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Ghana cardinal: It's time to understand homosexuality
Ghana Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson told the BBC that being gay should not be considered illegal and that people should be helped to understand the issue of homosexuality better. Turkson's comments come as his country's ...
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Trans women banned from playing cricket
Transgender women have been barred from playing in international women's matches under a new policy from the International Cricket Council (ICC), the BBC reported. Any player who has gone through male puberty will not be eligible ...
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WORLD Thai marriage law, French bill, Miss Universe, IKEA, activist dies
Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said that the cabinet approved a draft law on marriage equality and that it would be brought to parliament during a session starting in December, Reuters reported. If the draft law ...
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Scotland announces five-year plan to help nonbinary people
Scotland's government has announced a five-year action plan to improve the lives of non-binary people, Yahoo! News reported. Among other things, the first-of-its-kind plan in the UK (and, quite possibly, in the world) includes actions to ...
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PASSAGES: Mexico's first out nonbinary magistrate Jesus Ociel Baena Saucedo
On Nov. 13, Mexico's first out nonbinary magistrate and LGBTQ+ activist Jesus Ociel Baena Saucedo was found dead in their state of Aguascalientes home alongside their partner Dorian Herrera. They were 38. According to state prosecutor ...
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WORLD Latvia, nonbinary magistrate, Gay Games end, Israel soldiers
Latvia's parliament voted to allow same-sex couples to establish civil unions, Reuters reported. Said couples now have legal recognition—but fewer rights than married couples. The new legislation, slated to take effect in the middle of next ...
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UN committee criticizes United States' LGBTQ+ record
Reviewing the United States' record on civil and political rights, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRC) condemned the country's record on LGBTQ+ rights, according to Human Rights Watch. In 1992, the United States ratified the ...
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WORLD Macron, Senegal incident, drag queen, King's Speech, lesbian artist
French President Emmanuel Macron voiced his support for a bill banning gender-inclusive language on official state documents, according to PinkNews. During the inauguration of the space known as the Cite ...
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Pope: Trans people can be baptized and act as godparents
Pope Francis has stated that trans people may be baptized and act as godparents or witnesses to marriage under the same conditions as any other adult—as long as a scandal does not result, according to PinkNews. ...
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Gay Games dealing with backlash, low turnout
Gay Games 11 Hong Kong 2023 (which is also taking place in Guadalajara, Mexico) is taking place, but is contending with some obstacles, including political backlash and low registration numbers, media outlets have reported. According to ...
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Queer athlete named women's rugby player of the year
World Rugby announced that British captain Marlie Packer has been named this year's World Rugby Women's 15s Player of the Year in partnership with Mastercard, according to a media release. Packer received the award in front ...
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WORLD Austria proposal, conferences, Pride marches, tennis player, Gay Games
In Austria, a historic proposal by the country's Ministry of Justice sees 33 million euros (approximately $35 million U.S.) set aside to compensate those who were persecuted or convicted of consensual same-sex acts—although critics say th ...
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Jamaica court upholds sodomy law; activist ends fight in that country
On Oct. 27, the Jamaica Supreme Court upheld the country's anti-sodomy law, claiming that only Parliament could repeal the statute—and the ruling has resulted in a longtime advocate/attorney ending his fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the ...
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South Korean court upholds military 'sodomy law'
For the fourth time, South Korea's constitutional court has upheld two anti-LGBTQ+ laws—including the country's notorious military "sodomy law," The Guardian reported. By a vote of five to four, the court confirmed the constitutionality of ar ...
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WORLD Spirit Day, pope's meeting, conversion therapy, 'Elite' actor, tourism
Spirit Day—an annual observance celebrated every third Thursday of October that is dedicated to taking a stand against bullying and showing support for the LGBTQ+ youth—was marked globally, GLAAD noted. ...
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Several dozen people arrested over 'gay wedding' in Nigeria
Nigerian security personnel arrested more than 70 young people after accusing them of organizing a same-sex wedding, The South China Morning Post reported. Same-sex marriage is illegal in Nigeria under a 2014 law. Gombe, where the ...
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Japanese court rules against surgery requirement to change gender
On Oct. 24, Japan's Supreme Court ruled that a law requiring transgender people to have their reproductive organs removed in order to officially change their gender is unconstitutional, according to a TIME article. The decision by ...
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WORLD Trans Pakistanis, new UN expert, Rod Stewart, 'gay tax,' IGLTA
Pakistani authorities have resumed the registration of trans people and issuing identity cards to them after the Supreme Court's Sharia Appellate Bench ruled on the issue last month, The Washington Blade reported. In June, an Islamic ...
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India's supreme court declines to recognize marriage equality
India's top court, led by Chief Justice Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud, declined to grant legal recognition to same-sex marriages, saying it is beyond its scope and should be decided by parliament, The Guardian reported. However, the court ...
