Pakistan: Transgender entertainers face extortion
Many transgender people in Pakistan’s northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province earn money by dancing at private parties and events. However, this is a risky way to earn a living.
Afghan Transgender people also face harassment in Pakistan
Alina is an Afghan transgender person who fled Afghanistan to Peshawar, Pakistan, after the Taliban took over the country. Alina says her life would be in danger if she returned to Afghanistan, but she is also facing threats in Peshawar. Muska Safi has the report, narrated by Bezhan Hamdard.
LGBTQ Dems celebrate likely election of first openly transgender person to Congress
Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride, who in November is expected to become the first openly transgender person elected to Congress, told LGBTQ+ delegates to the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday that her candidacy marked a milestone for trans representation. McBride, a candidate for Delaware’s at-large U.S. House seat being vacated by U.S. Senate candidate Lisa […]
Removing transgender woman from female-only app was discrimination, Australian court rules
A female-only app discriminated against a transgender woman by removing her from the platform, an Australian court has ruled in a landmark case. The Federal Court of Australia found on Friday that Roxanne Tickle, a transgender woman from New South Wales, was subjected to “indirect gender discrimination” when she was blocked from the social network […]
From gay sex to miracle cure: Fake news epidemic follows mpox outbreak
In a video circulated on X and Facebook, Wolfgang Wodarg, a German doctor known for his anti-vaccine views, claimed that mpox and shingles shared the same symptoms. The physician also accused the pharmaceutical industry of frightening people to make profit. This is false. Mpox is not a shingles epidemic caused by the Covid-19 vaccine. Much is already known about […]
A song for Sphen: Penguins mourn death of one half of beloved same-sex couple
They were the penguin power couple, a world-famous same-sex pairing whose love was taught about in schools and inspired a pride parade float. Now Magic, mourning Sphen’s death, has led their community in a tribute song. Sphen died earlier this month just before his 12th birthday, the Sydney Sea Life Aquarium said Thursday, a long life for a […]
Same-Sex Couples and LGBTQ+ Activists Rally in Nepal’s Capital During the Annual Pride Parade
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Hundreds of LGBTQ+ people and their supporters rallied in Nepal’s capital Tuesday during the annual Pride parade, the first since gay couples were able to register same-sex marriages officially in the Himalayan nation following a Supreme Court order in Nov 2023. The annual event brings together the sexual minority community and […]
LGBTQ Dems stress importance of representation, allyship in Harris-Walz ticket
Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride, who in November is expected to become the first openly transgender person elected to Congress, told LGBTQ delegates to the Democratic National Convention during a caucus Wednesday that her candidacy marked a milestone for trans representation. McBride, a candidate for Delaware’s at-large U.S. House seat being vacated by U.S. Senate candidate […]
Marta: Brazilian legend announces engagement to lesbian partner Carrie Lawrence
Brazilian football legend Marta has announced her engagement to Orlando Pride team-mate Carrie Lawrence. The proposal, which took place during a serene picnic, was a huge moment for the couple who have been together since 2022. Marta, widely considered the greatest female footballer of all time having won the FIFA Women’s player of the year […]
Details Emerge in Senseless Murder of Trans Woman Clement Hadebe
A friend of Clement Hadebe, a transgender woman recently murdered in Johannesburg, has spoken out to correct what they describe as inaccurate media reports about the circumstances of her death. The friend, identified as Sasha, spoke to MambaOnline about the tragic night Clement was shot multiple times. Sasha confirmed that Clement was 22-years-old, identified as a […]
Judge rules transgender teen can temporarily play on girls’ soccer team amid new law
When the girls’ soccer team at Plymouth Regional High School in New Hampshire began practice on Monday to prepare for the start of the official season on Aug. 30, transgender athlete Parker Tirrell was able to join her teammates. That’s what a federal judge ruled on Monday after the families of two transgender teens — 15-year-old […]
Mpox not the new COVID, says WHO
The mpox outbreak is not another COVID-19, says the World Health Organization, because much is already known about the virus and the means to control it. While more research is needed on the clade 1b strain which triggered the UN agency into declaring a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), the spread of mpox can be […]
Closing the legal gaps: Advancing transgender justice in Pakistan
The legal recognition and protection of transgender rights in Pakistan has been subject to a complex interplay of societal norms, cultural practices, and legislative frameworks. A significant stride towards addressing the marginalization of this community was marked by the enactment of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act (TPPRA), 2018. While this legislation constitutes a […]
Canada: Anti-Israeli statement from major LGBT group causes rift among local progressives
An anti-Israeli statement issued in early August by Capital Pride in Ottawa, Canada, has sparked a major controversy and a rift among local progressives. In fact, some of the groups that had intended to participate in that organization’s events at next year’s Pride march, scheduled for May 25, have decided not to do so. In […]
Trump-stacked appeals court overturns trans worker’s court victory
A Georgia anti-trans discrimination ruling from May has been voided by an appeals court, half of whose judges were appointed by former President Donald Trump. The ruling concerns a transgender deputy who was denied equal medical care when the Houston County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office refused to cover her gender-affirming care under their health insurance policy. […]
Same-sex couples and LGBTQ+ activists rally in Nepal’s capital during the annual Pride parade
Hundreds of LGBTQ+ people and their supporters rallied in Nepal’s capital Tuesday during the annual Pride parade, the first since gay couples were able to register same-sex marriages officially in the Himalayan nation following a Supreme Court order in Nov 2023. The annual event brings together the sexual minority community and their supporters in Kathmandu […]
East London bookshop and cafe described as a queer ‘haven’ fundraising to stay open
A bookshop and cafe in East London, seen as a “haven” for the LGBTQ+ community, has launched a fund-raiser to help the venue to keep going. The Common Press bookshop, in Shoreditch, has seen an “absolutely overwhelming” amount of support since launching its crowd-funder on Tuesday (13 August), and has already raised more than £8,000 […]
Did the Supreme Court just overrule one of its most important LGBTQ rights decisions?
