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WORLD Human Rights Watch items, Indian prince, British Vogue
A Human Rights Watch report says that gay and bisexual men in Syria, along with transgender women, have been suffering horrific sexual violence in that nation during its civil war, Out.com noted. ( The report is ...
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WORLD Polish anti-LGBT zones, conversion therapy, HRC's Chile report
A Polish court annulled a town's LGBT-free zone declaration, Out.com noted, citing Polsat News. The provincial administrative court in Radom invalidated the Klwow Commune Council's resolution because the term "LGBT-free" refers to persons rather than an ...
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Panelists share anti-LGBTQ+ experiences in 'Torture' virtual discussion
The Center for Victims of Torture ( CVT ) hosted a virtual event entitled "Reclaiming Identity: LGBTQ Experiences of Torture, Persecution, and Healing," on July 22. It showcased the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals who have been ...
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MOVIES Film probes Chechen's anti-LGBTQ atrocities
The Toronto-based LGBT-rights advocacy Rainbow Railroad hosted an online discussion of the HBO documentary Welcome to Chechnya on July 16. That film, which premiered last month, details both hostilities facing LGBTQ persons in that Russian state, ...
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Activists fight against anti-LGBTQ+ zones and bias in Poland
There is a crisis happening in the LGBTQ+ community in Poland, as in many countries around the world. Poland's historically patriarchal and Christian values are deeply woven into social and political settings—and the effects on the ...
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WORLD Israel's lawmakers, Poland, Pride flag, Global Pride grants
Israel swore in its latest openly gay lawmaker recently—marking a record for the country considered a regional pioneer on LGBT rights despite opposition from religious conservatives, VOA News reported. Yorai Lahav Hertzanu ( from the centrist ...
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WORLD Conversion therapy, Thai measure, gay bars vandalized, Global Pride
The United Nations' Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity called for a global ban on the practices of so-called "conversion therapy," stating that such practices "inflict severe ...
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Activists fight against anti-LGBTQ+ zones and bias in Poland
There is a crisis happening in the LGBTQ+ community in Poland, as in many countries around the world. Poland's historically patriarchal and Christian values are deeply woven into social and political settings—and the effects on the ...
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Instagram excludes harmful conversion therapy groups, Born Perfect applauds
--From a press release
MENLO PARK, CA — Instagram announced today that it will exclude content that promotes the harmful practice of conversion therapy — a step taken by the Facebook-owned social media platform to curtail online hatred and harmful ...
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United Nations call for a global ban on conversion therapy, Born Perfect comments
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — Today, the United Nations' Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity called for a global ban on the practices of so-called "conversion therapy," stating that ...
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WORLD African country's pro-LGBT move, Pride marches, lesbian singer
In a landmark decision on July 6, the Senate of Gabon voted to decriminalize same-sex relations with 59 votes in favor, 17 against and four abstentions, Outright International noted. The move to decriminalize was supported by ...
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World-first Global LGBTQIA+ Pride viewed by 57M+
--From a press release
Global Pride, the 27-hour virtual Pride that took place on June 27, reached a worldwide audience of 57,050,978 viewers in at least 163 countries, organisers have confirmed. Broadcast on the YouTube channels of Todrick Hall and ...
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WORLD Russian trans woman's win, Pride marches, museum CEO resigns
In Russia, a transgender woman won a landmark decision for trans rights and recognition after being fired from her job—but is now living in fear after her personal information was made public by Russian media, according ...
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Global divide on homosexuality persists but acceptance has grown over two decades
WASHINGTON, D.C. ( June 25, 2020 ) — Despite major changes in laws and norms surrounding the issue of same-sex marriage and the rights of LGBT people around the world, a new Pew Research Center report ...
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WORLD Israel news, Egyptian activist dies, Spanish singer comes out
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, organizers behind the four largest pride parades in Israel—Haifa, Jerusalem, Be'er Sheva and Tel Aviv-Yafo—jointly decided to postpone their prospective parades, hoping they will be able to take place later ...
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LGBTQIs face rampant bias in Venezuela, sparking asylum in nearby countries
In the United States, Pride Month is known for widespread festivities, parade floats, rainbow-colored everything and celebration of self-identity. In Venezuela, Pride Month looks quite different for those who are part of the LGBTQI community. In ...
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WORLD Global Pride, trans woman attacked, Poland items, singer comes out
Organizers of the June 27 virtual event Global Pride said that former U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden, U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ireland Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and artists Laverne ...
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WORLD Trans woman's death, NZ trans politician, cyberattack
In Colombia, trans woman Alejandra Monocuco died with coronavirus symptoms after paramedics learned she was HIV-positive and allegedly refused to treat her, PinkNews reported. She lived in the Santa Fe neighborhood of Bogota and was a ...
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WORLD Zambia pardon, fashion house, HIV+ mayor, Costa Rica marriage
Zambia's president pardoned a gay couple sentenced to 15 years in prison in November under colonial-era sodomy laws in a case that caused a diplomatic conflict with the United States, Reuters reported. Japhet Chataba, 39, and ...
