In Kenya, intersex individuals are increasingly distancing themselves from the larger queer demographic—hoping that intersex people will gain legitimacy faster if decoupled from more controversial identities, according to Erasing 76 Crimes. Intersex, as the third gender, has officially been included in the latest gazetted sample of birth notification certificates that are filled at birth. Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) Commissioner Dennis Wamalwa—who is a board member and the vice-chair of the Intersex Persons Society of Kenya—said the move to disconnect from the LGBTQ+ community is about securing the place of intersex identity as the third gender without plunging it into the controversy of being queer.
By a vote of five to four, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration’s request to keep billions of dollars in foreign aid approved by Congress frozen, with Chief Justice John Roberts, Amy Coney Barrett, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson in the majority, CNN reported. However, the court did not immediately say when the money must be released, allowing the White House to continue to dispute the issue in lower courts. Among the groups challenging the freeze are the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, a New York-based organization working to speed HIV prevention; and the D.C.-based Global Health Council, which represents other groups that administer health programs.
Lesotho LGBTQ+-rights organization The People’s Matrix said that it did not receive $8 million in funding from the United States, despite Donald Trump’s recent claim, PinkNews noted. During his presidential address to Congress on March 4, Trump made a claim about The People’s Matrix. “Eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho,” he said of the organization, adding that “nobody has ever heard” of the African country. People’s Matrix spokesperson Tampose Mothopeng alleged that Trump’s claim was baseless, telling AFP, “We are literally not receiving grants from the U.S.” Lesotho Foreign Affairs Minister Lejone Mpotjoane also weighed in on Trump’s comments, saying it was “shocking” to hear the president “refer to another sovereign state in that manner.”
Hungary’s government is clamping down on the country’s annual Budapest Pride parade, which has been running for almost 30 years, CNN noted. The government is claiming that the event should not “dominate public spaces”—citing what it claims are “child protection” issues. Gergely Gulyas, the chief of staff for Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban, made the remarks at a government information session. Neela Ghoshal— senior director of Law, Policy and Research at LGBTQ+ organization Outright International—told CNN that “the idea of forcing Pride into a closet makes a mockery of the very concept of Pride.” Five years ago, Budapest effectively banned same-sex adoption, with Orban’s office saying at the time that the move strengthened “the protection of Hungarian families and the safety of our children.”
U.S. President Donald Trump’s backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) might be affecting Canada, as Toronto Pride announced that multiple major sponsors had dropped out of the event in the wake of Trump’s anti-DEI movement, Xtra noted. Executive Director Kojo Modeste said that one silver and two gold sponsors have pulled their funding from the 2025 festival; gold sponsors include companies contributing more than $150,000, while silver sponsors contribute $100,000. Nissan Canada confirmed that it is one of the companies withdrawing from the festival, saying it is “solely due to a re-evaluation of all our marketing and media activations.”
In the UK, a March 31 protest outside the Houses of Parliament has been planned in memory of U.S. drag queen Heklina, to raise awareness of alleged homophobia within the Metropolitan Police, PinkNews noted. Drag figure Peaches Christ (real name: Joshua Grannell) posted the news about the protest on Instagram; according to the post, participants “will gather at Big Ben at 10 AM and march 0.9 miles along the Embankment to the Met Police HQs, where there will be speeches and a peaceful protest.” Speakers set to join the demonstration include fellow drag queens Cheddar Gorgeous and Crystal, as well Scissor Sisters singer Ana Matronic.
The U.S. has withdrawn from The U.N. LGBTI Core Group—a group of U.N. member states that have pledged to support LGBTQI+ rights, The Washington Blade noted. Chile and the Netherlands are the current co-chairs, with dozens of other countries being members; some of them include Finland, Brazil, South Africa, Spain, Canada, Israel, Argentina, Belgium, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico. The EU, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch and Outright International are observers. The promotion of LGBTQI+ rights was a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris administration’s foreign policy.
Edinburgh Women’s Aid—a domestic-abuse organization based in Edinburgh, Scotland—announced it will no longer allow trans women and non-binary people to access its services, according to PinkNews. The organization said while it recognized people hold “differing views” on sex and gender, it decided to set out “specific positions” regarding its services. It also announced it will also no longer hire trans women or non-binary people, including those with gender-recognition certificates, or GRCs. The position of Edinburgh Women’s Aid differs from that of the nationwide charity Scottish Women’s Aid, which states on its website that its services are “trans-inclusive, and provide support to women in lesbian relationships as well as heterosexual relationships.”
