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TRAVEL Ireland, Northern Ireland: A land of rainbows
Possibly the friendliest country anywhere, Ireland is a lush, green island in the North Atlantic. The Republic of Ireland is divided in two, with Northern Ireland being a part of the United Kingdom. This splits the ...
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WORLD Marriages in Brazil, chemsex, couple attacked, Gus Kenworthy
The state Institute Brazilian Geography and Statistics said that same-sex marriages in Brazil grew 61.7 percent in 2018—a trend that grew from October, after President Jair Bolsonaro's victory in the last elections, Vanugardia reported. At the ...
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WORLD Haitian activist dies, New Zealand spot, teens admit guilt
One of Haiti's most prominent LGBTQI activists, Jeudy Charlot, was found dead at his home in Pétion-Ville outside of the capital of Port-au-Prince on Nov. 25, an OutRight International press release noted. Charlot was the executive ...
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WORLD Danger index, Canada anniv., gay dads split, Cyndi Lauper
Scandinavian countries performed well in a new index of 150 countries' friendliness toward LGBTQ+ travelers, Forbes.com noted. Sweden tops the list as the world's most LGBTQ-friendly country, followed by Canada and Norway. Nordic nations Finland ( ...
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WORLD Ugandan raid, pope's statement, Turkish university, Peruvian movie
A Ugandan court charged 67 people with causing a nuisance after they were arrested in a gay-friendly bar, in a move condemned by activists as the latest "homophobic" attack, Reuters reported. The 67—who were among 127 ...
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WORLD Movie premiere, Argentina's president, jail sentences in Malaysia
Ultra-nationalist protesters in the former Soviet republic of Georgia clashed with police as they attempted to derail the premiere of a critically acclaimed movie about gay love in the capital, Tbilisi, Reuters reported. Hundreds of demonstrators ...
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Same-sex marriage overturned in Caymans
The Cayman Islands Court of Appeal has ruled in favor of the government, overturning Chief Justice Anthony Smellie's previous ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the Cayman Islands, the Cayman Compass reported. However, the court simultaneously ...
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WORLD Leaders conference, Germany's ban, colonial-era laws
On Nov. 13-16, LGBTQ Victory Institute will bring together more than 550 LGBTQ elected officials, advocates and other leaders for four days of programming aimed at strengthening the power of LGBTQ leaders worldwide, an organizational press ...
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Claudia Lopez first LGBTQ mayor of Latin American Capital City
Washington, DC — On Sunday night, Claudia Lopez made history in becoming the first openly LGBTQ mayor of a major Latin American capital city when she won her election in Bogotá, Colombia. Lopez beat her opponent ...
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WORLD Pride events, UK hate crime stats, lesbian Colombian politician
Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Taipei for the 17th annual pride parade, with organizers expecting a record turnout after the Taiwan government became the first in Asia to pass same-sex marriage ...
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Study: Iceland, Netherlands, Norway have highest levels of LGBT acceptance
New research from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that the average levels of acceptance for LGBT people and their rights have increased globally since 1981. Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Canada, and Spain ...
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WORLD Marriage news, Oscar Wilde, Ugandan activist dies, Iris Prize
People of the same sex are now allowed to get married in Northern Ireland, the BBC reported. It's been legal in England, Wales and Scotland since 2014; now the rules have changed for Northern Ireland, too. ...
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WORLD Brazilian LGBT figures, 'Kill the Gays' bill, singer Hozier
The European Parliament announced the finalists for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought—and, for the first time in its 30 years of existence, a person from the LGBTI community is on the list: Marielle Franco, ...
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WORLD Kenyan magazine, Russian anti-LGBT ruling, Brazilian films
Pride Umbrella Kenya, a member organization of The Refugee Coalition of East Africa ( RefCEA ), announced the launch of QR Magazine, a press release noted. The first issue of this quarterly publication, The Transgender Issue, ...
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WORLD Toronto rally, Russian activist's murder, Xavier Bettel, papal meeting
In Toronto, a rally promoting unity was held Sept. 28 in response to an anti-LGBTQ Christian group's march through the city's gay village, CTVNews.ca reported. The march was in response to several incidents this year where ...
