| |
U.S. House passes resolution urging Griner's release
The U.S. House passed a bipartisan resolution calling on the Russian government to immediately release WNBA star Brittney Griner, CNN reported. "Not a day goes by that we aren't thinking of Brittney and working to get ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Japanese ruling, Pride events, Colombia election, Boris Johnson
A Japanese court ruled that the country's ban on same-sex marriage does not violate the constitution, and rejected demands for compensation by three couples who said their right to free union and equality has been violated, ...
|
|
| |
| |
WORLD Pride disruption, trans journalists, Tunisian play, marriage bills
Turkish police officers carrying clear-plastic riot shields, wielding batons and deploying pepper powder balls as well as tear gas violently broke up a Pride parade that Middle East Technical University students organized in the capital of ...
|
| |
| |
Kevin Spacey granted bail at UK hearing
On June 16, embattled actor Kevin Spacey was granted unconditional bail at a magistrates court hearing in Westminster, London, as the sexual-assault case against him was referred to Southwark Crown Court, Deadline reported. Deputy Chief Magistrate ...
|
| |
| |
Russia extends Brittney Griner's detention again
On June 14, prosecutors in Russia were granted another extension in the case of U.S. women's basketball player Brittney Griner, ESPN reported. The extension is a procedural move that was expected and should have little effect ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Pride events, Darren Hayes, Virgin Mary poster, LGBTQ+ Scotland
A celebratory march made its way through the Thailand capital of Bangkok—the first of its kind in almost 16 years, DW.com reported. The "Naruemit Pride 2022" event, using the Thai word for "creation," was the result ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Grindr ads, British mayor, Billie Jean King, Australian awards
In Australia, a retail worker-turned-Greens politician credited catchy ads on gay hookup app Grindr for his stunning victory in Brisbane, The Daily Mail noted. Stephen Bates defeated Liberal-National Party incumbent Trevor Evans in the inner-city seat ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Canadian law, GLAAD, Pride Flag situation, German story hour
Members of Canada's LGBTQ community, Indigenous people and minority groups fear a proposed law tackling online harm could disproportionately curtail their online freedoms and even make them police targets, The Toronto Sun reported. Plans for an ...
|
| |
| |
Church of Scotland votes to allow same-sex marriages
The Church of Scotland has voted to allow same-sex marriages after recent warnings that its historical opposition had increased the church's decline toward irrelevance, The Guardian reported. The church's general assembly voted 274-136 to allow it ...
|
| |
| |
Kevin Spacey charged with sexual assault in the UK
In the United Kingdom, embattled actor Kevin Spacey has been charged with four counts of sexual assault and one count of "causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent," Variety reported. The decision ...
|
|
| |
| |
OUTBermuda hires first-ever executive director
Bermuda's LGBTQ+ advocacy nonprofit OUTBermuda has hired its first-ever executive director—Tiffany Paynter—as it looks to expand its impact and strengthen its sustainability as a resource. A social entrepreneur and longtime ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Nigeria protest, 'Flag in the Map,' Belgium, McDonald's
Dressed in rainbow-colored vests, members of the LGBTQ+ community marched in a dangerous demonstration in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, to protest a bill introduced by lawmakers in Nigeria's lower house of parliament last month seeking to ban ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Eswatini ruling, Toronto deaths, Greece, blood donations
The High Court in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) rejected an appeal for legal recognition by the local LGBTQ+-rights group Eswatini Sexual & Gender Minorities, citing "laws … prevailing in the kingdom" ...
|
| |
| |
Report: Malta is the best European country regarding LGBTQ+ rights
An annual report courtesy of ILGA-Europe stated that Malta remains the best country in Europe for LGBTQ+ rights, Euronews noted. The association said that Malta (which scored 92 out of a possible 100) has maintained the ...
|
| |
| |
Griner's detention in Russia extended by a month
The lawyer for Brittney Griner said May 13 that the WNBA star's pretrial detention in Russia has been extended by one month, ESPN reported. Alexander Boykov told The Associated Press he believed the relatively short extension ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD South Africa, Greek ruling, soccer items, singer attacked
South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa praised his country for creating a conducive environment for LGB people to practice same-sex marriages and partnerships, according to Erasing 76 Crimes. Speaking at a Freedom Day celebration in Mpumalanga, ...