Draft legislation could see “biological sex” written into law in Turkey and the “promotion” of LGBTQ+ rights criminalized, per Middle East Eye. According to a draft document from the justice ministry acquired by LGBTQ+-rights group Kaos GL, the new legislation would also introduce prison time for those who conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies. Though still a draft document yet to arrive at parliament, it comes shortly after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that 2025 would be “Year of the Family” and would see a crackdown on so-called “harmful trends and perverse ideologies.”
In Spain, the city of A Coruña recently honored Senegalese immigrants Ibrahima Diack and Magatte N’Diaye for their bravery in intervening in the brutal 2021 beating of 24-year-old gay nursing assistant Samuel Luiz, Erasing 76 Crimes noted. The city honored the men as “adopted sons of the city” in a formal ceremony during which Mayor Inés Rey awarded the heroes with plaques. While other bystanders watched or recorded the beating on their phones, Diack and N’Diaye were the only ones to step in and push the attacker away from Luiz. Unfortunately, the attacker soon returned with 12 others and launched a savage assault that resulted in Luiz’s death. Authorities arrested four men in connection with the murder.
Emilia Pérez surprised some by winning best film and director, among other prizes, at the 50th edition of the Cesar Awards, France’s equivalent to the Oscars, in Paris, Variety reported. The film earned seven awards (also including best adapted screenplay, sound, original music, special effects and cinematography) out of 12 nominations. While Zoe Saldana and Karla Sofía Gascón were both present and were nominated for best actress (although they sat near each other but didn’t speak in the wake of Gascon’s controversy), they lost to Hafsia Herzi, who starred as a prison supervisor in Stéphane Demoustier’s Borgo. Other highlights included the presence of Catherine Deneuve on stage as ceremony president who paid tribute to Ukraine; and an honorary tribute to Julia Roberts.
Brazil’s government and institutions are working together to develop local policies aimed at the communities most vulnerable to climate change, as gender equality and anti-discrimination criteria are now being incorporated into these policies from the design phase, according to AFD. AFD has established partnerships in Brazil with the Ministry of Planning, Budget and Management (MPO) and local authorities to reinforce sustainable local policies and improve people’s living conditions.
Out British comic/actor Matt Lucas publicly apologized to British actress Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things) for his remarks about her appearance, according to Deadline. On Instagram, Lucas provided context: “Nearly 25 years ago I co-wrote and appeared in a sketch show called Little Britain. There was a character in it called Vicky Pollard, who had blonde hair and always wore a pink top, and in the photo you had blonde hair and wore a pink top so I pointed out the similarity by posting one of her catchphrases.” He continued, “I thought you looked terrific and I was mortified when the press wrote that I ‘slammed’ you, firstly because that’s not my style, and secondly because I think you’re brilliant.” Lucas’ apology came a day after Brown took to social media to call out the criticism she had received, saying in an Instagram video that she was addressing “something that affects every young woman who grows up under public scrutiny.”
Singer Buffy Sainte-Marie—whose Indigenous lineage has been called into question, said she has returned her Order of Canada “with a good heart” and restated that she never claimed to be Canadian, according to Variety, citing the Canadian Press. In her first comment since she was stripped of the award in February, Sainte-Marie, 84, said that she is a U.S. citizen and holds a U.S. passport, but was adopted as a young adult by a Cree family in Saskatchewan. An Oscar-winning songwriter and Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee, Saint-Marie has for decades been associated with the struggles of Native Americans and is known for the anti-war song “Universal Soldier.” No specific reason for the termination was stated, but an investigation by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Fifth Estate show claims that Sainte-Marie fabricated her Indigenous heritage.
In the UK, Olivia Rodrigo, the 1975 and Neil Young will headline this year’s Glastonbury Festival on June 27-29, Variety noted. They join Rod Stewart, who was previously announced to be playing the event’s prestigious legends slot. Some of the other names slated to perform include Wet Leg, queer rapper Doechii, Raye, The Prodigy, Charli XCX, Alanis Morissette, Noah Kahan, Busta Rhymes, Japanese Breakfast and Weezer.
Charli XCX’s Brat was named British Album of the Year at the 45th Brit Awards at London’s O2 Arena, where she also won British Artist of the Year, Best Dance Act and Songwriter of the Year, as well as Song of the Year for her and Billie Eilish’s “Guess,” per Deadline. Other winners at this year’s ceremony, hosted by Jack Whitehall, included Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Stormzy and Ezra Collective, among others. In addition, the late singer Liam Payne was honored with a tribute.
Gay pornographic actor/entrepreneur Tim Kruger, known legally as Marcel Bonn, has reportedly died, according to PinkNews. In a post shared on social media and on the porn website TimTales, which Kruger founded in 2009, his partner confirmed that the “sweet, caring” actor had died in a “tragic accident” at his home. Kruger, who was born in Dusseldorf, Germany, was 44. The reference to Kruger’s partner suggests that the author is his longtime partner, Grobes Geraet.