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WORLD Japanese case, Jamaica event canceled, Putin's law
A Japanese court awarded damages to a woman who broke up with her same-sex partner because of infidelity—recognizing their common-law partnership despite same-sex marriage not being legal in the country, Kyodo News reported. After acquiring a ...
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WORLD Gay leaders, Mexican trans women, Czech marriage bill
In a notable meeting between two out heads of government, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel of Luxembourg hosted his counterpart from Serbia, Ana Brnabic, and discussed the possibility of Serbia joining the European Union, along with other ...
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Anti-LGBTQ Zimbabwe President Mugabe dies
The Washington Blade reported that former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has died in Singapore at the age of 95. Mugabe ruled Zimbabwe since the country's independence from the United Kingdom in 1980 until the country's military ...
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WORLD Bermuda Pride, Russian bakery, marriage in Oaxaca
Organizers of the first Bermuda Pride parade, which took place Aug. 31, said they were overwhelmed with the outpouring of support, The Royal Gazette reported. The response was a huge surprise to, among others, Roderick Ferguson—whose ...
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WORLD South African judge, China on marriage, teens plead not guilty
In South Africa, after 25 years in the judicial arena, Edwin Cameron has retired as a Constitutional Court judge, TheSouthAfrican.com reported. According to the article, Cameron—who is openly gay and HIV-positive—will forever be remembered for his ...
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OutRight Report: Conversion therapy is global
The group OutRight Action International has released a report exposing the global reach of so-called conversion therapy. "Conversion therapy" is the most widely used term to describe practices attempting to change, suppress or divert one's sexual ...
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WORLD Fleeing Russia, Cuban activist, UNAIDS, Magnum ad
Gay married couple Andrei Vaganov and Yevgeny Yerofeyev were forced to flee Russia over concerns their adopted children could be taken away, NewNowNext.com reported. The couple married in Denmark in 2016, and Vaganov adopted the couple's ...
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Mayor of Canada's capital comes out
Jim Watson—the longtime mayor of Ottawa, the capital of Canada—came out as gay in a column in the Ottawa Citizen, writing that the announcement was "better late than never," according to CNN.com. He wrote he had ...
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WORLD Beijing couple, Dutch man attacked, Ecuador murder
A same-sex couple in Beijing have become the first in the city to complete the process of being named as each other's legal guardian in what is being seen as a major step forward in the ...
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WORLD Tel Aviv stabbing, Gay Star News ends, LGBT issues in Poland
Police arrested a third suspect in a stabbing in Tel Aviv that left an LGBT teen from the Arab town of Tamra seriously wounded, The Times of Israel reported. The two main suspects—who presented themselves to ...
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WORLD Intersex survey, Russian activist, Polish publication
Kenya will, for the first time, collect data on intersex people in its national population census, in a major victory for rights activists, the BBC reported. The August survey will determine the number of citizens who ...
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WORLD Russia items, Northern Ireland reform, Malaysia police
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the Russian government must pay approximately $41,000 in damages to three LGBT-rights groups for having refused their registration in recent years, Human Rights Watch noted. From 2006 to ...
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WORLD Alan Turing, Theresa May, UN expert, South Korea military
The Bank of England will honor the late gay mathematician/codebreaker Alan Turing on the 50-pound note, LGBTQ Nation reported. After World War II, he was prosecuted because he admitting to having a relationship with another man ...
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WORLD Canadian school law, Mexico City parade, Indian rape statute
The United Conservative government of new Alberta Premier Jason Kenney—promoted by some on the Canadian right as a model for the nation—has passed legislation that gay rights activists say will roll back protections for gay-straight alliances ...
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WorldPride crowds estimated at 5M
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that approximately 5 million people attended WorldPride in New York City over the June 29-30 weekend, surpassing estimates of about 3 million, ABC News reported. The mayor also ...