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WORLD Mauritius ruling, Justin Trudeau, couple attacked, Dame Shirley Bassey
In a historic ruling, the Supreme Court of Mauritius decriminalized same-sex sexual relations when it declared the African country's British colonial-era anti-sodomy laws relations to be unconstitutional, The Advocate reported. ...
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WORLD Canadian news, mpox in China, Greek politician, Scottish study
In Canada, LGBTQ+ groups in northwestern Ontario are calling for an urgent meeting with Conservative MP Eric Melillo over what they're calling transphobic policy resolutions passed by the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC), CBC reported. Rainb ...
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COMMENTARY Pope Francis permits blessings of same-gender couples on a case-by-case basis
Pope Francis affirms the spiritual value of blessings of same gender couples in Church sanctioned ceremonies on a case-by-case basis when judged pastorally appropriate. In a letter, released by the Vatican on Oct. 2, Francis states ...
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WORLD African efforts, HIV in Amsterdam, Donatella Versace, 'The Queen in Me'
A new attempt to prevent the recognition of and equal rights for LGBTQ+ people in Kenya through a constitutional amendment has been introduced in Parliament, The Washington Blade reported. The move was in response to this ...
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New report: Attacks on LGBTI rights strongly associated with democratic backsliding globally
--From a press release
A new report from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that countries that are highly accepting of LGBTI people tend to have high levels of liberal democracy, such as free and fair elections ...
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Arrests, fights punctuate battles across Canada over gender diversity in schools
Arrests were reported in the Canadian cities of Ottawa, Halifax, Vancouver and Victoria, among others, on Sept. 20 as opposing groups clashed on how schools address issues of gender identity and how teachers refer to transgender ...
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WORLD French fund, mausoleum, Abrazo Grupal, Biden, Billie Jean King
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna announced a fund to help promote the rights of LGBTQ+ people, French24 reported. She made the announcement at the 15th anniversary of an LGBTQ+ group at the United Nations at the ...
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WORLD Quebec lesbians, violence study, Rugby World Cup, Ugandan bill
The hidden history of Quebec lesbians is being explored, the CBC reported. Between 1985 and 1996, a group of lesbians leased the Plateau-Mont-Royal school and ran it as a community center. The school was also home ...
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Prime minister of Andorra comes out as gay
Xavier Espot Zamora, the head of the government of the tiny European country of Andorra, has come out as gay—although he added that he never hid his sexual orientation, according to a translated article from The ...
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'Merchant of Death' talks about exchange with Brittney Griner
Russian Viktor Bout—the so-called "merchant of death" involved in a prisoner exchange for out WNBA star Brittney Griner late last year—told ESPN that, among other things, he followed Griner's case closely from federal prison in Illinois. ...
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WORLD Couple's win, attack in Beirut, German military, gay ski week
In Strasbourg, France, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Bulgaria violated the rights of a same-sex couple (Darina Koilova and Lili Babulkova) by not recognizing their marriage abroad, RFE/RL reported. Rights groups lauded the ...
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Hong Kong court grants rights of same-sex couples, stops short of marriage
On Sept. 5, Hong Kong's top court ordered the city's government to legally recognize the rights of same-sex couples in a partial victory for LGBTQ+-rights activists, CNN reported. Five judges from Hong Kong's Court of Final ...
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Openly gay airline CEO resigns amid controversy
Alan Joyce, the openly gay CEO of Australian airline Qantas, has resigned after being accused of participating in illegal ticket sales, Reuters reported. Joyce, the company's head for 15 years, had been scheduled to retire in ...
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WORLD Brazilian court, Scottish items, Canadian policy, PEPFAR
The Brazilian Supreme Federal Court ruled nine to one that homophobia is now punishable with up to five years in prison, The Washington Blade reported. Their decision equates homophobia to racism in terms of prison time. ...
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Ugandan man charged with 'aggravated homosexuality'
In Uganda, a 20-year-old man is facing the death penalty after being charged with "aggravated homosexuality," the BBC reported. His lawyer, Justine Balya, told Reuters that the man—accused of unlawful ...
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Dozens arrested at gay wedding in Nigeria
Dozens of people were arrested for attending a gay wedding in Nigeria under the country's strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws, according to media reports. The number of arrestees have varied from 60 to more than 100. More than ...
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WORLD Argentinian elections, indian prince, UN, Gay Games
The results of Argentina's Aug. 13 primary elections revealed a political landscape that combines significant advances in LGBTQI+ rights with the expansion of the far-right in that country, The Washington ...
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Spain wins first gold at Women's World Cup
Spain held off England 1-0 on Aug. 20 to win its first Women's World Cup. The win for Spain in just its third World Cup appearance prevented the Lionesses—the reigning European champions—from bringing the trophy back ...
