Finland’s first openly gay hockey player Janne Puhakka allegedly shot dead by partner after break up
The boyfriend of Finland’s first openly gay pro hockey player allegedly confessed to gunning down his much younger beau with a hunting rifle over the weekend — just weeks after they called it quits on their relationship. Janne Puhakka, 29, was found dead Saturday night inside his home in Espoo where he had been living […]
Adir Kadosh’s fiancé expected to be recognized as first LGBT widower, since law changed last year
Adv.-St.-Sgt.-Maj. Adir Kadosh’s fiance, Edi Levy, is expected to be recognized as a widower despite the wedding being planned for November, according to Israel Hayom. Adir, who was killed during the terror attack on Route 4 on Tuesday, was planning to marry his partner of six years in November. The recognition of Edi as a […]
Hundreds of Troops Kicked Out Under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Get Upgraded to Honorable Discharges
The Pentagon announced Tuesday that more than 800 military personnel have seen their service records upgraded to honorable discharges after previously being kicked out of the military under its former “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. It is the latest development over the decades to undo past discrimination against LGBTQ service members. The 1951 Uniform Code […]
Gay doctor’s ordeal: Struggle of queer professionals in Kenya
Martin Nyambura, not his real name, is an accomplished medical doctor at a major hospital in Nairobi. He is also a gay man struggling for acceptance in his workplace, where he has been for five years. From intrusive and insensitive jokes to being left out of some conversations, Nyambura says homophobic tropes are the order […]
How could the U.S. election affect LGBTQ+ aid funding?
Democrats and Republicans have had completely different stances on funding LGBTQ+ rights around the world through development aid. Since 2011, Democratic presidents have supported LGBTQ+ rights through development policy. Much of these efforts were reversed during Donald Trump’s administration, while President Joe Biden strengthened LGBTQ+ aid programs and policies during his term.
Gay teachers left exposed to ensure equality laws pass
Firing teachers for being gay will remain legal in certain NSW schools after equality advocates relented in the face of a concerted campaign from some faith groups. The dropping of teacher protections is among the changes to a wide-ranging LGBTQI anti-discrimination bill to ensure it can get moving through state parliament during the week. Independent […]
LGBT+ veterans redress scheme to launch in January
Compensation for LGBT veterans who faced mistreatment in the military will begin in January, a defence minister has announced. The government will start a £50m financial redress scheme for victims of the pre-2000 “gay ban” in the military next year, Veterans Minister Al Carns said. The announcement follows Lord Etherton’s report last year, which revealed […]
Bollywood wants to be queer but without making its audience uncomfortable
Amar Prem Ki Amar Kahani starring Aditya Seal and Sunny Singh is touted as an ‘LGBTQIA+ film’ and a part of India’s ‘queer cinema.’ In reality, it is just the end product of what happens when a room full of straight people write queer stories. But it is not just the Hardik Gajjar directorial that […]
Attacks on Gay Rights Push Russia’s LGBTQ Community Into the Shadows
A decade ago, Russian publisher Leo Veles says, he could hang out in gay bars and clubs in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The scene wasn’t as vibrant as in New York or London, but gay people could gather at spots such as Central Station and the Three Monkeys relatively free from scrutiny. “There were places where […]
German Soccer Player Punished For Not Signing Fan’s Gay Pride Shirt: ‘Not Signing That’
VfL Wolfsburg, a soccer club in Germany’s Bundesliga, has disciplined player Kevin Behrens after he reportedly refused to autograph a gay pride shirt and making comments toward the fan who requested his signature. Behrens, a German forward, allegedly refused to sign a Wolfsburg shirt that featured a rainbow logo for the LGBTQ pride flag. He is also […]
New Marie Equi Center opens in Portland for low-income and homeless LGBTQ residents
On National Coming Out Day, dozens gathered in Southeast Portland to celebrate the opening of Portland’s first center dedicated to supporting low-income and homeless LGBTQ people. The Marie Equi Center, named for the famous doctor and women’s rights activist, will officially open to the public Tuesday on Southeast 25th Avenue, offering wound care, connection to health services and […]
National Coming Out day creates space, celebration for LGBTQIA+ students
Since 1988, National Coming Out Day has been celebrated in the United States, honoring the resilience of the LGBTQIA+ community. Today, Oct. 11, is National Coming Out Day. The day is a day of celebration for members of the LGBTQIA+ community as they celebrate their resilience in the face of societal and interpersonal struggles related […]
Palestinian woman wins £30,000 LGBTQ+ film award
A Palestinian woman has won the world’s largest LGBTQ+ short film award. Dima Hamdan said she was “deeply honoured” to receive the £30,000 2024 Iris Prize, because it was both “the ‘Oscars’ of the LGBTQ+ short film world” and “it comes from a community that has increasingly voiced its support for Palestine in recent years”. […]
Bangladesh’s transgender community ready to shatter boundaries with education
In Bangladesh, where traditional gender roles are deeply entrenched, transgender people face extraordinary challenges in achieving educational and economic success. A study conducted by researchers from Dhaka University highlights the critical barriers transgender people face as they strive for academic attainment. The study, led by Sadikul Islam, Brihonnola, Muhammed Mahbubur Rahaman and Md Arifur Rahman […]
Top Jesuit supports ‘LGBTQ Catholics’ event held at order’s headquarters in Rome
Father Johan Verschueren, the general counsellor and delegate for the Interprovincial Houses and Works of the Society of Jesus in Rome, expressed his support for the “LGBTQ Catholics” event held recently at the general house of the Society of Jesus in the Eternal City. Within the context of the Synod on Synodality, the Jesuits hosted […]