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WOMEN'S WORLD CUP U.S. wins championship
On July 7 in Lyon, France, the United States claimed a fourth Women's World Cup triumph with a 2-0 victory over European champions Netherlands in the final. Megan Rapinoe, an out lesbian, and Rose Lavelle scored ...
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WORLD Librarian's death, Baja OKs marriage equality, parade news
The National Human Rights Commission of Myanmar will investigate the death of gay librarian Kyaw Zin Win, Gay Star News noted. The librarian, 26, shared details of homophobic bullying from colleagues in a Facebook post before ...
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WOMEN'S WORLD CUP U.S. beats England, advances to final
The United States is returning to the World Cup final, thanks to a 2-1 victory over England on July 2 in Lyon, France. Christen Press, starting for an injured Megan Rapinoe, and Alex Morgan, on her ...
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WOMEN'S WORLD CUP U.S. beats host France, advances to semis
Scoring two goals for the second consecutive game, Megan Rapinoe led the U.S. women's national team to a 2-1 quarterfinal win over host France in Paris on June 28. Rapinoe is the first player to score ...
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WORLD Mexican marriage bill, Sir Elton John, global Pride events
In Mexico, Sinaloa lawmakers voted against a measure that would have legalized same-sex marriage in the state, with 20 votes against and 18 in favor, Mexico News Daily reported. Most of the "yes" votes came from ...
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U.S. advances in World Cup on Rapinoe kicks
Megan Rapinoe scored on penalty kicks to give the United States a 2-1 win on June 24 over Spain to book a spot in the quarterfinals of the Women's World Cup, ESPN.com noted. Rapinoe made news ...
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WORLD Conversion therapy, Bermuda march, trans officer, Belgium ban
Germany plans to ban all conversion therapies under a new law to be introduced this year by German Health Minister Jens Spahn, PinkNews noted. It's estimated there are around 1,000 attempts in Germany each year to ...
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Ecuador approves same-sex marriage
By a vote of five to four, Ecuador's highest court approved same-sex marriage in a landmark ruling in the small and traditionally Catholic country on June 12, AlJazeera.com reported. Pro-LGBTQ activists celebrated the decision in the ...
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Thirty-six sports confirmed for Gay Games 11 in Hong Kong 2022
HONG KONG/SAN FRANCISCO, 31 May 2019 - The Federation of Gay Games ( FGG ) together with the Gay Games 11 Hong Kong 2022's management team announced today the 36 sports which will be offered at ...
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Botswana court decriminalizes homosexuality
In a groundbreaking ruling, Botswana's High Court, on June 11, tossed out a colonial-era law that criminalized same-sex relations, NPR.org reported. Previously, people who violated the statute could be thrown in prison for up to seven ...
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WORLD Hong Kong decision, Pride flags, out Indian athlete
In a victory for the LGBT community, Hong Kong's top court has ruled in favor of a gay civil servant applying for spousal and tax benefits for his husband, BBC.com reported. Angus Leung, a local immigration ...
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Vatican publishes anti-LGBT document
The Vatican has released the document "Male and Female He Created Them: Towards a path of dialogue on the question of gender in education" to address issues surrounding sexuality and gender identity, PBS reported. "Male and ...
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Semenya now able to compete
Mid-distance runner Caster Semenya will be allowed to compete without having to take testosterone-reducing medication after the Swiss Federal Tribunal ordered the International Association of Athletics Federations to suspend implementation of new regulations while Semenya's appeal ...
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WORLD Trans woman murdered, gay-sex laws, trans mayor
A transgender woman was murdered and decapitated during the weekend of International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia ( IDAHOBIT ) in the Mexican state of Veracruz, according to Gay Star News. According to reports, Jesusa ...
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Semenya appeals testosterone decision
South African mid-distance runner Caster Semenya filed an appeal May 29 against the Court of Arbitration for Sport's decision to uphold testosterone regulations for some female athletes in track and field, ESPN.com reported. Her lawyers said ...