The Supreme Court handed down a brief and very odd opinion on Friday that seemed to abandon its landmark civil rights decision in Bostock v. Clayton County (2020), a four-year-old case that compelled the Biden administration to write rules forbidding discrimination against gay and trans students. The Court’s new decision in Department of Education v. […]
QTalk: Nigerian pastor fights for identity after church rejection
Andrew, a 30-year-old gay man from Nigeria, turned to the Qtalk app for counseling after being dismissed from his pastoral role when his church discovered his sexuality. Andrew had devoted his life to his faith and congregation, and the abrupt termination left him feeling betrayed, isolated, and uncertain about his future. During the session, Andrew […]
Joburg Murder Sparks Transphobic Victim Blaming
The horrific murder of Clement Hadebe, a queer individual in Johannesburg, has sparked a flood of hateful, victim-blaming transphobic bigotry on social media. Reports of Hadebe’s death, believed to be a hate crime, went viral on Facebook on Monday, seemingly stemming from an initial article published by Moja Love’s ZiMoja website. The report stated that […]
Taiwanese public largely rejects gender self-identification, survey finds
A new study published in Archives of Sexual Behaviour reveals that an overwhelming majority of Taiwanese respondents strongly oppose gender self-identification for transgender women. Gender self-identification, particularly for transgender individuals, is a contentious issue in Taiwan, despite the progressive stance on LGBTQ rights in other areas. The Gender Recognition Act mandates proof of sex-reassignment surgery (SRS) for […]
China awards visitation rights to gay mom in historic first
In a legal first, China has granted visitation rights to a gay mom separated from her daughter for four years. The woman, identified by her nickname Didi, married her wife in the U.S. in 2016, according to reporting by the Guardian. Later that year, the couple underwent IVF treatment with embryos made from the wife’s eggs and […]
Outrage as librarians reveal UK schools are banning LGBT+ books after complaints from parents
LGBT+ books are being banned from UK schools after complaints from parents, librarians have revealed. A six-month investigation by Index on Censorship, the results of which have been shared exclusively with The Independent, found that 53 per cent of UK school librarians polled had been asked to remove literature and in more than half of those cases books were taken […]
Has Power Moderated Italy’s Leader? Not to Same-Sex Parents.
While their curly-haired rescue dog napped on the floor, an Italian couple logged on to a late-night video call with their American surrogate, sunbathing in her garden in Oregon. The fathers-to-be cooed as she told them she was playing fairy tales close to her belly that they had recorded for their future daughter. “And she […]
West Bengal: LGBTQIA community stages protest over Kolkata rape-murder
Amid widespread outrage and demands for justice following the rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, members of the LGBTQIA community staged a protest here on Saturday, demanding justice for the victim. A member of the trans community told ANI that the police attempted to […]
Mpox is not a ‘gay disease’ – here’s what you need to know
The current mpox outbreak in Africa has left members of the gay community wondering how badly if it will affect them. The virus was first declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) in July 2022, after cases increased in Europe and the Americas. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), […]
Friends remember a young, gay Palestinian man who was murdered in occupied West Bank
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: This next story takes us to the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the streets of Tel Aviv. But it’s not about the current war between Israel and Hamas. It’s about a murder exactly one year earlier, in October 2022. What Israeli media reported as an anti-gay hate crime, an NPR investigation found to […]
Bulgaria’s new anti-LGBTQ+ law is official. Opponents beg EU to take action.
Bulgaria on Friday officially published the text of a controversial law banning LGBTQ+ “propaganda” in schools after the country’s President Ruman Rudev failed to veto the bill on Thursday. The amendment to the country’s education code, which was introduced by the far-right, pro-Russian Revival party and unexpectedly backed by pro-European Union parties, prohibits the “propaganda, […]
Bulgaria’s new anti-LGBTQ+ law is official. Opponents beg EU to take action.
Bulgaria on Friday officially published the text of a controversial law banning LGBTQ+ “propaganda” in schools after the country’s President Ruman Rudev failed to veto the bill on Thursday. The amendment to the country’s education code, which was introduced by the far-right, pro-Russian Revival party and unexpectedly backed by pro-European Union parties, prohibits the “propaganda, […]
Friends remember a young, gay Palestinian man who was murdered in occupied West Bank
The murder of a young gay Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank has challenged the conservative community’s formal and informal systems of justice.