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WORLD New HIV news, Catholic event, conversion therapy, Hungary anti-trans bill
A global trial stated that a new HIV drug injected every two months effectively reduces the rate of infection, and provides longer and stronger protection, than taking pills, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. The four-year trial—conducted ...
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Global panel looks at impact of COVID-19 on LGBTQI people
Following the release of OutRight Action International's report "Vulnerability Amplified: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on LGBTIQ People," the United Nations ( UN ) LGBTI Core Group hosted a virtual panel "The Impact of COVID-19 ...
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Costa Rica celebrates marriage equality
As of midnight on May 26, Costa Rica became the first country in Central America ( and the 28th United Nations member state ) to legalize same-sex marriage after a groundbreaking court ruling came into effect. ...
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WORLD Violence in Mexico, rainbow drawings, youth survey, Israeli Pride events
Mexico is seeing a surge of extreme violence toward LGBT+ people in its deadliest year in half a decade, rights group Letra S. said, citing cases of victims brutally stabbed and brazenly killed in public, Reuters ...
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Tinley Park asked to support LGBTQ rights in Polish sister city
Activists in Europe are calling on Tinley Park residents and village officials to show support for LGBTQ rights in a sister-city community in Poland, The Chicago Tribune reported. European rights groups want Tinley Park and other ...
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WORLD Blood-donation ban, Kenyan refugees, trans activist, club COVID-19 outbreak
The top court in Brazil ruled the country's ban on men who have sex with men ( MSM ) from donating blood is unconstitutional, The Washington Blade noted, citing Reuters. Seven of the 11 judges who ...
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Germany's parliament bans conversion therapy
Germany's parliament passed a law banning so-called "gay conversion therapy" for young people nationwide, media reports noted. The legislation is intended to stop groups offering the service—which claims to be able to change a person's sexual ...
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Survey: One in four LGBT Colombians have attempted suicide
Findings from the largest and most comprehensive study conducted on LGBT people in Colombia A new survey from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law and the Colombia Collaborative Project finds that the majority ( ...
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Federal, private sectors unite in mental health, suicide prevention response
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Recognizing the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country's mental health and well-being, the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention ( Action Alliance ), which serves as the nation's public and private ...
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Ida B. Wells, two Black gay men win Pulitzer Prizes
Ida B. Wells ( 1862-1931 )—a Chicago investigative journalist, educator and an early leader in the civil rights movement—received a special citation when the 2020 Pulitzer Prize winners were announced May 4, according to the awards's ...
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WORLD Turkish president, Honduras killing, Pope Benedict, Tom of Finland
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan supported Turkey's top Muslim cleric, who caused a firestorm by claiming homosexuality "brings disease and causes this generation to decay," NBC News reported. In his first sermon during the holy month ...
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WORLD China couple, Finland adoption, Pride masks, Morocco influencer
A Chinese lesbian couple's landmark court battle over the custody of their two children has stirred debate over LGBT rights and put a spotlight on the absence of a same-sex marriage law, Reuters reported. Shanghai resident ...
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WORLD HIV+ Ugandan men, employment lawsuit, Chilean rejection
Mbarara Rise Foundation ( MRF ) issued a statement expressing concern about the safety, well-being and health of LGBTQI persons living in Uganda and, especially, for HIV-positive gay men. Founder/Executive Director Real Raymond said, in part, ...
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WORLD Canada and COVID-19, Indonesia incident, Panama policy
The organization Egale, partnering with INNOVATIVE Research Group, presented a timeline that shows the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on Canada's LGBTQI2S ( lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex and two-spirit ) community, Air.org reported. The ...
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WORLD Trans Day of Visibility, Hong Kong judge, Ugandan police, Elton John
On the International Trans Day of Visibility ( March 31 ), Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David issued a message. "Transgender and non-binary people face significant cultural, legal and economic challenges, but continue to bravely share ...
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International Prides coming together for June 27 event amid COVID-19 cancellations
Pride organizations around the world have come together to organize a "Global Pride" event on Saturday, June 27, in response to the hundreds of Pride celebrations that have been cancelled or postponed because of the COVID-19 ...
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WORLD Singapore ruling, athlete comes out, Canadian gym owner, UK Black Pride
Singapore's highest court upheld a law that criminalizes sex between men, dismissing three separate appeals that argued that the legislation was unconstitutional, Reuters reported. The ruling came after challenges last year to the colonial-era gay sex ...
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International AIDS Conference to go digital
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 23rd International AIDS Conference ( AIDS 2020 ), to be held July 6-10, will become the first virtual edition of the International AIDS Conference. An announcement from AIDS 2020 International ...
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WORLD Mass wedding, 100-year-old gay actor, Kenyan archive, Russian activist
Earlier this month, more than 140 LGBTQ couples tied the knot in a collective wedding organized by Rainbow Caravan, a Mexico City government campaign aimed at eliminating discrimination against LGBTQ people, NBC News reported. On the ...