|
| |
| |
Brittney Griner gets new designation; Black LGBTQ+ group responds
The United States is now saying lesbian WNBA player Brittney Griner is wrongfully detained in Russia, NPR reported. The shift in language indicates the United States will work more aggressively to secure her release. The State ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Conversion therapy, Russian ruling, concert pianist, trans politician
A trans woman opened up about her horrific experiences of conversion therapy in the wake of the UK government's reviled U-turn that will see LGB conversion therapy banned but trans conversion therapy remain legal, PinkNews reported. ...
|
| |
| |
Canada lifts blood-donor ban for gay and bisexual men
Health Canada approved Canadian Blood Services' submission to eliminate the three-month donor deferral period for gay and bisexual men as well as some other people in the LGBTQ2S+ demographic, CTV National News reported. The national blood ...
|
| |
| |
Biden-Harris administration reports on efforts to support global LGBTQ+ rights, HRC applauds result
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, has commended the release of a report from the Biden-Harris ...
|
|
| |
| |
Rape, murder of Kenyan lesbian spark outrage
Kenyan authorities said six men who raped and murdered Sheila Adhiambo Lumumba, 25, on April 19 in her home in Karatina actually targeted her because of her sexual orientation, The Washington Blade reported. The body of ...
|
| |
| |
Calls to free Brittney Griner increase after prisoner release
As some people celebrate the April 27 announcement that Texas Marine veteran Trevor Reed would be released from a Russian prison, there were others urging the U.S. government to continue working behind the scenes—particularly regarding the ...
|
| |
| |
Same-sex couple have historic wedding in Antarctica
RRS Sir David Attenborough crew members Eric Bourne and Stephen Carpenter are now the first same-sex couple ever married in the British Antarctic Territory on April 24, The Maritime Executive noted. The Maritime Executive noted that ...
|
| |
| |
French President Macron defeats Le Pen, is re-elected
French President Emmanuel Macron comfortably won re-election to a second term on April 24, defeating far-right, anti-LGBTQ+ candidate Marine Le Pen in a runoff. The second five-year term for the centrist spared France and Europe from ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Soldiers, Everywhere Is Queer, soccer items
Video below
The South Korean Supreme Court ruled that soldiers of the same sex who have consensual sex in a private space cannot be charged with assault under the Military Criminal Act, The Hankyoreh reported. Previously, the court ...
|
| |
| |
Wimbledon banning Russian, Belarusian players
Russian and Belarusian tennis players will be banned from competing in Wimbledon (which starts June 27) because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Belarus' support of the ongoing war, USA Today noted, citing a New York ...
|
| |
| |
Gay Games 2023 announces updated sports list
Gay Games 11 Hong Kong announced an all-new line-up of 23 sports for the November 2023 Games—a global multisport, arts and culture event founded in 1982 that celebrates diversity and inclusion. Co-hosted with Guadalajara, Mexico, the ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Conversion therapy, director attacked, killings, Rwanda, Grag Queen
Thousands of LGBTQ+ people and allies across the United Kingdom recently protested the British government's refusal to ban anti-trans conversion therapy, Xtra Magazine noted. On April 10, demonstrators gathered at 10 Downing Street, the office of ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Conference canceled, Catholic event, India bills, Gertrude Stein
The United Kingdom canceled its first-ever international LGBTQ+ conference after a boycott by more than 100 organizations, the BBC reported. "Safe To Be Me" was scheduled to take place in London in June to promote LGBTQ+ ...
|
| |
| |
Singer Emily Sande comes out as part of the LGBTQ+ community
British pop singer/songwriter Emeli Sande has revealed that she's in love with a woman who might just be "the one," according to a Billboard item that cited her interview with Metro. Sande came out and said ...
|
|
| |
| |
WORLD Global conference, conversion therapy, 'It's a Sin,' South Africa
This summer, the United Kingdom will host a global LGBTQ+-rights conference that will coincide with London Pride's 50th anniversary, The Washington Blade noted. The Safe to Be Me: A Global Equality Conference will take place in ...