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Trans women banned from world chess events for females
Lausanne, Switzerland-based federation Fide—the world's top chess federation—ruled that trans women cannot compete in its official events for females until a review of the situation is made by its officials ...
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WORLD Ethiopia, London attack, monument vandalized, British royals
Ethiopian LGBTQ+-rights activists said that authorities are targeting venues frequented by LGBTQ+ people in the nation, particularly in the capital city, Addis Ababa, per The Advocate. In addition, LGBTQ+ Ethiopians ...
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WORLD Sauna raid, HIV items, World Bank, 'Barbie,' JK Rowling
In Venezuela, three men who were arrested when authorities raided a gay sauna on July 23 have been released from jail, per The Washington Blade. Officers in Valencia, the country's third largest city, arrested 33 people ...
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Iraq banning media from saying 'homosexuality'
Iraq's official media regulator has ordered all media and social-media companies operating in the country not to use the term "homosexuality" and to say "sexual deviance" instead, NBC News reported. The Iraqi Communications and Media Commission ...
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Pope: Church open to LGBTQ+ people...but there are rules
On Aug. 6, Pope Francis said that the Catholic Church is open to everyone—including the LGBTQ+ community—and that it has a duty to accompany them on a personal path of spirituality but within the framework of ...
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U.S. eliminated from Women's World Cup
In its earliest elimination from the Women's World Cup ever, the U.S. women's national team (USWNT) lost to Sweden 5-4 after a shootout in sudden death on Aug. 6 in Melbourne, Australia. The Americans' worst finish ...
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WORLD Marielle Franco, trans student dies, Iranian official, 'Drag Race'
Brazilian Justice Minister Flavio Dino announced a plea agreement with one of two police officers accused of assassinating Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco, a Black lesbian and human-rights activist who was killed by gunfire from ...
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Lawsuits filed against USCIS for failing to hear Ukrainian, Russian LGBTQ asylum claims
--From a press release
NEW YORK, NY — Legal Services NYC and Wilmer Hale announce two new lawsuits against the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) on behalf of two LGBTQ asylum seekers, one from Russia and another from ...
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U.S. (barely) advances at Women's World Cup
On Aug. 1, the United States National Women's Team (USWNT) finished as runner-up in Group E and advanced to the Women's World Cup round of 16 (the knockout round) after being held to a 0-0 draw. ...
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WORLD Global conference, asylum-seekers, HIV study, lesbian couple, The 1975
More than 400 people attended a global LGBTQI+-rights conference that took place in Mexico City, The Washington Blade reported. Jessica Stern, the special U.S. envoy for the promotion of LGBTQ and intersex rights; and Victor Madrigal-Borloz, ...
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U.S. ties Dutch at Women's World Cup
On July 26 in women's soccer action, the United States settled for a draw against the Netherlands at the Women's World Cup. The game was a rematch of the championship game of the 2019 event, which ...
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Singer Sinead O'Connor dies at 56
Sinead O'Connor—the Irish singer and activist who scored a global smash with a cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U" in 1990 and who was banned from Saturday Night Live for tearing up a photo of ...
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WOMEN'S SOCCER Red Stars fall; U.S. opens World Cup with win
On July 21, the Chicago Red Stars fell to the host Racing Louisville FC 2-0 in UKG Challenge Cup play. Racing Louisville had scored its two goals by the 19th minute of the match. The star of the match for Chicago ...
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WORLD Iranian president, HIV in Asia, asylum, lesbian moms
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi praised Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni for signing the African country's Anti-Homosexuality Act, The Washington Blade noted. Iran is among the countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations ...
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Elton John, husband called as defense witnesses in Spacey trial
Superstar singer Sir Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, have been called as witnesses for the defense in Kevin Spacey's trial, Deadline reported. The couple appeared via video link on July 17 from Monaco in ...
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Russia's lower house bans gender-reassignment surgery
In that country's most recent attack on LGBTQ+ people, Russia's lower house of parliament (the State Duma) passed a new law banning gender-reassignment surgery, the BBC reported. The measure will also ban people changing their genders ...
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WORLD Greece and marriage, Latvia, Japan ruling, Tanzania, soccer news
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced in a Bloomberg interview that the legalization of same-sex marriage is part of his government's strategy, per The Pappas Post. "Same-sex marriage will happen at some point and it's part ...
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Olympic runner Semenya wins case appeal but World Athletics won't budge
Olympic-champion track-and-field athlete Caster Semenya won her appeal on July 11 against track and field's testosterone rules when the European Court of Human Rights ruled she was discriminated against and there were "serious questions" about the ...
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Miss Netherlands crowns first trans woman
On July 8, Rikkie Valerie Kolle was named Miss Netherlands—becoming the first transgender woman to win the title, according to media reports. Kolle will now advance to represent her homeland at the 72nd Miss Universe pageant, ...