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WORLD Non-binary ruling, Qantas grounded, trans actor, conversion therapy
A British court ruled out adding a third option on passports for people who define themselves as neither male nor female, following a lengthy legal battle, Openly News reported. The Court of Appeal ruled in favour ...
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WORLD Travel meeting postponed, Hong Kong ruling, African refugees, Grindr sold
The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association—scheduled to take place in Milan, Italy—has been postponed to September/October because of coronavirus concerns, an organizational press release announced. The release stated, "The outbreak of the coronavirus has left all of ...
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WORLD Effigy in Croatia, conversion therapy, Israel law
Croatia President Zoran Milanovic condemned the burning of an effigy of two men and a child at a festival weeks after the country's highest court ruled that same-sex couples could foster children, Reuters reported. Organizers of ...
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WORLD Bollywood film, UK employers, assault, Rainbow Railroad
The India film capital of Bollywood is releasing its first major romantic comedy with a lead gay character, Advocate.com noted. Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan ( translation: Be Extra Careful About Marriage ) stars Ayushmann Khurrana as ...
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WORLD Marriage in Mexico, European report, arrests in journalist's murder
The Congress in the Mexican state of Sonora is now getting pressure from federal legislators to approve a measure allowing for same-sex marriages, Fronteras reported. More than six months have passed since that measure was introduced ...
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WORLD Swiss vote, Northern Ireland wedding, Tanzania report, bishops convene
In Switzerland, voters backed a referendum to extending anti-racism legislation to cover sexual orientation—defying critics who had claimed such a move would be an infringement of free speech, The Guardian reported. Unlike many of its western ...
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WORLD Croatian couple, Church of England, detained in Mauritania, tennis
In Croatia, the Social Welfare Center in Zagreb again rejected the foster care application submitted by Ivo Segota and Mladen Kozic, who are life partners in the country, Total Croatia News reported. By doing so, the ...
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WORLD Glenn Greenwald, Swiss chocolatier, Chick-fil-A, South Korean trans soldier
A coalition of approximately 40 human-rights and free-speech NGOs signed an open letter—organized by Freedom of the Press Foundation and Reporters Without Borders—addressed to Brazilian authorities ( including President Jair Bolsonaro ) condemning the charges that ...
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WORLD Swiss votes, HIV+ pilot, Indonesian raids, Dutch beauty expert
On Feb. 9, Switzerland residents will decide on extending the scope of anti-racism legislation to include discrimination based on sexual orientation, according to SwissInfo.ch. According to the website, this revision is needed, as current law does ...
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WORLD Trans activist killed, Israeli center, Brazilian priest, Netflix film
In South Africa, Limpopo police are investigating the death of transgender activist Nare Mphela, 28, whose decomposing body was found in a rented room, News24 reported. "The deceased was found with multiple stab wounds and was ...
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2019 global roundup, from Toronto to Taiwan
There was no shortage of the good, the bad and ugly regarding global LGBTQ developments. Below are just a few of media reports ( highlights and lowlights ): —Bus attack: In London in late May, a ...
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MOMBIAN LGBTQ parenting: The year in review
This past year saw many challenges to LGBTQ equality—but there was still some progress. Let's review the parenting-specific news of the year. Some setbacks The Trump administration's Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ...
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WORLD Israeli activist, PrEP and anxiety, Irish curriculum, Tom of Finland
LGBTQ activist and founder of the Bar Noar Tel Aviv LGBT youth center Shaul Ganon will receive hundreds of thousands of shekel in compensation from the state after charges that he was part of the motive ...
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WORLD Marriage status in Cuba, Shigella outbreak, anti-LGBTQ crime
Cuba Justice Minister Oscar Silvera Martinez announced the Family Code—the law that could establish marriage equality in the country—will not be introduced in the National Assembly until December 2021, when one of the parliamentary commissions will ...
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WORLD Gay Muslim MP, LGBTQ mayor weds, pro-trans ruling, ambassadors
In Britain, the world's first openly gay Muslim MP has been elected as part of Boris Johnson's new government, PinkNews reported. Imran Ahmad-Khan made history when he was elected as MP for Wakefield in Yorkshire, having ...
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Historic Croatia ruling allows same-sex foster parenting
In a historic development, a court in Croatia ruled that a same-sex married couple—in this case, Ivo Segota and Mladen Kozic—can be foster parents, Total Croatia News reported. In addition, the Zagreb Administrative Court mandated that ...
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WORLD Finland official, homophobia report, Ghana musicians, Justin Trudeau
Sanna Marin—the 34-year-old Finnish prime minister acknowledged as the youngest government leader in the world—said that she was raised by two moms, LGBTQ Nation reported. Born in 1985, she told Menaiset that the topic of homosexuality ...
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Pope announces changes in abuse cases
On Dec. 17, Pope Francis announced major changes to the way the Roman Catholic Church deals with sexual-abuse cases involving minors, abolishing the rule of "pontifical secrecy" that previously covered them, HuffPost reported. The lifting of ...
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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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