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WORLD Filipino survey, Eurovision remarks, North Macedonian march
The Philippines House of Representatives is conducting an online survey on same-sex unions, CNN Philippines noted. The poll, posted on the chamber's website, asked whether the respondents are in favor, against, or undecided about the proposal ...
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Trans, POC contestant, Jack Thompson, named International Mr. Leather 2019
Jack Thompson, Leatherman of Color from Baltimore, Maryland, was chosen out of a field of 68 contestants to be named International Mr. Leather ( IML ) 2019, May 26 at the Auditorium Theater. Thompson's win made ...
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WORLD Lyra McKee, controversial billboard, George Clooney, Chilean school
The detective leading the investigation into the murder of LGBT journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry has called on the gunman to hand himself in to police, BBC.com reported. McKee, 29, was shot while observing rioting in ...
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Taiwan becomes first Asian country to OK same-sex marriage
On May 17, Taiwan's legislature became the first in Asia ( by a vote of 66 to 27 ) to fully legalize same-sex unions. The law—which allows for same-sex couples to apply for "marriage registration" as ...
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WORLD Cuba cancels marches, 'gay panic' defense, lesbian UK politician
The organizer of Cuba's annual International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia marches on Monday announced they have been cancelled, The Washington Blade reported. The marches were to have taken place in Havana on May 11 ...
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Brunei scales back from death penalty for gays
After worldwide condemnation of Brunei's penalty for gay sex, the country's ruler has said it will not impose the death penalty on those convicted of having same-sex relations, CNN.com reported. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said he would ...
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WORLD Trans woman threatened, Ecuador marriage bill, equality coin
Armenia's first registered transgender woman, Lilit Martirosyan, has received death threats after making a historic speech in her country's national assembly, The Guardian reported. After speaking out against discrimination at a session of its committee on ...
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WORLD Taiwan marriages, Indian prince, gay Mexican candidate
A total of 157 same-sex couples in Taiwan plan to register to get married at household registration offices on May 24—the day that the Constitutional Court set for same-sex marriages to be legalized, Central News Agency ...
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WORLD Mexican marriage bill, Luxembourg PM, China watching Buttigieg
In a secret ballot, the plenary of the Yucatan state congress in Mexico voted against a marriage-equality bill that was forwarded by a committee, YucatanExpatLife.com reported. Fifteen lawmakers voted against the measure, with nine in favor ...
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Williams Institute: LGB inclusive nations enjoy higher GDP per capita than previously thought
AMHERST, Mass. — A new study published by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Leiden University, Netherlands and Rutgers University has found that nations offering more rights to lesbian, gay and bisexual people enjoy significantly ...
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Cayman Islands court blocks marriage equality
Days after Cayman Islands Chief Justice Anthony Smellie allowed a same-sex wedding to take place, the Court of Appeal blocked Chantelle Day and Vickie Bodden-Bush from getting married, on April 10, Cayman 27 reported. The appeal ...
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WORLD Vatican meeting, anti-gay countries, trans attack, Brunei items
A group of international lawyers researching the criminalization of homosexuality has met with the Vatican secretary of state and urged the Holy See to publicly oppose such laws and conversion therapies for gays, The San Francisco ...
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WORLD Elton John, Caymans OK marriage, Grindr
Elton John supported George Clooney's call for people to boycott a string of the world's most luxurious hotels following Brunei's new laws over gay sex, Business Insider noted. From April 3, Brunei is bringing in new ...
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WORLD Thailand feat, U.S. ambassador, MP assaulted, 'Game of Thrones'
Thailand, on March 24, elected filmmaker Tanwarin Sukkhapisit as its first transgender member of the House of Representatives, Gay Star News noted. It was the first general election since a military coup in 2014. Sukkhapisit decided ...
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WORLD Irish PM, landmark Canadian ruling, Brazilian murder suspects
The openly gay prime minister of Ireland had breakfast with Mike Pence—and he made some pointed comments about accepting others, LGBTQ Nation reported. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and partner Matthew Barrett had a breakfast in honor ...
