Joe Biden issues powerful trans rights proclamation: ‘these attacks are un-American and must end’
President Joe Biden has officially proclaimed March 31 – which, this year, is also Easter Sunday – as Transgender Day of Visibility. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transgender rights in a powerful statement, released on Friday (29 March), that read: “On Transgender Day of Visibility, we honor the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender […]
Activists hail Nepal ruling allowing same-sex marriage
Same-sex couples in Nepal said on Friday they were preparing to register their marriages after the Supreme Court had issued a temporary order clearing the way for gay marriage for the first time in the largely conservative country, according to Reuters. The Supreme Court has been considering a petition on the issue filed by gay […]
Graphic novel tells the stories of LGTBQ people over 50
A forthcoming anthology by Berlin-based queer comic publisher Moom Comics illustrates the stories of older LGTBQ people. It aims to bridge the age gap. “I was 23 when I moved from my parents’ house to Chemnitz. And then real life began,” reads a comic panel. The illustration shows a young man with his arms thrown […]
Gay Man Jailed in Qatar Provisionally Freed Pending Investigation
A gay British-Mexican, who was entrapped by police in Qatar on Grindr, has been provisionally released from prison after a global campaign for his freedom. Manuel Guerrero Aviña was arrested and jailed in the capital Doha by local police after being lured to a meeting on 4 February. A former British Airways manager, the 44-year-old […]
Sacramento becomes sanctuary city for transgender people
Sacramento is a sanctuary city for transgender people following the City Council’s unanimous vote Tuesday night. While California was already a sanctuary state, the city’s resolution, which takes effect immediately, specifically ensures that local funds are not used to aid law enforcement from other jurisdictions in their attempts to prosecute the families of minors receiving […]
Bangladesh Opens First Mosque For Transgender Hijra Community
Transgender hijra people in Bangladesh opened the Muslim-majority country’s first mosque for their community early this month, heralding a new era for the much-discriminated group.
FOR TRANS MIGRANTS FORCED TO FLEE THEIR HOMES, THE VIOLENCE CONTINUES AT OUR BORDER
A few months ago in Tijuana, Mexico, our Director of Research and Analysis for Refugee Protection Christina Asenico met two couples from Russia – three of the four individuals identified as transgender men. In Russia they were targeted and persecuted for their identities. They watched as friends were arrested for their sexual orientation or gender […]
What does Senegal’s new president have in store for LGBTQ people?
Bassirou Diomaye Faye was elected President of Senegal on Sunday, collecting 51% of the votes compared to his challenger, Amadou Ba, from the ruling party of outgoing president Macky Sall. Diomaye Faye is close to anti-LGBT activists in the country, including Ousmane Sonko, and his African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (PASTEF) party […]
The veteran LGBTQ+ activist who defies statistics and dreams of becoming a centenarian
The dream of leaving her small town to see the world has been fulfilled, as she’s ventured throughout and beyond her native Brazil. Now, she has another dream: to be 100-years-old. Reaching her centnerary would be quite a feat, considering that the average life expectancy of a trans Brazilian is scarily low: most only reach the age […]
Ugandan LGBT rights group caught between a rock and a hard place
Last week, in another blow to freedoms of association and expression in Uganda, a Ugandan court rejected a petition brought by Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), a leading group advocating for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, to compel the government to register the group’s name. The petition was rejected on the grounds that the organization’s name is […]
Shuttered Siberian Queer Bar Fined for ‘LGBT Propaganda’
A queer bar in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk has been fined for “LGBT propaganda,” local police said Thursday, a month after the bar announced its closure over police raids. Krasnoyarsk’s Sovetsky District Court found the legal entity that owns the bar Elton guilty of the administrative charges and fined it 450,000 rubles ($4,800), according to a […]
Nine men sentenced to death by ‘crucifixion and stoning’ for alleged sodomy by Houthi court
Nine men were sentenced to death by a Houthi court in Yemen in a mass trial based on “dubious” charges of sodomy, a human rights organisation has said. The Houthi movement, officially known as Ansar Allah, is a Shia Islamist political and military organisation which emerged in Yemen in the 1990s. Houthi militants control large parts […]
Thai parliament passes same-sex marriage bill
Thailand is set to become the first Southeast Asian nation to recognise equal marriage after politicians passed a same-sex marriage bill. The lower house of parliament overwhelmingly voted in favour of the bill, with 400 supporting its passage and just 10 against it in a final reading on Wednesday. Should the bill take effect, Thailand would be […]
Uganda’s anti-LGBTQI+ speaker at the center of a corruption scandal
In what looks like a deliberate bid to redirect intense public scrutiny away from grave allegations implicating her in a seemingly multibillion-shilling corruption scandal, Uganda Parliament speaker Anita Among has attacked the LGBTQI+ community and the United States government, saying that they are fighting her because she supported the passing of the Anti-Homosexuality Act. Among’s political […]
National Security Council meets with Ugandan LGBTQ+ activist
WASHINGTON | The U.S. National Security Council met with Ugandan LGBTQ rights activist Frank Mugisha on Monday, according to a spokesperson who reaffirmed America’s opposition to civil rights abuses against LGBTQ people in the East African country. Last year, Uganda passed the Anti-Homosexuality Act, a law that criminalizes, with prison sentences, identifying as gay or lesbian […]
Thai parliament passes same-sex marriage bill