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Large mob storms Pride event in Eurasian country of Georgia
On July 8, hundreds of counterprotesters stormed Georgia's annual LGBTQ+ Pride festival in the capital of Tbilisi, causing authorities to evacuate the event, Politico reported. In a statement, Tbilisi Pride organizers said they had been forced ...
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WORLD Trans official, Bolsonaro, Pride marches, school policy, Qantas
Symmy Larrat—a transgender woman who is a member of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government—told The Washington Blade that the storming of her country's Congress, Presidential Palace and ...
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Woman running to be first openly trans president in world's history
Tamara Adrian recently registered as a presidential candidate in the Venezuelan primary—becoming the first openly transgender person in the world to do so, The Washington Blade reported. The professor/attorney/author/LGBTQI+-rights activist—a ...
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Prime Minister Trudeau condemns Canadian university stabbings
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the June 28 stabbings of a professor and two students in a gender-studies class at the University of Waterloo after police revealed the motive was hate-related, calling it "heinous violence," ...
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WORLD Australia case, Turkey march, Elton John, Mexico City, China
In Australia, the judge overseeing an inquiry examining the 30-year-old unsolved murder of former AC/DC manager Crispin Dye criticized New South Wales (NSW) Police after the revelation of explosive evidence in the case, The Advocate noted. ...
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Nepal's Supreme Court orders marriage registration for same-sex couples
The Supreme Court of Nepal recently issued an interim order directing the office of the prime minister and council of ministers as well as other relevant ministries to establish a "transitional mechanism" to ensure the registration ...
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WORLD Drag news, Japanese bill, Pride marches, British Vogue
In Sweden, Stockholm Vice Mayor Jan Jonsson had a drag makeover to take a stand against anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, per PinkNews. He stepped into a brand-new drag persona to speak out against "populism and intolerance" following recent ...
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U.S. soccer win over Mexico marred by anti-gay chanting
On June 15 in Las Vegas, Christian Pulisic scored a brace (two goals) as the United States men's soccer team dominated Mexico 3-0 in a game ESPN called "chaotic." Among other things, the Concacaf Nations League ...
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WORLD Pride celebrations, puberty blockers, British military, killer sentenced
Gay Pride Buenos Aires is slated to take place Oct. 27-Nov. 4, according to GayTravel4U.com. More than 30 organizations and groups host activities that will begin a week before the parade (which is on Nov. 4). ...
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Iceland passes trans-inclusive conversion-therapy ban
In a landslide majority, Iceland's parliament, on June 9, passed a law banning so-called conversion therapy practices on the bases of sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity, PinkNews reported. The country joined Brazil, Canada, New ...
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WORLD Justin Trudeau, Pride parades, refugees, Oxford professor
Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he voiced "concerns" about LGBTQ2 rights and a democratic reversal in Poland amid criticism he did not say enough as Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki visited Canada, Global News reported. ...
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Human-rights groups criticize PGA/LIV merger
On June 6, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan sat with Yasir Al-Rumayyan—the governor of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), which is financing LIV Golf—on CNBC to announce that their golf circuits would unite to form ...
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Travel consultants release best and worst countries for trans rights
Asher & Lyric have released "The 203 Best (& Worst) Countries for Trans Rights in 2023." This new study is an accompaniment to its annual LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index to specifically address trans issues. The countries ...
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Yucatan adventures--with an LGBTQ+ twist--await in Mexico
The Yucatan region lies between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea in southeastern Mexico. It is home to the states of Campeche and Quintana Roo, and features a variety of destinations appealing to LGBTQ+ ...
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WORLD Global survey, Turkey, Russians in Argentina, trans-rights activist
A new survey showed that nearly one in 10 adults across 30 countries identify as LGBTQ, according to NBC News. Age and geographic location played primary roles in the findings, with younger respondents and those in ...
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Second Japanese court finds marriage equality ban unconstitutional
On May 30 in Japan, the Nagoya District Court ruled that prohibiting same-sex marriage was unconstitutional—a decision activists welcomed as a step toward marriage equality, Reuters reported. Japan is the only Group of Seven (G-7) nation ...
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Strict Ugandan anti-LGBTQ+ bills signed into law
Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has signed some of the harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws in the world, according to CNN. The bill includes the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality," which includes sex with a minor, having sex while ...
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British Cycling to ban trans competitors from female category
After a nine-month investigation and review, British Cycling will ban transgender women from the female category in a change that will be implemented by the end of the year, the BBC reported. Under a new policy ...
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WORLD Japanese bill, 'HRC Equidad CL,' center closes, UN expert, amFAR gala
LGBTQ+-rights activists criticized a new bill submitted to the Diet (Japan's national legislature) aimed at "promoting understanding" of equality issues as a "meaningless gesture," Japan Today noted. Japan's coalition government ...
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