|
| |
| |
British transgender cyclist banned
Outsports has reported that transgender cyclist Emily Bridges has been barred from competing in the British National Omnium Championship after the UCI—the sports' international governing body—said Bridges is still registered ...
|
| |
| |
DignityUSA: New Vatican document on education could increase exclusion of LGBTQI people
-- From a press release
March 31, 2022—A newly released document from the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education could make it even more difficult for LGBTQI people to be part of the Catholic school system and could trigger a new wave ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Religious leaders, Canadian monument, Sri Lanka, Ukrainian clinics
More than 150 senior religious leaders from around the globe have committed to protecting LGBTQ+ people in faith communities, according to PinkNews. A "revolutionary" set of safeguarding principles were set out by the 2022 conference of ...
|
| |
| |
Pride Journey: Iceland
The only way to describe Iceland is ... magical. It truly is. Iceland is like no other place I've visited in the world. It's topography, climate, people, culture, history, and nightlife blended together make Iceland a ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Trevor Project, Ukraine items, LGBTQ politician, Kosovo's anti-gay move
The Trevor Project—the LGBTQ+ suicide-prevention organization named after "Trevor," an Academy Award-winning short film about a gay teenager who attempts suicide—is expanding its services into Mexico, NBC News reported. The ...
|
| |
| |
Top UK court upholds Cayman Islands marriage-equality ban
On March 14, the UK Privy Council ruled that the Cayman Islands Constitution does not provide a right for same-sex marriage and ruled in favor of the Cayman Islands government by dismissing the case of lesbian ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Warlord killed, marriage items, Chile president, Tchaikovsky
One of the top warlords and a close advisor to Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov was killed recently in the battle for Antonov Airport, also known as Hostomel Airport—an international cargo airport and testing facility northwest of ...
|
| |
| |
Vatican official to speak during virtual LGBTQ+ event
In what may be the first time a Vatican official speak with an LGBTQ+ audience, the Mount Rainier, Maryland-based LGBTQ+ Catholic group New Ways Ministry announced that a French nun who serves as the undersecretary of ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Singapore ruling, journalist killed, Ukraine items, 'Flee'
Singapore's highest court dismissed a challenge by three LGBTQ+-rights activists against a law criminalizing sex between men ruling that since authorities did not enforce the law, it did not breach plaintiffs' ...
|
| |
| |
Russia, Belarus athletes face consequences of Ukraine invasion
Athletes from Russia and Belarus are facing the consequences of their countries' invasion of Ukraine. Faced with threats of withdrawals and growing animosity in the Athletes Village, organizers of the Winter Paralympics, on March 3, expelled ...
|
| |
| |
European LGBTQ+ activists show support for Ukraine
LGBTQ activists across Europe continued to stand in solidarity with their counterparts in Ukraine in the wake of Russia's invasion of their country, The Washington Blade noted. "We are ready to host LGBT+ people from Ukraine ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Russia, hate crimes in Israel, Gus Kenworthy, Indian state
The Russian government made an unsuccessful attempt to shut down one of the country's largest and most prominent LGBTQ-rights groups, but human rights advocates say there are likely more attempts on the horizon, NBC News noted. ...
|
| |
| |
Mexico issues first non-binary birth certificate
On Feb. 11, Mexican LGBTQIA+ activist Fausto Martínez became the first person to receive a non-binary gender marker on their birth certificate, Re Mezcla and Human Rights Watch reported. This historic achievement was the result of ...
|
| |
| |
U.S. finishes fifth at Winter Olympics; LGBTQs win nine medals
Feb. 20 marked the end of competition at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics—with Team USA finishing fifth. The United States experienced highs and lows during the competition. Nathan Chen won gold in men's individual figure skating ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Indian plan, Kuwaiti ruling, meetings in Cuba, Thai protest
In India, the Centre unveiled the roadmap for mainstreaming transgender persons under the umbrella scheme SMILE, or Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise, The Times of India reported. The scheme of the ministry of ...