Queer bar destroyed by hurricane raises $193,000 to rebuild & pay employees
A queer bar destroyed by Hurricane Helene in September is getting a new lease on life with the help of thousands of donations from around the world. Nearly $200,000 has poured into a GoFundMe campaign to help rebuild the LGBTQ+ hangout DayTrip in Asheville, North Carolina. Brandon Davis and his husband Davie opened the bar […]
Ghana Supreme Court defends its slow pace on anti-LGBTQ bill
Ghana’s Supreme Court is under fire from anti-LGBTQ legislators for not issuing a ruling on a harsh anti-LGBTQ bill that Parliament passed in February. But the court said last month that it cannot act until it receives filings from all the interested parties. Until the Supreme Court rules, President Nana Akufo-Addo says he will not […]
Anti-LGBTQ+ extremist Corey DeAngelis admits to gay adult film past during Christian news interview
Corey DeAngelis, a prominent opponent of public schools and critic of LGBTQ+ rights in education, publicly admitted to his past involvement in gay adult films during an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network. His acknowledgment follows weeks of controversy after videos and images where he performed under the pseudonym “Seth Rose,” surfaced. DeAngelis, known for […]
Kamala Harris defends “fundamental freedoms” for gay Americans in sit down with Howard Stern
In a wide-ranging interview with longtime radio personality Howard Stern, Democratic nominee for president Kamala Harris shared her views on the “fundamental rights” under siege in the United States, including those of LGBTQ+ Americans. “Thomas said it,” Harris noted, referring to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ admission in the Dobbs decision that LGBTQ+ rights were […]
Nepali-US national wed in first such same-sex marriage in Kathmandu
Two young men, a Nepali and a US citizen, married here on Thursday, the first such instance involving a foreigner in the Himalayan nation after its Supreme Court allowed same-sex marriage. The organisation that facilitated the marriage said Nepal can be a hub for same-sex marriage, which can help promote tourism.
German government plans to reform adoption law
Patchwork and rainbow families have long become a part of everyday life for many people in Germany. But, according to Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann of the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP), the law has lagged stubbornly behind “social reality.” New plans to liberalize adoption and family law should change that after a draft reform bill […]
Sport NZ asked to update Transgender Inclusion Guiding Principles
Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has asked Sport NZ to review and update its Guiding Principles for the Inclusion of Transgender People in Community Sport. “The Guiding Principles, published in 2022, were intended to be a helpful guide for sporting bodies grappling with a tricky issue. They are intended to be voluntary, not mandatory. […]
Ugandan LGBTQI activist Clare Byarugaba wins prestigious human rights award
Clare Byarugaba, a renowned Ugandan LGBTQI rights activist whose recent photo with Pope Francis went viral online, has been named by Human Rights First as the winner of this year’s prestigious William D. Zabel Human Rights Award in recognition of her remarkable work in advocating for the rights of LGBTQI+ people in Uganda. In a […]
Speed up judgment on court case against anti-LGBTQ bill – groups mount pressure on chief justice of Ghana
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Here’s how Palestinian and queer organizers in Utah are working together
Over the last year of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, Palestinian and queer groups in Utah have made collaboration a key part of their work. Organizers in both communities say the two struggles are not so different. Some queer individuals and groups have shown support by attending Palestinian-led events, while others have gone further to […]
Hopes for LGBTQ+ asylum fade as Kenya snubs ‘those letters’
The man in charge of processing hundreds of thousands of asylum applications in Kenya says sexual minorities have no special rights on his watch, heightening anxiety among LGBTQ+ asylum seekers that their claims may be lost in limbo. Kenya is one of Africa’s biggest hosts of refugees, with more than 770,000 people seeking or having […]
Fact Check: Hurricane Disaster Leads to Misleading LGBTQ Social Media Posts
The devastation of Hurricane Helene and the anticipation of Hurricane Milton have led to concern that the Federal Emergency Management Agency may face a funding shortage. The White House acknowledged that Congress may need to approve additional money soon. Milton is forecast to make landfall on Wednesday evening in Florida, which is still reeling from […]
Moscow Arrests Man for ‘LGBT Propaganda’ and ‘Satanism’
Russia on Monday arrested a medic for “Satanism” and “promoting same-sex relationships,” as Moscow intensifies a legal crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights in defense of what it calls “traditional family values.” Moscow has for years created a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ people, a trend it hugely accelerated since sending troops to Ukraine in 2022. The powerful […]
Queering the Map: A year of defiant existence for Gaza’s LGBTQ community
Throughout Israel’s bombing of Gaza over the past year, LGBTQ Palestinians have continued to seek refuge for their stories of love and identity on the digital hub, Queering the Map (QTM). The online interactive platform repurposes seemingly ordinary places by giving LGBTQ users the agency to anonymously pin their personal messages onto an interactive online […]
Russian-style laws on rise in former Eastern Bloc countries eager to follow Georgia’s lead
With Georgia passing yet another controversial law, this time against LGBTQ rights, a growing number of post-socialist EU states, such as Slovakia, Bulgaria and Hungary, appear eager to adopt similar laws, raising concerns within the EU about violations of its laws and the influence of pro-Russian ideologies. Just weeks before crucial parliamentary elections on 26 October, […]