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Cardinal sentenced in child sex-abuse case
Cardinal George Pell, 77—the most senior Catholic cleric ever to be convicted of child sex abuse—was sentenced to six years in prison in Australia on March 13, NBC News reported. Pell could have gotten as many ...
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WORLD Brazilian video, HIV incidents down, Malaysia's problems
Brazil's far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, has sparked outrage, disgust and ridicule after tweeting a pornographic video in an apparent attempt to hit back at criticism of his administration during this year's carnival, The Guardian noted. Revellers ...
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WORLD Egypt summit, HIV remission, trans lingerie brand
At a summit with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, out gay Ireland leader Leo Varadkar has called for "universal" respect for LGBT+ rights, PinkNews noted. Varadkar stressed the pace of ...
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Marriage Equality around the world
The world is changing for the better! Since Marriage Equality officially became the law of the land in 2015, other nations have followed suit, granting marriage rights to their LGBTQ citizens. Here are a few of ...
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WORLD Deportation, Kenya delay, lesbian prime minister
A gay man is facing deportation from the United Kingdom back to Malaysia, where consensual same-sex activity is punishable by up to 14 years in prison, NewNowNext.com noted. The government does not believe Yew Fook Sam, ...
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Senior cleric convicted of child sex abuse
In Australia, Cardinal George Pell—the most senior Catholic cleric ever charged with child sex abuse—has been convicted of molesting two 13-year-old choirboys, USA Today reported. Pell, Pope Francis' top financial adviser and the Vatican's economy minister, ...
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WORLD Trans Thai PM candidate, anti-LGBT attacks, intersex ruling
Pauline Ngarmpring—who has been a CEO and sports promoter—is pursuing a bid to become Thailand's first transgender prime minister, Bendigo Advertiser reported. She says she wants her nomination to bring hope to the marginalized and to ...
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WORLD Alan Turing, Mexico murder, 'Boy Erased'
The late Brit Alan Turing—known as the father of the modern computer—was recently named the greatest person of the 20th century during BBC's Two Icons broadcast, according to an Instinct Magazine item that cited Gay Star ...
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Canadian serial killer gets life sentence
Canadian serial killer Bruce McArthur, 67, received a life sentence for murdering eight men—some of them close friends, BBC.com reported. Most of his victims had connections with Toronto's Gay Village neighborhood, as did McArthur himself. McArthur ...
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WORLD Polish party, Brazil crime, Mumbai Pride
Poland's first openly gay politician—Robert Biedron—has launched a new progressive, pro-European Union political party called Spring, PinkNews reported. Biedron, the former mayor of the town of Slupsk, hopes to challenge the ruling right-wing Law and Justice ...
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New survey published on sexual and gender minorities in Western Kenya
Some of the first published findings on the demographics and experiences of lesbian, bisexual, queer and transgender people assigned female at birth in sub-Saharan Africa A new survey from Western Kenya finds economic empowerment, LGBT acceptance ...
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WORLD Angola's pro-gay move, sterilization ruling, 'Queer Eye'
Angola has finally decriminalized the "vices against nature" provision in its law—widely interpreted to be a ban on same-sex conduct, Human Rights Watch reported. Taking things one step further, the government has also prohibited discrimination against ...
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WORLD Iraqi death site, gay bar apologizes, Ghana attacks
Authorities in Mosul began demolishing a onetime icon of modern Iraqi architecture used by the Islamic State group to throw men accused of being gay to their deaths, France24.com reported. Workers and bulldozers could be seen ...
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Times Square site of WorldPride Closing Ceremony, Melissa Etheridge to perform
NEW YORK, NY, JANUARY 15, 2019 — NYC Pride, the official host of WorldPride 2019 and Stonewall 50, is thrilled to announce further details about NYC Pride's WorldPride Closing Ceremony. All are welcome to this final ...
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WORLD Israel medical group, India's ban, Chechnya detention
Members who perform conversion therapy could now be expelled from the Israel Medical Association ( IMA )—which represents 90 percent of the country's doctors—if a complaint is filed to its ethics committee, Haaretz reported. "The treatments ...
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