|
| |
| |
Non-binary skater and partner finish eighth at Winter Olympics
Timothy LeDuc—who made history as the first non-binary competitor at a Winter Olympics—and partner Ashley Cain Gribble finished eighth in the pairs figure-skating competition in Beijing on Feb. 19. China's Wenjing Sui and Cong Han took ...
|
| |
| |
Controversial ROC figure skater Valieva finishes fourth
Kamila Valieva—the 15-year-old figure skater from the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) who was at the center of controversy when she was approved to compete after failing a doping test—stumbled during her free skate and finished fourth ...
|
| |
| |
U.S. women's hockey team falls in gold-medal game; Bulls win fifth straight
Team Canada's Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice and Canada snatched gold back from the United States in a 3-2 win on Feb. 17 in Beijing, as the Americans failed to defend their Olympic crown from four years ...
|
| |
| |
Israel, New Zealand ban conversion therapy
Two more countries have banned the widely discredited practice known as conversion therapy. In Israel, the health ministry issued a circular Feb. 14 banning medical professionals from practicing it, The Jerusalem Post reported. The circular stresses ...
|
| |
| |
Gay Games Hong Kong, FGG name Guadalajara presumptive co-host of 11th Gay Games in 2023
-- From a press release
Hong Kong and San Francisco, 14 February 2022 The Federation of Gay Games (FGG) and Gay Games 11 Hong Kong (GGHK) today announced that Guadalajara has been named the presumptive co-host of the November 2023 ...
|
| |
| |
OLYMPICS Skater who failed drug test is cleared to compete
In a decision that stunned the Olympic sports movement, 15-year-old figure-skating Russian Olympic Committee phenom Kamila Valieva will be allowed to skate Tuesday, Feb. 15, in the women's singles skating competition in Beijing, NPR reported. A ...
|
| |
| |
Jackson becomes first Black woman to win speedskating medal
On Feb. 13, Erin Jackson became the first Black woman to win a speedskating medal at the Winter Olympics—and it's gold. Jackson won the 500 meters in 37.04 seconds, giving the U.S. speedskating program its first ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Honor killing, Global Respect Act, scholarship, Australian bill
The U.S. condemned the so-called honor killing of a transgender woman in Iraqi Kurdistan, The Washington Blade reported. Media reports indicate Doski Azad's brother, Chakdar Azad, murdered her in Mangesh on Jan. 28. Authorities in the ...
|
| |
| |
French co-discoverer of HIV dies at 89
French researcher Luc Montagnier—who won a Nobel Prize in 2008 for discovering HIV and, more recently, spread false claims about the coronavirus—has died at age 89, ABC News noted. Montagnier died Feb. 8 at the American ...
|
| |
| |
HRC hails House passage of Global Respect Act to fight for international LGBTQ+ rights
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) — the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization — praised the House of Representatives for voting today ...
|
| |
| |
LGBTQ speed skater makes Olympics history
On Feb. 7, Dutch speed skater Ireen Wust a member of the LGBTQ+ community made Olympics history as the first athlete to claim individual gold medals at five consecutive games, PinkNews reported. The 35-year-old was already the most ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Beijing Olympics, Honduras crimes, Grindr, Argentina agency
At least 35 of this year's Olympic athletes are openly LGBTQ+—more than double the number of queer competitors from the 2018 winter competition in PyeongChang, South Korea, according to an NBC News item that cited the ...
|
| |
| |
U.S. women's hockey team wins first Olympics games, scuffles with Russia
During the Beijing Winter Olympics, the U.S. women's hockey team has won its first two games. The squad defeated Finland 5-2 on Feb. 3 and 5-0 against the Russia Olympic Committee (ROC) on Feb. 5, according ...
|
| |
| |
Come as you are! Figure skating queers up as the U.S. team heads to Beijing
It's been four years since Adam Rippon took the Olympics by crystal-laden storm. The witty, flamboyant 28-year-old was the first openly gay athlete to represent the U.S. at the Winter Olympics. Rippon took home a bronze ...