Thailand is set to become the first Southeast Asian nation to recognise equal marriage after politicians passed a same-sex marriage bill. The lower house of parliament overwhelmingly voted in favour of the bill, with 400 supporting its passage and just 10 against it in a final reading on Wednesday. Should the bill take effect, Thailand […]
Gay Games Hong Kong generated HK$200 million for local economy, organisers say
Organisers of the Gay Games Hong Kong (GGHK) have said that its event last year generated HK$200 million for the local economy, with contributions made to sectors from retail to entertainment. The nine-day event in early November drew around 5,600 visitors, including 2,380 participants, to its sporting competitions, concerts, as well as its opening and […]
The horrific reality of transgender individuals in Texas prisons
Even as people fight for justice, some cries remain unheard and voices unanswered. In American society, many of these lost voices belong to the incarcerated, who are cut off, ignored, and forgotten behind prison walls. People in prison suffer daily, and their abusers go unpunished. These incarcerated victims are treated with inhuman disregard and live […]
In Azerbaijan authorities remain silent over the murder of a trans woman
Azerbaijan’s LGBTQI+ community was rocked by the news of yet another murder of a trans woman whose body was found on March 12 on the outskirts of the capital Baku. The news of the murder as well the victim’s photos were circulated among the #LGBTQI+ community. Minority Azerbaijan, an LGBTQI+ rights organisation in a statement […]
The NHS Is Still Prescribing Cross-Sex Hormones
Britain’s National Health Service has responded to public pressure by banning puberty blockers for minors, but there is still a long way to go to ensure the well-being of gender-confused children. On March 21, the NHS published a policy document titled, “Prescribing Gender Affirming Hormones (masculinizing or feminizing hormones) as part of the Children and […]
Georgia’s ruling party proposes new law cracking down on LGBT rights
Georgia’s ruling party on Monday introduced a bill curtailing LGBT rights, a move seen by opponents as an attempt to boost its popularity ahead of elections in the conservative South Caucasus country, a candidate for European Union membership. The draft law would ban sex changes and adoption by same-sex couples, as well as prohibiting “gatherings […]
Amid book bans, DEI cuts and ‘Don’t Say Gay’ laws, 7 states will mandate LGBTQ-inclusive curricula
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, signed a law last week that includes a mandate for the state’s public schools to teach LGBTQ history, as red and blue states continue to diverge on whether schools should expose kids to gay and transgender identities. The new law, Senate Bill 5462, mandates that the state’s school districts […]
This is the full, shocking story of the decade-long destruction of LGBTQ+ rights in Putin’s Russia
On March 22 2024, Russia’s financial watchdog added the “LGBT movement” to its “terrorists and extremists” blacklist, the most recent move in a crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights in the country that has lasted over a decade. The Rosfinmonitoring watchdog has the power to freeze bank accounts of specific entities named on the list. This closely […]
Singapore Psychological Society denounces conversion therapy, advocates affirmative treatment for LGBTQ clients
SINGAPORE — The Singapore Psychological Society (SPS) has denounced “conversion therapy”, the practice of trying to change or suppress the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ people, calling it ineffective and harmful to individuals, and recommends that psychologists use evidence-based therapy to help LGBTQ clients. In a statement posted on the society’s social media […]
Major annual queer festival to be denied use of Seoul Plaza, again
Organizers of the Seoul Queer Culture Festival (SQCF), a major annual LGBTQ festival, are highly likely to be denied the use of Seoul Plaza for this year’s event. The city government disapproved the event last year as well. The festival is scheduled for June 1, but the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to hold the Seoul Metropolitan […]
Don’t Say Gay’ settlement allows discussion of sexual orientation, gender in classrooms
A settlement has been reached in court between the State of Florida and parents, teachers, students and advocacy groups that challenged what has been called by opponents the “Don’t Say Gay” law. After being in place for two years, the measure, formally named “Parental Rights in Education,” has been revised to clarify what discussions are permitted […]
Grindr to offer HIV self-test kits to New Zealand users
Grindr, a dating platform that caters primarily for gay and bisexual men, says its partnership with Burnett Foundation Aotearoa will allow it to offer free HIV self-test kits to users throughout New Zealand. Users can order the kits from the foundation directly via links in the Grindr app. Grindr said it was the latest step in its […]
Mexico: Attacked For Being A Lesbian, Imprisoned For Self-Defense
A call for solidarity and mutual aid for Chío in the State of Mexico. Chío has spent the last 11 months in prison for defending herself against a lesbophobic attack. From Tlalnepantla, State of Mexico, Chío is a young woman who enjoys playing soccer and spending afternoons with her family, friends and loved ones. On […]
Call for government to scrap controversial religious schools rule
Religious schools would lose the right to expel teachers and students over their sexuality or gender identity under recommendations in a new report. The Australian Law Reform Commission was tasked with providing a pathway to prevent discrimination against LGBT teachers and students. Its findings put renewed pressure on the Albanese government to axe a controversial […]
What Took LGBTQ-Friendly Nepal So Long To Say “I Do” To Same-Sex Marriage?
They met in the aftermath of a national tragedy. Love blossomed soon after. It was 2015 and an earthquake had devastated central Nepal. Social worker Tobias Volz had flown to Kathmandu from Germany to assist with relief efforts. Adheep Pokhrel grew up in Nepal and was working for an international nongovernmental organization. Each swiped right […]