. There were 3,019 same-sex unions last year, ISTAT said, a 7.3% year-on-year increase. It was the highest […]
Can LGBTQ Filipinos adopt despite same-sex marriage ban in PH?
Members of the LGBTQ community in the Philippines can adopt children as individuals, but legal adoption does not extend to same-sex couples due to the country’s laws prohibiting same-sex marriage. The Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO) in Central Visayas clarified this during a recent episode of a teleradio program. Cyrene Anna Torres, social welfare […]
Trump nominates gay man for Treasury secretary
Donald Trump announced today (Friday, Nov. 22) that he is nominating hedge fund executive Scott Besent, a top fundraising for the Trump campaign, to serve as secretary of the Treasury in his second administration. Bessent is a married gay man with two children. Charles Moran, president of Log Cabin Republicans, hailed Bessent’s nomination as “a […]
Demand for safe housing for transgender and two-spirit people continues to rise
A housing program in Vancouver is ensuring that transgender and two-spirit people have a safe place to call home. CBC’s Caroline Chan stopped by the Aoki Ross House to learn more about the rising demand for this type of housing.
Ghana Supreme Court prepares to rule on harsh anti-LGBTQ bill
The Ghana Supreme Court has set Dec. 18 as the date when it will rule on whether the harsh anti-LGBTQ bill that Parliament passed in February is constitutional. Proponents of the bill have accused the court of dragging its feet. In response, the court has said it was awaiting necessary legal filings from parties in […]
Vatican in row at climate talks over gender rights
The Vatican has blocked discussions over women’s rights at the UN climate summit following a row over gay and transgender issues, sources have told BBC News. Pope Francis’ representatives have aligned with Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, and Egypt to obstruct a deal which would have provided more support, including financial help, for women at the forefront […]
Namibia’s first out LGBTQ+ candidates aim to change laws and minds
CAPE TOWN – The first openly LGBTQ+ candidates to run for office in Namibia say young voters want change even as hate crimes rise on the streets and many older Namibians oppose equal rights. Two out candidates – one gay, one pansexual – are running in the Nov. 27 elections, with younger voters making up the […]
Survey finds 88% of trans Russians either want or plan to leave the country
A study by Russian LGBT group Coming Out published Wednesday found that 88% of Russian trans people were either planning to or wanted to leave Russia. Some 65% of those asked said they wanted to leave Russia, but didn’t know how, while a further 23% had plans to emigrate. Only 12% of those surveyed said they […]
Chilling warning in Berlin to Jews, openly gay people to watch their backs in Arab-majority neighborhoods
The police chief in Germany’s capital is urging Jews and gay people to “be vigilant” while traversing certain Arab-majority neighborhoods, warning many of them contain pockets of antisemitism and residents who harbor support for terrorist groups. “There are areas of the city, we need to be perfectly honest here, where I would advise people who […]
Los Angeles officials move to establish city as a sanctuary for immigrants and LGBTQ youth in advance of Trump’s return to the White House
Los Angeles officials on Tuesday moved to cement the city and its schools as sanctuaries for immigrants and LGBTQ youth as the city positions itself to push back strongly against President-elect Donald Trump’s platforms on immigration and gender. The Los Angeles City Council, which represents the second-largest US city, unanimously voted to adopt a “sanctuary […]
EU court starts hearing case over Hungary’s alleged anti-LGBTQ law
The top court in the European Union has started hearing a case that marks a major confrontation between Hungary and the bloc over a law criticised as being anti-LGBTQ. A lawyer for the European Commission, which in December 2022 referred the case to the Court of Justice, told the tribunal on Tuesday that the legislation […]
Anti-gay moves in South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu
The parliament in the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu has voted to prohibit same-sex marriage. That move came less than a month after establishment of a committee to draft a national policy banning LGBTQ advocacy. Vanuatu, formerly known as the New Hebrides, was jointly administered by France and the United Kingdom before it’s independence […]
Is Thailand the next big LGBTQ wedding destination? Insiders think so
On September 24, Thailand celebrated the landmark passage of a marriage equality bill. The legislation, which goes into effect in January 2025, will solidify Thailand’s reputation as a progressive and inclusive destination. Wedding organisers and planners around the globe are already taking note, including Next Chapter LGBT, which has been helping Hong Kong LGBTQ couples […]
Pride in Protest on Equality Bill: ‘We Don’t Have to Wait in Our Fight For Rights’
Last month saw the New South Wales Parliament pass the Equality Bill, introduced by Independent MP Alex Greenwich. Star Observer interviewed Greenwich and Rainbow Labor convenors about the Bill, and addressed the many protections that were scrapped in order to get it over the line. Since then, the activist collective has asked for a right […]
Rep. Nancy Mace introduces Capitol bathroom bill – incoming transgender pol Sarah McBride responds
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) unveiled a resolution on Monday that would ban transgender women from using female bathrooms inside the Capitol — drawing immediate criticism from Democratic Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, who will be the first openly transgender member of Congress. “Biological men do not belong in private women’s spaces. Period. Full stop. End of story,” […]
‘My whole body was praying for my death’: LGBTQ Afghans say they face abuse in detention as Taliban crackdown intensifies
It was the early hours of the morning when a guard entered Sohrab’s cell – a small, dark room with a barred window and a blanket on the floor – in Kabul’s sprawling Pul-e-Charkhi prison last August. The 19-year-old was escorted to another room in the complex, where he heard a Taliban member order the […]
Turkey’s Queer Art Community Walks a Thin Line
ISTANBUL — When curator Alper Turan and his collaborators from queer and feminist groups around Turkey discuss plans for their upcoming Istanbul exhibition, they have more to consider than which artists to include and how to hang the works. “To be honest, half of our energy is going towards how we can create some safe space […]
Mali Passes Law to Jail Gay People
Mali is on the brink of passing a law that would jail people for engaging in same-sex relations, condoning same-sex relationships, or “promoting” homosexuality. The country’s ruling National Transitional Council, on October 31, approved the proposed law by a vote of 131-1. The measure must next be approved by the country’s military leaders before taking effect. Details […]
Trump pledged to roll back protections for transgender students. They’re flooding crisis hotlines
Transgender youth in the United States have been flooding crisis hotlines since the election of Donald Trump, who made anti-transgender themes central to his campaign. Many teens worry about how their lives could change once he takes office. During his presidential bid, Trump pledged to impose wide-ranging restrictions and roll back civil rights protections for […]