|
| |
| |
SPORTS Nadal sets record with 21st Grand Slam title
On Jan. 29, tennis player Rafael Nadal distanced himself from contemporaries Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic by winning his 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Nadal came back from two sets down to beat ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Church officials come out, Polish bill, crimes, Hannah Gadsby
More than 100 Catholic church officials in Germany came out as LGBT, queer or non-binary, adding to calls for reform within the crisis-hit church, TheLocal.de reported. Demands for a more liberal attitude to homosexuality within the ...
|
| |
| |
France passes law criminalizing conversion therapy
France has passed a new law criminalizing the use of so-called "conversion therapy" to attempt to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ people, the BBC reported. The National Assembly passed the law 142 ...
|
| |
| |
TENNIS Ash Barty scores historic win at Australian Open
On Jan. 29, Ash Barty ended a 44-year drought by becoming the first Australian to win an Australian Open singles title since 1978, ESPN.com noted. The world number-one player and hometown favorite capped off a dominant ...
|
| |
| |
Pope Francis: Parents should support gay children
Pope Francis said Jan. 26 that parents should support, not condemn, gay children, CBS News reported. In speaking about how parents should always stand by their children during difficult times, including illness or accidents, the pope ...
|
| |
| |
Report: Taliban targeting LGBT Afghans
OutRight Action International and Human Rights Watch said in a report that LGBT Afghans and people who do not conform to rigid gender norms in Afghanistan have faced an increasingly desperate situation and grave threats to ...
|
| |
| |
Pope Benedict admits mistake in sex-abuse case
On Jan. 24, retired Pope Benedict XVI admitted that he did attend a meeting in Munich in 1980 where an abusive priest was discussed, saying an earlier denial was the result of an editing mistake, according ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Namibia ruling, crimes, LGBTQ+ film festival, blogger sentenced
Namibia's High Court ruled against two same-sex couples fighting for recognition of their marriages, with Judge Hannelie Prinsloo saying she agreed with them but was bound by the nation's prohibition of same-sex relations, Reuters reported. Daniel ...
|
| |
| |
Chile president-elect names LGBTQ+ people to his Cabinet
Chilean President-elect Gabriel Boric—who won a runoff election on Dec. 21, 2021—named two openly LGBTQ+ people to his Cabinet on Jan. 21, the Los Angeles Blade reported. Marco Antonio Avila, a gay man, will be the ...
|
| |
| |
Former pope faulted in report on sexual abuse in German diocese
A long-awaited report on sexual abuse in Germany's Munich diocese faulted retired Pope Benedict XVI's handling of four cases when he was archbishop in the 1970s and 1980s, The Chicago Tribune reported. Westpfahl Spilker Wastl, the ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Archbishop demoted, Israel ruling, Denmark petition, tennis icon
Pope Francis demoted Archbishop Giacomo Morandi, the number-two official in the doctrine office, due to the belief that he is responsible for the controversial document that bars blessings for same-sex couples, according to Newsweek. Morandi is ...
|
| |
| |
Pope Francis thanks U.S. nun for advancing LGBTQ+ rights
In a recent letter to Sister Jeannine Gramick, Pope Francis thanked her for her 50 years of advocacy and ministry to LGBTQ+ Catholics, The Hill reported. The pope in his letter, dated Dec. 10, said Gramick ...
|
| |
| |
French gay and bisexual men can donate blood starting March 16
Starting in March, gay and bisexual French men will no longer be restricted from donating blood, The Hill reported. "We are ending an inequality that was no longer justified," French Minister for Solidarity and Health Olivier ...
|
| |
| |
Duval Princess, 24 year old Black trans woman, found shot to death in Florida
--From a NBJC press release
FLORIDA The National Black Justice Coalition mourns the loss of Duval Princess, a 24-year-old Black transgender woman. Princess was found shot in a car at Highland Square shopping center in Jacksonville, Florida, on January 3, ...
|
| |
| |
Global reports show pervasiveness of conversion therapy info
Two reports released from the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) expose how tech companies have failed to de-platform anti-LGBTQ+ conversion therapy disinformation and ban providers pushing the discredited ...
|
| |
